The State of ALICE in Minnesota reveals that traditional measures of poverty have severely undercounted the number of households statewide living in financial hardship. While 9% of all households in the state earned at or below the Federal Poverty Level in 2023, the new research shows that 25% of households – nearly three times as many – were ALICE^® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, and above the Federal Poverty Level). Combined, 34% of Minnesota’s households fell below the ALICE Threshold of Financial Survival in 2023.

ALICE households bring in less than the basic costs of housing, child care, food, transportation, health care and technology, plus taxes. Yet because their income is above the Federal Poverty Level, they often don’t qualify for assistance.

“When we underestimate how many households are struggling, we underestimate what it truly takes to build thriving communities,” said United Ways of Minnesota Executive Director Doris Pagelkopf. “This means entire families and essential workers may be overlooked for support, left without the resources they need to stay healthy, achieve financial stability and reach their fullest potential. That’s a loss not just for ALICE, but for all of us.”

The crux of the struggle for ALICE families is the gap between wages and expenses. In 2023, a family of four in Minnesota needed $81,216 just to cover the essentials – nearly three times the Federal Poverty Level of $30,000. Yet even with both parents working full time in two of the state’s most common jobs – a personal care aide and a stock worker/order filler – this family’s combined income of $71,790 still fell short of the cost of basics by $9,426.

“The findings from this latest report are clear: Despite our state’s continuing prosperity, more than a third of Minnesotans are being left behind economically,” said Shannon Smith Jones, senior vice president of community impact at Greater Twin Cities United Way. “At every level of government and policymaking, it is critical that our leaders understand how widespread ALICE is in our state, so that our public systems can step up to create new opportunities for families to thrive.”

The State of ALICE in Minnesota also reveals that in 2023:

• Some groups face financial hardship at disproportionate rates, with 60% of the youngest and 49% of the oldest households in Minnesota falling below the ALICE Threshold, compared with 27% of households headed by someone age 25-44.
• Housing continues to be an obstacle for struggling families. Among households below the ALICE Threshold in Minnesota, 71% of households that rented and 56% of those that owned were rent and housing burdened – meaning they paid 30% or more of their income on rent and housing costs.

For many ALICE households, that baseline level of economic hardship leaves families with a thin margin to navigate life’s challenges, yet they are often overlooked because they earn more than the Federal Poverty Level. “ALICE families are especially vulnerable during natural disasters and times of economic uncertainty and yet often feel unseen or left behind,” said Stephanie Hoopes, Ph.D., National Director at United For ALICE. “By providing a name and a way to quantify these households, we’re equipping communities with the data to build solutions that offer better choices and real pathways to stability.”

More state and local data is available through the interactive dashboards on UnitedForALICE.org/Minnesota.

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About Greater Twin Cities United Way: Greater Twin Cities United Way unites changemakers, advocates for social good and develops solutions to address the challenges no one can solve alone to create a community where all people thrive, regardless of income, race or place. For more information, visit gtcuw.org and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.

About United Ways of Minnesota: United Ways of Minnesota was created to maximize the benefit of a statewide organization for local United Ways. Our priorities include sharing and exchanging best practices, successes, resources and management. Our Statewide Association Board of Directors comprised of one executive director and board members from the local member United Ways. Our board of directors meets six times per year and maintains a committee structure that addresses executive and legislative affairs, training, planning and communications. 

About United For ALICE: United For ALICE is a U.S. research organization driving innovation, research and action to improve life across the country for ALICE^® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) and for all. Through the development of the ALICE measurements, a comprehensive, unbiased picture of financial hardship has emerged. Harnessing this data and research on the mismatch between low-paying jobs and the cost of survival, ALICE partners convene, advocate and collaborate on solutions that promote financial stability at local, state and national levels. This grassroots ALICE movement, led by United Way of Northern New Jersey, has spread to 35 states and the District of Columbia and includes United Ways, corporations, nonprofits and foundations in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawai‘i, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington, D.C., West Virginia and Wisconsin; we are United For ALICE. For more information, visit: UnitedForALICE.org.

