The Minneapolis-based McKnight Foundation has announced second-quarter grants totaling more than $13.2 million.

The grants include nearly $1.4 million in support of organizations working to make neighborhoods economically vibrant and expand opportunities for all. Recipients include the St. Paul Foundation, which was awarded $686,000 for two programs; and the Minneapolis-St. Paul Regional Workforce Innovation Network and East Side Funders Group, both of which work to align local resources and drive systems change so as to increase opportunity for residents of the metro area, especially people of color. 

In addition, Hennepin County's Bottineau Community Works program was awarded $550,000 over eighteen months in support of placemaking activities along the Blue Line LRT extension into the city's northern suburbs. Among other things, the grant will support community and business engagement efforts in communities such as Golden Valley, Robbinsdale, Crystal, and Brooklyn Park, enabling residents to realize the full potential of the light rail line; keeping local business strong before, during, and after construction of the line; and laying the foundation for future growth.

"Good jobs in robust businesses are vital to a community's economic vibrancy," said McKnight board chair Meghan Binger Brown. "We believe these grants connect people, small businesses, and local economies in ways that expand opportunities for all to thrive."