Search Through Family Services Grants in Duluth, Minnesota in the U.S.

Boreal Waters Community Foundation: Small Business Education Fund

In 1987, the foundation established the Small Business Education Fund with a grant from the Employers Council, formed in 1950 to promote better relations between business and labor. Scholarships from the fund are open to those in the foundation’s service territory (Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake and St. Louis Counties in Minnesota and Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas, Iron and Price Counties in Wisconsin). The Small Business Education Fund encourages job creation and retention in the service territory of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation through a tuition-assistance program that strengthens management skills of those in small business.

Award Range

• Up to $1000

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

Charitable Contributions

Costco Wholesale’s primary charitable efforts specifically focus on programs supporting children, education, and health and human services in the communities where we do business. Throughout the year we receive a large number of requests from nonprofit organizations striving to make a positive impact, and we are thankful to be able to provide support to a variety of organizations and causes. While we would like to respond favorably to all requests, understandably, the needs are far greater than our allocated resources and we are unable to accommodate them all.

Warehouse Donations:

Warehouse donations are handled at the warehouse level - please consult your local warehouse for up-to-date information regarding their donations contacts and review process.

Grant Applications

If the request is under consideration, you may be contacted by staff for any additional information needed. Applications are reviewed within 4-6 weeks, and decisions are made based on several factors, including: type of program; identified community need not otherwise available; indication that evidenced based data will establish measurable results of intended outcomes; community collaboration; broad base of financial support; project budget and operating expenses.

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

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

The Labcorp Charitable Foundation

We believe every person deserves equitable care and education.

In 2020 Labcorp established a private charitable 501(c)(3) foundation to advance our desire to bring quality healthcare access to all by supporting education and our local communities. 

Common grant opportunities include:

• Supporting food pantries and meal programs
• Providing healthcare and patient services for underserved populations
• Encouraging STEM programming
• Advocating for healthy lifestyles through ongoing medical research and screening

About Us

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. 

Lupa Animal Wellness Fund

Mission

The Lupa Animal Wellness Fund supports programs for dogs and cats addressing cruelty and fighting, emergency services, puppy mills and pet overpopulation, animal research issues, pet adoption and spay/neuter initiatives, and the ongoing support of regional animal care centers.

Examples

The following are representative, but not exclusive examples of projects which could be recipients of Lupa Animal Wellness Fund grants:

• rescue, care and relocation of animals in need
• pet population control through spaying/neutering and adoption

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation only accepts unsolicited proposals for specific areas within the education, family economic stability and childhood health sectors in select countries where we work, namely the United States, India and South Africa.

As a guideline, the foundation does not fund more than 25% of a project’s budget or more than 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has always recognized the power of providing grants to partner organizations that we knew were already working hard to improve the lives of urban children living in poverty. By aligning with organizations that are already making a difference, we continue to make an immediate impact on the lives of thousands of children.

Foundation priorities:

We fund social enterprises that directly serve or impact children or youth from urban low-income communities in the areas of education, health, and family economic stability (including livelihoods and financial inclusion). These social enterprises may be structured as for-profit or nonprofit entities.

Partnerships

We collaborate with a range of organizations focused on creating opportunities for children and families living in urban poverty, with a deep emphasis on measuring impact. Our funding advances projects already making an impact in education, health, and family economic stability. Through these enduring and long-standing partnerships, we create lasting change together.

Philanthropy is our commitment to communities in which we operate and broader society. We focus our resources on a limited number of key projects that can deliver valuable benefits from our contributions and those of our partners. We give priority to innovative, high-quality projects that meet the following criteria:

• promote sustainable development
• offer an opportunity for Roche to use its expertise and logistics capabilities
• involve Roche actively at an early stage with local authorities and established partners
• engage Roche employees in cultural (focus on contemporary arts), educational and social activities
• managed by an accredited charity

Our four focus areas

Humanitarian and Social

We direct the majority of our philanthropic donations to humanitarian and social development projects.

Science and education

We are dedicated to programmes that promote scientific interest and provide educational opportunities for young people around the world.

Community and Environment

We are committed to building stronger communities and responding to natural disasters sustainably.

Arts and Culture

We support groundbreaking contemporary art, cultural projects and activities that explore the parallels between innovation in art and in science. 

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.

Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation collaborate with a wide range of nonprofit organizations that align with our strategic funding priorities. We prioritize our funding to activities and programs that have a broad reach and support the needs of underserved communities. We aspire to have a positive impact on the communities we serve by using our financial and volunteer resources and business expertise in collaboration with community organizations to help solve complex societal problems.