The post Working – and Still Falling Short: 1 in 4 Workers in Minnesota’s Most Common Jobs Struggle to Get By appeared first on Greater Twin Cities United Way.

Funding through United Way’s Community Investments grants will support people experiencing poverty. In addition to grant funds, organizations will receive capacity building resources, such as programmatic technical assistance or consultative fundraising services, as well as facilitated connections between nonprofits and other funders, nonprofits, and community leaders – all toward the goal of supporting our region’s nonprofit sector and the people they serve.

These new investments come amid a continuing regional cost-of-living crisis that is putting further pressure on families. Data from United Way’s 211 Resource Helpline shows increased demand for housing assistance, food programs and other resources that help families meet their essential needs. Furthermore, data shows us that 36% of Minnesotans are living paycheck to paycheck, or ALICE: Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed.

“The nonprofit organizations in our Community Investments portfolio bring a unique depth of knowledge about the challenges facing our region,” says Shannon Smith Jones, Senior Vice President of Community Impact at Greater Twin Cities United Way. “Working in close partnership with these passionate and innovative organizations, we can ensure that families throughout the Twin Cities have the resources they need to thrive.”

Nonprofits supported by Greater Twin Cities United Way are working within one or more of the organization’s five impact areas, meant to reflect the areas of greatest need in the nine-county metro area:

• Stable housing, ensuring all families have a safe, stable and affordable place to call home.
• Food security, providing people with access to food that is nutritious, culturally relevant and affordable.
• Early childhood education, guaranteeing that families and caregivers are equipped to support children to be successful learners, and that children enter kindergarten ready to learn and thrive.
• Career and future readiness, helping youth develop the skills, relationships and mindsets to choose and direct their own future success.
• Economic opportunity, ensuring that adults enter the workforce prepared for skilled employment and increased wealth, and supporting the next generation of community entrepreneurs.

“We hear this time and time again from our partners: United Way investments are the gold standard for philanthropic partnership,” says John Wilgers, President and CEO of Greater Twin Cities United Way. “By providing flexible funding and technical assistance over multiple years, we’re affording nonprofits the stability they need to be responsive and strategic in their work supporting community.”

In addition to multiyear Community Investments grants, Greater Twin Cities United Way continues to invest in the local community through innovation initiatives such as 80×3: Resilient from the Start, Career Academies, Pathways Home and Full Lives. United Way also manages direct services such as the local 211 Resource Helpline and 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which are both available 24/7 and in multiple languages. Data from these initiatives informs United Way’s holistic grantmaking approach as well as the organization’s annual list of policy and advocacy priorities.

Providing stability for nonprofits, Community Investments grants will total $9.8 million for the first year of a three-year partnership. These organizations are receiving 2025-2028 Community Investments funding from Greater Twin Cities United Way:

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About Greater Twin Cities United Way: Greater Twin Cities United Way unites changemakers, advocates for social good and develops solutions to address the challenges no one can solve alone to create a community where all people thrive, regardless of income, race or place. For more information, visit gtcuw.org and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.

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MINNEAPOLIS (September 24, 2024) – Greater Twin Cities United Way (United Way) announced today the relaunch of its successful Full Lives food security initiative. First started in 2017, Full Lives is unique in its focus on food systems as a driver of lasting food security. Full Lives partners with innovative nonprofits across the Twin Cities, including food shelves, urban farms, and food entrepreneurship incubators, to strengthen community resources and collectively establish a regional food system that ensures everyone has access to the food they need to thrive.

This new, expanded phase of Full Lives widens the initiative’s scale to focus on food systems regionally throughout the Greater Twin Cities area. As part of the launch, United Way is granting $1.2 million in funding to four nonprofit collaborative efforts, each organized among multiple organizations working in food security throughout the region.

Together, United Way and its partners will work to promote local agriculture, support entrepreneurs, foster new food businesses and improve food access throughout the Greater Twin Cities. Bringing these organizations closer together and building new relationships among them is central – and unique – to United Way’s approach to food security in the Twin Cities.

