The Andersen Corporate Giving Program provides cash donations, event sponsorships, promotional items and product donations to qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in the communities where our employees live and work. Donations of windows and/or doors are focused primarily on single family, owner-occupied affordable housing initiatives.

Focus areas include:

Housing

Funding to increase housing access and stability, including services to transition out of homelessness, and provide and maintain affordable housing

Health

Funding to advance health access and equity, including support for critical access hospitals/clinics/providers, expanded access to mental health services, and expanded access to preventative healthcare.

 Hunger Relief

Funding to address food insecurity and increase food access, including providing healthy and culturally relevant foods.

Education

Funding to support trades and industrial education programs and to advance equity in education. 

Note: The Foundation does not have a formal Letter of Inquiry (LOI) process, nor do we generally accept unsolicited proposals for funding. However, we do want to hear about your ideas for how to support student-centered learning in education and entrepreneurship and small business development on the North Side.

Practicing Entrepreneurial Philanthropy

Since 2016, the Jay & Rose Phillips Family Foundation of Minnesota invests in the creative and strategic genius of the North Minneapolis community in the spaces of economic development and education. North Minneapolis is a community with a rich set of histories, a wealth of knowledge, a deep commitment to the health of its community, and an eagerness to build suitable and positive change.

Funding Priorities

In 2016, the Foundation made a strategic decision to refocus its efforts on a specific geographic area: North Minneapolis.

The “North Side” is an area rich with opportunity and assets but has experienced years of disinvestment. It is also the neighborhood where Jay and Rose Phillips met and the family lived for many years. This historical sentiment coupled with community opportunities make our decision to focus on North Minneapolis a perfect evolution of the Foundation’s focus and interests, and creates a strong direction for the Foundation for years to come.

We also wanted to explore how larger investments in a smaller set of issues could produce stronger and more measureable impact. We wanted our overall work, including our grantmaking, to be more entrepreneurial and less transactional.  

Using a Human Centered Design process, the Foundation devoted time throughout 2016 to listen to the diverse concerns, hopes and ideas of North Minneapolis residents. This process helped the Foundation identify its two primary North Minneapolis funding priorities:

• Creating and expanding relevant and engaging learning opportunities for K-12 students. The Foundation is particularly interested in ways to amplify the role of student voice and agency in educational design and decision-making. Learn more about education funding.
• Helping to grow a thriving economy in North Minneapolis by supporting entrepreneurs, small businesses and expanding local ownership opportunities. Learn more about small business funding.

For now and into the foreseeable future, the bulk of our grantmaking will be focused on these two priorities. Our intent is to make fewer, larger grants, while moving solutions to scale, and employing more human capital through greater engagement in the community.

How We Make Funding Decisions

The experiences and wisdom of Northsiders helped to shape these funding priorities and we continue to look to these stakeholders to help us make funding decisions. In 2016, the Foundation began to engage people who reside in, work in, or are otherwise deeply connected to North Minneapolis as grant reviewers and strategic advisors. Going forward, the Foundation will continue to engage a cross-section of Northsiders as members of grant review panels, participants in strategy design processes, and grassroots research consultants.

We believe individuals and communities most impacted by injustice are the best equipped to generate and lead solutions to that injustice. We are committed to living out this core belief in every aspect of the Foundation’s work in North Minneapolis.

Funding Education

What do the students of North Minneapolis need to thrive in school? Let’s ask them, and then follow their advice.

This, in a nutshell, is our approach to funding education in North Minneapolis. It is built on a firm belief that students have deep and largely untapped wisdom about how school could better help them thrive. It is also grounded in the conviction that by amplifying student voice in the design of education we can enhance motivation, engagement and ultimately post-secondary success.

What We’re Interested In:

Our intent is to discover and fund even more ambitious examples of exceptional, student-centered education, along with the systems changes needed for more engaging and relevant learning opportunities to proliferate throughout North Minneapolis. And, we remain committed to ensuring that students are positioned as co-designers of all of these efforts.

One way we will honor that intention is to work with a panel of Northside Education Advisors – many of whom are current or former students – to help us set strategy and review future proposals. The Foundation is currently working with these Advisors to develop a new education funding opportunity to be announced before the start of the 2017-18 academic year.

Funding Entrepreneurship

Helping build a vibrant small business and entrepreneurship ecosystem in North Minneapolis.

“Business ownership is a route to wealth creation, a particularly important and valued route in a capitalist economy. As such, it is important to understand the role that it plays in wealth creation for people of color and to identify and pursue strategies for addressing the challenges facing entrepreneurs of color.”

Some Ideas We’re Interested In:

Entrepreneurship Training, Technical Assistance and Coaching

Entrepreneurs and emerging business leaders often need certain levels of training and technical assistance to develop and implement their business model. This includes access to business coaches who serve as mentors and guides, incubator space to develop their business concept, and life coaching to address personal matters that could hinder success.

