The Minneapolis Fed engages with communities in our six-state District and, through our Community Development and Engagement team, works closely with community leaders on topics such as labor market policies and housing affordability.
Community Development
The Community Development and Engagement team at the Minneapolis Fed advances the economic well-being of Indian Country and low- to moderate-income individuals, households, and communities. Through policy analysis, applied research, and convening, we inform public policy discussions. We are proud to be the home of the Center for Indian Country Development, which advances the economic self-determination and prosperity of Native nations and Indigenous communities through actionable data and research that inform public policy discussions.
Community development is one of the Federal Reserve’s core functions as the central bank of the United States. Community development work helps improve economic outcomes in low- and moderate-income communities. It’s an important responsibility of the Federal Reserve that is rooted in its mandates from Congress. These efforts promote a healthy economy and a strong financial system and aim for people in every community to have opportunities to participate in the economy and prosper.
Our work began in 1981, when Congress established a network of Community Affairs offices throughout the Federal Reserve System to provide a source of information and guidance about the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). In addition to serving as a resource on community reinvestment, we work closely with policymakers, practitioners, and community leaders on topics that affect low- and moderate-income families, such as housing affordability and labor market policies.
Community Outreach
We engage with our Ninth District communities through economic education, public events, and open town hall forums covering a variety of financial and monetary policy topics.
To educate and engage with the public, we connect through our booth at the Minnesota State Fair and at events such as Doors Open. We offer free public tours of our facilities. Our experts are available to speak to clubs and organizations. We host a Conversations with the Fed series, an ongoing regional economic webinar series, and Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari annually conducts town hall sessions in each of the district’s states, meeting with diverse audiences to bring their views and guidance to Washington, D.C., when he meets with colleagues on the Federal Open Market Committee.