Appropriations: Community Project Funding Requests
Community Project Funding Request Guidelines
Community Project Funding (CPF) will allow Congress to fund projects that will make a real difference in the lives of our constituents, particularly now as so many people and communities are hurting. For the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations cycle, each Member of Congress can submit 10 CPF requests. Below are guidelines for how to submit a request for your project to be included in my office's submissions.
Please see the Appropriations Committee announcement for more information.
Before submitting your project request, you must meet all three of the following requirements:
- You must be a not-for-profit entity, or state/local/tribal government
- Your project must be located in Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District (Double check here.)
- Your project must have demonstrated community support
Please note that our office encourages and will be selecting projects that are well into the planning process – aka “shovel-ready projects” – and therefore most likely to be approved for funding.
Each project will fall under a specific funding account within one of 10 Appropriations Subcommittees. To proceed with your request, please click the link below to review additional guidelines and submission instructions for each Subcommittee. The deadline to submit CPF requests is Friday, April 2, 2021.
- Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
- Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
- Defense
- Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies
- Financial Services and General Government
- Homeland Security
- Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
- Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
- Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
- Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
FY 2022 Community Project Funding Requests and Financial Disclosure
Rep. McCollum has submitted funding requests for important community projects in Minnesota's Fourth District to the House Appropriations Committee. In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Rep. McCollum has certified that she and her immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects she has requested. A list of submitted projects is below, in no particular order.
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee
Project: Apprenticeship Pathways to Resolve Inequity for Access
$3,288,000
Finishing Trades Institute of the Upper Midwest
3205 Country Dr, Suite #150
Little Canada, MN 55117
Expanding a workforce pipeline of middle and high school students, high school graduates, and other young adult candidates for construction, manufacturing, and industrial Registered Apprenticeship programs through partnerships with community organizations, public and charter school educators, employers, associations, unions, and advocacy groups in order to target underserved populations in Minnesota’s 4th district.
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee
Project: St. Catherine University's Advancing Scientific Excellence Initiative
$800,000
St. Catherine University
Derham Hall, Room 1
2004 Randolph Ave, #4286
Saint Paul, MN 55105
Providing critical technology and equipment upgrades to Mendel Hall, ready to execute upon receipt of funds, that will vastly enhance student learning and research experience for women undergraduate students in STEM fields. As a Minority Serving Institution whose student body is 94% women, 42% of whom identify as BIPOC, the university seeks to deliver premier education and training in the sciences to address the underrepresentation of women and people of color in STEM education and professions. These equipment and technological upgrades will support efforts to meet the growing demand both locally and nationally for diverse research teams to drive scientific innovation and discovery.
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee
Project: Saint Paul Police Department Portable Radio Replacement Project
$2,000,000
City of Saint Paul
Office of Mayor Melvin Carter
390 City Hall
Saint Paul, MN 55102
The replacement of 600 end-of-life police portable radios is necessary for the City of St. Paul to maintain the ability to effectively respond to public safety needs and sustain interoperable communications among the first responder network within the city and among mutual-aid communities. The City depends on 1,974 radios to provide public safety and services to residents, and 1,215 of those are used by the police department to perform its role in the City’s Community First Public Safety strategy. Those radios, first procured in 2003, have been out of manufacturer's support since 2018 and reached their end of life and must be replaced to ensure compatibility with the State of Minnesota’s P25 ARMER network. Full replacement of all of the City’s radios would cost nearly $10 million, but this project will assist with most critical need in Saint Paul: replacing 600 radios used by sworn officers to investigate, respond to, and prevent crime in the community. This federal funding would be partnered with additional funding procured by the City to sustain the communications necessary to protect and serve the community.
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee
Project: Community Violence Prevention Project
$900,000
Ramsey County
345 Wabasha St N
St. Paul, MN 55102
In order to truly address the increased violence Ramsey County is experiencing, multiple-focused deterrence efforts must be made to proactively engage young people caught up in car jackings, gun violence and other serious violence with robust resources, including 24/7 support delivered by trusted community members. The county envisions an effort co-led with our community, aligning City and County resources, to invest in dedicated staff capacity to advance this work, along with a community-based infrastructure of 24/7 support coaches and flexible funding to meet the immediate safety and wellness needs of people caught up in serious violence.
