Search Through Duluth Grants for Nonprofits in Minnesota

Boreal Waters Community Foundation: Wetherby Fund 

The fund supports projects that address the educational needs, basic material needs, and nature appreciation of underprivileged children. It considers both special projects and general operating support for initiatives that strengthen the community and provide for children’s well-being.Examples of eligible projects include educational programs focused on preschool and elementary children, nature appreciation programs, summer camps like those from the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, YMCA, and YWCA, and projects that help children access food, clothing, shelter, energy, and health care. The fund also supports programs co-sponsored by organizations like Hartley Nature Center, YWCA, and YMCA, as well as those that assist children with physical disabilities or visual impairments to enhance their quality of life and self-sufficiency.

Grant Cycle

• Spring

Making community possible

At U.S. Bank, we are dedicated to supporting our communities through responsive and humbled actions focused on addressing racial and economic inequities and creating lasting change in our communities. Through our Community Possible Grant Program, we are partnering with organizations that focus on economic and workforce advancement, safe and affordable housing and communities connected through arts and culture.

The U.S. Bank Foundation is committed to making Community Possible through Work, Home and Play. We advance this work through collaborative grant making to bring equitable and lasting change through our focus on sustainable, high-impact funding with 501c3 nonprofit partners.

How we partner with nonprofits

We focus on collaborative grantmaking and sustainable, high-impact funding with 501(c)(3) nonprofit partners. We partner with organizations that support:

• Economic and workforce advancement
• Safe and affordable housing
• Community arts and culture

Our strategy

Our community affairs and foundation team work closely with U.S. Bank regional leadership, business resource groups and our National Community Advisory Committee to ensure that prevailing needs are addressed in all the communities we serve.

To make the most meaningful impact, we prioritize organizations that:

• Focus on economic development issues related to work, home and play
• Address more than one of the grant pillars (work, home and play)
• Are based in and serve designated U.S. Bank communities
• Advance diversity, equity and inclusion

Background

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation seeks to dramatically improve the lives of underserved communities across the globe by supporting scalable, innovative, and impact-first solutions that leverage existing systems and stakeholders. Our goal is to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic products or services that have a proven ability to positively impact the lives of underserved people, and nurture those organizations at the early stages by providing capacity, capital, and community.

Our application process is designed to be open and accessible, and we accept applications year round from across our priority geographies and sectors. Borrowing from our venture capital legacy, we find exceptional entrepreneurs and provide them with: 

Capacity

• The core of DRK’s model is deep and extensive operational and technical support for each portfolio organization, both through dedicated hands-on Board service and specialist capacity-building resources for fundraising, board and organizational development, leadership, financial support, and scaling strategy,

Capital

• DRK provides up to $300,000 USD in either unrestricted grant funding or investment capital over a three-year period, and

Community

• DRK convenes our portfolio and alumni annually, facilitating connections and community. 

What We Fund

DRK Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations solving the world’s biggest social and environmental problems using bold, scalable approaches.

What stage of growth does DRK Foundation typically fund?

Early stage: Organizations who are early stage, which we define as post-pilot and pre-scale. This typically means: 

• Your program, product or service is already being used in the market or in the field, 
• You have early indication that your model is having its intended impact on the beneficiary populations,
• Your organization is relatively young (ideally between two and five years old, although we will consider both younger and older organizations).

Venture funding: In the case of for profits, we typically support Seed to Series A organizations, and never lead rounds; we also generally but not exclusively refrain from participating in financings exceeding a $15M USD post-money valuation.  

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

About the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation

Founded in 1975, the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation expands opportunities for people and communities on the North Shore of Lake Superior. We do this through intentional giving, a commitment to place, and working with people to make this region and its future better for everyone.

Since establishing formal operations in 2007, the Foundation has awarded more than $18M in grants and $1M in scholarships.

What We Fund

Aligned with our mission to expand opportunities for people and communities on the North Shore, the Foundation seeks to support efforts that create lasting impact across a wide range of interest areas.

Areas of Interest

Social Welfare

• To support the health and well-being of all members of the community and to support activities that promote healthy youth development.

Arts and Culture

• To support activities that contribute to the creation and development of a healthy and vibrant arts community including new and traditional forms of the visual, performing and interdisciplinary arts.

Education

• To support activities that contribute to the development and advancement of quality educational and training opportunities, and to promote opportunities for life-long learning.

Community and Economic Development

• To enhance the economic and social well-being of all residents and to support opportunities for economic self-sufficiency, particularly for individuals and families with low incomes.

