To quote the late, great poet/musician David Berman…
“If it ever gets really, really bad/Let's not kid ourselves/If it's really, really bad.”
And folks? Let us not kid ourselves: The state of things in these United States is really, really bad at the moment. We don’t need to remind you about the caravan of depraved ideologues and deranged weirdos currently beelining toward high-profile employment in Washington, D.C. This ain’t that kind of article.
Instead, we'll remind you of a Paul Wellstone quote one of our sources summoned below…
"If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for, at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them."
That’s more or less the spirit of this post-election project: a sprawling list of organizations, groups, and collectives who are determined, political headwinds be damned, to make Minnesota a better place. That means feeding our unhoused neighbors. It means fighting like hell to maintain reproductive rights. It means standing in righteous opposition to any politician or party that dares to mine near our Boundary Waters or bomb another country’s soil. And for Minnesotans like us, it means at least a glimmer of hope—provided we share from our abundance, work together, and put in the effort—that the ship’s course can be righted, at least incrementally here at home.
Racket reached out to 60-plus such orgs, hoping to provide resources to readers who are ready to stop doomscrolling and start donating to, volunteering with, and rallying on behalf of causes that align with our shared values. This is not meant to be an all-encompassing list of the nonprofits, neighborhood groups, and grassroots orgs that exist here in the Twin Cities, but a jumping-off point for folks who want to channel their feelings of rage and/or helplessness into community groups already doing important work on the ground. Bonus for you, the justifiably angry couch-jockey: Since there’s a dedicated group already advancing just about every cause, you don’t have to start from zero—just join the movement that reflects your values. Don’t see your favorite organization listed here? Shout them out in the comments below!
We might not be able to do anything about the horrific and/or fascistic impulses that’ll soon dominate the White House, but we can give our time, money, and care to organizations right here in Minnesota. Real impact can only come from grassroots solidarity and service, stirring a ripple effect to, hopefully, influence more foundational changes down the road.
Let’s get to work.
Support for Unhoused Neighbors
About: “Community Kitchen is a group of people who believe everyone deserves a tasty and nourishing meal,” its members explain, responding jointly by email. “We're acting on that belief by turning rescued produce, crowdfunding, and volunteer time into hundreds of hot meals each week that are delivered to encampments all over Minneapolis (and offered to our neighborhood—walk-ins welcome!).”
Mission: “Between Monday and Tuesday nights, we serve about 450 hot meals. Each meal contains a main dish (e.g. spaghetti, a bowl of soup and a roll, stir-fry over rice, etc.), a fruit side, a dessert, any necessary silverware, and a bottle of water.”
Get Involved: “Come on in and join us! We have open shifts Sunday afternoons and Monday/Tuesday afternoons/evenings (Sunday is ingredient prep—chopping veggies, baking cookies, etc.—while Monday and Tuesday are preparing, packing, and delivering meals). Or, if that doesn't work with your schedule, we're always down to accept donations of homemade desserts or garden produce! Finally, while we keep costs as low as possible (as of October, in 2024 we've served over 20,000 meals at an average cost of under $1.25 apiece), financial support is necessary to cover things like packaging, silverware, and water.”
You can head to Community Kitchen’s Linktree for links to signups and to their financial support page on Open Collective, or follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Anything else? “We are only human beings, community members here in Minneapolis/St. Paul, doing what we can to help keep our neighbors alive. Our continued success requires a commitment to divest from our privileges. The time it takes to prepare meals, the resources it takes to deliver food, the energy needed to cook the meals, the money to pay for water, and the little actions of greeting people as they are, people, is a conscious action that is inherently political.
“Everything we do at Community Kitchen is a collaborative community commitment and we implore anyone interested in community to try to divest from privileges they have, wherever they are.”
About: “Autonomous Yurt Union builds yurt-inspired structures for unhoused community members across the Twin Cities,” its members jointly tell Racket. “We are committed to year-round infrastructural and weather-related support to community members living outside.”
Mission: “In the summer, this means water and ice drops, and helping build shade structures. In the winter, we focus on yurts and firewood. We're going to need a lot of firewood this winter! Last year, we purchased over a hundred cords of firewood to keep the yurts nice and toasty and that costs a fair amount of money.”
Get Involved: “Folks should follow us on Instagram to keep an eye out for public events to get involved and fundraising drives! We are largely sustained by community members; monthly donations can be $5, can be $75, [or] can be more according to people's means! You can sign up to be a monthly donor today through our open collective site.”
Anything else? “We work closely with Nenookaasi, and encourage people to donate to their Land Back fundraiser so that they can secure some land and follow @campnenookaasi on Instagram to stay up to date on their needs.”
About: “Sanctuary Supply Depot is a mutual aid organization that serves as a central hub for distribution of basic survival supplies to unhoused neighbors across Minneapolis and St Paul,” its members explain. “We provide supplies directly to unhoused neighbors, and also run a clothes closet in partnership with our hosts at GMCC during their Friday drop-in hours.”
Mission: “We are shifting to winter supplies, which means heavyweight sleeping bags, warm gloves and hats, hand and foot warmers. All of that is expensive—our costs (per week) more than double during the winter months.”
Get Involved: “We gladly accept donations of money (we receive discounted pricing on camping supplies by buying in bulk), as well as sturdy clothes, winter coats, winter accessories, and boots and shoes in good condition are in high demand. We love volunteers—currently we have volunteer shifts in the early evenings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but also have one-off volunteer opportunities regularly!”
You can learn more at supplydepotmpls.com, or find them on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and “(less and less)” on Twitter/X.
Anything Else? “We're entirely volunteer-run, operating on individual contributions from our community. We build relationships with our unhoused neighbors, and shift our distribution in accordance with their needs. We take care of us!”
About: “Southside Food Share has been providing hot meals to houseless people in south Minneapolis for about five years,” according to their website. “During the summer of 2020, they went from cooking and distributing meals two days per week to five.”
Mission: SFS delivers hot meals by bike and car to Minneapolis encampments, with a specific focus on those on the Southside and in East Phillips. The group is entirely funded and sustained by community support.
Get Involved: If you’d like to participate in work-trade on behalf of Food Share, reach out to sewardcafe@gmail.com. You can donate to support their work via Venmo: @southside-foodshare.
About: The nonprofit Bridging “provides donated furniture and household goods to families and individuals transitioning out of homelessness and poverty,” according to its website. They’ve supported 115,000 households and more than 345,000 individuals since 1987, and there’s an environmental aspect to the work, too: doing so reduces landfill space by about 14 million pounds each year.
Mission: “Bridging empowers people to thrive in their homes by providing quality furniture and household goods for those pursuing housing stability.”
Get Involved: You can learn more about volunteer opportunities with Bridging here, and if you’d like to donate household goods, you can learn more about that here.
About: “People Serving People is the largest and most comprehensive emergency shelter for families experiencing homelessness in Minnesota and a dedicated leader in homelessness prevention,” according to its website. The nonprofit’s programs include advocacy and early childhood development, and it also operates St. Anne’s Place, a shelter for women-led families in north Minneapolis.
Mission: “We exist to see families thrive.”
Get Involved: You can make a financial contribution to People Serving People here or find a list of needed items for donation here. Find information about volunteering with PSP here.
Reproductive Health and Justice
About: “Just The Pill is a nonprofit organization that provides abortion healthcare and contraception,” explains JTP’s Julia Schrenkler. “We offer telemedicine and work with mobile clinics/on the ground partners to deliver efficient and equitable access to health care. Based here in the Twin Cities, we serve patients in Minnesota plus Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. Many patients have to travel for care, and require travel and other practical support to receive the care they need.”
Mission: “We’re preparing for all of the possible eventualities with a new administration come January 2025 so that pregnant people/our patients can continue to get the healthcare they need and deserve.”
Get Involved: “Spread the word: Let people, especially people who need our reproductive or medication abortion care, know we’re available, confidential, and supportive. You can refer patients to us or share our social media messages—every positive boost counts.”
“Due to national funding cuts that helped us bridge costs for patients in need, donations are critical for covering the gap to make abortion care accessible and affordable. Each donation makes a difference!”
Find us at justthepill.com, on Instagram, and on Facebook.
Anything else? “Don’t give up: Seriously, don’t give up. Keep your values close and live them. Plan ahead and build your support community now for the National Abortion Access Fund-a-Thon next spring. You can host an event or join forces to pool donations with your friends. Stand up in your support and sign up now for our newsletter and Fund-a-Thon information at justthepill.com/contact.