Access to Capital

Access to capital is key for economic development – small business loans and investments that support emerging entrepreneurs. Without capital investments, small locally-owned businesses have a difficult time entering the marketplace and being successful. We’re interested in models of capital investment that provide access to real capital for local economic development.

Cooperatives

Cooperatives provide an alternative to sole proprietor business ownership that can bring multiple interests and owners together to share risk and financial benefit. We’re interested in models of cooperative ownership anchored in North Minneapolis.

Access to Affordable Commercial Property

Large swaths of North Minneapolis land and commercial property are owned by investors and individuals who do not live or work in North Minneapolis. This lack of local ownership limits local economic vitality and moves significant resources outside of the community and provides undue barriers to those looking to start or grow a business. We’re interested in creative models that can move more land and real estate into the hands of local residents for the benefit of the local community.

A Local Healthy Food Economy

It is well documented that North Minneapolis has limited access to healthy, affordable food, with only one grocery story for over 60,000 residents. We’re interested in creative efforts owned by the community with the potential to build a healthy food economy that generates increased economic vitality and financial resilience on the Northside.

Note: Before applying for a quarterly grant, we ask organizations to schedule a phone call to discuss their idea with the Director of Grantmaking. 

About Us

The Northland Foundation is a publicly supported foundation serving seven northeastern Minnesota counties: Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, and St. Louis, and all or parts of five Native Nations within this geography: Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, and Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.

Through grantmaking, an operating program, business lending, and special initiatives, we help people and communities in our region to move forward together.

Overarching the Foundation’s programs and initiatives are three intersecting Strategic Focus Areas: Children & Youth, Individual & Community Wellbeing, and Economy & Jobs.

Resources to fund our work are raised with the support of generous foundation, government, business, service organization, and individual partners and donors.

Mission

The Northland Foundation invests in people and communities to support a thriving Northeastern Minnesota.

Grant Program Purpose Statement

To ensure all people and communities thrive and reach their full potential by supporting work that:

• actively engages and is led by passionate and dedicated community voice, and
• advances equity and inclusion either through promising new efforts to address gaps in services or existing work that is adaptive to emergent needs or issues.

Grant Priorities

• Basic Needs: Food security, homeless services, affordable housing, and other human needs essential to wellbeing.
• Early Childhood Care and Education: Early care and education quality and access, parenting education and supports.
• Out-of-School-Time: Out-of-school-time programming and enrichment activities for children and youth.
• Domestic and Sexual Violence: Prevention and intervention in relation to domestic and family violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
• Belonging: Efforts to help all people be fully a part of their community with the voice and power to shape institutions and systems.

Use of Funds

Nearly all the grants that Northland Foundation awards are for general operating support and are flexible to help grantees meet their funding needs.

However, some grants are restricted to the program uses for which they apply. For organizations that receive program-restricted grants, we allow flexibility for how funds are used within the supported program. These include grants to:

• Organizations that also have operations, or are headquartered, outside of our geographic service area.
• Grantees that are units of governments, such as school districts and Tribal Nations.

We also offer capacity-building grants for organizations to strengthen their strategies and systems or, sometimes, to help to start up a new nonprofit. Examples of capacity-building work include support to add a key staff position, provide staff development, or work with consultants to develop a strategic plan or improve operations. The mission or primary work of organizations that want to apply for a capacity-building grant should align closely with Northland Foundation priorities.

Strategic Approaches that are Encouraged

High-impact programs and projects often intentionally incorporate certain strategic approaches that improve outcomes. The Northland Foundation encourages inclusion of one of more of the following components to work that is to be considered for funding.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

• Actively working to reach and fully reflect the diversity of communities served, facilitate inclusion, and counter systemic inequity.

Multi-Generational

• Considering the needs of multiple generations when addressing an issue. For example, programs for children may include components for parents and guardians.

Collaboration

• Bringing other partners into a program or project in order to tap others’ expertise, expand geographic or demographic reach, and/or improve outcomes.

Multi-Sector

• Engaging organizations from diverse sectors and disciplines in program design and delivery.

Systems Change

• Seeking to change public policy and increase the civic engagement of under-represented populations.

NOTE: This grant provides pro-bono services. 

Pro bono Research Opportunity

Wilder Research is inviting applications from culturally specific organizations to collaborate on community-initiated pro bono research and evaluation.

This work will support culturally specific organizations’ needs by providing useful, actionable research and evaluation services at no cost.

Since 2015, Wilder Research has dedicated funding to support research projects with culturally specific organizations or organizations working to meet the needs of communities of color and other communities (e.g., LGBTQ+, specific disability communities).

This collaborative effort will result in information your organization can use to inform your work, improve programs, or report to funders. Wilder Research looks forward to developing a relationship with your organization, learning about your community, responding to emerging needs, and increasing accessibility of quality research and evaluation consultation.