The four funded nonprofit collaborations are:

• 4Access Partners / Minnesota African Immigrant Farmer Association / Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON)
• Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization (CANDO) / Healthy Roots Institute & City Food Studio / Sabathani Community Center
• Dream of Wild Health / Indigenous Food Network
• Metro Food Justice Network

“Through the impact we’ve made with initiatives like ‘Career Academies’ and ‘80×3: Resilient from the Start,’ Greater Twin Cities United Way has shown an ability to tackle our communities’ biggest challenges with creativity and collaboration,” says John Wilgers, President & CEO of Greater Twin Cities United Way. “Our expanded Full Lives initiative builds on these successes, making significant new investments to grow our regional food system.”

Read more from Full Lives Program Officer Ho Nguyen about why strong food systems matter for food security.

In addition to grant funding, the initiative also provides nonprofit partners with training and peer-to-peer learning in a Community of Practice. The first round of partners will receive funding through December 2025. This investment supplements United Way’s ongoing multiyear Community Investments funding, which supports organizations focused on immediate and urgent food needs. Applications are now open for the 2025-28 Community Investment funding cycle.

“Since our earliest days, United Way has supported organizations in the Greater Twin Cities who are helping our neighbors get the food they need,” says Shannon Smith Jones, Senior Vice President of Community Impact at Greater Twin Cities United Way. “Full Lives brings together key players in our regional food system, creating new structures for collaboration and coordination to ensure families consistently have access to nutritious food.”

Full Lives is developed with input and feedback from the community and initiative partners. The Full Lives Advisory Group includes leaders of nonprofit and government entities with personal and professional experience navigating our region’s food system. Current Advisory Group members include:

• KaZoua Berry, Community Advocate and Farmer
• Marcus Carpenter, Founder, Route 1
• Carissa Dillon, Food Security Coordinator, Ramsey County
• Louise Matson, White Earth Band of Ojibwe; Executive Director, Division of Indian Work
• Theresa McCormick, Executive Director, The Good Acre
• J. DeVon Nolan, Primary/CEO, Bete’ Noire Consulting, LLC

Full Lives is made possible through significant collaboration with local philanthropic leaders. Leading corporate supporters in the expansion of Full Lives include Securian Financial and Land O’Lakes, Inc.

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About Greater Twin Cities United Way: Greater Twin Cities United Way unites changemakers, advocates for social good and develops solutions to address the challenges no one can solve alone to create a community where all people thrive, regardless of income, race or place. For more information, visit gtcuw.org and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.

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SAINT PAUL, MN (Sept. 10, 2024) — Though wages for the lowest paid jobs have risen across the country at the fastest rate in four decades, the number of households struggling to get by in Minnesota grew from 2021 to 2022. As a result, a total of 834,343 households or 36% were living paycheck to paycheck, according to a new report, “ALICE in Minnesota: A Study of Financial Hardship,” from Greater Twin Cities United Way, United Ways of Minnesota, and their research partner, United For ALICE. That calculation includes 233,779 Minnesota households in poverty as well as another 600,564 defined as ALICE.

ALICE^® is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, and it’s a way of understanding families, neighbors, and colleagues who work hard, earn above the Federal Poverty Level, but don’t make enough to afford a basic household survival budget. ALICE workers include childcare providers, home health aides, cashiers, retail clerks, waiters, nonprofit professionals and others — those working low-wage jobs, with little or no savings and one emergency from poverty. As members of the United Ways of Minnesota, our organizations recently joined the United for ALICE network — a national movement to raise awareness about this growing but often hidden population in our communities. 

ALICE in Minnesota: A Study of Financial Hardship shows that while wages were increasing, so too were costs. For a family of four with an infant and a preschooler, the basic costs to live and work in Minnesota, excluding tax credits, rose from $63,444 in 2021 to $77,304 a year later. Compounding the issue in 2022 was the loss of up to $15,000 in federal child tax credits and stimulus payments that this family had access to in 2021.

“While larger paychecks have provided some relief, the combined impact of inflation and the end of pandemic supports has continued to impact ALICE households here in the Twin Cities and across our state,” said John Wilgers, President and CEO of Greater Twin Cities United Way. “This latest data underscores that, despite some progress, many ALICE families are still forced to make impossible choices to try to make ends meet.”