“We want a future where people have bodily autonomy with equitable, affordable access to abortion care in your home state, in your hometown, with your primary care provider. Until that can be a reality, we're committed to providing the best possible reproductive and abortion healthcare.”
Minnesota Abortion Action Committee
About: “The Minnesota Abortion Action Committee (MNAAC) was founded in response to the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022,” according to its website. “We are a grassroots, volunteer-run organization fighting for reproductive justice.”
Mission: The MNAAC is working to defend and expand reproductive rights, protect comprehensive sex education, and oppose and expose crisis pregnancy centers (or fake abortion clinics).
Get Involved: You can learn more about MNAAC actions on their website and find the latest on upcoming protests and more on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.
About: “SPIRAL Collective (Supporting People in Reproduction and Loss) was founded in late 2012 by a group of reproductive justice activists, organizers, doulas, and former abortion care providers to assist folks in accessing abortion/loss care,” according to its website. Their work includes providing transportation to and from appointments in the Twin Cities metro, distributing aftercare bags at partnered clinics, and dispensing free Plan B in south Minneapolis.
Mission: “In our most radical reproductive dreams, we believe in and will continue to build a world where all people have complete agency and autonomy over their bodies. We hope for the widespread education of decolonial and ancestral reproductive practices. A society where all families can receive caring, competent, and accessible healthcare. A reality in which communities are provided with the skills, knowledge, and resources to be self-reliant and sustainable.”
Get Involved: If you have supplies to donate you can reach out via email: thespiralcollective@gmail.com. SPIRAL also accepts monetary donations.
About: “Whole Woman’s Health (WWH) is a privately owned, feminist healthcare company committed to providing fabulous abortion care for all who need it,” according to its website. Founded in Austin, Texas, in 2003, its Bloomington, Minnesota, clinic opened in 2022.
Mission: “Whole Woman’s Health manages clinics providing comprehensive gynecology services, including abortion care. It is our philosophy that everyone must be at the center of their own healthcare decisions and that treating people holistically—honoring head, heart, and body—will better serve and improve the health and happiness of our communities. We know that doing abortion care work in the USA not only involves our healthcare expertise, but it also involves deep skills in advocacy, communications, litigation, community partnerships, and policy.”
Get Involved: You can donate to Whole Woman’s Health here, buy merch here, or share your abortion story here. You can also Follow WWH and WWHA on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @WholeWomans and @wwhalliance or subscribe to WWHA emails.
About: “UnRestrict Minnesota works to protect, expand, and destigmatize access to abortion care–and all reproductive healthcare—in Minnesota through public education, advocacy, and the law,” according to its website. “Our vision is to achieve full reproductive justice, an organizing framework created by Black women where every person has the ability to decide if, when, and how to become a parent; raise healthy children in safe and thriving communities; and have gender freedom and bodily autonomy.”
Mission: “With an increase in demand for abortion care increasing 40% in Minnesota since the fall of Roe, we need to show up strong at the polls and at the Capitol to demonstrate the power of the majority of Minnesotans who support abortion rights.” UnRestrict works to keep abortion affordable for all who need it (especially those who are uninsured), expand funding for “evidence-based and full spectrum pregnancy support services,” and elect leaders who champion reproductive freedom.
Get Involved: You can sign up for email updates here or make a monthly or one-time donation here. UnRestrict Minnesota also has a robust list of community partners—another place to look if you want to support abortion rights.
About: “Our Justice is an abortion fund providing direct financial and logistical support for people seeking abortion care,” according to its website. The nonprofit can help fund your abortion; connect you with resources or provide travel assistance, legal support, and aftercare; and advocates for reproductive justice through policy change.
Mission: “Our Justice works to ensure that all people and communities have the power and resources to make sexual and reproductive health decisions with self-determination. We envision a world free of reproductive oppression. Nothing less.”
Get Involved: You can make a monthly or one-time donation to support Our Justice here, or get connected with volunteer opportunities here.
Food Support and Meal Providers
About: “Community Aid Network MN is a grassroots, volunteer-led mutual aid group working to fight insecurity in south Minneapolis,” its members explain by email. “We provide barrier-free, no questions asked access to food, diapers, and household supplies. Most of the people we serve are working-class BIPOC families, and many of them have been coming to CANMN since we first started during the Uprising in 2020. Solidarity Not Charity sums up our approach to organizing.”
Mission: “While our main priority is getting essentials into the hands of people who need them, we're also working on collaborating with other orgs and expanding networks of care. We have a fundraiser and diaper drive with MN Abortion Access Committee coming up on November 22 where MNAAC folks will share info about harmful crisis pregnancy centers.”
Get Involved: Volunteering in-person on Thursdays for food distro or for Saturday afternoon deliveries is a great way to get involved, but also “sharing our posts, spreading the word to friends. Donating money on Venmo/PayPal so we can buy food and diapers. Holding fundraisers on our behalf.” You can follow CANMN on Instagram and Facebook or check out their website canmn.org.
About: “Open Arms of Minnesota is a nonprofit organization that prepares and delivers medically tailored meals at no cost to critically ill Minnesotans and their loved ones,” according to its website.
Mission: “Our registered dietitians and in-house chefs create delicious, medically tailored menus using fresh and organic ingredients whenever possible. Through the support of a loving community of donors and volunteers, we harvest, cook, and deliver nutritious, made-from-scratch meals directly to our clients. At Open Arms, we believe that food is medicine, and there’s always room for one more at our table.”
Get Involved: Learn more about volunteer opportunities with Open Arms—including in the kitchen, on delivery routes, or at the Open Arms farm—here. You can make a recurring or one-time donation to the nonprofit here.
About: “For over 40 years, Calvary Food Shelf has been supporting our neighbors in south Minneapolis and beyond,” according to Calvary’s website. “We've helped thousands of families put fresh, healthy food on their tables and we do it with care.”
Mission: Calvary “aim[s] to reduce hunger by providing those in need with access to a variety of healthy food options,” especially culturally relevant food items.
Get Involved: You can donate to Calvary Food Shelf here or learn more about volunteering here—no experience required.
About: Every Meal works to “fight child hunger through community and school partnerships,” according to its website.
Mission: “We focus on filling the food gaps children face, especially on weekends when they’re not able to eat school meals. Through our primary Weekend Meal Program, children in Pre-K through 8th grade experiencing food insecurity receive weekend food bags directly and discreetly in their backpacks at about 375 schools across Minnesota.”
Get Involved: You can make a monthly or one-time donation here and learn more about volunteering with Every Meal here—packing meals, distributing food, and more.
About: “We work to reduce food waste and hunger in the Twin Cities by being a link between those willing to help and those in need,” TC Food Justice’s website explains.
Mission: “We find donors with excess produce that they wish to donate instead of discard, partner with nearby hunger relief organizations to plan weekly produce drop-offs, and coordinate our volunteers to collect, sort, and deliver the food by bike or by car. We are proud to serve smaller grocers and hunger relief organizations that have been excluded from traditional, larger-scale food rescue programs.”
Get Involved: You can learn more about volunteering with TC Food Justice here, and there’s information for businesses that are interested in becoming a food donor here.
About: “Our experience with serving food-insecure Minnesotans began over 40 years ago,” the Loaves & Fishes MN website explains. “In 1982 we opened two dining sites: one in Minneapolis and one in St. Paul. We now serve meals and rescue food in Aitkin, Anoka, Carlton, Carver, Cass, Dakota, Hennepin, Lake, Lyon, Mille Lacs, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Stearns, St. Louis, and Washington counties and continue to expand into Greater Minnesota.”
Mission: “To provide healthy meals to Minnesotans in areas where the need is greatest. We are guided by our vision that all people—regardless of socioeconomic, cultural, religious, or ethnic background—deserve to meet their basic needs for food, dignity, and respect.”
Get Involved: You can learn more about volunteering with Loaves & Fishes here and make a financial contribution here.
LGBTQ+ Rights
About: “Launched in April 2021, QUEERSPACE collective is the first mentorship program created specifically for LGBTQ+ youth in Minnesota,” according to its website. “QUEERSPACE collective creates space for LGBTQ+ youth to feel safe and empowered to be their true selves.” The nonprofit operates an LGBTQ+ youth center and hosts workshops that “help youth build skills through art, STEM, and leadership with a focus on mentorship, identity, and community.”