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee
Project: International Institute of Minnesota
$1,500,000
Founded in 1919, the International Institute of Minnesota helps New Americans successfully transition to new lives, build self-sufficiency and achieve economic independence. The Institute is recognized as a leader in programs for immigrants and refugees and is a national model for New American workforce development. To increase the number of New Americans served annually, as well as expand the number of career pathways for New Americans to pursue, the Institute is investing in a comprehensive renovation of its existing 18,000-square-foot-space and the addition of a 16,000+ square foot wing containing six new classrooms, interactive training labs, a welcoming and functional lobby and gathering spaces for clients and their families.
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee
Project: Bruce Vento Trail
$1,300,000
This project request will provide final design and construction plans for a six-mile alternate regional trail alignment that is mainly outside of rail property on public land. These funds will also complete the last two undeveloped segments of the Bruce Vento Regional Trail from Buerkle Road to County Road J in the cities/township of Gem Lake, White Bear Lake, White Bear Township, Vadnais Heights in Ramsey County, Minnesota. Completing final design and construction documents will allow these last two segments to be shovel ready projects for implementation. This will complete a major gap in the Regional Bike Transportation Network and United States Bike Route 41 (USBR 41), provide critical connections to a proposed arterial bus rapid transit (BRT), and provide a multi-modal trail that does not exist today for pedestrian and bicycles in northern communities within Ramsey County.
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee
Project: Central Greenway Regional Trail Improvements
$1,000,000
The Central Greenway Regional Trail project will improve the multiuse regional trail within Washington County, including new trail segments, pavement rehabilitation, and trailhead improvements. This project will provide improved regional and local pedestrian and bicycle connectivity to community destinations, improving accessibility, safety, and environmental conditions. Segments of the existing trail have passed their service life and are in need of pavement rehabilitation. New trail segments and trailheads are also needed to accommodate increased use and provide a safer experience for all.
Financial Services, General Government Subcommittee
Project: Neighborhood Development Center
$1,000,000
NDC’s Small Business Incubator Project will ensure BIPOC business owners have space within their own neighborhoods to successfully run their business. In addition, NDC’s Training Center will allow NDC to support other organizations across the state and nation as they learn the NDC model of community/economic development and how it can be applied in their communities. This is an ongoing project. This request will only fund portions of NDC's capital and program support for each incubator project. NDC would direct these funds to five projects in the District.
Financial Services, General Government Subcommittee
Project: Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Twin Cities Creative Placemaking
$1,000,000
LISC Twin Cities seeks to support the critical creative economies in St. Paul, Minnesota. If awarded, this funding will support: 4-5 grants of $200,000-250,000 to four cultural districts in St. Paul in which LISC is currently working: Little Mekong, Little Africa / Midway, Frogtown/Rondo, and East 7th Street. This funding will support the creation of small business incubator space, affordable commercial space, and community arts and event space. Funding will also be used to prioritize culturally focused business development & technical assistance for BIPOC entrepreneurs and community organizations, as well as produce a guide for businesses on using the arts to boost business and work with artists, with a flip side for artists on working with businesses.
Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee
Project: Dredging St. Paul Small-Boat Harbor
$550,000
Providing long overdue and critically needed dredging of the St. Paul Small-Boat Harbor, which will support and maintain effective emergency response services, and improve the overall poor conditions of the harbor. The St. Paul Small-Boat Harbor is on the lower end of Harriet Island in St. Paul, Minnesota, at Upper Mississippi River mile 839.6 on the right descending bank. The natural fluctuations of both the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers and subsequent silt buildup is of significant concern for not only the maritime operations of the St. Paul Fire Department, but for the overall safety of all those that travel its waterways. The Lower Harbor also provides a critical pool of affordable housing at a time when this resource is desperately needed.