The findings in this one-year period are consistent with a more than decade-long trend: Since the end of the Great Recession, despite some ups and downs, the number of ALICE households in Minnesota has been steadily growing. From 2010 to 2022, the total number of households rose by 10%, households in poverty increased by 1% — and the number of ALICE households grew by 33%. 

“The data is showing persistent and widespread financial hardship — a red flag that the current system isn’t working for ALICE,” said Stephanie Hoopes, Ph.D., United For ALICE National Director. “Current policy has not been enough to break down the barriers that trap ALICE households in financial hardship, from lack of access to housing and childcare that’s affordable, to inadequate community supports such as broadband internet.”  

Additional insights include: 

• From 2010 to 2022, people age 65 and over made up the fastest-growing age group in Minnesota — and the group with the largest increase (44%) in the number of households struggling to make ends meet.
• Racial disparities persisted in the rates of financial hardship; 60% of Black, 58% of American Indian/Alaska Native, and 45% of Hispanic households in Minnesota were either in poverty or ALICE in 2022, compared to 34% of white households.
• Food assistance continued to elude many vulnerable families in Minnesota. Partly due to the SNAP income eligibility level in the state (200% of the Federal Poverty Level), only 32% of all Minnesota households in poverty and 13% of all ALICE households participated in SNAP in 2022.

To read the report and access online interactive dashboards that provide data on financial hardship at the state, county and local levels, visit UnitedForALICE.org/Minnesota.

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About Greater Twin Cities United Way: Greater Twin Cities United Way unites changemakers, advocates for social good and develops solutions to address the challenges no one can solve alone to create a community where all people thrive, regardless of income, race or place. For more information, visit gtcuw.org and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.

About United For ALICE: United For ALICE is a U.S. research organization driving innovation, research and action to improve life across the country for ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) and for all. Through the development of the ALICE measurements, a comprehensive, unbiased picture of financial hardship has emerged. Harnessing this data and research on the mismatch between low-paying jobs and the cost of survival, ALICE partners convene, advocate and collaborate on solutions that promote financial stability at local, state and national levels. This grassroots ALICE movement, led by United Way of Northern New Jersey, has spread to 31 states and includes United Ways, corporations, nonprofits and foundations in Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawai‘i, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington, D.C., West Virginia and Wisconsin; we are United For ALICE. For more information, visit: UnitedForALICE.org.

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MINNEAPOLIS (Aug. 14, 2024) – Greater Twin Cities United Way (United Way) announced today the release of its 2023 Community Impact Report, which includes the results of its work with partners across the region. In 2023, United Way served more than half a million people, meeting urgent needs while making lasting change in the areas of housing, food, education and jobs.

To address immediate needs, United Way continued providing direct service through its 211 resource helpline and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, grantmaking to local area nonprofits, and volunteerism engagement initiatives, such as Action Day. To create lasting change, United Way continued advocating alongside coalition partners for state investments in essential services, such as housing and child care; invested in innovative programs that focus on transforming systems; and launched Pathways Home, a new initiative aimed at preventing homelessness for youth transitioning from incarceration or foster care.

“In 2023, our collaborative efforts with local nonprofits, businesses, donors, volunteers, and advocates yielded meaningful results,” said John Wilgers, President & CEO, Greater Twin Cities United Way. “Together, we transformed lives by addressing immediate needs while also working tirelessly to dismantle barriers related to income, race, and place. Through our shared commitment, we’re building a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”

Meeting Urgent Needs Through 211 and 988

Every day, people seeking help paying bills, finding food and locating other resources contact United Way’s 211 resource helpline. In 2023, United Way responded to over 342,000 requests to 211 from people across Minnesota – a 10 percent increase over 2022. Housing continued to be the most requested 211 resource, followed by utilities and energy assistance. Food was the third most requested resource – and the fastest increasing – likely due to inflation during 2023.