Mission: “Our vision is for all LGBTQ+ youth to have a network of support to help them develop a strong sense of pride in who they are, where they come from, and where they want to go.”
Get Involved: You can learn more about volunteering with QUEERSPACE here and make a donation here.
About: OutFront is the state’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, according to its website. The organization was founded in 1987, and “for nearly 40 years we have worked to ensure that our values of liberation and intersectional justice guide our work until full equality under the law and full equity in practice is realized.”
Mission: “Our mission is to build power within Minnesota’s 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and address inequities through intersectional organizing, advocacy, education, and direct support services. We envision a safe and equitable world where all members of our communities are free to lead lives of opportunity, autonomy, and full self-expression.”
Get Involved: Learn more about volunteering with OutFront here or make a donation to support their work here.
About: “The Aliveness Project supports people living with and at the greatest risk of HIV through transformative resources and direct services,” according to its website. “Everything we do shares a single mission that we haven’t strayed from in nearly 40 years: to empower healthy, self-directed lives.” Programming includes access to PrEP and PEP, free HIV testing, support groups, and more.
Mission: “The Aliveness Project was founded in 1985 by a group of community members living with HIV who wanted to celebrate simply being ALIVE. They gathered with their loved ones for potlucks where they could unite over food and foster healing in those devastating early days of the HIV epidemic. Modern treatments allow people living with HIV to live long, healthy lives, but HIV still carries some stigma and barriers—so the spirit of fellowship and joy that we were born with remains critical.”
Get Involved: You can donate to Aliveness Project here or get connected with volunteer opportunities here.
About: “We work to create a world where everyone can thrive no matter their gender, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation. Central to this work is dismantling the legal, political, and structural barriers to gender equity,” Gender Justice’s website explains. That includes fighting for freedom from gender-based violence, reproductive justice, and trans and LGBTQ+ liberation.
Mission: “Gender Justice envisions a world where everyone can thrive regardless of their gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation. Step by step, we’re creating that world by dismantling legal, structural, and cultural barriers that contribute to gender inequity. We work to ensure that people of all genders have a meaningful right to bodily autonomy, safety, health, and opportunity.”
Get Involved: You can donate to Gender Justice here or click here to learn more about job opportunities, volunteer opportunities, and upcoming events.
About: “Rainbow Collective for Change (RCC) aims to be a collective of local chapters across the U.S. that build safe and affirming communities for LGBTQIA+ families—including LGBTQIA+ caregivers and/or kids,” says founder and director Anne Sutkowi-Hemstreet. The group has chapters in Durham, North Carolina and the Twin Cities, and its programming includes Rainbow Play Dates for LGBTQIA+ families with children, gender and LGBTQIA+ affirming extracurricular workshops (like arts, dance, and sports) for children ages 4-12, and Rainbow Summer Camps for children ages 6-12 who are LGBTQIA+ or have LGBTQIA+ caregivers.
Mission: “LGBTQIA+ families need extra support and community right now. We often have less family support, spend a lot of money growing our families, and encounter stigma and discrimination in our daily lives as we raise our families—whether at our jobs, accessing healthcare for our children, taking our children to school or extracurricular activities, and so on. As transplant LGBTQIA+ families, we are starting from scratch building chosen family and finding affirming spaces and community that will provide safety and nurture our children as they adjust to their new home.”
Get Involved: Rainbow Collective is fiscally sponsored by Twin Cities Pride, which means you can donate here. You can also donate services or goods for families moving to MN or visiting for gender affirming care by emailing rainbowcollectiveforchange@gmail.com. Follow the org on Facebook or Instagram for info on upcoming events and more.
About: “Quatrefoil Library is the second oldest circulating LGBTQIA+ library in the United States, and has been a vibrant cultural hub and gathering space for the LGBTQIA+ community in Minneapolis and St. Paul since its founding in 1986,” according to its website. The library is located at 1220 E. Lake St. in Minneapolis.
Mission: “The library’s diverse and ever-developing collection of books, DVDs, zines, and periodicals, along with its curated programming—such as author readings, group meetings, and special events—provides community members with a multitude of options for connecting with their identities, histories, and each other within the broader queer ecosystem.”
Get Involved: You can donate funds or materials to Quatrefoil, or buy used books to contribute to the library’s collection.
About: “The Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition is committed to improving health care access and the quality of health care received by trans and gender non-conforming people through education, resources, and advocacy,” according to its website. That includes a support group, shot clinic, syringe exchange, and additional services.
Mission: “We are trans and allied community organizers and health care providers working to improve the health care experiences of transgender, transsexual, intersex, Two Spirit, genderqueer, and other gender non-conforming people living in Minnesota.”
Get Involved: You can learn more about volunteering with MTHC here and make a donation to support their work here.
About: Located at 1919 Nicollet Ave. in Minneapolis, Family Tree Clinic is a nonprofit health organization “that strives to provide high quality, low cost reproductive and sexual health care and education services,” according to its website. That includes PrEP, trans hormone care, and legal assistance for queer and trans folks from volunteer attorneys.
Mission: “We’ve been around for over 50 years. And during those years, we’ve never turned a patient away if they couldn’t pay. Why? Because we have a deep understanding of the importance of reproductive and sexual health services. Poverty, oppression, lack of access, and discrimination are just a handful of the barriers the people we serve face when it comes to getting their health care needs met.”
Get Involved: You can donate to support this unique health clinic here and learn more about volunteering with Family Tree here.
About: “PFund Foundation is a community-led foundation founded by and for the LGBTQ+ community,” PFund program associate Lilly Knopf explains via email. “PFund is the only LGBTQ+ community-based foundation in the Upper Midwest, funded by LGBTQ+ individuals and allied institutions, informed by volunteer reviewers, and directed by community input. At PFund we are working to build equity with LGBTQ+ communities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North and South Dakota, and the Native Nations therein by providing grants and scholarships, developing leaders, and creating opportunities for more vibrant queer lives.”
Mission: “Currently, PFund is hard at work continuing to build more resilient and impactful grant programs. Our application for scholarships will be opening soon! Pfund scholarships provide financial assistance to LGBTQ+ learners from the upper Midwest at all stages of their education.”
Get Involved: The best way to support PFund is by donating, which supports grants, scholarships, and research to empower queer engagement and advocacy. Join us in creating sustainable resources and inspiring philanthropy that enables LGBTQ+ people and organizations to thrive. You can also get involved by applying to be a community grant reviewer—no experience necessary! “PFund grants are awarded based on community feedback and review of applications and we thoroughly believe that the money we distribute should be directed by our community members.”
You can sign-up to receive PFund newsletters at pfundfoundation.org or follow on their socials: Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Anything else? “In the face of these election results we will fight,” says executive director Aaron Zimmerman. “We will protect our communities, we will invest in bold leadership, we will build stronger relationships, and we will liberate queer and Trans Midwesterners! PFund Foundation was founded on the belief that we have to rely on ourselves to invest in and lift up our own communities and our work will not stop no matter who is in office.”
Senior Care
About: “Senior Community Services provides non-medical services to seniors and their caregivers to Reimagine Aging with a vision of serving compassionately, connecting communities, and supporting independence,” marketing and communications director Emma Friend says via email.
Mission: “Our Household and Outdoor Maintenance (HOME) program helps seniors stay at home longer by assisting with chores they can’t do anymore like minor repairs, housekeeping, snow removal, lawn mowing, and more. These services are low-cost or free. HOME also offers technology education so seniors can access and use technology to improve their lives. We also have licensed social workers who support seniors by connecting them to resources that support their wellbeing and helping them navigate life’s difficult moments. Our social workers also work with caregivers via one-on-one caregiver counseling, caregiver support groups, educational programs, and more. Finally, we contract with senior centers to provide staffing and programming to enrich lives.”
Get Involved: Friend says the HOME program can always use volunteers and paid workers to do “lawn mowing, leaf raking, minor repairs, and more for seniors in their neighborhood.” Snow shovelers are especially in demand as the winter approaches.
You can sign up for their newsletter here or connect via Facebook or Instagram.
Anything else? “Next year is our 75th anniversary and we’ll be celebrating all year, so it’s a great time to get involved with Senior Community Services.”
About: Formerly Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly, MN, Friends and Co. has served older adults in Minnesota for over 50 years. “We foster meaningful connections for older adults,” the org’s comms department explains by email. They offer no-cost services including Coffee Talk, a quick drop-in chat line; phone and visiting companionship services; a cards connect service; and Let's Do Lunch/Let's Do Coffee, which is for older members of the LGBTQ community.
