GOOD NEIGHBOR FUND

A key funding opportunity for East Bank neighborhoods

The University of Minnesota’s Good Neighbor Fund is an important source of support for projects that strengthen neighborhoods adjacent to the Twin Cities campus. For the 2026 grant cycle, the University announced up to $120,000 in available funding through the Good Neighbor Fund endowment. The long-term purpose of the fund is to enhance and protect the beauty, stability, vitality, and security of campus-adjacent communities.

Eligible applicants must be member organizations of the Stadium Area Advisory Group, be duly organized and incorporated, and have systems in place to ensure financial accountability. The University’s 2026 Request for Applications lists member organizations that include the East Bank Neighborhoods Partnership.

EBNP is eligible to submit applications connected to the neighborhoods and business districts we serve. The Good Neighbor Fund is especially well aligned with EBNP’s mission because it supports project-based investments that improve neighborhood quality of life, strengthen business districts, build community identity, and foster civic involvement. The University’s application materials also note that strong proposals are those that leverage other resources, create broad and lasting impact, enhance rather than duplicate existing efforts, and clearly demonstrate results.

EBNP’s 2026 applications

In February 2026, EBNP submitted seven applications and is currently awaiting the decisions of the Good Neighbor Fund committee. These applications reflect the breadth of EBNP’s work across our neighborhoods and business districts:

  • Creation of a business association for the East Bank neighborhood business districts

  • Bike safety improvements and additional bike racks for businesses

  • Seating boulders for Talmage Crossing Prairie Garden

  • Raised garden beds at Van Cleve Park

  • A Sustainability Fair at University Lutheran Church of Hope

  • Music in the Gardens at Van Cleve Park

  • A Tuttle School Block Party

Together, these proposals show how EBNP is using the Good Neighbor Fund to support public space improvements, neighborhood identity, business district vitality, sustainability, arts programming, and community-building.

A strong record of implementation

EBNP and the neighborhood organizations that came before it have a strong history of turning ideas into visible, successful community projects. Over the years, our organization and its predecessor groups have helped implement dozens of initiatives that improved neighborhood life, strengthened local partnerships, and made East Bank communities more vibrant and connected.

Past and ongoing successes have included (but are not limited to):

  • University Neighborhoods Partnership

  • Southeast Seniors Community Connections

  • Digitizing Southeast Minneapolis Publications

  • Chateau Mural

  • Free Bike Racks

  • Dinkytown Farmers Market

  • Improvements at Elwell Park

  • Utility Box Wraps

  • Art in the Gardens

  • Bikefest

These projects demonstrate that EBNP is not only prepared to apply for competitive grant funding, but also prepared to deliver. From public art and placemaking to mobility improvements, small business support, community events, and neighborhood beautification, our track record shows that external investment can translate into meaningful results on the ground.

Why the Good Neighbor Fund matters

The Good Neighbor Fund was created to support projects that benefit the communities surrounding the University of Minnesota. It is not intended for ongoing operations, but for projects with clear public value and long-term benefit. Applications are evaluated in part on how effectively they carry out the purpose of the fund, mitigate stadium-related impacts, leverage additional resources, and contribute to a broader shared identity across adjacent neighborhoods.

That makes the fund a natural fit for EBNP. Our work is rooted in collaboration, place-based investment, and practical improvements that neighbors can see and experience. Whether the project involves safer biking, stronger business districts, greener public spaces, local arts, or inclusive community events, the Good Neighbor Fund helps make those ideas possible.

Looking ahead

As EBNP awaits decisions on its 2026 applications, we remain proud of both the proposals we submitted and the long history of successful neighborhood work that made those proposals possible. The Good Neighbor Fund continues to be one of the most important tools for supporting creative, community-centered projects in the neighborhoods around the University of Minnesota, and EBNP is committed to pursuing these opportunities in ways that benefit residents, businesses, public spaces, and the larger East Bank community.