United Way also continued providing support as a local call center for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. In 2023, United Way crisis counselors answered over 24,000 calls to 988 – a 36 percent increase over 2022 – providing emotional support for people experiencing thoughts of suicide, substance use or other mental health crises. Callers reached out for a variety of reasons, including needing a listening ear (81 percent), preventing a progression to suicidal thoughts (12 percent), and imminent crisis (7 percent).

Creating Meaningful Impact Through Volunteerism

United Way mobilized thousands of volunteers last year through essential supply drives, community volunteer events and more. In 2023, generous volunteers helped provide 45,000 students with backpacks full of school supplies so they can thrive in the classroom and 1,400 families transitioning from homelessness to stable housing with welcome home bins full of essential household items. Volunteers also assembled 13,000 culturally relevant food packs – the equivalent of 50,000 meals – so that families using neighborhood food shelves have access to familiar flavors and foods.

Making Lasting Change Through Innovation and Advocacy

Based on deep learning in community, in June 2023, United Way launched Pathways Home, a new initiative focused on preventing homelessness for those most vulnerable to experiencing it: youth who are exiting the foster care system and/or transitioning from incarceration. As part of the launch, United Way deployed $1.2 million to its first cohort of 11 nonprofit partners. With a focus on lasting change, Pathways Home is also convening those who hold power in the foster care and corrections systems to collaborate on meaningful solutions.

In 2023, United Way celebrated its most consequential advocacy agenda ever. Together with its advocacy coalition partners, United Way successfully advocated for new investments to promote stable and affordable housing – totaling more than $1 billion, the single largest investment in housing in Minnesota history. Other advocacy wins included the passage and implementation of free school meals; a historic $2 billion investment in the state’s childcare system and workforce; and a $1 million investment in Career Academies, a United Way initiative focused on career pathways for youth.

See more of the impact Greater Twin Cities United Way and its partners made possible in our report.

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About Greater Twin Cities United Way: Greater Twin Cities United Way unites changemakers, advocates for social good and develops solutions to address the challenges no one can solve alone to create a community where all people thrive. For more information, visit www.gtcuw.org and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn. 

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United Way granted funds based on the greatest needs in the seven-county metro area, as informed by United Way’s 211 resource helpline data, learnings from local nonprofits, people with lived experience, and government experts. Funding includes grants through United Way’s Community Investments Program and capacity grants to food security, housing, and mental health service organizations receiving a high volume of referrals from United Way’s 211 resource helpline and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, to bolster the organizations’ ability to meet the needs of individuals. Award notifications have gone out to grant recipients. 

As a trusted philanthropic intermediary partner to Otto Bremer Trust (OBT), United Way serves as a local resource to provide guidance on regional challenges and opportunities, and community dynamics, ensuring that OBT is making a strong, positive impact in the regions it serves by distributing grants to support local organizations that directly respond to immediate challenges and opportunities in the local community. 

OBT’s Community Responsive Fund grants align with its mission to support organizations that address community asset building, basic needs, health and well-being, restorative and responsive services, and bringing stability to individuals and families facing disruptive forces in life. 

“We are honored to have been chosen as a partner with the Otto Bremer Trust on its Community Responsive Fund,” said Shannon Smith Jones, Senior Vice President of Community Impact at Greater Twin Cities United Way. “There are so many deserving nonprofit organizations in our area that are doing important work, and these funds will make an impact on our entire community.”  

“The Otto Bremer Trust’s Community Responsive Fund grants go to organizations addressing unmet needs and opportunities,” said Dan Reardon, co-CEO and trustee, OBT. “By partnering with Greater Twin Cities United Way to provide insight and to administer this fund, we will continue to make an increased impact in the Greater Twin Cities, and these recent grants are just one example of the many ways in which we are doing just that.”

For more information about Greater Twin Cities United Way, visit gtcuw.org. 

For more information about Otto Bremer Trust, visit ottobremer.org.  

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About Greater Twin Cities United Way: Greater Twin Cities United Way unites changemakers, advocates for social good and develops solutions to address the challenges no one can solve alone to create a community where all people thrive. The organization serves the community through five key offerings: Crisis and Information Support (211 resource helpline, 988 Crisis and Suicide Lifeline), innovation initiatives, nonprofit partnerships, advocacy work with legislators, and business and individual donor partnerships. For more information, visit www.gtcuw.org and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.

