In 2020…
On Monday, May 25, George Floyd was murdered by a police officer on 38th Street and Chicago Avenue. The days that followed were filled with public unrest. On the evening of May 27, riots throughout the city of Minneapolis reached Du Nord Social Spirits where their warehouse was burned.
From tragedy a choice.
The subsequent uprising and building damage in May 2020 left a tear in the fabric of Minneapolis. Initially, co-founders of Du Nord Social Spirits, Chris & Shanelle Montana pitched in where they could by raising money for affected businesses and operating a food shelf, but it quickly became clear that these efforts would need to be sustained in order to make a significant difference.
From all this we had a choice: go back to business as usual, or build something better in the ashes of what was.
The Du Nord Foundation is committed to the latter; a new Twin Cities that work for all of us.
— Chris & Shanelle Montana, Founders, Du Nord Social Spirits
We asked and support overflowed.
Support poured in, from off-line donations, grants, and to our Go Fund Me campaign, in which — to-date— over 12,000 people worldwide have contributed, bringing our combined funding to well over one million dollars.
And if that’s not enough, of that, 48% of all donations are under $25. That’s almost half a million dollars in small contributions—proof that every person creates value.
Just the beginning:
Formalizing our efforts in June 2020, the Du Nord Foundation was founded to address racial inequities in the Twin Cities by focusing on three core tenets: providing stability through disaster, supporting business ownership and economic prosperity, and investing in rebuilding the community through intentional and innovative business development—all with an eye towards economic justice.
Recovery Fund
Created on May 31, 2020, and completed in August, the initiative provided financial support for minority small business owners who were adversely impacted by the civil unrest in May 2020.
This initiative is now complete.
Barrier-free Food Shelf
Providing food and essential needs to community neighbors impacted by the food desert created during the building destruction in May 2020, and the ongoing economic impact of the COVID pandemic.
This initiative is now complete.
BIPOC Economic Development
We believe it is through BIPOC business and property ownership that radical change will occur in this country.
This initiative is in development.
Be a part of the change to re-envision what our community looks like:
Donate
And help us in our support of those who are underrepresented.