The Finnegans Community Fund Mission
Mission: Create sustainable change for those affected by the cycle of poverty through profits from Finnegans Irish Amber and other innovative products and events.
Criteria for Funding programs: We fund projects in the geographic areas that support our product, which is currently anywhere in the state of Minnesota. Our goal is to expand our distribution in coming years and to expand our giving as well!!
1. The program must be designed to improve the quality of life of the homeless and working poor, men, women, children and families, in our community.
2. The program must address the core issues and barriers identified with keeping the homeless and working poor from enjoying a self-sustaining livelihood.
Values:
We wish to create social change by developing innovative business models and exploring social entrepreneurship opportunities.
We believe that awareness about pressing issues can be broadened through events and environments that are fun and social.
We value the need to give back to the community and we support creative exploration and innovations in developing new sustainable ways of giving back.
Overview of Finnegans Community Fund donations through 2007
Finnegans has raised and donated over $68,000 back to community programs since first becoming profitable in 2003. Included in our donations was over $20,000 for new furniture for the Lindquist Apartments, a housing facility for homeless youth in the Twin Cities. We also donated over $12,000 to the Bridge, a Minneapolis based non profit that serves at risk and runaway youth.
A big part of our work is donating bi-annual grants to non profits across the state and also teaming up with non profit partners for fundraisers and events to help not only raise funds, but also awareness about crucial needs in our community. All profits from the sale of Finnegans Irish Amber, Finnegans events and merchandise support Minnesota non profit organizations working to improve the lives of those living in poverty.
Our goal in 2007 is to raise and donate over $35,000, which would bring our total in giving to over $100,000! We appreciate your help in getting us there! We also plan to donate half of our funds raised in 2007 to the Heading Home Minnesota plan to end homelessness in Minnesota in the next 10 years.
Finnegans 2007 Third Quarter Grants
Admission Possible - A St. Paul based non profit that is dedicated to helping make college admission possible for promising and motivated low income students by providing ACT and SAT test preparation services and admissions and financial aid consulting. Finnegans is sponsoring one student in this program for 2008.
Good Will/East Seals - The Finnegans grant will be used to support their transitional employment wages program for males released from prison for the first 90 days.
Sole Providers - A new non profit organization that provides people experiencing homelessness with new shoes or boots.
Steele County Clothesline - a free store providing people in need, confronted by crisis and/or moving through transition, with clothing and small household items.Finnegans 2007 First Quarter Grants.
Finnegans 2007 First Quarter Grants
Casa Guadalupana House of Hospitality, Twin Cites – a non profit that offers residential hospitality for Latina women and families in crisis. The Finnegans grant will support the 2007 literacy and job skills training program.
Christo Rey Jesuit High School, Minneapolis – supports low income students. The Finnegans grant will assist in starting a fund for appropriate business clothes for students to go into the work force.
Hired, Minneapolis – a non profit that is a multi-purpose workforce development organization that helps families get back on their feet with employment support and training. The Finnegans grant will be used to support the Broadway Culinary Arts programs which train young mothers on culinary skills and prepare them for entry level cooking/catering positions.
Kinship Partners, Brainerd, MN – a non profit that provides mentoring for at risk youth and families. The Finnegans grant will support further development of the mentoring program.
Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation, Minneapolis – a non profit housing organization that develops affordable housing for those in need. The Finnegans grant will support the Stevens Square Cooperative Project, designed to create a limited equity cooperative so that lower income tenants can own their own apartment building.
YouthCare, Twin Cities– A nonprofit that provides multicultural youth development services for Minneapolis and St. Paul youth 7-18 years old. The Finnegans grant will support its Young Women’s mentoring program focused on building self sufficiency and leadership skills for girls in underserved low income communities.
Youth Express, St. Paul – a non profit with the mission to provide youth with an outlet to build positive relationships and participate in opportunities that improve their lives. The Finnegans grant will support their internship program within their social venture Express Bike Shop.
2006 Grant Recipients
- Steele County Transitional Housing Inc. is a non-profit organization based in Owatonna, MN that provides financial assistance and case management services to individuals and families who are homeless. The Finnegans grant will support the purchase of gas vouchers, grocery coupons and gift cards as rewards for families moving toward self-sufficiency.
- Mesabi East Early Childhood Coalition is a non-profit based in the Iron Range in northern Minnesota that serves families living in poverty. The Finnegans funds will be used to provide educational materials for families that otherwise could not afford to purchase such materials.
- Central Community Housing Trust (CCHT) is a private, non-profit, community-based provider of affordable housing in the Twin Cities. The Finnegans grant will help with the implementation of the CCHT Literacy Initiative to promote reading and general literacy among its very low-income and formerly homeless residents.