Environment

• To support educational programs that promote respect for the natural environment and encourage efforts to maintain quality air, water and land resources for future generations.

How We Fund

We provide grants in several categories to support organizations in achieving their goals:

Types of Grant Support

• General Operating
  • Unrestricted funding that allows an organization to carry out its mission.
• Project/Program Support
  • Funds are designated to a specific project or program.
• Capacity Building
  • Funds are designated toward strengthening skills or building resources.
• Capital Support
  • Funds are used specifically for purchasing, renovating, or construction of facilities/equipment.

Length of Grant Period

• The length of each grant will vary based on the individual request and grant needs.
• For most grants, the grant period will be one calendar year, beginning on the first day of the month after the grant is awarded.
• For project requests, the grant period will align with the project timeline and will start no earlier than the first day of the month following the grant award date.

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust is devoted solely to the funding of charitable, scientific, medical and educational organizations.

The Board endeavors to support soundly-managed charitable organizations that give service with a broad scope, have a substantial effect on their target populations, and contribute materially to the general welfare. The Board does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

Unity Fund

Mission

The purpose of the fund is to serve as a catalyst for achieving equity and justice for people of African Heritage in our community, utilizing the resources of the fund to effect changes in the community that will provide African Heritage persons opportunities to fully experience the community’s benefits.

Priorities include:

• Providing a mechanism for those who wish to create a racially just and equitable community
• Supporting actions advancing racial equity that will increase health and wealth resiliency as well as sustainability
• Engaging community members in efforts to end racism in our communities
• Supporting the creation of accessible, supportive environments for persons of African Heritage by working to change existing inequitable systems
• Supporting programming specifically designed to be carried on within any developed safe space—physically safe, emotionally safe, culturally safe—where people of African Heritage descent can feel comfortable and free to express and share thoughts, emotions and views on issues and topics of concern to them and the community
• Raising awareness of the many systemic racial inequities that exist in our community through outreach, education, cultural sharing and other means to reach across community lines
• Serving as a signal that the community and its leaders wish to build an all-inclusive society
• Supporting the education and development of and leadership opportunities for past, current, and future African American and African Heritage leaders of all ages
• Dismantling racism and discrimination within systems (e.g., police, housing, wealth, education, health, transportation, etc.).
• Building relationships, especially between people of differing backgrounds, to establish understanding of core connectedness as people and appreciation for and knowledge of African Heritage and African American culture

Examples

• Community-building events and celebrations
• History projects and events
• Art
• Sustaining funding for existing work
• Technical support for seeking additional funding

Grant range

Individual organizations may apply for $5,000 – $10,000

Collaborations of multiple organizations (lead organization as applicant) may apply for $5,000 – $25,000

 

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation Vision

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation, "A Foundation for All", was established in 2002. It was begun in order to give a clear voice for those who wish to be a part of the many, worthy, forces for change in our world.

We are a foundation whose purpose is to look ahead towards the future, giving the past its due by remembering where we came from, and how much we can all accomplish together. We aim to make the critical difference on our planet by recognizing and having respect for our ever changing world. We respect all Life, the Environment, and all People, no matter who they are.

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

Duluth Builders Exchange Legacy Fund

The Duluth Builders Exchange offers three scholarships to help students and apprentices pursue careers in the local construction industry. One scholarship is for students at four-year, degree-granting schools in areas of study related to construction, including engineering, architecture and construction management. A second scholarship is for students at two-year schools offering degrees or certifications in construction fields including carpentry, HVAC, landscaping and plumbing. A third scholarship provides up to $500 for tools and safety equipment for those entering the trades through apprenticeships. The Duluth Builders Exchange is a nonprofit association of construction contractors dedicated to providing project leads and information to members as well as to building a skilled local construction workforce.

Award Range

• $1,000 – $3,000 for one year

Mission

The fund supports science, engineering and business programs and faculty at the College of St. Scholastica, the University of Minnesota Duluth and Lake Superior College.

Examples

Robert D. Putnam and his book, “Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis,” has inspired and challenged the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation. The foundation also has learned from children, youth and families in Duluth and Superior through community listening sessions as well as input from nonprofit leaders. As a result of this inspiration, challenge and learning, the Sandbulte Family Higher Education Endowment Fund is interested in proposals that address the growing Opportunity Gap, as defined by Putnam.