Mission: “At Friends & Co, our purpose is to create meaningful connections that enrich people’s lives and provide a sense of belonging that nourishes all of us, which is a fundamental human need.”
Get Involved: Learn more about becoming a volunteer with Friends & Co. here. You can also donate to support their work here.
Immigration Rights and Resources
About: “The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) is a nonprofit organization that provides free immigration legal representation to low-income immigrants and refugees in Minnesota and North Dakota,” according to its website. They have a lengthy list of resources here.
Mission: “The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota enhances opportunities for immigrants and refugees through free immigration legal representation for low-income individuals, and through education and advocacy with diverse communities.”
Get Involved: You can donate to the Immigrant Law Center here.
MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee
About: “MIRAC is an all-volunteer, grassroots, multiracial, and multinational immigrant rights mass-movement organization,” according to its website. “MIRAC fights for legalization for all, an end to immigration raids and deportations, an end to all anti-immigrant laws, and full equality in all areas of life.”
Mission: “MIRAC struggles for legalization and full equality for all, an end to immigration detention and deportations, and an end to border militarization. We believe no human being is illegal. MIRAC carries out activist campaigns to protest and change unjust immigration laws and policies. We organize communities and support individuals and families impacted by those laws and policies.”
Get Involved: MIRAC meets every Thursday from 7-9 p.m.; email miracmn@gmail.com to join. You can also donate to support MIRAC’s work here.
African Immigrants Community Services
About: “In the heart of Minnesota, a new chapter begins for East African refugees as they step onto unfamiliar soil, seeking refuge and hope,” according to the AICS website. “From emergency housing to navigating public benefits and finding employment, their journey is complex.” AICS offers comprehensive support in multiple languages—Somali, Amharic, Arabic, and English—and its staff can help with housing searches, drivers’ education, childcare support, and more.
Mission: “African Immigrants Community Services (AICS) stands tall as a beacon of hope for immigrants and refugees. We are dedicated to nurturing, empowering, and fostering unity among immigrants and refugees in the Twin Cities.”
Get Involved: Learn more about volunteering and donating with AICS here.
Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio
About: “CLUES is Minnesota’s largest Latino-led nonprofit organization, founded in 1981 by and for Latinos,” according to the organization's website. “Our work is to ensure the advancement of social and economic equity and wellbeing for Latinos in Minnesota.” That includes a food shelf that feeds over 600 families weekly and Latino youth mentorship, as well as ESL programs and special events.
Mission: “CLUES advances social and economic equity and wellbeing for Latinos by building upon our strengths and cultures, uplifting our community, and enabling leadership for systemic change.”
Get Involved: Find information about volunteering with CLUES here; you can donate to support CLUES here.
The Advocates for Human Rights
About: “With a dual focus on systemic change and direct services, we ground policy work in real-life experiences, bridging the gap between advocacy and action,” The Advocates for Human Rights website explains. That work includes migrant rights, women’s rights, working to abolish the death penalty, and combatting human trafficking in the Upper Midwest.
Mission: “The mission of The Advocates for Human Rights is to implement international human rights standards to promote civil society and reinforce the rule of law. By involving volunteers in research, education, and advocacy, we build broad constituencies in the United States and select global communities.”
Get Involved: Learn more about volunteering with the Advocates for Human Rights here; you can donate to support the cause here.
Anti-War Groups
About: “The Anti-War Committee was founded in 1998 by 13 members with a mission of achieving peace through justice,” says Caitlyn Speier with the AWC. “The committee remains committed to anti-imperialist work and advocates in the streets for LGBTQ equality, Black and Indigenous liberation, Palestinian liberation, sexual and reproductive rights, immigrant rights, climate justice, healthcare justice, student rights, organized labor and labor rights, and national liberation for all oppressed peoples. Our work consists mainly of direct action, protesting, and educational events!”
Mission: “The Committee's primary focus in recent memory has been calling for an end to the genocide in Gaza with a primary campaign targeting the Minnesota State Board of Investment. Much of our work is local and not tied to the Democratic or Republican party and is informed by a broader understanding of the Military Industrial Complex. The movement has surged since escalations last October and we are working to build a statewide, grassroots, volunteer network. Petitioning the State Board of Investment to divest from companies and institutions funding or profiting from the genocide in Gaza has been the Anti-War Committee's primary campaign. $5.4 billion (of the SBI’s managed $146 billion total) are invested in public assets belonging to entities complicit in and/or profiting from Israel’s apartheid regime. You can learn more about this campaign and see a more thorough numbers breakdown at DivestMN.com. If you or someone you know has a state pension, that money is being invested into a system of apartheid. If you want that to stop we encourage you to consider speaking at the next SBI meeting or sign our petition here. The Committee also spends a significant portion of its time supporting other community organizations' work, organizing educational outreach like film screenings, panels, lectures, and tabling, as well as rallying, protesting, petitioning, and bannering.”
Get Involved: “The Anti-War Committee meets every Wednesday, 7 p.m., at 4200 Cedar Ave. S. in Minneapolis. New members are always welcome. The best way to keep up with our work and calls to action is our Instagram. Join us in the streets or at any event! Material support is also welcome and appreciated! That can be shared here.”
Anything else? “Thank you for your work! Lots of love to Racket <3, long live independent journalism. Consider checking out Fight Back News if you're not familiar.” [Editor’s note: Agreed!]
Women Against Military Madness
About: “Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) is a Minneapolis member-based organization whose mission is to oppose U.S. militarism and involvement in wars,” says Robyn Harbison, director of WAMM. “WAMM challenges systems of harm, oppression and exploitation, and helps build movements of solidarity with others for peace and justice through education and action. Founded in 1982 when a group of like-minded women met to decry nuclear weapons proliferation and American military aggression around the world, today WAMM continues to support direct actions and individual activism through committees and coalition building. By opposing U.S. imperialism, we draw the connections war has on the climate, racial and economic justice, women's and reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, and immigration locally and internationally. Our rallying cry is ‘Money for Human Needs, Not for War!’”
Mission: “In terms of our day-to-day work, things have not changed much for us [since the recent election]. However, what takes priority during a time where blame is thrown carelessly around (like the majority of our tax dollars going towards bombs) is solidarity and unity in what we can fight for and demand better within the U.S. The more people that draw connections to U.S. militarism's significant effect on domestic issues, the better. This has been a change we've seen the entire year in the wake of the U.S.'s complicity and participation in the Gaza genocide. So I, personally, have immense hope because I've seen with my own eyes what people power looks like, and how much WAMM and many other groups have grown in the Twin Cities alone. As stated in an upcoming Southside Pride article, WAMM member Kim DeFranco writes, ‘Members of WAMM always say no matter who is the tenant in the White House, WAMM is always working for justice and will do the same in opposing US wars, interventions, and sanctions. Our name says it all!’”
Get Involved: “The easiest ways to get involved would be to become a member! That way you get benefits such as our e-calendar to get information about special events and print editions of our newsletter, which comes out six times a year. You can become a member on our website or you can contact our office by email (general@wamm.me) or phone (612-827-5364). Volunteer opportunities are always available to everyone interested. Our office is regularly open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and we welcome any visitors that would like to help with office tasks, pick up books from our library, or just to meet your neighbors at 4200 Cedar Ave. S., Suite 3. Some of our most common volunteer tasks include newsletter distribution, letter writing and mailing, postering for upcoming events, and assisting at our weekly actions. We have active social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (@wammwomen), TikTok (@wamm_mn), or our website. Offline you can find us at our weekly vigils on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Details are available on our calendar page and our Facebook.”
Anything else? “Free Palestine! Arms embargo now!”
Jewish Voice for Peace Twin Cities
About: A nonprofit, left-wing advocacy organization that bills itself as “a multiracial, intergenerational movement of Jews and allies working towards justice and equality for Palestinians and Israelis by transforming U.S. policy.”
Mission: “We envision a world where all people—from the U.S. to Palestine—live in freedom, justice, equality, and dignity,” according to its website. “Like generations of Jewish leftists before us, we fight for the liberation of all people. We believe that through organizing, we can and will dismantle the institutions and structures that sustain injustice and grow something new, joyful, beautiful, and life-sustaining in their place.”
