As the new Director of Public Engagement at DEED, I'm excited to put out our agency's call for community reviewers. I'm passionate about the role of community reviewers as I firmly believe in the transformative power of collective knowledge and the immense value of diverse perspectives.

Throughout my 16-year tenure in the nonprofit sector, I witnessed firsthand the profound impact that meaningful conversations and community engagement have on fostering equitable access to funding and creating more inclusive communities. Moreover, community reviewers act as catalysts for collaboration and shared responsibility within the community. This collaborative approach not only drives innovation but strengthens the collective knowledge base – enabling us to tackle our state's challenges more effectively.

I'm excited to share that DEED is looking to recruit roughly 100 community members to serve as grant reviewers for competitive workforce development grant programs – for programs such as Pathways to Prosperity (P2P), Career Pathways, Bridge to Career, small business, Launch Minnesota, etc. during fall 2023 and winter 2023-24. We're committed to including more diverse voices and perspectives in our grantmaking process – and including community reviewers is an important way to do this. We value the community reviewer process across the agency.

We believe a more inclusive process can help us make funding decisions that better support our commitment to reducing employment disparities in Minnesota. We're looking for community reviewers with lived experiences tied to DEED's competitive grants. We're also looking for reviewers who are aware of current challenges that job seekers face – people with this experience bring an important voice to the table in our decision-making. DEED has recruited community reviewers for our employment and training grants including P2P, Career Pathways, small business, etc. before, and we are excited to again leverage community members' experience and perspectives in the process.

In addition to having important personal experience, prospective community reviewers should have an interest in workforce development, as well as experience in grantmaking, financial/lending/Community Development Financial Institution (CDFIs), education, training, workforce, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and/or a related area. DEED also requires community reviewers to participate in a short online training session.

We are seeking individuals with diverse community backgrounds, subject matter expertise and an interest in community advancement. We ask that community reviewers be able to dedicate 20-40 hours to read grant proposals over the course of 2-3 weeks. Grant reviewers will read approximately 6-12 proposals during September and/or October. Proposals are generally 12-15 pages in length, with additional supporting and budget documents that need to be reviewed.

DEED will provide a small stipend to community reviewers who meet eligibility requirements, complete training and review proposals on time, and complete the required process to receive payments. Community reviewers are also invited to complete an online post-review survey to share feedback on the process and improve future processes.

Please consider applying to be a community reviewer today – or pass along this information to others in your networks! Having community reviewers from diverse background helps DEED make important grantmaking decisions – it's a true collaboration. By engaging diverse stakeholders, maintaining high-quality standards and fostering collaboration, community reviewers contribute to the advancement of knowledge, the improvement of projects and the holistic growth of individuals and communities in Minnesota.

Ready to apply to be a community reviewer?

Please complete this short online application form to let us know you're interested. But act fast! The application will close on Tuesday, August 15 at 4:30 p.m.

Have more questions?

Please join us for one of our two optional community reviewer information sessions (both sessions are virtual). The sessions will include the same information. One of the sessions will be recorded and posted on our YouTube page if you aren't able to attend virtually. DATES: August 7 (virtual) and August 11 (virtual and recorded).

Reviewer training sessions (all contain the same information) are slated for August 17, August 23, August 31 and October 17 for individuals selected to serve as community reviewers.

Please share this opportunity with your friends and networks. We need your help finding community members who want to get involved! If you have questions, email AskDEED@state.mn.us.