The People’s Library Microgrant Initiative is an ongoing project in which The People’s Library prints and sells shirts, then puts all proceeds into $250 microgrants for Twin Cities Metro Black and Indigenous people.
In June of 2020, The People’s Library (PL) organized a distribution site in response to the murder of George Floyd, ongoing systemic racism, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Wanting to further extend solidarity and support to our community, PL began the Microgrant Initiative, operating out of the same space as the distribution site. The distribution site was able to grow because of volunteers, and is now part of the Community Aid Network Minnesota, or CANMN, a consolidation of Twin Cities Mutual Aid sites.
Through the sale of shirts, The People's library was able to give out $7,010.00 to 27 individuals as of July 2020.
The Microgrant Initiative was able to continue after PL was awarded a $10,000 Midway Contemporary Art Visual Arts Fund grant. With this grant PL has been able to continue their practice of teaching screenprinting by offering six paid internships for POC individuals. We’ve also been able to commission five designers to create t-shirts designs. Additionally this grant has provided the collective the opportunity to move into a more suitable studio space and supported the acquisition of much needed equipment.
With each $2,500.00 raised, PL will be issuing microgrants in the amount of $250.00 to 10 self-identified Black and Indigenous individuals in the Twin Cities Metro Area. These grants are distributed in order of receiving the applications, oldest grant requests are distributed first. If you or someone you know would like to request funds, you can do so here.
As we want to ensure that our work is accessible to everyone, shirts are available on a sliding scale from $15 to $30. This is set up through the use of discount codes at checkout*. As with any ecommerce site there are fees associated with online selling that cannot be avoided. Our use of Stripe, means that we lose 2.9% +30¢ per transaction**. All proceeds after these fees are taken out are put into the microgrants. Shipping is also an additional charge separate to the microgrants.
General donations to support this work or to the microgrant fund can be sent directly to the PL Venmo, however we ask that you tag your donations with the appropriate location.
If donating to the microgrant fund, tag your donation as “microgrant.”
If donating to general operations fund, tag your donation as “general”
In keeping with collective principles, the shirts are printed on unisex fit Bella+Canvas oxblood colored cotton shirts. See Bella+Canvas Labor practices here, and their environmental practices here.
We want to thank CANMN, Yarborough Printshop, The Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Kristina Johnson and Backroom, Midway Contemporary Arts, our designers, our interns, and everyone who has bought a shirt along the way <3
Support and follow our work at:
Patreon
Venmo: @thepeopleslibrary
Instagram: @thepeopleslibrary
Twitter: @peopleslibrary
To support additional mutual aid efforts in the Whittier neighborhood, consider donating to Community Aid Network MN. This group sprouted from multiple distribution sites--including the People’s Library site!
Website: www.canmn.org
Donate: https://www.canmn.org/donate-funds
*At checkout type in the coupon code “PAY15” in order to pay $15, “PAY20” to pay $20, and “PAY25” to pay $25. Shipping is an additional cost.
**This 2.9% + 30¢ loss equates to $1.17 lost in a $30 transaction, $1.03 lost in a $25 transaction, $0.88 lost in a $20 transaction, and $0.74 lost in a $15 transaction
Project support provided by the Visual Arts Fund, administered by Midway Contemporary Art with generous funding from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, New York.