2022 Year End Highlights

​We have lots to celebrate this year!

Membership: We had 84 businesses join or renew this year - bringing in $14,360.00 in member dues. Thank you!

Security Grants: With our partners at The Longfellow Community Council, we have given out $41,000 to 30 businesses in matching grants to help with security improvements. These include alarms, cameras, doors, locks, window film, etc. And there are still funds available. Apply here! 

Summer BOGO Punchcards: For June and July this year, we launched a new project with punchcards featuring Buy One Get One deals at neighborhood restaurants, coffee shops, bars, etc. We had 16 businesses participate and folks could stop into any of these businesses and buy a $10 punchcard. Businesses got to keep the money from the sale of the punchcards. The great collaborative piece was that those who had more of an online or social media presence were able to help promote fellow businesses that did not have as much of a following. We got some really great feedback from the community. Some folks emailed in and said it was the highlight of their summer to find and try new places in the neighborhood. We have applied for a grant to expand this next year into a bigger passport type initiative. 

Artist in Residence Program: We received some funds from the City of Minneapolis to pilot two Artists in Residence that matches a local artist with a business to do a 1-3 month long project in the space and engage employees, customers and the broader community. This was the brainchild of Megan Moore and she has recently finished the first residence with Wildflyer coffee. The second residency is underway between Our Glass and The Legacy Building. They’ll be making this custom glass art installation this winter and unveiling it next summer at the Soul festival block party at the Hook & Ladder theater.

Mental Health Workshops: We received a grant from Hennepin County to host a series of mental health workshops for businesses, employees and residents. We partnered with Longfellow Community Council and Curiosity Studios at 36th and Lake Street. We hosted 5 sessions with different themes using different aspects of trauma informed art therapy. 

Strategic Planning: The LBA Board engaged in a few sessions of strategic planning this Fall to clarify the priorities of LBA and plan ahead. We’ve already proposed making a few changes to our Bylaws, which were last updated in 1998. We’ll be bringing those changes to you all at our Annual Meeting next April – when we’ll also be doing elections for the Board.