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Merger Community Vote 

Make your voice heard on Thursday, December 11th and vote on the future of MPNAI & EPIC.

Translation for Somali and Spanish (Español) will be provided.

The merger vote will begin on Thursday, December 11th, and continue for 5 days for each organization. Voting will close at 6pm on Tuesday, December 16th. A multi-lingual voting link will be sent out when voting opens.

 

[Scroll down further to view merger plan and other questions] 

Please RSVP or use the link here.
(a head count helps us get food for the meeting! Full names not necessary. But please share your email so you can get updates! )

CONSOLIDATED PLAN OF MERGER

Who’s Merging

  • Midtown Phillips Neighborhood Association (MPNAI) and East Phillips Improvement Coalition (EPIC) want to merge.

    Both are Minnesota 501(c)(3) nonprofits with similar community-focused missions.

  • What the Merger Does

    When finalized, there will still be two neighborhoods, and the two neighborhoods will be represented by one organization instead of two.

    The surviving organization will be named:

    Midtown and East Phillips Neighborhood Association

  • Before the Merger Becomes Official

    • Both boards must approve the merger plan.

    • Both sets of voting members must be notified and then vote to ratify it.

    • After approvals, articles of merger are filed with the MN Secretary of State.

  • What Happens on the Effective Date

    • MPNAI and EPIC legally become one corporation.

    • EPIC (EIN: 32-0036350) is the surviving legal entity.

    • All property, records, funds, contracts, debts, and responsibilities automatically transfer to the surviving organization.

    • No extra paperwork is needed for the transfer (except practical things like retitling accounts).

    • The surviving organization becomes responsible for all liabilities.

    • New board composition*:

      • 4 Midtown Residents,

      • 3 East Phillips Residents, 1 Little Earth Representative,

      • 3 at Large Seats.

    • New Officers:

      • President/Chair: Mary Jane Mansfield (Midtown)

      • Vice President: Virginia Sanchez (East)

      • Secretary: Pastor Hierald (Midtown)

      • Treasurer: Kelly Morgan (East)

  • Due Diligence (What Each Organization Promises)

    Each group confirms that:

    • It is legally valid and in good standing.

    • It shared all bylaws, financial statements, debts, and liabilities.

    • There are no hidden legal issues.

    • No major negative financial changes have happened.

  • Making the Merger Real

    • Either group can still back out before the effective date.

    • Each board supports this merger, and each neighborhood must have a majority vote to independently decide whether to merge organizations.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

What does this mean in plain language?
It means we’re permanently joining forces to:

  • reduce duplication (one board, one bank account, one insurance),

  • use our funding more effectively (save $6-9K annually),

  • share staff and resources, and

  • better serve the whole neighborhood.

Instead of two small boards doing similar work, we become one stronger, clearer, more stable organization.
Yet, similar to MPNAI’s current districts that reserve board seats for residents in different geographies, the board will ensure there are seats specifically for residents from each neighborhood, Midtown Phillips and East Phillips.
 
 
*How do the boards transition into one combined board?
Once merged, everyone who is currently serving on the board will continue on the board until the new bylaws are set up (but with only one President, VP, Treasurer, Secretary as described above). Then, the new combined board will update the bylaws, with approval by the neighborhoods, to the above mentioned board composition.
 
What happens to NRP funding going forward?
NRP funds stay in the neighborhood and continue to be used for community projects within that neighborhood.
Nothing is “lost” in the merger — the combined organization will manage the funds with the same rules and oversight as before. Each neighborhood will still have its separate priorities, strategies, and contracts like today, but administrated by one organization that can help bring more energy and clarity for using NRP dollars well.
 
What do staff do? How will that change with the merger?
Our staffing plan is not changing with the merger. Our staff will continue in their part-time roles. You can learn more about them and their roles here, but in short here’s the team!

  • Daemeah Karbeah - Communications Manager (think Alley Newspaper, Newletters, Social Media, website design, etc)

  • Jarumi Hernandez - Neighborhood Outreach Manager (think flyering, hosting community meetings, building relationships with partners)

  • Eddy Shaw - Urban Ag and Foodways Program Manager (think community garden support, seed and tool libraries, neighborhood foodways development, and greenspace stewardship)

  • David Ingold has served as the interrim Executive Director, and the Board is redeveloping their understanding of the needs for Executive Direction, Administration, and Staff Management, and how that can best be structured. We plan to continue to work with David in seeing our work go forward.

 
What are the highlights from the year?

  • Launched Phillips Community Oral History Project to create an online web story that tells the organizing stories of Phillips residents through their own eyes on their own terms.

  • Several large events to bring community members together to play soccer, paint pots, clean the neighborhood, learn about pests and pathogens in fruit trees, bike to community farms, and so much more! At our Phillips Neighborhoods Day last year we had over 300 attendees!

  • Multiple meetings on developments coming into the neighborhood. Check out our development map!

  • Development of Phillips’ Tool and Seed Libraries for resource sharing and food sovereignty work!

  • Building collaborations with Waite House, EPNI, PWNO, Alley Newspaper, San Pablo, NACDI, Wicoie, Little Earth Urban Farm, Tamales y Bicicletas, and more to lay the groundwork for more community building in the years to come.

 
What’s happening going into next year?
Our boards are planning to:

  • audit all programs, look at what’s working and what needs improvement,

  • simplify and clarify our goals so our work is easier to understand and more effective,

  • strengthen communications, and

  • host regular monthly multi-lingual community meetings.

We will start the year fresh, with clear priorities and a stronger shared mission.
 
What happens to the websites?
Both websites will stay active during the transition.
Over time, they will be merged into one updated website with clear information. Event information across Phillips will be hosted at unitedphillips.org, where we also partner with Phillips West.
Nothing will suddenly disappear — we’ll transition carefully so people can still find what they need.
 
How does this change things?
This merger lets us accomplish more because we are stronger together.
We can:

  • reach more residents,

  • organize bigger projects,

  • support more voices, and

  • respond more effectively to community needs.

In a time when neighborhoods face real challenges, coming together helps us protect our community’s future.
Community matters — and unity makes us more resilient.
 
What if the vote doesn’t go through?
MPNAI and EPIC will still be partners.
Both organizations already collaborate on programs, outreach, and advocacy.
The merger simply formalizes a partnership that already exists.
If it doesn’t pass, we will continue working together — just as two separate legal entities and two separate boards instead of one.

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