“Antisemitism is a really serious issue, and we need to be very clear that criticism of Israel and anti-Zionism is not antisemitism,” local JVP member Imogen Page told us earlier this year during protests at the U of M. “And that's because Zionism is not the same as Judaism. I'm one of many Jewish students who are showing up to these protests, and we're not showing up in spite of being Jewish—we're showing up because calling for an end to genocide is in line with our Jewish values.”
Get Involved: Connect with the local chapter of JVP via Facebook.
American Muslims for Palestine MN
About: Founded in 2006, this nonprofit says its Minnesota chapter is among its most active. The “national education and grassroots-based organization, [is] dedicated to educating the American public about Palestine and its rich cultural, historical, and religious heritage,” per its website.
Mission: “AMP Minnesota puts together a wide array of events and programs that engage different segments of the community including the youth, elders and activists. Webinars and book clubs and just some of the educational work they’ve succeeded in getting members of the community to participate in. The chapter has also played a major role in advancing Palestinian human rights by supporting Representative Betty McCollum’s bill HR 2590. AMP-Minnesota was on the ground during the protests for George Floyd. The team led AMP’s response in Minneapolis and helped start our national solidarity efforts.”
Get Involved: Find more info via the local chapter’s Instagram.
About: “Veterans For Peace is a global organization of military Veterans and allies whose collective efforts are to build a culture of peace by using our experiences and lifting our voices,” reads the website of the 140-chapter group that formed in 1985. “We inform the public of the true causes of war and the enormous costs of wars, with an obligation to heal the wounds of wars.”
Mission: “We, having dutifully served our nation, do hereby affirm our greater responsibility to serve the cause of world peace. To this end we will work with others… (a) To increase public awareness of the costs of war. (b) To restrain our government from intervening, overtly and covertly, in the internal affairs of other nations. (c) To end the arms race and to reduce and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons. (d) To seek justice for veterans and victims of war. (e) To abolish war as an instrument of national policy.”
Get Involved: Connect with the Twin Cities chapter here.
Students for a Democratic Society U of M
About: A student-led activist group that first sprang up in 1960 to oppose the Vietnam War.
Mission: “Students for a Democratic Society is an organization of progressive young people,” according to the local chapter’s website. We seek to create a sustained community of educational and political concern; one bringing together liberals and radicals, activists and scholars, students and workers. We maintain a vision of a democratic society, where at all levels people have control of the decisions and resources that affect their lives. SDS at the UMN is a multi-issue organization, though our current emphasis is on educating, organizing and mobilizing a strong grassroots movement to end the occupation of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine.”
Get Involved: Find out more about SDS U of M here.
About: A nonprofit citizen’s action network that, since forming in 2009, has pushed Congress to “to reject militarism as a means to resolve differences,” according to its website.
Mission: “The Minnesota Peace Project is comprised of 10 teams of volunteer constituents that work with each of Minnesota’s 10 members of Congress and their foreign policy aides. Our members are skilled in the use of respectful dialog and differentiating facts from opinion. We believe that militarism and armed intervention will never bring the peace and security we all seek.”
Get Involved: You can join the team, write letters, and conduct research here.
About: “Minnesota Neighbors for Peace is not an actual organization, but rather a loose, umbrella network of like-minded people working together in our individual communities,” according to its website.
Mission: Connecting that loose network of neighborhood-specific activists who oppose U.S. militarism.
Get Involved: Discover your neighborhood contact info here.
About: A national left-wing feminist nonprofit that, according to its website, is “working to end U.S. warfare and imperialism, support peace and human rights initiatives, and redirect resources into healthcare, education, green jobs, and other life-affirming programs.”
Mission: “Founded in fall 2002 as a grassroots effort to prevent the US war on Iraq, we continue to organize for justice for Iraqis, to hold war criminals accountable, and to end and prevent other U.S. wars and regime change efforts. We actively oppose U.S. sanctions on Iran, Venezuela, N. Korea, Cuba, as well as torture, the detention center at Guantanamo, weaponized and spy drones, and the prosecution of whistle-blowers. We support Palestinian rights, diplomacy, and growing local peace economies. Our flagship campaign is Divest from the War Machine to divest from companies that derive their profits from U.S. military interventions, the global arms trade, and the militarization of our streets.”
Get Involved: Connect with the Minnesota chapter here.
Environmental Groups
Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy
About: “MCEA is celebrating our 50th year of defending Minnesota's environment and the health of its people,” says Aaron Klemz, MCEA’s chief strategy officer. “MCEA is a public interest law firm that goes to court to defend Minnesota's environment, but we also work at all levels of government, including the U.S. Congress, Minnesota Legislature, local governments, and inside state agencies. We work on litigation, legislative, and regulatory strategies to protect clean water, clean air, and environmental justice.
Mission: “We're best known for our work on the PolyMet (now called NewRange) copper-nickel mine proposal in northeastern Minnesota, and our work continues to protect people downstream. There are two key state permits (the permit to mine and water pollution permit) that are currently overturned by the Minnesota Supreme Court and have been sent back to the state agencies that issued them. We expect that there will be efforts to revive these permits and are ready to defend our legal wins. We also are working on the contamination of well water in southeastern Minnesota from nitrates. In this effort, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has really spurred the state government to take action—under a Trump administration, it will be up to our state to continue to make progress. Lastly, we continue to work toward the retirement of coal power plants and quickest transition to clean, renewable energy to replace fossil fuels. Things will change, a lot. During the last Trump administration, we watched as climate progress was rolled back, and a host of bad decisions that opened public lands to exploitation were pushed forward. We also saw the emergence of quiet resistance inside of the federal government and the emergence of direct action on environmental issues (and other important issues as well). So there will likely be a return to some of the earlier strategies of resistance, but they are more ready this time. Fortunately, so are the advocates working to protect clean water and environmental justice.”
Get Involved: “MCEA is primarily a law firm, so there are limited opportunities to volunteer. We mobilize people to contact legislators and political leaders, so subscribing to our email list is the best way to have access to these opportunities. Also, this work takes resources, so please consider donating to MCEA, either on Give to the Max Day or any time through our website. Online: our website is mncenter.org, we also have accounts on X/Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn under @MCEA1974. Offline: we love to see people at events, and at the Minnesota Capitol.”
Anything Else? “We partner with a lot of environmental and community groups in our work, almost too many to mention. But a few that stick out that are worthy of support are Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, the Hmong American Farmers Association, The Minnesota Well Owners Organization, CURE, and Fresh Energy. This moment reminds me of the Paul Wellstone quote: ‘If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for, at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them.’ This will be tested over the next four years.”
Friends of the Boundary Waters
About: An environmental advocacy nonprofit that has operated under a single guiding principle since forming in 1976: “To protect, preserve, and restore the wilderness character of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the Quetico-Superior Ecosystem.”
Mission: “The big issue with us is that Trump’s reelection will put proposed copper-nickel mining in northeastern Minnesota back in the spotlight,” says Pete Marshall, communications director with Friends of the Boundary Waters. “Trump has already promised to open the area up for mining and it's likely that he will sign a bill that has already passed in the House and that would both open the Superior National Forest and sharply limit environmental review to something like three years. I can see this being part of a budget reconciliation bill. Now, for about 10 years, there have been multiple actions to stop and greenlight this mining project. Now all this is posed to be revered—again! This will be done on an administrative level. In addition, U.S. House Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) has introduced a bill, HR 3195, that would open the area to mining and fast track projects by both limiting environmental review and—this is the interesting part—preventing judicial review of the mining project. Which I have no idea if they can really do that!”
Get Involved: “People can get involved by joining our Citizen Action network and becoming involved in future volunteer/grassroot actions. They can do that by emailing Maggie Morin at maggie@friends-bwca.org with the subject line ‘Citizen Action Volunteer.’ We have several rallies and big events coming up. They can also donate (of course)! And Give to the Max Day is right around the corner and we have a huge $175,000 matching gift, so your impact doubles when you give!”
Anything Else? “We are currently laying out a legal strategy to stop any administrative actions taken to reverse BWCA protections and challenge Pete Stauber's bill, if it should be passed. In addition, we continue to work at the State Legislature to pass bills that would ensure better clean water protection. After all, even if the mine gets a federal permit, it would still need to get permitted by state agencies.”
About: “Metro Blooms supports community-led planning, implementation and care of climate-resilient practices like rain gardens, native plantings, and trees,” says Laura School, executive director of Metro Blooms. “We collaborate with people most impacted by environmental injustices, centering partnerships with BIPOC communities, renters, and low-income communities. Our education and partnership program, Blue Thumb, offers resources on pollinator-friendly plantings and stormwater management practices for residents across Minnesota.”