• Financial health
• Housing affordability
• Small business growth
• Sustainability

We may also support other local needs in eligible communities such as disaster relief, arts and culture, civic engagement, education, human and social services, and workforce development. However, opportunities are limited as our intent is to direct the majority of our giving within our major focus areas.

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.

Russell Family Foundation Grant

The Charles and Carolyn Russell Family Foundation was established in 2007 by Charles A. Russell and Carolyn M. Russell of Duluth, Minnesota. The Charles and Carolyn Russell Family Foundation awards grants exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, or educational purposes.

Mission

To support a variety of charitable causes, primarily in Duluth, Minnesota.

Program areas

• Arts, culture, and humanities
• Education
• Environment, animals
• Health
• Human services
• Public/society benefit
• Religion

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

About the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation

Founded in 1975, the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation seeks to promote access to educational opportunities and to improve the quality of life in the North Shore communities of Cook, Lake and southern St. Louis Counties through grantmaking in the areas of arts and culture, community and economic development, education, the environment and social welfare programs to qualified organizations.

Since establishing formal operations in 2007, the Foundation has awarded nearly $12M in grants and $750k in scholarships.

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 low-income individuals and families.

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.

The Foundation is dedicated to providing financial assistance to organizations committed to improving our world. Solutions to the problems of today's world still lie in the values of innovation, practicality, hard work, and compassion.

The Foundation considers applications for grants in the following areas:

• Education
• Social Service
• Health care
• Civic and cultural
• Environmental

The categories above are not intended to limit the interest of the Foundation from considering other worthwhile projects. In general, the Foundation guidelines are broad to give us flexibility in providing grants.

The majority of our grants are made in the U.S. However, like Dr. Scholl, we recognize the need for a global outlook. Non-U.S. grants are given to organizations where directors have knowledge of the grantee.

Duluth Building & Construction Trades Council Scholarship Fund

The Duluth Building & Construction Trades Council Scholarship Fund started after the sale of Shoreview House of Hope, established in the 1980s to fill a housing need for patients and their families who came to Duluth for medical treatment. The council received the first Minnesota AFL-CIO Community Services Award for Shoreview. Eventually, the region’s health care industry met these medical needs. The council sold Shoreview, with proceeds establishing the scholarship fund.

Award Range

• $2,500 for one year

Minnesota Power Positively Powerful Scholarship Fund

The Minnesota Power Foundation Positively Powerful Scholarship Fund provides need-based scholarships to deserving students in Minnesota Power’s service area who demonstrate integrity, academic achievement, grit and perseverance. These scholarships minimize financial barriers to higher education while creating an economically thriving and culturally vibrant talent community in northeast and central Minnesota.

Award Range

• $1,500 – $2,500 for up to two years (Total $3,000-$5,000)

Each year, Boreal Waters awards more than $800,000 in scholarships to support students across northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. Made possible by the generosity of individuals, families, and organizations, these scholarships help learners of all ages pursue education, unlock opportunity, and give back to their communities.

William E. Barto Scholarship Fund

William E. Barto was born in 1911 in Pennsylvania. Following service in the U.S. Navy, he worked for Fruehauf Co. In retirement, he enjoyed painting, a skill he learned from his first wife who was an accomplished watercolor artist. This scholarship was established in 1995 to honor his memory and to provide financial assistance for art students.

Award Range

$4,000 a year for up to 4 years ($16,000 total)

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 

Mission

The Biodiversity Fund supports efforts to maintain and strengthen biodiversity in the Duluth-Superior region through preservation and restoration of habitat, help for particular species and ecosystems, planning for changing conditions, research and education. The purpose is to consider now the value to future generations of the species and ecosystem diversity that will remain when/if human population stabilizes.

Examples

The following are representative but not exclusive examples of projects that could be recipients of Biodiversity Fund grants:

• Inventory, monitoring and analysis to establish priorities for protection and restoration of habitats for species and ecosystems of special concern, especially when state and federal help is lacking
• Planning for impacts of climate change, land use and management practices, urban development or other changing conditions
• Mapping and control of invasive species where they may threaten more desired native species
• Watershed and land protection projects, including fee-title or conservation easement acquisition, innovative regulation or other methods
• Management of sites to protect, conserve and enhance their importance for biodiversity
• Habitat restoration or enhancement of aquatic or terrestrial plant and wildlife communities
• Involvement of students, adults or families in volunteer work on habitat restoration and measurement of consequent changes in species diversity
• Promotion or facilitation of native landscaping and habitat enhancement in yards and neighborhoods and in public and commercial spaces
• Innovative approaches that promote public understanding and engagement in biodiversity issues

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

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

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