http://www.jdgravesfoundation.org/

John & Denise Graves Foundation, 2929 Chicago Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN (2026)

08/21/2026

Grantee Spotlight: unCommon Construction (unCommon Construction)

unCommon Construction uses the build process to empower youth with the skills, network, resources, and experience to lead the workforce after high school or college.

Students join a diverse team for hourly pay and school internship credit while building a house within a semester.

The program builds career awareness, technical and soft skills, and leadership through work-based learning.

Revenue from these projects funds an “Equity Award Scholarship,” which apprentices can use toward further education, industry certification, or tools for long-term employment.

100% of program alumni have graduated high school, and 80% enrolled in continuing education or found employment within three months of graduation.

The Graves Foundation and unCommon Construction share a mutual commitment to supporting youth development and working towards a world in which all youth can achieve stability and success.

unCommon Construction is seeking further support from community members, so if you’re interested in working with us, either holding a hammer or being a helping hand in another way, please email [email protected]

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08/05/2026

Grantee Spotlight: Connections 2 Independence (Connections to Independence)

Connections 2 Independence (C2i) provides unique programming and advocacy for foster youth ages 14–25+, promoting successful, healthy transitions to independent living.

C2i knows that thriving adulthood starts with genuine, supportive relationships. Most governmental support for foster youth is cut off at age 21, but the trusting relationships C2i staff build with youth over 12+ years are what carry them into adulthood.

Today, C2i supports around 130 young people through these relationships, and in the areas of housing, employment, education, and personal and financial wellness.

C2i’s vision is to end the cycle of foster care by creating a world that empowers youth to thrive for generations to come.

The Graves Foundation has supported C2i in building partnerships and driving legislative change in Minnesota, allowing the organization to expand its advocacy work.

Graves funding also supported a new program, Emerging Leaders which was designed by and for C2i alumni. It keeps alumni connected to their community through professional development and mentorship with current C2i youth, while informing the C2i board how to grow the organization through the lens of lived experience.

07/31/2026

On July 2nd, 2026, The Graves Foundation and 30 of our grantee partners gathered in community at the Voices for Racial Justice (Voices for Racial Justice) space for the second Momentum convening of 2026.

Momentum provides grantees the opportunity to connect with other non-profits, navigate shared obstacles, and celebrate wins.

At our first gathering of 2026, held in March, Frances Roen of Fundraising Sol (Fundraising Sol) helped our grantee partners identify fundraising priorities and create a roadmap through the 30th of June.

For this gathering, Fundraising Sol returned to check-in with the grantees, reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and create a new fundraising structure for the second half of the year. Sidekick for Good also facilitated an intensive workshop focusing on fundraising and donor relationships.

Momentum Convenings are an integral part of the support that the Graves Foundation offers its grantee partners to support beyond grant dollars. After each session, we ask our grantees for feedback and how we can better support capacity building in the future!

Let us know in the comments what you learned and what you would love to see more of in 2027!

07/24/2026

The Graves Foundation shared details of its efforts to move the Chicago Avenue Shops building, on the Chicago Avenue corridor toward community ownership. The Foundation created Chicago Avenue Shops LLC as the vehicle for that work and has engaged RiverNorth Partners as property manager to stabilize the building, making community ownership possible.

“This was never an investment opportunity for us — it’s a service to the community that we were approached to take on,” said Bill Graves, Graves Foundation President. “Our goal is to stabilize this building so that it can ultimately be returned to community ownership, and so the community can realize the benefits for the long term.”

Not an investment — a community service

The Graves Foundation has emphasized that it has no interest in generating revenue from the building. To date, the Foundation has absorbed losses on the property, which currently operates at a loss. The Foundation does not benefit from that loss and is not using it to offset other gains. The Foundation and RiverNorth Partners have worked to put a standard commercial building structure in place — so the building can be operationally stabilized. Stabilization is a necessary step in preparing any building for community investment, ensuring the asset can sustain itself and deliver benefits to the community over time.

The City of Minneapolis as a corridor partner

As part of stabilizing the corridor, the City of Minneapolis is leasing space in the building from Chicago Avenue Shops LLC under a 12-month lease, using it as a public works field office and a space for community meetings. The lease terms, including the rate, are a matter of public record.

“We welcome the city here,” said Anthony Taylor of RiverNorth Partners. “Their presence keeps the city close to community concerns, brings public investment into the corridor at a difficult moment, and helps keep the block stable during a period when the space can’t otherwise be rented due to street construction.”

07/22/2026

On June 13th, 2026, the Lake Street Council (Lake Street, Mpls) celebrated its third annual Mural Day.