What pro-bono research will be funded?

Wilder Research will select 3-4 applicant organizations to work with.

Just getting started with evaluation? Want to tackle the next piece of your existing evaluation plan? This is your opportunity to move ahead with help from the experts. We will work with your organization to determine how our services can support your needs.

Projects could include – but are not limited to – logic model development; evaluation planning and capacity building; or survey development, administration, and analysis. We can also help you use that data you already collect to tell your organization’s story to funders and others.

Your organization should expect to contribute work hours to the project. Some projects may require a minimum of 1-2 meetings per month, while others may require a higher level of engagement.

Examples of Past Projects:

Below are examples of previous research with culturally specific organizations through pro bono work. These examples are intended to help inform ideas.

MN8:

• MN8’s mission is to keep Southeast Asian communities together through direct support, advocacy, community organizing, and leadership development for social and systems change. MN8 and Wilder Research partnered to conduct a community needs assessment of the Cambodian community in Minnesota to learn about their needs, challenges, and how MN8 can support them. Topics included access to food, elections and voting, health care, and immigration.

Rebound, Inc.

• Rebound, Inc. aims to improve well-being and reduce systems involvement among Black youth by providing therapeutic supports, life skill development services, and enrichment activities. Wilder Research worked with Rebound, Inc. to identify the short-term, intermediate, and long-term outcomes of Rebound, Inc.’s programming, which informed the creation of a logic model. We also developed an evaluation plan, based on the logic model, aligning Rebound, Inc.’s data collection activities with program outcomes and identifying opportunities to improve data collection, management, and analysis processes. Rebound, Inc. is using the logic model and evaluation plan to inform evaluation activities, demonstrate impact, improve programming, and secure funding.

Raíces Sagradas:

• Raíces Sagradas is a community mental health organization that serves the Spanish-speaking immigrant community and is committed to providing free, culturally appropriate therapy in both Spanish and English. Wilder Research partnered with Raíces Sagradas to build a logic model for their organization, which involved working with stakeholders to identify short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals for the services they provide. Using this logic model as a guide, we then built an evaluation plan to measure the impact of a newly launched community mental health initiative. For this evaluation, we worked together to build a data collection and analysis plan that would work best for those they serve and offered detailed guidance so program staff would be able to carry out the evaluation on their own. Raíces Sagradas plans to use these tools to better communicate the scope of their work, demonstrate their impact, and secure funding.
• The Wolves Den: The Wolves Den is a nonprofit organization that provides housing and supportive services for Native American women who are addicted to opiates and in recovery using methadone therapy. Wilder Research developed a theory of change that showed how this new nonprofit’s services and activities lead to outcomes. We also developed an evaluation plan to help them measure their outcomes. These tools helped The Wolves Den guide the development of the program and seek funding and other types of support.

Oromo community assessment

• We worked members of the Oromo community in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis to conduct a basic community assessment. The results of this study will help the Oromo community to tell their story to various stakeholder groups. They will also use it to make the case to funders for the need to conduct a more comprehensive community assessment that could provide an accurate picture of the number of Oromo households in the Twin Cities or Minnesota.

Somali community mental health

• Wilder Research staff responded to a request by a psychologist in the Somali community by exploring a research plan related to Somali mental health. We conducted a literature scan and key informant interviews with Imams, mental health staff, and other leaders from the Somali community. At the end of the project, we provided a summary of lessons learned, research implications and final considerations. The project showed a desire for health promotion activities around mental health in the Somali community in order to reduce stigma.

Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition

•  Wilder Research staff worked with MTHC to analyze the results of a web survey of gender reassignment surgery recipients and their post-surgery caregivers. The survey, written and administered by MTHC staff, explored the financial, social, and emotional challenges faced by post-surgery caregivers. MTHC will make results available to potential post-surgery caregivers as an informational tool.

NOTE: Organizations are strongly encouraged, but not required, to submit a brief (one to three paragraph) description of their request in advance of an application to receive staff feedback and guidance. 

Andersen Corporate Foundation

The Andersen Corporate Foundation was established in 1941 with the mission to improve lives and strengthen communities where Andersen employees live and work. Since then, the Foundation has donated more than $65 million to worthy causes.

The Andersen Corporate Foundation supports nonprofit organizations working in the following areas: housing, healthcare, hunger relief, and education. 

Giving Areas

Housing: Funding to increase housing access and stability, including services to transition out of homelessness, and provide and maintain affordable housing.

Health: Funding to advance health access and equity, including support for critical access hospitals/clinics/providers, expanded access to mental health services, and expanded access to preventative healthcare.

Hunger Relief: Funding to address food insecurity and increase food access, including providing healthy and culturally relevant foods.

Education: Funding to advance equity and opportunity in education, and funding to support and raise the profile of trades and industrial education programs.

