Capitol Region Watershed District1410 Energy Park Drive, Suite 4Saint Paul, MN 55108Capitolregionwd.org(651) 644-8888

PAR NER GRANT APPLICATION FORMPlease submit form and required materials to:

LINDSAY VANPATTENlindsay@capitolregionwd.org

PROJECT INFORMATION

PROJECT NAME

Little Mekong Clean Waters Project

APPLICANT INFORMATION

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I ORGANIZATION OR AGENCY

Asian Economic Development Association

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ADDRESS

377 University Ave W Suite DCI1Y

Saint Paul

i PHONE

I (651) 222-7798I EMAIL ADDRESS

I va-megn@aeda-mn.orgCONTACT PERSON

Va-Megn Thoj

WHAT GEOGRAPHIC AND/OR DEMOGRAPHIC AREA DO YOU SERVE?Little Mekong Business and Cultural District, Frogtown Neig borhood, Southeast Asian Communities

HOW MUCH ARE YOU REQUESTING? (BETWEEN $2,000 AND $20,000)

$ 20,000.00

HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT OUR GRANTS?

Colleagues

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

1.) DESCRIBE THE MISSION AND GOALS OF YOUR ORGANIZATION AND HOW YOUR PRO] CT HELPS MEET THEM

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The Asian Economic Development Association (AEDA) create thriving, sustainable multi-culturalneighborhoods based on strong community leadership and ec nomic and racial equity. To achieve thismission, we lift lower income Asian Pacific Islander (API) famil es, mainly Southeast Asian immigrants andrefugee communities, out of poverty by increasing and facilitati 9 their access to economic opportunities,specifically through small business and micro-entrepreneurshi assistance strategies, civic engagement,and arts and culture-based creative "placemaking" efforts whic support economic development andimprove neighborhood livability and sustainability. In 2012, In ebruary 2012, we launched the LittleMekong Asian Business & Cultural District (http://littlemekong. om) as an asset-based economicdevelopment strategy to turn a two block strip of University Av nue in Frogtown into a world-classdestination on the Green Line. Little Mekong is helping to build a healthier, more livable community and willcreate family wealth assets using business development strate ies, arts and culture, design, andsustainable physical development including improving neighbo hood infrastructure with green storm watermanagement systems. The Little Mekong Clean Waters Proje t will build upon this work and furtheradvance our goals for neighborhood livability and sustainabili by helping Little Mekong small businesses,Frogtown residents, and micro-entrepreneurs and other South ast Asians beyond the neighborhood andSaint Paul gain a better understanding of the need for water q ality protection and move them to takeactions which make them betters stewards of local water resou ces.

2.) DESCRIBE HOW YOUR PROJECT WILL PROTECT OR IMPROVE WATER QUALITY.

The 12 month-project will aim to inform, educate, and chan e behaviors and practices of SoutheastAsians, mainly lower income Limited English Proficient (LE ) ;immigrants and refugees who live, workand own businesses in Saint Paul's Frogtown neighborhoo as well as those who visit the LittleMekong Business and Cultural district for events to help re~uce water pollution in the community andacross region. We will incorporate water quality protection fucational activities in our ongoing smalland micro-business assistance program and into our 2015 ight Markets, a multi-day family friendlysummer outdoor event offering arts and culture to bring Litt e Mekong alive with social and economicactivities. In 2014, the event attracted 7,000 people from a ross the region to 4 events. We will workwith partners to distribute information to Night Markets atte dees, raising their awareness aboutprotecting and improving water quality and activating them to adopt practices as individual consumers,households, home-based micro-entrepreneurs, and small business owners which help reduce waterpollution and keep water safe and clean for future generatic ns.

3.) IF APPLICABLE, PLEASE LIST OTHER PARTNERS AND THIER ROLE IN YOUR PROJECT.

MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION

4.) BRIEFLY DESCRIBE HOW WILL YOU MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF YOUR PROJEm

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City of Saint Paul Planning, Public Health, and Business Per n~i'ing Departments - Provides permitsfor the public events to AEDA and vendors and conducts put Ii health training for participatingvendors; Metropolitan Council - Supports event marketing ar d utreach located along the Green Lineto regional audiences; Hmong American Partnership - SUPP(rtoutreach to Southeast Asiancommunities; Center for Hmong Arts and Talent Support recru~tment of Hmong artists andperformers; Springboard for the Arts: Provides arts program ni~g assistance and resources, assistswith community engagement efforts in planning and neighbor hood development activities; FrogtownPlanning Council (District 7), Summit-University Planning Co ncil (District 8), Metropolitan DesignCenter - Developed initial designs for green storm water mar agement systems which will be exhibitedat the Night Markets.