About the Otto Bremer Trust: The Otto Bremer Trust is a private charitable trust based in St. Paul, Minn. Created in 1944 by business and community leader Otto Bremer, it is committed to supporting an enhanced quality of life for residents of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Since its founding, OBT has invested more than $1 billion in its region’s people, places, and opportunities. 

Media Contact: press@gtcuw.org

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Through funding, coaching, training, and peer-to-peer networks, Career Academies provides comprehensive support to foster collaboration among leaders from communities across Minnesota.

“These programs open doors for students to high-wage, high-demand industries, allowing them to explore career possibilities,” said Liz Williams, Senior Program Officer of Career Academies at Greater Twin Cities United Way. “Our new website is a hub for administrators, educators, employers, and community organizations to access resources, connect with opportunities, and drive meaningful change in Minnesota’s education and workforce landscape. Working hand-in-hand with Minnesota education institutions and employers, we tailor our programs to address each local community’s unique needs and job opportunities.”

Career Academies offers programs in more than 50 communities across Minnesota, spanning a wide range of fields such as Business, Management, and Administration; Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources; Arts, Communications and Information Systems; Human Services and Education; Health Science Technology; Engineering, Manufacturing, and Technology; and Automotive.

Since its inception, Greater Twin Cities United Way’s Career Academies’ programs have connected employer partners, school districts, and post-secondary institutions, benefitting more than 20,000 students statewide.

For more information about Career Academies and its initiatives, please visit the new website at https://careeracademies.org/.

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About Greater Twin Cities United Way: Greater Twin Cities United Way unites changemakers, advocates for social good and develops solutions to address the challenges no one can solve alone to create a community where all people thrive. The organization serves the community through five key offerings: Crisis and Information Support (211 resource helpline, 988 Crisis and Suicide Lifeline), innovation initiatives, nonprofit partnerships, advocacy work with legislators, and business and individual donor partnerships. For more information, visit www.gtcuw.org and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.

Media Contact: press@gtcuw.org

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Trauma-sensitive caregiving fosters resilience and positive outcomes, particularly in marginalized communities disproportionately affected by ACEs. This early intervention can yield lifelong benefits, including improved physical and mental health, higher education attainment, increased earning potential, and more. By collaborating with nonprofits and government agencies, 80×3 empowers local early childhood education and care programs to integrate trauma-sensitive practices effectively.

“With the launch of 80×3’s new site, we’re creating new opportunities for a future in which every child has the opportunity to flourish, no matter the environment they are born into. We are committed to ensuring that no child’s potential is stifled by adversity,” said Jamie Bonczyk, program lead for 80×3 in the Twin Cities. “We are so excited to work with our local partners across the state to provide life-changing care to Minnesota’s children. We’re flipping the narrative and building communities where resilience and opportunity thrive.”

For more information about the 80×3 initiative and to access resources, visit 80×3.org.

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About Greater Twin Cities United Way: Greater Twin Cities United Way unites changemakers, advocates for social good and develops solutions to address the challenges no one can solve alone to create a community where all people thrive. The organization serves the community through five key offerings: Crisis and Information Support (211 resource helpline, 988 Crisis and Suicide Lifeline), innovation initiatives, nonprofit partnerships, advocacy work with legislators, and business and individual donor partnerships. For more information, visit www.gtcuw.org and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.

Media Contact: press@gtcuw.org

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MINNEAPOLIS (Jan. 25, 2024) — Greater Twin Cities United Way (United Way) today unveiled its policy priorities and advocacy agenda for the 2024 Minnesota state legislative session. Informed by the input of more than 100 nonprofit partners, coalition partners, staff and other key stakeholders, the agenda focuses on policies and funding that promote safe and affordable housing, provide young people with pathways to high-wage employment, and remove barriers to individual wealth-building. New this year, United Way is also seeking funding to widen the reach and accessibility of its 211 resource helpline.

