The Whittier Alliance Neighborhood Organization
Our Work
We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization existing to support, equip, and inspire Whittier’s residents, businesses, and property owners to engage with their community at the most local level, to work together to solve problems, and to celebrate the extraordinary elements that make our neighborhood one of a kind. We plan free community events, organize around housing issues, provide a platform for voicing ideas and concerns to elected officials, administer community grant programs, build neighborhood coalitions, support small business initiatives, and serve as a resource hub for all things Whittier. We are one of the 70 neighborhood organizations officially recognized by the City of Minneapolis.
Our Structure & Funding
Our organization is governed by our Board of Directors. We have three full-time staff members, but most of the work aimed at making our neighborhood an even better place is done by people in the community who volunteer their time to develop projects and execute events. We receive funding from the City of Minneapolis for programming, but as an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we also rely on the generous donations of stakeholders in the neighborhood to ensure that we can continue serving our neighbors to the best of our ability.
Acting Committees
Get Involved!
- Community Issues - Events, workshops, & presentations that connect residents and build a shared understanding of each other and our community; engage with elected officials and proposed policy; conduct voter education and outreach; provide opportunities for the community learn about and provide feedback on City transportation planning, Parks planning, and small business considerations
- Housing Issues - Organizing, education, & advocacy on housing-related issues; collaborative efforts regarding new development projects, anti-displacement efforts for low-income residents, preserving the existing mix of housing, unhoused neighbors support, and more.
Get Involved!
- Attend a committee meeting or event to learn more about what’s happening in Whittier.
- Volunteer at or help plan an upcoming event.
- Work with staff and other committee members to develop a project or program you believe in.
- Serve on our Board of Directors! One and three-year terms are elected annually in the spring.
Our History
Incorporated in January 1977, the Whittier Alliance first formed as a coalition between residents, property owners, places of worship and local businesses when the neighborhood was suffering through a period of high crime, decaying housing and vacant storefronts. Over the intervening decades the neighborhood has grown to be one of the most interesting, diverse and popular places to live, work or eat in Minneapolis.
Over the years the Whittier Alliance has:
Over the years the Whittier Alliance has:
- Leveraged millions of dollars to acquire, renovate and rehabilitate properties through housing loans and specific projects.
- Assisted in the opening of the 600-student Whittier International Elementary School in 1998.
- Created the Nicollet Avenue “Eat Street” branding and streetscaping.
- Held many, many events in the neighborhood’s streets and parks.
- Advocated for the neighborhood to the City, the Parks, Public Works and the Legislature.
- Established many of the popular co-operatives in the neighborhood.