Womens Environmental Institute at Amador Hill

“1. Members do not elect members of the governing body. 2. Members do not approve significant decisions of the governing body. 3. Members do not receive a share of the organizations profits.”

“Financial officer and director of operations review the 990 draft and submit to the executive director and the executive committee for review. The executive director provides final approval.”

“The board is asked to review annually if they have any conflicts of interest with the wei organization.”

“Compensation for the office manager is determined by the executive director and director of operations and is then approved by the board of directors. The executive director and director of operations are both unpaid positions.”

“The organizations form 990 is made available to the public upon request. Requests for all other documents are determined by the board.”

“Farm. Wei's 2024 farm program maintained its annual farm goal of providing organically certified produce (certified by mosa) from our three-season weekly csa and market program in nearly 3000 boxes distributed in rural east central minnesota and in the twin cities. Our farm in addition to organic food production also provides an opportunity for informal and formal farm-related education for visitors, volunteers, work share participants, practicum students, farm crew, and farm tours for the public. Wei continues to maintain a regional veggie rx program that delivers prescription vegetables to m fairview clinics in our local region. These vegetables and fruits are distributed largely to clients living with an illness or suffering food insecurity. Wei also continued to develop our regional north circle-online farmers market, which provides a food hub to support small local farms committed to organic and sustainable farming and provide our rural communities a connection to local farmers who grow their food.the north circle-online farmers market is largely a charity project, supported by donations and grants to cover the cost of wei's administration of the program. Our aim with this project is to create a small-scale local food economy. The farm, run by a volunteer director, is not only a source of production and learning but also an avenue to advance our mission of environmental justice, stewardship of the land, alternative farming practices and good food education. Revenue from the farm is invested in covering the costs of farm production, farm crew wages and support for our wei education program.”

“Education. Wei's 2024 educational program: sustainability and justice education supported a large array of new and old classes, including workshops aimed at developing farming related skills and environmental sustainability practices. In 2024, our course offerings included tree grafting, beekeeping, aquaponic farming, food as medicine, herbalism, foraging, environmental health, sustainable arts and crafts, and practical farm business training.these classes were largely supported by sliding scale fees and by scholarship funds provided by donations and sponsors. The will allen farmer training weekend in 2024 was completely supported by donations for scholarships, guest speakers, and operational costs. The event served more than 100 participants, 70% of whom were low-income people of color and native americans. Participants were urban, rural and tribal minnesotans. This year wei also provided a special career training program for our 2024 farm crew which included a year-long class on organic farming as a business, supported by a full tuition gift to wei of $20,000 for four students. This was sponsored by a donor interested in "growing farmers' with business know-how. Volunteers and visiting groups, logged in hundreds of volunteer hours at wei, and also enjoyed experiential learning and community connection with our farmers.”

“In 2024 wei continued developing our partnerships and activism for environmental justice in both urban and rural minnesota. We continued sharing our gis mapping project which documents the disproportionate racial and income-related health disparities from toxic environmental exposures to our native american and bipoc residents in phillips neighborhood of south minneapolis' green zone. Since we created the map in 2006 its powerful message has opened doors to new or renewed ej partnerships -- including with macalester university's urban gis class, participants in the south side green zone council and at wei's 14thannual will allen farmer training event who specifically requested wei to initiate mapping research and documentation in more suburban and rural communities impacted by suspected pfc (perfluorochemical) contamination. As a coalition member of the east phillips neighborhood institute's (epni) board of directors, wei continued our advocacy work as part of the coalition that challenged and helped stop the city of minneapolis's proposed plan to consolidate and relocate storage of its public works department's water and sewer pipes and equipment, diesel truck and diesel refueling operations into this neighborhood at the same site of the community-proposed, community-led initiative to create an east phillips indoor urban farm and community hub at the former "roof depot" site. The epni coalition opposed the city's plan because it would have added even more toxic air pollution into this majority bipoc and native american neighborhood that is already over-polluted with environmental toxic sources causing major environmental health disparities related to race and poverty as previously documented by wei's gis ej mapping. Alternatively, the coalition had proposed to develop the site as a community-owned, environmental justice-designated "east phillips indoor urban farm and community hub - a green jobs and job training center for vegetable farming, aquaponics, cultural food and craft markets, small business incubators, a youth-led café, art space, community-based composting, a huge solar rooftop array and more. Wei partnered with will allen, noted nationally recognized leader and mentor of urban farming, to develop our aquaponics and vegetable farming project within the huge former roof depot warehouse structure and with nearby community farming allies. Wei partnered with will allen and the ministry of trade and commerce of wisconsin (motcw) and the mn environmental justice table (mn ej table) to propose the community-based composting work. We also partnered with mn ej table to support our 14th annual will allen farmer training event, which enabled us to provide scholarships for more low-income bipoc and native participants. Together with these allies, wei helped build the strong community-based coalition that has resulted in the shutdown of two of east phillip's most significant toxic polluting industries in late summer - smith foundry and bituminous roadways. We continue working with mnej table and the zero burn coalition to help promote earlier shutdown of the toxic air polluting hennepin county energy recovery center (herc) as it impacts the health and well-being of both southside and northside green zone neighborhood residents. Wei continued active representation on the board of directors of several urban-based community organizations - including wicoie nandagikenden's ojibwa and dakota language immersion pre-school, little earth of united tribes housing board and the state-wide aquaculture association of mn and well as a member of the indigenous food network.”

“Adminstrative contractor $24,830. Presentation contractor $12,629. All other contractor $4,864. Teacher contractor $4,350. Maintenance contractor $2,219.”