United Way’s four lead advocacy issues for the 2024 legislative session are:

• Remove barriers to safe, affordable housing, by prioritizing populations at highest risk of homelessness.
• Provide young people the tools to graduate high school in a position to enter high-wage, high-demand careers through career pathways programs and high-quality out-of-school programs.
• Remove governmental barriers to wealth-building opportunities for families and individuals to achieve economic stability.
• Secure sustainable funding for United Way’s 211 resource helpline to provide reliable access to statewide services.

“The transformative investments that were accomplished during the last legislative session are already making an impact in our communities,” said Shannon Smith Jones, Senior Vice President of Community Impact at Greater Twin Cities United Way. “Building on these achievements, lawmakers have a critical opportunity to meet the needs faced by our communities through the establishment of new support systems in areas like housing and education.”

United Way recently surveyed its nonprofit partners and other stakeholders to better understand community needs and what issues to support at the Capitol. This information, coupled with real-time data from United Way’s 211 resource helpline and 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, informs United Way’s policy and advocacy agenda.

“This agenda responds directly to the important issues raised by our advocacy partners and stakeholders over several months of sustained engagement,” said Susan Carter, Director of Advocacy and External Engagement at Greater Twin Cities United Way. “Their perspectives have deeply informed the common-sense policy and funding shifts we will be advancing this year at the Capitol.”

Learn more about Greater Twin Cities United Way’s 2024 Policy and Advocacy Agenda.

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About Greater Twin Cities United Way: Greater Twin Cities United Way unites changemakers, advocates for social good and develops solutions to address the challenges no one can solve alone to create a community where all people thrive. The organization serves the community through five key offerings: Crisis and Information Support (211 resource helpline, 988 Crisis and Suicide Lifeline), innovation initiatives, nonprofit partnerships, advocacy work with legislators, and business and individual donor partnerships. For more information, visit www.gtcuw.org and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Sam Daub, Greater Twin Cities United Way, sam.daub@gtcuw.org, 612-340-7425

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The Minnesota Chamber Foundation Business Education Network (BEN) partners, led by local chambers of commerce across the state, are well positioned to lead local efforts. BEN partners are the linchpin between local employers and students and are active across Minnesota, providing statewide reach. This powerful partnership between the Minnesota Chamber Foundation, Greater Twin Cities United Way and local chambers of commerce seeks to bridge the gap between public education and employment systems, ensuring that all Minnesota students have access to wealth-building and purpose-driven careers. 

“No organization is better positioned to connect students to local employers than the Minnesota Chamber Foundation through our local chamber of commerce partners,” said Jennifer Byers, Executive Director of the Minnesota Chamber Foundation. “Leveraging the expertise and resources of Greater Twin Cities United Way will help elevate the work already underway in local communities and provide students an opportunity to explore high-demand careers.”   

“Greater Twin Cities United Way has been working in career pathways since 2015, and we’re thrilled to expand our reach into Greater Minnesota and welcome more chambers and employers into our Career Academies community,” said Liz Williams, senior program officer for Career Academies at Greater Twin Cities United Way. “Through this partnership with the Minnesota Chamber Foundation and with a focus on equity, these innovative partnerships represent the future of education and are a tangible solution to strengthening our workforce.” 

The grant recipients include the following local chambers of commerce: 

• Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce 
• Burnsville Chamber of Commerce 
• Faribault Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism 
• Fergus Falls Area Chamber of Commerce 
• Greater Mankato Growth (read more)
• Lakeville Chamber of Commerce (read more)
• MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce 
• Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce (read more) 
• Redwood Area Chamber and Tourism 
• Shakopee Chamber of Commerce 
• Winona Area Chamber of Commerce (read more)

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About Greater Twin Cities United Way: Greater Twin Cities United Way unites changemakers, advocates for social good and develops solutions to address the challenges no one can solve alone to create a community where all people thrive. The organization serves the community through five key offerings: Crisis and Information Support (211 resource helpline, 988 Crisis and Suicide Lifeline), innovation initiatives, nonprofit partnerships, advocacy work with legislators, and business and individual donor partnerships. For more information, visit www.gtcuw.org and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.

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