The following are representative but not exclusive examples of projects in science, engineering and business:

• Greater linking of the worlds of work and education, with early exposure to work internships and apprenticeships
• Making higher education institutions easier to navigate and from which to graduate
• Creating programs to surround skill-building and education with family-like cultures of support that provide students with safety, respect and guidance
• Creating smooth transitions between high school and higher education
• Rethinking college or university programs to meet needs of inadequately prepared high school graduates

Background

The Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation was established in 1983 by visionary community leaders. We are a collection of hundreds of endowed funds established by individuals, families, private foundations, and businesses to enhance the quality of life in our region. Since our inception, we have distributed more than $40 million in grants and scholarships and currently administer over 360 different funds, each with its own charitable purpose. The Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation promotes private giving for the public good.

Mission

The primary objective of the Fund for Women and Girls is to support women and girls so that they may live meaningful, empowering, fulfilling, healthy and safe lives. Such objectives may include providing financial support to nonprofit organizations providing educational and financial support to women and girls; empowering women and girls to excel in matters of education, career development, health and wellness, and leadership in civic live; working toward gender equity; and providing advocacy and safety from voilence. Project support, capital projects or general operating support may be considereed. 

Examples

The following are representative, but not exclusive, examples of projects which could be recipients of Fund for Women and Girls grants:

• Building upgrades and repairs;
• Support for legal services;
• Family visitation program support;
• Community outreach programs;
• Sexual abuse prevention programming;
• Adolescent girls career development programming 

Rooted in the North. Growing a future where everyone thrives—together.

We believe our northern communities hold the power to shape our shared future. Our name honors the boreal forest, an ecosystem known for its resilience, diversity, and deep-rooted connection.

For over 40 years, we’ve been committed to this work—originally as the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation. In 2025, we became Boreal Waters to better reflect the full reach of our region and the growing impact of our mission.

Community Opportunity Fund

The Community Opportunity Fund is the heart of our work at Boreal Waters. It’s how we unite generosity across the region to spark bold ideas, strengthen local nonprofits, and create lasting change for communities across northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.

As our region’s permanent civic endowment, the Fund directs resources where they’re needed most—supporting transformative, collaborative projects that help communities thrive, even in times of challenge. And it’s made possible by people like you.

Belonging Grant

Creating spaces and opportunities where all people are valued, heard, and are able to thrive. Projects amplify voices, foster creative expression, and create a vibrant, inclusive culture.

Examples are:

• Elevates diverse voices and perspectives, particularly those from historically marginalized communities. 
• Embraces the common humanity of all individuals. 
• Implements practices that increase connection, respect, and safety. 
• Strengthens community bonds and promotes equity for

What We Fund

We support a wide range of community-driven, equity-centered work. Funding can be used for:

• Program or Project Support: To launch, expand, or sustain work in Opportunity, Resilience, or Belonging
• General Operating Support: To build strength and stability
• Capacity Building: To grow organizational effectiveness or leadership
• Community-Led Solutions: Especially those involving lived experience and cross-sector collaboration
• Systems Change and Upstream Impact: Projects that address root causes—not just symptoms

Rooted in the North. Growing a future where everyone thrives—together.

We believe our northern communities hold the power to shape our shared future. Our name honors the boreal forest, an ecosystem known for its resilience, diversity, and deep-rooted connection.

For over 40 years, we’ve been committed to this work—originally as the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation. In 2025, we became Boreal Waters to better reflect the full reach of our region and the growing impact of our mission.

Community Opportunity Fund

The Community Opportunity Fund is the heart of our work at Boreal Waters. It’s how we unite generosity across the region to spark bold ideas, strengthen local nonprofits, and create lasting change for communities across northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.

As our region’s permanent civic endowment, the Fund directs resources where they’re needed most—supporting transformative, collaborative projects that help communities thrive, even in times of challenge. And it’s made possible by people like you.

Opportunity Grant

‍Projects empower individuals to achieve economic stability and independence.

Examples:

• Expands access to affordable housing
• Creates jobs that pay a living wage 
• Supports wealth-building opportunities 
• Provides access to high-quality education 
• Strengthens economic well-being through essential support services

What We Fund

We support a wide range of community-driven, equity-centered work. Funding can be used for:

• Program or Project Support: To launch, expand, or sustain work in Opportunity, Resilience, or Belonging
• General Operating Support: To build strength and stability
• Capacity Building: To grow organizational effectiveness or leadership
• Community-Led Solutions: Especially those involving lived experience and cross-sector collaboration
• Systems Change and Upstream Impact: Projects that address root causes—not just symptoms

The Art Project program provides funding of up to $5,000 to support relevant, meaningful arts activities with value to the community your organization serves. Support may be used to create, perform, exhibit or publish artistic works; or to present arts events by contracting the services of other organizations or individuals.

