Northside Achievement Zone

A DECADE OF PROMISE!

The Great Minnesota Give Together is upon us once again, and NAZ is proud to join more than 6,000 MN-based nonprofits this Give to the Max Day!

Just over 10 years ago, NAZ received news that would change the organization forever — a federally recognized 'Promise Neighborhood' designation. The intervening years have brought inspiring gains and devastating losses. And, while NAZ and its partners are still assessing the total impact of learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic and unprecedented levels of community violence, the news is bleak.

According to a recent New York Times article, two-plus years of trauma-inducing disruptions have erased two decades of improvements in reading and math for our youngest learners. But we know one thing: NAZ works! Our data tells us that statistical progress has been made for our scholars and their families. And while there is much more to do, we’re honored to walk alongside supporters like YOU as we work to change the future of our beloved Northside community.

This Give to the Max Day, we humbly ask you to invest in the NAZ and become a champion for our scholars, their families, and the future of our Northside community. Help us meet the urgency of this moment—a moment when the needs of North Minneapolis are greater than ever before.

Need more incentive? Thanks to a generous donor, we have a 2:1 matching fund in celebration of our 10th Anniversary. All donations made today will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $20,000.00. That means your donation this Give to the Max Day will be TRIPLED!

If ever there was a time to dig a little deeper, to reach a little further, it's right now. We are ready, and we hope that you are too! Won't you join us?

Mission

NAZ exists to end generational poverty and build a culture of achievement in North Minneapolis where all low-income children of color graduate from high school college- and career-ready. We accomplish this through collaboration with parents, community organizations, and schools.

About the Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ)

NAZ operates as a strategy across more than 30 local nonprofits and schools with the shared goal of permanently closing the achievement gap and ending generational poverty in North Minneapolis. NAZ and its partners align resources that holistically address gaps and needs related to education, housing, career & finance, and health & wellness to support children’s academic success. In this model, parents are gaining the support and skills they need to lead themselves out of poverty. NAZ serves as the “backbone” for the collaboration, employing the NAZ Family Achievement Coaches, Academic Specialists, and wraparound-support specialists (subject matter experts in various areas of cross-partner support) who work directly with families. In addition, NAZ facilitates consistent communication among partners and provides a centralized data tracking system utilized by NAZ and partner staff.