Minnesota Community Foundation & The Saint Paul Foundation: Two Foundations One Direction

This week, the Business Resources Collaborative (BRC) went public for the first time, announcing a bundle of initiatives designed to help owners get ready for rail and mitigate the effects of construction in the Central Corridor.

Now — through a coordinated network of outreach specialists, drop-in centers, business associations and local government offices — small businesses and property owners can find information about construction and free or low-cost services to strengthen their business. Already hundreds of businesses have received some form of assistance by BRC members, and at least 1,800 will be reached by the effort.

“Having watched this work unfold, I don’t think any of the members would say the process was easy,” stated Jonathan Sage-Martinson, director of the Funders Collaborative. “But if we ask businesses on the Corridor four years from now, I think they will say this effort was worth it and it made a real difference.”

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