The Graves Foundation’s Creating Change Gallery (Creating Change Gallery) participated in the festivities, celebrating the artists, stories, and partnerships that transformed East Lake Street last year.

Our gallery featured a photography exhibit by Uche Iroebgu (Uche Iroegbu) which documented 33 murals from the 2025 Mural Bonanza and the larger Lake Street Lift initiative along the East Lake Street corridor in Minneapolis.

A short film from Ryan Stopera (Ryan Stopera ) was shown as well as a touching tribute to Melodee Strong, who has recently departed. Melodee played a vital role within the mural culture on Lake Street.

Thank you to all who came.

📸 MN Photographer 📸

07/22/2026

On June 13, 2026, the Lake Street Council (Lake Street, Mpls ) celebrated its third annual Mural Day.

The Graves Foundation’s Creating Change Gallery (Creating Change Gallery) participated in the festivities, celebrating the artists, stories, and partnerships that transformed East Lake Street last year.

Our gallery featured a photography exhibit by Uche Iroebgu (Uche Iroegbu) which documented 33 murals from the 2025 Mural Bonanza and the larger Lake Street Lift initiative along the East Lake Street corridor in Minneapolis.

A short film from Ryan Stopera (Ryan Stopera ) was shown as well as a touching tribute to Melodee Strong, who has recently departed. Melodee played a vital role within the mural culture on Lake Street.

Thank you to all who came.

📸 MN Photographer 📸

07/17/2026

Grantee Spotlight: Legal Rights Center (Legal Rights Center )
Legal Rights Center’s mission is to seek justice and promote racial equity for those to whom it has been historically denied.

We do this through criminal defense, restorative practices, legal empowerment, and .

LRC envisions a world in which all youth, particularly Black, Indigenous, and Youth of Color, are valued as integral members of their communities and are not pushed into the school-to-prison pipeline.

Our emphasis on youth-centered restorative justice and legal empowerment programming aligns directly with the Graves Foundation’s priority areas of youth development and education.

The Foundation has also been a champion for our work in community, showing up in person at our events, facilitating partnerships with fellow grantees, and making meaningful connections with other values-aligned philanthropic partners.

Multiyear investment from the Graves Foundation has allowed our team to pilot new programming and reach new audiences.

We share a commitment to investing in young people and ensuring that all youth have access to the relationships, information, and support networks they need to thrive. Shifting from punitive systems to restorative, empowerment-centered ones helps us build this future.

07/06/2026

Grantee Spotlight: (Wildflyer Coffee)☕

Wildflyer Coffee’s mission is to create employment opportunities and cultivate life skills to empower youth experiencing homelessness and housing instability.

Through the Work & Life Skills Program, Wildflyer uses coffee as the foundation for developing the job and life skills youth need to break the cycle of homelessness and guide young people on their journey from surviving to thriving.

Wildflyer’s workforce development approach addresses one of the most critical barriers to housing stability: dignified, living-wage employment.

Over the past five years, 77% of participants have graduated from their 4-month training program, and 87% remain employed or enrolled in education and stably housed at their 3-month post-graduation check-in.

This work aligns directly with the Graves Foundation’s priority areas of housing stability and youth development, and reflects a shared commitment to ensuring all young people have the support and opportunities needed to flourish.

Multi-year investment from the Graves Foundation has been instrumental in helping Wildflyer plan for long-term financial sustainability. Beyond funding, The Graves Foundation connected Wildflyer with fellow grantees and supported staff through the foundation’s Momentum program.

06/29/2026

The John and Denise Graves Foundation is focused on closing equity gaps and improving the lives of youth in and around the City of Minneapolis. Our grantmaking centers on three priority areas:

🏫 Education: stable, rigorous, and welcoming school communities for every child.

🏠 Housing: innovative, upstream solutions to the housing crisis, because stable housing is foundational to youth well-being.

🌱 Youth Development: We are working toward a Minneapolis where all youth thrive into adulthood.

06/19/2026

We were proud to celebrate this year’s Minneapolis Educator Leadership Awards (MELA) and the 10 remarkable educators who received 2026 grants!

A program of the John & Denise Graves Foundation in partnership with Achieve Twin Cities (Achieve Twin Cities), MELA recognizes and elevates Title I Minneapolis Public Schools educators, paraprofessionals, and support staff who go above and beyond for their students and school communities.

Through an entirely educator-led process, MELA has awarded over $1 million over 11 years in creative school project grants to 80+ educators who often don’t get the credit they deserve.
Congratulations to this year’s recipients!

John & Denise Graves Foundation

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