Funding

The Andersen Corporate Foundation supports general operating, program/project, and capital campaign funding requests. Grants requests may range in size from $5,000 to $50,000 for general operating and program/project requests. The majority of general operating and program/project grants awarded fall between $5,000 and $20,000.

Twin Cities Fund

As a worldwide company headquartered in Minnesota, the Best Buy Foundation considers proposals from 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that serve the seven-county Twin Cities metro area. This grant opportunity supports Arts & Culture organizations add to the vibrancy of the Twin Cities area and organizations with Teens and Technology programs that provide teens from disinvested communities access to hands-on technology skills and training they need to be prepared for a successful career.

Career Pathway Program Grant

The Career Pathway program grant supports organizations that provide tech skills and workforce readiness to help teens achieve a degree or credential, achieve self-supporting wages or have opportunities for further education and career advancement.

Resilient Communities Grants

We established the Resiliency Fund in March 2020 to respond to the immediate COVID-19 needs of our region and the long-term recovery of west central Minnesota. This grant round, we’ve transitioned to Resilient Communities Grants that emphasize promoting sustainability and racial equity in west central Minnesota. Both of these areas tie directly to the Sustainable Development Goals, the heart of our strategic plan.

Sustainable Region

Resilient Communities Sustainable Region Grants are intended to support community-led projects and nonprofits with a focus on sustainability and climate action. We suggest grant requests be between $5,000 and $10,000. We may award a grant of up to $25,000 based on scope, need, and impact. The project timeline may extend to two years. The final amount awarded may differ from your request. A team of peers with lived experience and expertise in sustainable development will review proposals and recommend awards.

Listed below are some examples of things that grant dollars might be used to do.

• Training and development needed by a local sustainability-focused organization to operate more effectively or maintain services.
• Technical assistance that builds the capacity of local partners who are working together to figure out a complex sustainability focused issue, such as transportation of local foods.
• Expenses associated with work that mobilizes community members to take sustainability focused action.
• Research to better understand the scope and relevance of a sustainability issue in the community.
• Community convenings to identify sustainable development priorities and prompt dialogue.
• Community learning opportunities that educate and guide the general public on tangible ways of making sustainable choices.
• Educational campaigns targeted to getting important information into the hands of community stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Equipment or supplies needed to implement a local food system project, sustainable agricultural project, or a project designed to combat climate change.

Equitable Region

Resilient Communities Equitable Region Grants are intended to support organizations that are BIPOC-led and/or serving. We suggest grant requests be between $3,000 and $10,000. We may award a grant of up to $25,000 based on scope, need, and impact. The project timeline may extend to two years. The final amount awarded may differ from your request. A team of peers with both lived experiences and a professional background in advancing racial equity will review proposals and recommend awards.  

Listed below are some examples of things that grant dollars might be used to do:

• Training and development needed by a BIPOC-led and/or serving organization to operate more efficiently or maintain services.
• Expenses associated with work that mobilizes community members to take action that will lead to a more racially equitable community.
• Equipment, supplies, communication, and/or staffing needed to take action that encourages BIPOC civic engagement or to deliver services that promote racial inclusion and justice.     

NOTE: Medica is currently developing new strategies around community giving. Beginning in 2023, the Medica Foundation’s service area has changed.

About Our Funding

The information provided on this page applies only to potential grantees located in the state of Minnesota. The Medica Foundation recognizes the importance of supporting the unique health needs of individual communities in our grantmaking.

Our overarching principles:

• Benefits local communities.
• Improves the availability of, access to and/or quality of health care.
• Achieves success or demonstrates effectiveness through measurable outcomes.

Minnesota: Rural Health Grant

We aim to fund nonprofit, community-led solutions that address health needs and social determinants of health in rural communities. Examples include funding for caregiver/respite services, technology, transportation, program supplies, dental care and food security. 

Funding

Individual grants may be awarded between $5,000 - $10,000.

What We Fund

Joseph Durda established his Foundation in 1989. Prior to his passing in 1990, he wrote:

" The very basis of the human condition - its tragedy and its triumph - can be found in the entities this Foundation will be supporting. All the poverty that is lessened by a helping hand, all the hunger that is alleviated by the gift of food, all the service that makes heroes of the most humble among us....charity is the supreme virtue, and the great channel through which the mercy of God is passed on to mankind." -- Joseph Durda Sept. 1989

The grant making framework reflects the core priorities of the Foundation, supporting organizations that provide direct services in which the Foundation endeavors to create a positive impact. The following are high priority areas:  

• Charitable giving for the needy, poor and homeless... those needing a helping hand.
• Aid and assistance to orphans and underprivileged youth.
• Services for the disabled and those with disabling health issues.
• Educational support to our young people to help advance their lives.
• Invest in cardiovascular and other medical research.
• Support and assist our military veterans and their families.