Criteria

• Artistic Vision, both of past work and of the proposal presented 
• Impact of the project on the organization and/or their community, and the region 
• Ability to carry out the project

Applicants that demonstrate an ability to meet these criteria will be weighed together as a slate to ensure equitable distribution of geographic and demographic diversity, ability to reach underserved arts audiences, and diversity of arts disciplines.

About the Foundation

Jesse W. Couch lived a life of zeal, honor, and dedication to the betterment of his community. The Couch family now humbly stewards the foundation he created to carry on his legacy of service for future generations. We believe that impact is best accomplished through partnerships with local organizations that know the people and communities they serve. We invest in and support efforts to protect the environment, further conservation and preservation initiatives, and save historical architecture that preserves community heritage. We also support initiatives that promote wellness and mental health and organizations seeking to provide and further education for all communities.

Annual Grant Focus

Each year, we seek to partner with and support non-profit organizations making an impact in the focus areas listed here.  The focus areas for 2025 are:

• Animal Wellbeing: We are dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations that nurture compassion and respect for all living animals. We must have animal-focused organizations that advocate for animal rights and provide humane treatment across all spectrums.
• Early Childhood Education: We are looking for schools that are providing young children with a creative and balanced approach to education. Things we love in early childhood curriculums:
  • Life Skills
  • Collaboration With Their Peers and Teachers   
  • Having Fun   
  • Montessori Teachings   
  • Project Based Teachings   
  • Diversity   
  • More Time Outside   
  • Less Screen Time
• Teachers: Teachers are essential to providing children with the best possible education. We must invest in their future and are always looking for teams that help them succeed in educating future generations.
• Get Outside: Being outside can improve memory, fight depression, lower blood pressure, and more! We support organizations that facilitate and encourage more outdoor activities that help create healthier communities. 

History of the Foundation

Fern Pachel formed the Pachel Foundation with the assistance of the Biga family in 2007. Fern and her sister Elsie lived together in the Twin Cities until Elsie’s death in 1977. They took good care of their parents who lived on 19th Avenue East in Duluth. They also traveled to many countries, including Cuba. Elsie wisely advised Fern to put a little money away every paycheck. They successfully invested in the stock market starting in the 1950’s. The interest income is used to support many nonprofits in the state of Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

Rooted in the North. Growing a future where everyone thrives—together.

We believe our northern communities hold the power to shape our shared future. Our name honors the boreal forest, an ecosystem known for its resilience, diversity, and deep-rooted connection.

For over 40 years, we’ve been committed to this work—originally as the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation. In 2025, we became Boreal Waters to better reflect the full reach of our region and the growing impact of our mission.

Community Opportunity Fund

The Community Opportunity Fund is the heart of our work at Boreal Waters. It’s how we unite generosity across the region to spark bold ideas, strengthen local nonprofits, and create lasting change for communities across northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.

As our region’s permanent civic endowment, the Fund directs resources where they’re needed most—supporting transformative, collaborative projects that help communities thrive, even in times of challenge. And it’s made possible by people like you.

Resilience Grant

Projects must enhance the ability of organizations, families, or communities to anticipate, adapt to, and recover from challenges, creating sustainable, long-term solutions that reduce risk and promote resilience. 

Examples:  

• Leveraging partnerships and resources to implement scalable, lasting solutions that strengthen community resilience. 
• Expanding access to knowledge, training, and tools that improve economic, social, or environmental stability for individuals and families. 
• Developing community-driven solutions that address housing stability, food security, workforce resilience, or climate adaptation. 
• Applying innovative or proven strategies that increase a community’s ability to prepare for and respond to systemic challenges (e.g., disaster preparedness, economic shifts, public health crises).

What We Fund

We support a wide range of community-driven, equity-centered work. Funding can be used for:

• Program or Project Support: To launch, expand, or sustain work in Opportunity, Resilience, or Belonging
• General Operating Support: To build strength and stability
• Capacity Building: To grow organizational effectiveness or leadership
• Community-Led Solutions: Especially those involving lived experience and cross-sector collaboration
• Systems Change and Upstream Impact: Projects that address root causes—not just symptoms

Rooted in the North. Growing a future where everyone thrives—together.

We believe our northern communities hold the power to shape our shared future. Our name honors the boreal forest, an ecosystem known for its resilience, diversity, and deep-rooted connection.

