Minneapolis Parks Foundation

“The organization has an executive committee which is composed of the board chair, vice chair, secretary, treasurer, immediate past chair, and the executive director. The executive committee has the authority of the board of directors in the management of business of the foundation in the interval between meetings of the board of directors.”

“A draft of the form 990 is reviewed by management and by the finance committee of the board. A draft 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 2019.”

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

“Riverfirst: the riverfirst initiative is a 20-year vision for creating a series of interconnected parks and trails along 5.5 miles of the mississippi river from downtown minneapolis to the city's northern limit. 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 better connecting the mississippi river to neighborhoods that have not benefited fully from the city's abundant natural resources and the grand rounds 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 2019, the parks foundation (1) reached a milestone of $17.5m secured or committed to the $18.1m riverfirst capital campaign, begun in 2015; (2) launched the riverfirst campaign public phase; (3) commemorated water works groundbreaking in a public event; (4) announced the design concept and construction timeline for the overlook phase of the river link project; (5) engaged the community through more than 95 hosted visits and gatherings - including community meetings, guided riverfront walking tours, public presentations, cultivation events, and water taxi boat tours - which have connected an estimated 1,000+ supporters and potential supporters to the mississippi river and the campaign; (6) advocated for state bond funding to support regional parks and riverfirst projects; and (7) 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 2019, construction officially began on the project, ahead of a planned fall 2020 park and pavilion opening and spring 2021 restaurant opening. Activities this year included (1) commemorating groundbreaking; (2) final negotiation of a water re-use agreement to provide rainwater for graywater and irrigation; (3) planning on the future restaurant; (4) preparation for a public art project; (5) participation in project and construction management; and (6) communicating progress to constituents. 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 2019, the parks foundation, in partnership with mprb: (1) sustained community engagement around the project; (2) announced the overlook design concept; (3) continued a partnership with juxtaposition arts, bringing more than 50 youth to the river link design and planning process, which resulted in a youth-designed custom steel railing that will be incorporated into the final design; 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 the intersection of parks design and planning with critical issues of our day, including climate, equity, and health. In 2019, the parks foundation hosted three lectures that explored (1) the issue of parks and gentrification (robert hammond, friends of the high line); (2) prescribing parks for mental and physical health (dr. Robert zarr, parks rx america); and (3) new york city parks planning for the 21st-century (mitchell j. Silver, new y”

“Change in funds held for others - riverfirst 2,087,577.”