Mission: “Metro Blooms work is focused in many ways around environmental justice, and recent federal funding has also recognized and prioritized communities impacted by environmental injustices. This trickles down to state and local funding, which may be compromised under a new administration. What doesn't change is Metro Blooms. We will continue prioritizing supportive and inclusive spaces for people to get involved in local environmental work. This work happening in our city and state will not stop or diminish.”
“We support community leadership by hiring project stewards from the communities we work with and involving residents in planting projects from start to finish. In 2024, we collaborated with 913 renters, low-income, and BIPOC community members, who were paid to plan, plant and care for new green spaces that benefit people, water, and pollinators at their homes and neighborhood. Through these collaborations we planted 46 pollinator and rain gardens (12,564 sq ft) with 8,745 native plants and 55 trees!”
Get Involved: “We welcome people to get involved in a few different ways. Stay in touch with opportunities to volunteer by joining our mailing list, attend a virtual coffee chat (typically offered in the winter, spring and fall), sign up for a workshop via our Blue Thumb education program, and, if you're able and willing, make a donation to support our work. Online, you can join our mailing list, and follow us on Facebook or Instagram at Metro Blooms (@metroblooms) and Blue Thumb (@bluethumbmn). Offline, you can attend an in-person workshop in spring or fall. We also table at many community events and festivals each summer, including the Minneapolis Monarch Festival and the Minnesota State Fair. Opportunities to volunteer at our community planting events are limited because we prioritize hiring people from our partner communities first, but you can fill out our volunteer form and we will reach out when opportunities arise.”
Anything Else? “Through our Sustainable Landcare Training, we pay young adults from Minneapolis' Northside and Southside Green Zones to learn job-ready skills in green infrastructure, including caring for and inspecting rain gardens and native plantings. Trainees gain hands-on experience and connect with local experts, providing them pathways into environmental work where they live. In the past two years, more than 21 Sustainable Landcare Training participants have been hired to inspect rain gardens and other green infrastructure in Minneapolis. We are reducing barriers to participation in Lawns to Legumes, which we co-manage with the MN Board of Water and Soil Resources. Lawns to Legumes is a grant program that awards Minnesotans $400 reimbursements to install native plants in their residential garden spaces. After statewide surveying in 2024 we are working to implement support including upfront payment, translation, outreach in environmental justice communities, and more. For DIY pollinator planting resources, you can visit the Blue Thumb website on the resources page and workshops and online learning page.”
About: “Save the Boundary Waters is the voice for Minnesota’s Canoe Country Wilderness,” says Libby London, communications director with Save the Boundary Waters. “The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is America’s most visited Wilderness area. Located in northeastern Minnesota’s far corner, it is an over 1.1 million-acre wilderness nestled against the border of Canada. We lead the coalition to defend the Boundary Waters. Save the Boundary Waters is laser-focused on protecting the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) from proposed sulfide-ore copper mining forever. With this approach, we have made major strides in the effort to permanently protect the BWCA, even in the face of unprecedented challenges in the form of significant anti-public land and anti-science politics.”
Mission: “Our work to achieve this includes political advocacy at all levels of government (including a steadfast advocacy presence at the Minnesota Capitol and Washington, D.C, - where we go every month), lawsuits at the federal and state level, a unique science research and water quality fieldwork program, engagement & awareness, and our coalition of over 400 businesses and organizations. For years, we have fought to keep toxic mining out of the Boundary Waters watershed, and to protect the Wilderness from the inevitable pollution from this industry, which holds an 100% track record of water pollution. Thanks to the dedication of advocates and supporters, we've delivered historic achievements that will help us in the chapter ahead. We are concerned about the new administration but have clear strategies in place to defend the Boundary Waters. Right now, the stakes have never been higher: Trump has vowed to overturn protections and reinstate federal mineral leases within his first ten minutes in office, fast-tracking toxic copper mining operations in one of the world’s most pristine wilderness areas. Further, Minnesota is mentioned twice in Project 2025 (the "battle plan" for the first 180 days of the new Administration), both in direct reference to overturning the 2023 mining ban. We have fought through one Trump presidency, and we will do it again. Over the years, we've faced major setbacks in efforts to protect the Boundary Waters from proposed copper mining on its doorstep, but we've also effectively defended the Wilderness and subsequently achieved tremendous victories. For the past 11 years, we have worked diligently—in Washington, DC, and St. Paul—to build a community of Boundary Waters advocates who will help us fight back and defend our nation’s most precious landscapes.”
Get Involved: “We just launched our Boundary Waters Defense Fund, and we invite you to join as an inaugural supporter! As threats to the Boundary Waters continue to escalate, we must ensure that we’re ready to meet every challenge without hesitation. This innovative fund is dedicated to defending America’s most visited Wilderness - giving us the resources to respond swiftly and strategically to emerging threats. You can help defend our hard-won protections for the Boundary Waters by contacting your U.S. Senators and telling them to protect the Boundary Waters.”
Anything Else? “Visit our website at SavetheBoundaryWaters.org and subscribe to our e-newsletter to get the latest updates about the Boundary Waters. Look for events to join us at and ways to get involved. Follow us on Linkedin, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook to stay updated or email us at Info@SavetheBoundaryWaters.org.”
East Phillips Neighborhood Institute
About: Formed in 2014, EPNI is a neighborhood group that focuses on a “multifaceted vision of an indoor urban farm and housing project to promote the personal, social, environmental, and economic health of our neighborhood,” per its website.
Mission: "The East Phillips community has a long-held vision to repurpose the vacant Roof Depot warehouse into a vibrant neighborhood hub that supports public health, affordable housing, and local businesses." Ideally, that'll include: community ownership, indoor farming/aquaponics, cooperatively owned solar, skills training centers, cultural education, and gathering spaces.
Get Involved: “EPNI has no standard road map to work from for a cooperatively owned, solar-powered indoor farm, housing complex, and community hub, so we have a lot of exciting work ahead,” and you can help ‘em out via volunteer hours and donations here.
About: The community environmental group MCA has existed since 2007, at first as part of Linden Hills Power of Light.
Mission: “[Working] in collaboration with community members and local organizations to create energy democracy through community building and climate solutions rooted in deep systemic change,” according to its website. “Vision: Engaged, resilient communities with democratized, equitable access to sustainable climate solutions. Mission: We advance equitable opportunities to build resilient communities through climate solutions.”
Get Involved: Its current programming involves clean energy and sustainability workforce development (read about its Regional Apprenticeship Training Center here), community solar gardens, and community engagement—find more about getting involved here.
About: “WaterLegacy was founded 15 years ago in response to the threat of a proposed PolyMet sulfide-ore copper nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota’s Lake Superior watershed,” says Paula Maccabee, advocacy director and counsel with WaterLegacy. “We work in partnership with Tribes and other allies to protect clean water, wetlands, wild rice, environmental health, and environmental justice. We have successfully used science, organizing, administrative advocacy, and litigation to uphold the sulfate standard that protects wild rice and prevents mercury contamination of fish, to overturn permits for the PolyMet copper-nickel sulfide ore mine, and to require regulatory accountability. WaterLegacy opposes sulfide ore mining pollution and destruction in the Rainy River (Boundary Waters), Lake Superior, Mississippi River, and St. Croix River watersheds, all of which are now threatened by proposed mining projects.”
Mission: “Under the first Trump administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suppressed its own comments critical of the PolyMet water pollution permit and refused to notify a downstream Tribe of its right to object to the PolyMet federal wetlands destruction permit. It took years of litigation and advocacy to block these weak PolyMet permits that would have violated the law and contaminated Minnesota waters. In the coming years, WaterLegacy will lean into Minnesota’s strengths: community activism, strong partnerships with Tribes and other environmental groups, respect for science, and an independent judiciary to ensure that we succeed in protecting Minnesota’s irreplaceable fresh waters. WaterLegacy and our allies are working to prevent the PolyMet/Glencore mine (aka NewRange) from shape-shifting into a new Mega-Mine project that would include the huge Mesaba deposit and pollute both the Boundary Waters and the Lake Superior watersheds with toxic sulfate and heavy metals. We are also working with Tribes and community partners to oppose pollution and destruction from a new sulfide ore mining proposal in the Tamarack region, about 50 miles west of Duluth.”
