BNA Committees

BNA Committees are groups of volunteers committed to addressing a certain issue or set of related issues. They generally meet monthly at someones house or at 4120 17th Ave South. Committees are a great way to get involved in something specific in the neighborhood.

If you are interested in any of the committees below please contact us and we’ll get you in touch with the chairperson.

Green Initiatives

This committee covers everything from bike routes coming to the neighborhood (Riverlake Greenway and the Southern Bike Route), environmental projects that partner with the Bancroft Elementary and El Colegio Charter School and hosting different environmental events throughout the neighborhood. There are always new ideas coming to this committee and lots of granting opportunities. Meetings are the 3rd Thursday of the month at 6:15PM and are held at 4120 17th Ave S, MPLS.

Finance

The finance committee meets quarterly, and is chaired by the BNA Treasurer. The Finance Committee supports the financial health of Bancroft by creating and reviewing the BNA budget, updating and overseeing fiscal policies, and pursuing opportunities to diversify BNA’s funding sources. If you have any legal or financial expertise, please consider getting involved with the finance committee!

Outreach

This group is for those who want to work with neighbors to stay connected and build the Bancroft community. In 2011, the Outreach Committee’s goals are to increase diverse participation of community residents with neighborhood organizations and promote BNA activities and functions. If you want to organize block leaders, create community building events and improve the communication of our neighbors, this is for you.

Commercial Development

One thing the BNA does quite well is provide financial opportunities for the businesses in our neighborhood. This committee keeps its eye on the Nokomis Mall and next year will continue it’s work supporting all businesses in Bancroft. Current project include investigating ways to provide a commercial grant for interior work and thinking about the numerous residents who work from their home. If you are concerned about what storefronts make Bancroft their home and/or want to support the numerous small businesses in our community, join this committee. Meetings are the 1st Wednesday of the month at 1PM and are held at the intersection of 38th and Chicago Ave.

 Housing

The BNA Housing Committee has been involved in structurally supporting home owners in Bancroft since our organization was founded. At the beginning of 2011, the Housing Committee debuted two new programs managed by the Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation, GHMC, to complement our original Home Improvement Loan through TCF Bank.   We hope to benefit our neighborhood by providing information to current and prospective property owners regarding the issues currently affecting the housing market. For our current owners and residents we are preparing information regarding foreclosures and options to prevent foreclosures and vacant properties. For prospective owners we are reaching out to real estate agents that are already working in our neighborhood to make information available to them regarding the benefits of living in the Bancroft neighborhood.  So far we have began gathering foreclosure information for our neighbors to share on the BNA website, and are reaching out to other non-profits that assist homeowners in this situation. We have also taken an inventory of the homes that are for sale or otherwise vacant in our neighborhood. We have reached out to the real estate agents with homes currently for sale in our neighborhood so that we may provide them with information about our neighborhood and sign them up for our newsletter. If you are interested in getting involved in housing efforts in our neighborhood, please contact the office and join the Housing Committee!

Neighborhood Revitalization Program

In past years, BNA has had a committee focused on Bancroft’s involvement with the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP), including planning and funding. Through this work, the committee spearheaded BNA’s NRP-funded housing program, including developing and promoting our low-interest home improvement loans. As the Neighborhood Revitalization Program comes to an end, and we build our work with the Neighborhood Community Relations Department,  this committee is in transition. If you have an interest in working with the city and state organizations that support neighborhoods, please get in touch with the BNA office, we’ll be excited to hear from you!

Special Projects

The Bancroft Neighborhood has a Neighborhood Initiated Grant that receives proposals from residents and organizations within the neighborhood and it’s surrounding areas. This committee overlooks these grant proposals and also keeps track of the other projects that the BNA supports. This committee is a great way to work with the exciting groups that make Bancroft unique, and is a great committee for folks who want to be involved but have less time to give. Meetings occur as they are need. Please contact the office for more info.