- Opportunity Partners is a Minnetonka based nonprofit that trains and empowers people with disabilities and other barriers to self-sufficiency. Opportunity Partners serves 1,300 individuals at 31 separate facilities. The Finnegans funds will be used to support trainee wages for a document imaging training program for people with barriers to employment that are working to transition from welfare to financial independence.
- The Campus Kitchen at Augsburg College is a school based hunger relief organization lead by student volunteers whose goal is to address both the immediate needs and the long-term effects of hunger by providing meals and educational opportunities to the local community. The Finnegans grant will be used for educational materials for the Culinary Job Training program. The Culinary Job Training program provides valuable foodservice and life skills training and employment assistance to underemployed men and women in the Minneapolis area.
- Bolder Options a Twin Cities based non-profit with a unique mentoring program that matches at-risk youth with caring adults to run, bike and work on educational goals. Nearly 350 youth have benefited from Bolder Options’ services since 1998. The organization has an 80% success rate with participants not re-offended since completing the program.
- Cromwell-Wright School District – Kids Plus After School Program, This program offers a safe and structured place for youth to go at the end of the school day until their parents get home from work.
- Project G.E.M, a Mankato based non-profit which offers innovative educational outreach services for at risk youth by using applied learning in art, creative writing and music to increase reading and writing skills. College students who are education majors at area colleges are hired to teach these youth which offers them career and life experiences.
- HIRED, a Plymouth based non-profit organization helps adults and youth get back on their feet with employment support and training. The Finnegan’s grant will support their newest youth-driven entrepreneurship training program that gives at-risk students at Broadway Community School a chance for hands on training in a student-run breakfast café.
- The Link, a Minneapolis based non profit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of trouble youth and their families by providing Health Realization training, case management, role modeling and life skills training. Finnegan’s is supporting their ‘Women Educating Women’ program, a support and empowerment group for at risk teenage girls.
- Our Saviour’s Housing, a Minneapolis based non-profit organization that provides emergency shelter, transitional housing and supportive services for homeless men, women and families. Finnegan’s funds will be used to support the case management services to help move the homeless into independent living.
- Page Education Foundation is a Minneapolis based non-profit whose mission is to increase the participation of Minnesota’s youth of color in post-secondary education. The Finnegan’s grant will be used to provide financial assistance to youth of color for college in exchange for their volunteer service to school-age children. ($1,000)
- YouthCARE is a Twin Cities based non-profit organization that provides successful multicultural youth development services to Twin Cities youth, 7-18 year old. Finnegan’s funds will be used to benefit the Young Women’s Mentoring Program. This program focuses on facilitating opportunities for young women to build leadership and self-sufficiency sills as they mentor younger girls who live in their same low-income publicly subsidized neighborhoods.
2005 Grant Recipients
Slainte!*
And here’s to you – for making it possible!
Finnegan’s and the Spud Society are proud to announce the recipients of its 2005 grants. All profits from the sale of Finnegan’s beer support nonprofit organizations working to improve the lives of at-risk kids and working poor families. In 2005, we’ve raised and donated over $25,000 to these worthwhile organizations. The more beer we sell, the more bucks we have to give away!
This year’s recipients carry out a wide range of amazing activities and programs. A milestone this year – it’s the first time an organization outside the Twin Cities metro area received a grant. There are at least two things these grant recipients have in common:
- Each of them makes an impactful difference in our community
- We’re honored to help them in their efforts.
The other very exciting news is that the Lindquist Apartments opened August 22nd, 2005. The facility provides 24 units of affordable, permanent housing for homeless youth. Finnegan’s and the Spud Society partnered with Life’s Missing Link to raise over $20,000 to supply new furniture for the Lindquist Apartments. We are honored to have been involved in with this very important community project. Visit www.lifesmissinglink.com for more information. (view pictures)
2005 Finnegan’s/Spud Society Grant Recipients
Admission Possible
Admission Possible is dedicated to helping make college admission possible for talented, motivated and economically disadvantaged students in Minnesota. Since Admission Possible began in 2000, they have helped 345 students earn admission to college. They are now working with 550 students (with an average family income of approximately $25,000) to make their college dreams come true.
Funds from Finnegan’s/Spud Society will help Admission Possible provide three critical services for their students:
- SAT/ACT test preparation
- College admission and financial aid consulting
- Guidance in transitioning into college
www.admissionpossible.org (view pictures)
Cheerful Givers
The mission of Cheerful Givers is to “brighten and celebrate the lives of children in need.” The way they carry out that mission is both simple and deeply meaningful. They provide birthday gifts for children who are homeless or living in poverty by making “birthday bags” available for parents to give to their children. These birthday bags, available at local shelters, food shelves and other agencies, help parents recognize and celebrate this special day for their children. Since Cheerful Givers began in 1997, over 100,000 birthday bags have been given out.