Get Involved: “It is now time to build strength from the best of Minnesota’s tradition of caring about each other and valuing the clean air and clean water that sustains the life and health of our families and all other living beings. Please join our collaborative work. Visit our website to learn more about sulfide ore mining, wild rice, threats to human health, and to sign up to receive updates when there is a chance to add your voice to protect clean water. Reach out to WaterLegacy in person at sophia@waterlegacy.org to share your time, talents, and connections in your community. You can also send an email to paula@waterlegacy.org if you would like to share scientific expertise or support advocacy. We are a nimble and effective organization; your financial donation or your gift of time and passion can make a huge difference in our ability to succeed. You can also find us on Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.”
About: A Minneapolis-based environmental nonprofit that’s, according to its website, “working every day to build a mass movement of people to stand up to powerful lobbyists and greedy corporations to say: ‘No more!’”
Mission: "MN350 unites Minnesotans with the global movement to end the pollution damaging our climate, speed the transition to clean energy, and create a just and healthy future for all. We are securing a safe climate through a just transition from an economy based on extraction and consumption to a sustainable and life-affirming economy. This means that benefits must flow first to marginalized communities that bear the worst effects of climate change. All voices—Black, Indigenous, and people of color; immigrant; white; rural and urban—must be heard in this transition. Using a full range of peaceful methods, we are building a powerful mass movement to end systems of oppression and realize our vision of climate justice."
Get Involved: MN350's teams are dedicated to clean transportation, food justice, the Green New Deal, missing and murdered Indigenous relatives, pipeline resistance, policy action, and transit justice—learn more about volunteer opportunities here.
About: “YEA! is a network for Minnesota youth acting on the systems perpetuating the climate crisis,” according to its website. “Our generation is the first to experience climate impacts, with the biggest opportunity to rewrite the future. We’re collecting stories from youth just like you to share the call for climate justice and highlight solutions happening now.”
Mission: “We provide the support and co-mentorship you need to step into climate leadership in your community. Attend our youth-led meetings, apply for funding for a project of your own, or get involved in YEA! Campaigns to lead your own campaign rooted in environmental justice to shift public will and practice civic engagement.”
Get Involved: Info on updates, network meetings, events, applications for action funds, and paid roles is available online.
About: St. Paul-based land conservation nonprofit that, since 1991, “has partnered with hundreds of Minnesota landowners to permanently protect over 82,000 acres of natural land and 522 miles of fragile shoreline throughout the state. In addition, we’ve restored over 7,400 acres of critical habitat,” according to its website.
Mission: "The Minnesota Land Trust [works] with landowners and local communities to protect and enhance Minnesota’s increasingly threatened lands and waters" by protecting land through easements and proper management, restoring environments back to their natural state, and engaging lovers of the outdoors.
Get Involved: Giving, volunteering, and event-attending options abound here.
The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota
About: The Minnesota chapter of the Nature Conservancy, the conservation nonprofit that, since its founding in 1951, has spread to 79 countries and all 50 U.S. states.
Mission: According to the local chapter’s website, “In Minnesota, we’re working with diverse partners to protect our waters, forests and grasslands; build sustainable food and water systems; and tackle climate change. We're also working and organizing with local communities to leverage nature as a tool to build a brighter future for all Minnesotans.”
Get Involved: Find options, including a carbon footprint calculator, here.
Sierra Club North Star Chapter
About: Reportedly 50,000 Minnesotans belong to this local chapter of the "the nation's largest grassroots environmental movement," which was founded in 1892 by conservationist legend John Muir.
Mission: “We work through grassroots political action, pairing volunteer energy with full-time staff, to strategically address Minnesotans' most pressing environmental issues,” according to its website.
Get Involved: See a calendar of events and sign-up opportunities here.
About: The local branch of Greenpeace, the independent global network of environmental activism that first sprouted in 1971.
Mission: “Global warming is the most urgent environmental crisis of our time, but we have the solutions–we just lack the political will to make them the law of the land. That's why Greenpeace is putting congress in the hot seat, demanding U.S. climate leadership on the world stage, working with business to implement solutions, and exposing the dirty secrets of corporate polluters like Exxon.”
Get Involved: Explore an interactive database of volunteer opportunities here.
Other Volunteer Opportunities and Organizations to Support
About: “We are the Women's Prison Book Project, an all-volunteer grassroots organization,” says WPBP volunteer Laurel. “We seek to build connections with those behind the walls, and to educate those of us on the outside about the realities of prison and the justice system. Each week, we receive about 150 letters from women, trans, and nonbinary people in prison across the country, and each week, we send each of them a package of books on the topics they request, for free.”
Mission: “Our main goal is to get reading material into the hands of women, trans, and nonbinary people who are in prison. Every Sunday, a group of volunteers gets together to select books for each person and package them up, which is the heart of our work.”
Get Involved: “The best way to get involved is to get on our volunteer mailing list (email us at womensprisonbookproject@gmail.com) and sign up for a shift! We also welcome donations of like-new paperback books (we have to be really picky about donations because most prisons are restrictive about what books they allow us to send, so please email us before bringing books over). Of course, we also welcome donations to help cover postage; visit our page at GiveMN.” You can also connect with WPBP on Instagram, Facebook, or on their website.
Anything Else? “Come join us for some hands-on work! We sometimes say ‘come for the books, stay for the rage,’ because for many of us, the more we learn about the prison system, the more we want to stay and fight it,” Laurel says.
About: St. Paul-based nonprofit Prepare + Prosper “works to build financial health and provide access to quality tax and financial services, and so much more,” according to its website. “We are reshaping the financial landscape by partnering and innovating to offer services, products, and options that build wealth—not strip it—for families working hard to build a brighter financial future. We strive to work with people, communities, and systems to break down barriers and develop solutions to real financial opportunity and success.”
Mission: “We work with individuals and families to build brighter financial futures. Prepare + Prosper believes everyone deserves access to financial wellness, economic justice and wealth-building opportunities regardless of income. We provide free services as well as access to low-fee and no-fee banking options.”
Get Involved: You can learn more about Prepare + Prosper on their website, which lists ways to get involved or to donate.
Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia (United Renters For Justice)
About: Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia “is a base-building nonprofit working to transform the Minneapolis housing system,” according to its website.
Mission: “IX’s campaigns consist of tenants in Minneapolis organizing around shared fights grounded in complete housing justice. Following the leadership of tenants, we educate about political and legal rights, reclaim the narrative about renters, work to create pro-tenant policies, and develop long-term solutions where tenants have a greater say over their homes. Most importantly, we transform ourselves by struggling together and believing that another world is possible.”
Get Involved: You can donate to IUPJ here, sign up for their emails here, and follow their work via Instagram and Facebook.
About: “Pillsbury United Communities co-creates enduring change toward a just society,” according to its website. “Built with and for the people we serve, our united system of programs, neighborhood centers, and social enterprises empowers individuals and families across the region to own their future on their own terms.”
Mission: With multiple locations throughout the Twin Cities, PUC programming includes youth scholarships, nutritional support, an early education center, support for adults with disabilities, and much more.
Get Involved: You can donate to support Pillsbury United Communities here and sign up to receive their newsletters here.
About: “Local Progress is a movement of local elected officials advancing a racial and economic justice agenda through all levels of local government,” explains Minnesota Chapter Manager Jillia Pessenda. “We are elected leaders who build power with underrepresented communities and fight to reshape what is possible in our localities all across the country. Local Progress Minnesota (LPMN) organizes local elected officials across the state to share best practices and policy solutions across our counties, cities, towns, and school boards. LPMN currently has more than 80 members across the state, representing the Twin Cities metro area and Greater Minnesota.”
Mission: “In Minnesota, our work is driven by community needs and done in deep partnership with state partners and movement allies. Locally, our key issue areas include housing and tenant protections, community safety, climate justice, thriving & inclusive public schools and abortion access. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to criminalize homelessness in Grants Pass v. Johnson, localities across Minnesota have stepped up to support unhoused community members—from establishing parking lot safe spaces in Duluth to inviting people with lived experience with homelessness to help Minneapolis address the root causes of housing insecurity.”
Get Involved: “If you are a local elected official in Minnesota who is committed to advancing racial and economic justice, you can join us by signing up here! You can also sign up for our mailing list to receive helpful resources and stay on top of our work in Minnesota. Not a local elected but passionate about our mission and vision? You can donate to help us change what’s possible at the local level. Our work is made possible with the generous support provided by people like you!”
