The Ward 8 Community Benevolence Fund (formerly The George Floyd Community Benevolence Fund) Accepting Grant Applications for Businesses and Other Minneapolis Groups Near 38th Street & Chicago Avenue

The Ward 8 Community Benevolence Fund (formerly The George Floyd Community Benevolence Fund) Accepting Grant Applications for Businesses and Other Minneapolis Groups Near 38^th Street & Chicago Avenue

Application process discussed on January 27, 2023 at a Town Hall meeting at St. Thomas University with City Council President Andrea Jenkins

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The family of George Floyd along with civil rights attorneys Ben Crump, Jeff Storms and community leaders today announce the opening of the grant application process for The Ward 8 Community Benevolence Fund (The Fund) www.theward8fund.org, which was formerly known as The George Floyd Community Benevolence Fund.

The Floyd family donated $500,000 of the proceeds from their civil legal settlement in 2021 to create The Fund and provide grants that support Black- and minority-owned businesses and organizations in the Minneapolis neighborhood where George Floyd was murdered. The grant application process asks for some paperwork documentation, as well as allows a portion of the application to be submitted via video. Applications can be submitted beginning January 9, 2023 and will be accepted until all funds are distributed.

The mission of the Fund is to raise up and give breath to the businesses, individuals and organizations in Minnesota that have been detrimentally impacted by systemic racism.

The Fund will award grants to eligible businesses, community organizations and 501(c)(3) groups serving the community at and surrounding 38^th & Chicago in Minneapolis and/or encouraging the success and growth of Black citizens and community harmony.  Mr. Floyd was murdered May 25, 2020 in that predominantly Black neighborhood, and his family has been touched by the strength, the spirit and the need in that community.

The fund is now accepting applications beginning January 9, 2023 and will continue accepting applications until all funds are distributed on a quarterly basis.

Grants will be funded at the levels of $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000, but larger grants will also be considered.  In order to receive a grant, an applicant must complete and submit the application found at www.theward8fund.org.  All applicants must complete a short form and provide documentation that their organization is an established legal entity, but applicants can choose to submit a video for the portion of the application describing their business or organization and the reason they are seeking a grant.  The dropbox link to upload all materials can be found on The Fund’s website.

Town Hall with Fund Board Members and Andrea Jenkins

The grant application guidelines and the Fund will be discussed in a Town Hall meeting with Fund Board members and Minneapolis City Council President Andrea Jenkins. The one-hour conversation will be held January 27, 2023 from noon-1:30 p.m. Central Time and will allow interested applicants to ask questions.  Attendance at meeting is not required for a grant to be approved. The meeting will be held at St. Thomas University School of Law, 1101 Harmon Place, Minneapolis - room MSL238 - and is open to all interested applicants. Reservations are recommended. Please RSVP to info@theward8fund.org.  A box lunch will be provided for those who register by January 24, 2023.  The meeting will also have a Zoom link for remote access (Zoom link here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89305576526?pwd=VEVKSHhlOWtITlpUak5mSWQySFg5UT09) and a recording will be available after the event on the Ward 8 Facebook page of Andrea Jenkins at: https://www.facebook.com/events/4714264428627609/?ref=newsfeed.

The Fund Board will review applications quarterly and notify applicants of their decisions.

Background on The Ward 8 Community Benevolence Fund

In March of 2021, the family reached a civil litigation settlement with the city of Minneapolis for $27 million, the largest pre-trial settlement of its kind in a civil rights wrongful death case in U.S. history. The family, determined to see positive change from the loss of their loved one, directed $500,000 to create the Fund and provide long-term support to enhance the business district where George Floyd died. Family members are also involved in other charitable efforts across the country to create positive change in George Floyd’s honor.

The Fund is a Minnesota-based nonprofit entity and has applied for federal 501(c)(3) status. Board members include Floyd family members; Terrence Floyd and Roxie Washington, along with members of their legal team including Ben Crump and Jeff Storms, and legal communications professional Jennifer McGuffin. The Board also includes several community leaders including Attorney Uzodima Frank Aba-Onu; Lisa Montpetit Brabbit, Associate Dean of External Relations for St. Thomas University; and Entrepreneur and Business Owner Uzoma Obasi. Additional community leaders may also be added to the board before the application review process begins.

The Fund is eager to support projects by established and eligible entities that have a local impact, and applicants must demonstrate that their proposed program would prove significant to the local community. Programs desired by the Fund include the renovation or expansion of businesses, apprentice work or training programs, or community arts/civil rights awareness programs to name a few.

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About Ben Crump Law

Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump and his national network of specialized attorneys have spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more, visit BenCrump.com or call (800) 935-8111.

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Romanucci & Blandin is a Chicago-based national trial practice committed to fighting for victims of negligence, abuse and wrongful death arising from police misconduct, corporate negligence, civil rights actions, medical malpractice, mass torts and class actions. Founded in 1998, the firm is widely recognized for representing plaintiffs in numerous practice areas including: workers’ compensation, pharmaceuticals, civil rights, police misconduct, excessive force, aviation, product liability and premises liability. For more information, please visit www.rblaw.net or call (312) 458-1000.

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Pintas & Mullins is a national law firm, headquartered in Chicago, which has fought for the rights of the seriously injured for more than 35 years. Its practice areas include representation for the victims of environmental injustice, nursing home abuse of seniors, medical malpractice, dangerous products and drugs, and more. Through its close association with Ben Crump law, Pintas & Mullins is a passionate advocate for those without a voice against powerful interests and bad-acting corporations.  For more information please visit www.pintas.com or call (800) 935-8111.

About Newmark Storms Dworak LLC 

Newmark Storms Dworak LLC is one of Minnesota’s premier boutique law firms. The Minneapolis firm regularly handles high-profile civil rights, medical malpractice, and sexual abuse claims. For more information, visit www.newmarkstorms.com.