Minneapolis Parks Foundation

“A draft of the form 990 is reviewed by management and by the finance committee of the board. The finance committee may propose changes to the document and then recommends approval of the form 990 to the full board. A draft of the public inspection copy of the form 990 is then given to the full board of directors, who reviews and approves it at a meeting before the form 990 is submitted to the irs.”

“The foundation's conflict of interest policy applies to "responsible persons," as defined in the policy as directors, members of committee with the authority of the board, and officers. Responsible persons receive a copy of the conflict of policy once a year and then complete a conflict of interest disclosure form. These forms are reviewed by the executive director. In addition, when a conflict of interest arises at a board or committee meeting, the person with the conflict is required to disclose all facts about the conflict at the meeting. The board or committee reviews each conflict during the meeting and decides how to proceed on the decision. The person with the conflict does not vote on the matter and may be required to leave the room during the vote. The disclosure, review, and decision are recorded in the meeting's minutes.”

“The executive director's compensation was reviewed and determined by the executive committee, using compensation data from comparable organizations state-wide and across the nation. The deliberation was held in executive session (no staff) and was documented with a letter from the chair to the executive director, with a copy to the staff member who handles payroll. This process was last completed in 2018.”

“The organization does not makes its governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements available to the public upon request.”

“To transform human lives through parks & public spaces by aligning philanthropic investment & community vision.”

“Riverfirst: the riverfirst initiative is a 20-year vision for creating the next generation of parks along 5.5 miles of the mississippi river in downtown minneapolis. The parks foundation's goal is to work with minneapolis park and recreation board (mprb), the city of minneapolis, and other public and private partners to realize the vision of extending the iconic string of parks and trails that line the mississippi further north, as outlined in the above the falls plan. When the riverfirst vision is fully realized, the mississippi river will be better connected to neighborhoods that have not benefited fully from the grand rounds and to legacy parks that traditionally have defined minneapolis for generations. The parks foundation's role is to bring private philanthropy to riverfirst and to engage the community in order to keep this vision fresh and a priority in the city. In 2018, the parks foundation (1) reached a milestone of $16.4-million secured or committed to the riverfirst capital campaign, begun in 2015; (2) announced bank of america's $1-million catalytic contribution to the riverfirst campaign, which positioned us to meet our fundraising goal needed to break ground on water works mezzanine and the great northern greenway river link - two signature projects within the riverfirst initiative; (3) engaged the community through more than 95 hosted visits and gatherings - including community meetings, guided riverfront walking and biking tours, pubic presentations, cultivation events, and water taxi boat tours - which have connected nearly 700 supporters and potential supporters to the mississippi river and the campaign; (4) advocated for state bond funding to support regional parks and riverfirst projects; and (5) communicated key project milestones demonstrating program momentum. Water works: water works, one of the signature parks within the riverfirst vision, is representative of an exciting addition to the minneapolis park system and a feature of the future saint anthony falls regional park. In 2018, the parks foundation, partnering with the mprb, revealed the final design for the future park. This design concentrates a park pavilion in mill remnants and maintains river views, play areas, and dining space in a two-story design, while promoting pedestrian access, traffic calming, and naturalized play spaces. In advance of planned 2019 groundbreaking, the parks foundation and mprb accelerated site preparation, which included exploratory archeology and mill remnant repair. Great northern greenway river link: upstream from water works and within the riverfirst corridor, a new park will replace a chain link fence and abandoned lot at the terminus of the 26th avenue north pedestrian and bike trail, known as the great northern greenway. In 2018, the parks foundation, in partnership with mprb: (1) sustained community engagement around the project; (2) retained a multidisciplinary design team for phase 1 of the project, the overlook; (3) continued a partnership with juxtaposition arts, bringing more than 50 youth to the river link design and planning process, and (4) co-led the great northern greenway steering committee, a community-based advocacy group advancing a unified vision for the trail. Next generation of parks event series: through the next generation of parks event series, the parks foundation invites global design innovators and local thought leaders to showcase the most exciting new park destinations and delve into important issues affecting our vibrant city and region. The aim of the program is to introduce the twin cities community to new, engaging, and critically acclaimed work that focuses on specific 21st-century approaches to comprehensive park planning and design. In 2018, the parks foundation hosted four lectures that explored (1) how riverfirst will transform the mississippi riverfront (bruce chamberlain); (2) the healing power of art and place making (lily yeh); (3) how to welcome new communities through pa”

“Change in funds held for others - riverfirst 1,534,133.”