“We are hosting a Twin Cities meet-up for local elected officials on Friday, December 6 at Bauhaus Brew Labs from 4:30-6:30 p.m.; if you’re interested in joining our network, we’d love to have you stop by!”
Anything Else? “We’re entering a moment when leadership at the local level is more important than ever. Local elected officials are once again on the front lines of protecting our communities and defending democracy at the local level. It’s the perfect time to spread the word about Local Progress Minnesota, and to join us.”
About: “We’ve been meeting with other organizers across the city and beyond, learning from those who have been successful in social movements," SWAE organizers tell Racket. "One thing we’ve been thinking about is how we can both cultivate a caring community and engage neighbors in civic education. We recently hosted an election debrief gathering to review and discuss the results of both local and national races and how they might affect our work going forward.”
“In March we hosted a conversation about affordable housing in partnership with Lake Harriet United Methodist Church where we learned from experts at the state, county, city, and community level about some of the barriers to increasing the housing stock and the historical impact of racial redlining. Since affordable housing continues to be inaccessible for many Minneapolis residents, we are thinking about ways we can engage the community this year in a conversation focused on multifaceted affordable housing solutions that tackle both immediate needs and long-term root causes of homelessness. If Minneapolis is being heralded as a model for addressing housing affordability, why are so many in our community going with unmet needs?
“SWAE members have also been organizing alongside the groups Zero Burn Coalition and Minnesota Environmental Justice Table, who are leading efforts to close the HERC trash incinerator, which will reduce harm to our neighbors in north Minneapolis who are already overburdened by pollution.”
Mission: “We are a group of Southwest Minneapolis neighbors standing up for policies and people that advance racial, economic, and environmental justice. So far, our group has focused on three things: 1) we hold gatherings to build community and talk with our neighbors about local political issues, 2) we take actions together to hold our elected leaders and our City enterprise accountable, and 3) we support and partner with those who are directly impacted by oppressive systems to help make Minneapolis and the broader community safer, more compassionate, and more equitable.”
Get Involved: “We believe there is a role for everyone. While our organizing efforts are rooted in southwest Minneapolis, anyone who is interested in our goals is welcome to join us! We have members from across the city and the broader Twin Cities area. Our next event will be after the new year when we will host a winter potluck. Follow us on our socials, subscribe to our Substack newsletter, or subscribe to SWAE’s calendar to keep up to date with all of our upcoming events.”
You can find us online on Instagram, Facebook, Substack, and Bluesky @SWAEmpls or email us at hello@swaempls.org.
Anything Else? “SWAE was created in 2021 by a small group of neighbors in southwest Minneapolis who felt isolated after seeing many of their neighbors ignore or push back against the demands for police accountability and racial justice during the 2020 Uprising. Due to the history of concentrated redlining and racial covenants in southwest Minneapolis, it remains the whitest and wealthiest area of the city and, with the highest voter turnout than any other ward, Ward 13 holds disproportionate political power. Despite this, there have always been individuals and small groups of Southwest residents challenging the status quo and pushing for equity in their communities. The founders of SWAE wanted to bring these isolated groups together to help build community and use the privileges that come with living in Southwest to help Minneapolis work better for everyone. We’re proud of how far SWAE has come in a few short years and look forward to continuing to grow together and work alongside groups with our shared goals throughout the Twin Cities community.”
About: “Founded in 1952 as the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Minnesota continues to promote, protect, and extend the civil liberties and civil rights of people in Minnesota through litigation, lobbying, and community engagement,” according to its website.
Mission: “The ACLU has a vision for the state and country that fulfills the promise of the Minnesota and United States Constitutions to protect the civil rights and liberties of everyone,” with extra mindfulness of the need to protect the interests of people who are disfavored or marginalized. Issues of focus include but are not limited to: reproductive freedom, criminal justice, immigrant rights, and prisoner rights.
Get Involved: The organization has information about ongoing campaigns here—message your members of Congress today! You can also give to the ACLU here.
About: “Founded in 2006, TakeAction Minnesota builds community and political power by organizing people—parents, tenants, workers, and more—to make Minnesota a state where all people can thrive,” according to an email from TakeAction organizers. “We help support and elect progressive elected officials, organize and build power in communities, and campaign for positive policy change—centering those voices who have historically been left out.”
Mission: “We have a variety of campaigns working to improve the lives of Minnesotans across the state. In Duluth, we recently launched Duluth Tenants, a renters-led campaign that fights for tenants’ rights and advocates for policy changes that center housing as a human right. In Minneapolis, MN United Parents pushes for more government funding and support for childcare by growing a grassroots organization of parents and caregivers who are working to achieve universal childcare and fully funded public schools in our state. Here in the metro, Twin Cities United Performers is working to protect the working rights of musicians and other performers. Electorally, we seek to mobilize infrequent voters and elect people who support an aggressive agenda, and at the State Capitol, we’re working to identify paths for progressive change at the Minnesota Legislature amidst a shifting landscape.”
Get Involved: “The best way to join our efforts is by becoming a member of TakeAction Minnesota. Becoming a member helps give supporters a political home, connects you to other members and leaders in your community and throughout the state, and links you with all our opportunities to get involved.”
TakeAction’s website and Instagram are the best ways to learn about the work they’re doing and stay informed about upcoming events and campaigns, and they’re also active on Facebook and Twitter. You can learn more about volunteering and upcoming events here, and you can donate to support TakeAction MN here.
Anything Else? “TakeAction Minnesota exists because the challenges we face are bigger than one campaign or election cycle. We know elected officials and systems alone cannot solve the crises we face, and that we must lead in our communities to create better tenants rights, healthier communities, better health care, and an economy that works for all of us. We invite you to join our collective efforts to organize and create a Minnesota where we all can thrive.”
East Side Neighborhood Services
About: “East Side Neighborhood Services (ESNS) is a nonprofit organization based in Northeast Minneapolis that has been serving the community for over 100 years,” ESNS organizers tell Racket by email. “We provide a wide range of programs focused on youth development, food access, older adult services, career pathways, and community well-being. Our mission is to build pathways toward equity by addressing systemic barriers and empowering individuals and families.”
Mission: “We support our community with a holistic range of services from youth services like childcare, out-of-school time programs, summer camp, and an alternative high school, to older adult transportation, caregiving support, and wellness classes. We provide healthy nutrition with three food shelf programs. We help people gain economic stability and grow their careers through employment programs for all ages. We support family healing through our counseling programs for people who have been identified as using abusive behaviors as well as creative arts therapy for youth.”
Get Involved: “November is National Family Caregivers Month, and we’re celebrating with a campaign highlighting our Vital Living program, which supports older adults with caregiver resources and wellness services. We’re hosting a Toy Drive for students and families in our ASPIRE program, designed to improve school attendance and educational success. Our Food Warehouse has officially moved from an offsite location to three renovated garage stalls on our main campus, enhancing accessibility for our food programs and distribution services.”
You can learn more about volunteering with East Side Neighborhood Services here and donate to support their work here.
Anything Else? “We pride ourselves on being a resource hub for the community, offering intergenerational services that meet people where they’re at. We are also committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion as foundational principles in everything we do.”
About: Southside Harm Reduction Services (SHRS) is a syringe service program that believes in supporting the autonomy and health of people who use drugs. “Overdose deaths do not have to happen and we distribute naloxone, provide harm reduction education, safer use supplies, rapid HIV and Hep C testing, linkage to care services, and much more,” SHRS members tell Racket.
Mission: “With these services we aim to reduce overdose deaths, reduce the transmission of infectious diseases related to drug use, and meaningfully connect people to the care and services they want to access. We do all of this through a harm reduction framework that is nonjudgemental, meets people wherever they are at, and believes in long term relationship building.”
Get Involved: If you’re passionate about harm reduction and want to be involved with SHRS, they always welcome new volunteers. “We have various ways people can choose to plug in, ranging from low commitment to high commitment,” organizers say, and you can learn more on their website. You can also donate to support their work here.
Anything Else? “We recognize and honor that harm reduction is born from community supporting each other, and something everyone can practice in their personal lives. Practicing harm reduction may look like making sure friends and family have and know how to use naloxone (narcan), connecting loved ones with harm reduction resources, or setting up a bio bin in your alley if your neighborhood has high levels of syringe litter. We are always here to hold conversations and support you in supporting your community. Reach out!”