Funds from Finnegan’s/Spud Society will help Cheerful Givers expand their program so even more birthdays can be celebrated.
www.cheerfulgivers.org (view pictures)
Life’s Missing Link
For a second year Finnegan’s/Spud Society is providing support to Life’s Missing Link for their summer youth program. Life’s Missing Link is dedicated to helping inner-city youth in Minneapolis realize their full potential. Their Truancy Intervention program provides intensive case-management and role modeling to youth at high risk for delinquency and school drop out. New programs at Life’s Missing Link include a “Women Educating Women” after school/summer program and a service-learning program – Youth for Justice.
As part of their summer programs, funding from Finnegan’s/Spud Society provides access to cultural, recreational and educational experiences that will be used as incentives for youth participating in their programs.
www.lifesmissinglink.com (view pictures)
North Side Youth Rugby Football Club
Rugby programs for kids are expanding throughout the Twin Cities metro area, particularly in the suburbs. The North Side Youth Rugby Football Club wants to bring this sport to kids in the inner city as well, especially in north and northeast Minneapolis. Coaches for this club are donating their time to help kids learn, enjoy and compete in the game of rugby.
One of the biggest roadblocks in establishing this new rugby program is providing transportation to the games. Support from Finnegan’s /Spud Society will provide rental vans for this purpose, allowing kids to compete with a wide variety of teams.
Northwest Youth and Family Services
Preparing youth and families for healthy lives is the mission of Northwest Youth and Family Services, which focuses its efforts in the suburbs of northern Ramsey and southern Anoka counties. An example of their work is the Youth-Run Business Program, which helps hard-to-employ youth develop job skills and work habits necessary to succeed in any employment setting.
Funds from Finnegan’s/Spud Society will help Northwest Youth and Family Services operate its Youth-Run Business Program, providing stipends for participating youth and program supplies
www.nyfs.org
Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation
The Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation has pulled together the funding and partners to develop a new supportive housing program specifically for homeless teen parents. This program will provide stable, affordable housing and services to help teen parents become employed and/or complete their schooling.
An important “finishing” piece for this project is being provided through Finnegan’s/Spud Society funding – an outdoor play area to be located at the facility. The play site, to be constructed by volunteers from the church and neighborhood, will provide a fun play area for children, an inviting green space in an urban area, and an amenity for the neighborhood.
www.plymouthfoundation.org (view pictures)
St. Cloud Area Crisis Nursery
The St. Cloud Area Crisis Nursery provides a safe place for children whose families are experiencing a crisis. This organization offers safe, professional care to any child between the ages of 0 – 12 living in Stearns and Benton Counties. Emergency overnight care continues to be one of the most needed programs the Crisis Nursery offers.
The number of families served by the Crisis Nursery continues to increase. Support from Finnegan’s/Spud Society will help fund stipends paid to emergency overnight care providers, to cover their costs while caring for these children.
www.lssmn.org/crisis_nurseries.htm
In addition to these grant recipients, Finnegan’s/Spud Society would also like to recognize two great organizations that we raised and donated funds to:
- The Bridge was the beneficiary of our first annual Spudtoberfest Fundraiser held in October. Thanks to generous community support, we were able to raise over $10,000 for this outstanding organization.
- This year 21 youth mentors from Bolder Options formed a team to run in the Dublin Marathon. To raise money and awareness for the organization, Finnegan’s hosted a “Half-way to St. Patrick’s Day” pub-crawl. In September we donated 20 cents of every pint sold in 10 local pubs to the effort. Over $3,500 was donated to support Team Dublin and the Bolder Options mentoring program.
The Bridge
This local nonprofit runs amazing programs for at-risk youth in the Twin Cities and suburbs. They are open 24 hours a day for any youth in crisis, offering shelter and safety to homeless and runaway kids. Their services include crisis intervention, street outreach, emergency shelter, family reunification and transitional and permanent supportive housing for youth.
www.bridgeforyouth.org
Bolder Options
Bolder Options is a local nonprofit with a unique mentoring program that matches at-risk kids (ages 10-15) with caring adults to run, bike and work on educational goals. Its mission is to teach youth to succeed in all of life’s races. Nearly 350 youth have benefited from Bolder Options’ services since 1998.
Special thanks to Gary Westlund for the large Bolder Dash photo below.
www.bolderoptions.org