For over 40 years, we’ve been committed to this work—originally as the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation. In 2025, we became Boreal Waters to better reflect the full reach of our region and the growing impact of our mission.

Community Opportunity Fund

The Community Opportunity Fund is the heart of our work at Boreal Waters. It’s how we unite generosity across the region to spark bold ideas, strengthen local nonprofits, and create lasting change for communities across northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.

As our region’s permanent civic endowment, the Fund directs resources where they’re needed most—supporting transformative, collaborative projects that help communities thrive, even in times of challenge. And it’s made possible by people like you.

Boreal Waters Community Foundation

Our name honors the boreal forest, an ecosystem known for its resilience, diversity, and deep-rooted connection.

For over 40 years, we’ve been committed to this work—originally as the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation. In 2025, we became Boreal Waters to better reflect the full reach of our region and the growing impact of our mission.

Aaron Thomas Gelineau Fund for Educational Opportunity

‍Mission

Supports Duluth nonprofits that help underserved youth and families thrive—investing in cradle-to-career success with a focus on education, including high school completion and GED support, and removing barriers through practical, everyday support.

‍Other Considerations

Funding can be used for expenses such as transportation, supplies, computer equipment, internet services, temporary childcare, emergency expenses, etc.

Examples

• Projects assisting with GED completion
• Programs promoting wellness and school success for youth and families
• Mentorship programming with focus on education
• Career preparation/education
• After school and summer educational programming

The Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation was established in 1983 by visionary community leaders. We are a collection of hundreds of endowed funds established by individuals, families, private foundations, and businesses to enhance the quality of life in our region. Since our inception, we have distributed more than $40 million in grants and scholarships and currently administer over 360 different funds, each with its own charitable purpose. The Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation promotes private giving for the public good.

Fund Description

John T. and Elizabeth C. Adams Arts Fund is designed to attract programs of artistic quality to the Duluth-Superior area and enrich performances, exhibits and artistic services for area organizations. 

Our Mission

The Hansen Family Foundation provides opportunities to domestic, international, secular, and non-secular organizations that support the American way of life, which is defined by the principles of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” 

Causes

Children

The Hansen Family Foundation supports causes dedicated to helping children both home as well as abroad. Learn More

Education

The Hansen Family Foundation believes that a decent education should be made available to everyone, young or old, the world over. Learn More

Animals

The Hansen Family Foundation believes in helping those who cannot speak on their own behalf. Learn More

Environmental

The Hansen Family Foundation is dedicated to preserving the world we all share. Learn More

Humanitarian

The Hansen Family Foundation views the plight of our fellow man as an opportunity to actively engage and effect change. Learn More

Arts & Culture

The Hansen Family Foundation supports all forms of artistic and cultural endeavors. Learn More

Background

The Bernick family started the Bernick Family Foundation to honor the legacy of its company founders by continuing the tradition of supporting organizations consistent with the family's core values, while providing leadership in responding to emerging community needs.

A total of $150,000 will be granted throughout the seven Bernick service areas to approximately 8-10 organizations.

Funding

The Bernick Family Foundation supports two key focus areas:

• Youth and Education: Support of activities that help prepare students for future success in education and the workplace.
• Fitness and Well-Being: Support of activities that address active lifestyles and well-being.

Strategies We Fund

• Capital projects
• New or expanded programs

Funding Amount Range: $5,000 - $40,000

The Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation was established in 1983 by visionary community leaders. We are a collection of hundreds of endowed funds established by individuals, families, private foundations, and businesses to enhance the quality of life in our region. Since our inception, we have distributed more than $40 million in grants and scholarships and currently administer over 360 different funds, each with its own charitable purpose. The Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation promotes private giving for the public good.

Samuel F. Atkins and Barbara Atkins Memorial Fund

Mission

The mission of the Samuel F. Atkins and Barbara H. Atkins Memorial Fund is to encourage and enable projects which help low-income, disadvantaged people meet their basic needs, e.g., food, clothing, shelter, and health care; and/or which involve animals, attend to the welfare of animals, or alleviate animal suffering. Priority will be given to projects which demonstrate financial need and to services which involve animals and address a human service need. Special projects, equipment purchases, and general operating support will be considered.

Examples

The following are representative but not exclusive, examples of projects that could receive a grant from this fund:

• training of animals in service of the physically disabled;
• instructor training for teachers giving riding lessons to the physically disabled;
• emergency food or emergency shelter services for the extremely low income;
• Purchase of animals or equipment for their care