We will measure project success by tracking the number of ~all businesses who participate ineducational activities and request additional information abo~tlwater quality protection practices(storing and disposing of water waste, chemicals, etc.); number of vendors who complete pre-NightMarket orientation workshops and surveys; number of Night Market attendees; number of people whovisit the Little Mekong green storm water management infra tructure exhibit displayed at the NightMarkets and provide their contact information to learn more about the project and/or participate incommunity planning sessions. We will follow-up with water cu~lity projection advocates and entities todetermine the number of materials they distributed about WCl e( quality protection practices andnumbers of people they were able to reach during the event . Later in the year, we will incorporatequestions in our annual survey of Little Mekong businesses 0 determine if owners have changedpractices to reduce water pollution.

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PROlEC TASKS

5.) IN THE SPACE BELOW, PLEASE BREAK DOWN VOUR PROJECT INTO MAJOR TAS (UP TO 5), BRIEFLV DESCRIBE THEM IN THE SPACE

IPROVIDED AND ESTIMATE COMPLETION DATE FOR EACH.

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1 ASK NAME: Small Business Education I I IESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE (M/V): Apr 2015 IDESCRIPTION:

IWe will incorporate information about potential poliutanl dusiness can generate that end up in stormiII water runoff and water quality protection practices in wo kshops we offer to small businesses and

Idistribute information to Little Mekong and other Souther.st Asian business owners. The workshopsi and information provided will inform the entrepreneurs about safe waste water/hazardous liquids

II storage and disposal strategies, public health requireme nts and city codes for small businesses.

2 ASK NAME: Night Market Vendor Education II ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE (M/V): May 20151I

DESCRIPTION:

IWe will prepare Southeast Asian and other vendors to participate in the Night Markets by hostingIorientation training workshops which will include water q~ality protection practices as a key topic.IThe workshop will inform the entrepreneurs about safe ~Ifaste waterlhazardous liquids storage and

Iidisposal strategies, public health requirements and city :G(jIesfor events and small businesses.!

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3 TASK NAME: Little Mekong Night Markets IIESTIMATEDCOMPLETIONDATE(M/Y): July 20151

DESCRIPTION:

!IWe will engage a team of artists to plan and develop art ar d cultural programming for the events. WeIwill offer booth space and opportunities for water quality prptection advocates and groups to distributematerials and engage attendees. The events will includ c n educational exhibit of Green StormIWater Management infrastructure designs developed by the Metropolitan Design Center to generateI interest among residents in neighborhood revitalization c nr development activities.I

4 FASK NAME: Project Evaluation ActivitiesI IESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE (M/Y): Dec 20151

DESCRIPTION:

IWe will incorporate questions in our annual survey of Li IE Mekong businesses about new practices! (storage and disposal of waste water, chemicals, etc.) tt a local small enterpreneurs have adopted toi reduce storm water pollution in our annual survey.

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-lIESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE (M/y):5 ASK NAME: IDESCRIPTION:

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PROJECT BUDGET

COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING TABLE FOR ALL PROJECT TASKS FOR WHICH YOl V ILL BE REQUESTING GRANT FUNDS.NOTE: MATCH FUNDS ARE NOT REQUIRED, BUT PREFERENCE MAY BE GIVEN T( P~OJECTS WITH DEDICATED FUNDS. MATCH FUNDS MUSTBE CASH (IN-KIND LABOR NOT CONSIDERED).

I PERSONNEL/ STAFF OTHER EXPENSES TOTAL

~ T_AS_KS -+ =CO==ST~S~ -+_I~ __ ~(M~A~rr~RI_A=~~/~S~UP_P~LI~B~)__ -+ C~

TASK 1:

Small Business Education $ 4,000.00 $ 1,000.00 $ 5,000.001------. I

TASK 2: INight Market Vendor Education i

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$ 5,000.00 $ 20,000.00

$ 3,000.00 $ 2,000.00

$ 5,000.00TASK 3:Little Mekong Night Markets $ 5,000.00

$ 5,000.00

$ 2,000.00 $ 5,000.00TASK 4:

Project Evaluation Activities $ 3,000.00

TASKS:

TOTA~ $15,000.00

GRANT FUNDINGPLEASEFILL IN THE TABLE BELOW WITH HOW YOU PLAN TO ALLOCATE YOUR FUN ING.

NOTE: THE TOTAL COST FROM THE TABLE ABOVE AND THE TOTAL FUDNING BELa (oJ HOULD BE THE SAME.

$0.00

TASK REQUESTED CRWD FUNDIN( FUNDING FROM OTHERSOURCE

TASK 1:

Small Business Education $ 5,000.00 $ 0.00

TASK 2:

Night Market Vendor Education $ 5,000.00TASK 3:

Little Mekong Night Markets $ 5,000.00TASK 4:

Project Evaluation Activities $ 5,000.00TASKS:

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TOTALS $ 20,000.00 $0.00

TOTAL

$ 5,000.00

$ 5,000.00

$ 5,000.00

$ 5,000.00

$ 0.00

$ 20,000.00 II

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