Our History

The Center funds 10 demonstration projects that reveal how small changes to our surroundings can make a significant difference in creating opportunities for active living. These projects help transform neighborhoods into places where walking, biking and physical activity are safe, easy and accessible.

The Center is a lead sponsor of the National Brotherhood of Cyclists conference in 2015, which encourages diversity in bike advocacy and works toward a vision of a more equitable future.

Even though the overall smoking rate in Minnesota has decreased significantly in recent years, certain populations still experience high rates of use and exposure. With the Center’s funding, eight organizations are launching culturally specific efforts to raise awareness about the harms of tobacco and/or influence policy changes within their communities.

Many of the complex factors that significantly impact our health fall outside the traditional purview of the health care sector. In order to assist leaders and policymakers in taking health and equity into consideration when making policy decisions, eight organizations are selected to receive a total of $1.3 million from the Center.