Mission

The Elmer L. & Eleanor J. Andersen Foundation improves the quality of life through effective family grantmaking, honoring the legacy of its founders and investing in social change.

Andersen Foundation Legacy Grants

Since 1957, the Elmer L. & Eleanor J. Andersen Foundation has funded a broad range of organizations across many categories – arts and humanities, communications, education, the environment, human services and libraries.

The categories of giving have reflected the wide-ranging interests of the founders. In recent years, while the grantmaking program has been expanded to include other types of giving where the broad focus has narrowed to support for a few promising organizations, the Foundation continues to honor the legacy of the founders through support of organizations working within the traditional areas of interest.

The legacy grant focus area is the only type of grant area where we accept unsolicited grant proposals. You can learn more about the legacy grant program and whether your organization might be a good fit for this opportunity.

Focus Areas

• Arts & Humanities
• Communications
• Education
• Environment
• Human Services
• Libraries

Background

The Community Innovation grant program is a flexible program that invests in great ideas and the people who power them across our region.

CI grants fund the most promising ideas, across issue areas that have the potentialto make our region better for everyone. Through this program, we aim to:

• Develop, test and spread great ideas: CI grants invest in efforts to develop and test ideas to solve problems and create opportunity, and then spread the best ideas across communities.
• Inspire, equip and connect leaders: Great ideas spread through people. CI grants invest in efforts to inspire, equip and connect leaders to more effectively lead change.

What We Fund

We are open to ideas on any issue that aligns with our values and purpose. We believe great ideas can come from all corners of a community and address an array of issues. We look for the potential and momentum of an idea. We will consider any idea applicants share with us, and we also engage with communities to seek out and encourage promising proposals.

We will consider organizations of all sizes and ideas at all stages of development. We are looking for big transformation, but know big ideas can start small. We will consider ideas at all stages of development — the idea just needs to be defined enough that we can consider its potential impact. We award grants to organizations of all sizes.

We are flexible in when and how we invest. Applications are welcome at any time throughout the year, and we are flexible in how we fund an idea. We offer grants and program-related investments (PRIs — low-interest loans that are paid back over time), and do not place caps on the amount or duration of these funds. What matters is matching the funding to what best supports an idea.

CI grants support a wide variety of ideas and projects.

Note: If you have thoroughly reviewed the Foundation’s priorities and grantmaking activity on the website and you believe your organization is a good match for our mission, you can email our staff (lnffstaff at lairdnorton dot org) with a brief description of your work. Please be aware that we rarely make grants to organizations that we first learn about through these types of email inquiries, and have limited staff capacity to respond to every message. Our team will be in touch if there is an interest in learning more about your work, or if there are other resources we can connect you with for your work.

Laird Norton Family Foundation

The Laird Norton Family Foundation (LNFF) is a private family foundation in Seattle, Washington, with a mission to honor and reflect the family’s shared values through giving and engage the family in philanthropy as a platform for strengthening family connections. 

Programs

Arts in Education

The goal of the Arts in Education program is to increase arts education and to improve pre-K through grade 12 student learning through the arts. Funding will be directed toward programs that seek to enhance students’ educational outcomes rather than to simply increase participation in, or appreciation for, the arts.

The Arts in Education program will consider funding programs that:

• Encourage the adoption and/or growth of arts integration within a public school or school district. We will prioritize programs that integrate the arts as a tool within greater, diverse curriculum content areas over arts enrichment or direct arts instruction programs.
• Advocate systemic change within schools, districts, or at the state level to encourage arts in education, and
• Utilize the arts as a tool to reduce the educational achievement gap.

Climate Change

Climate change poses a significant global threat, one which we are addressing by striving to ensure an equitable, resilient, habitable, and enjoyable world for current and future generations. While our work is focused on climate change, we believe in the value of ecosystems services and in the stability and resiliency of healthy natural systems. We also believe it is essential that the cost of externalities be incorporated into lifestyle, policy, and business considerations.

 We are focused on investing in regenerative biological systems that influence the carbon cycle (“biocarbon”) and reducing dependency on fossil fuels. We have chosen to focus our grantmaking on efforts to hasten the demise of coal and other fossil fuels and on work that increases the abilities of the forests, agricultural lands, and estuaries of the Pacific Northwest to sequester carbon.

Human Services

The goal of the Human Services program is to support, empower, uplift, and create opportunities for long-term success and a brighter future for unaccompanied youth and young adults (age 12-24) who are in crisis, have experienced trauma, or are aging out of the foster care system. We want to support these youth and young adults in their journey from surviving to thriving.

We will consider funding organizations or programs that provide support for youth/young adults suffering from trauma, mental illness, or addiction, with priority given to homeless youth and those impacted by the foster care system. While the full spectrum of services for youth in crisis is essential, we expect to do the bulk of our grantmaking in two areas:

• Prevention and early intervention work to keep young people from sleeping in unsafe situations — or at a minimum make that a very brief and one-time occurrence, and
• Support for long-term stability support services.

Watershed Stewardship

Watersheds have social, ecological, and economic significance. The goal of the Watershed Stewardship program is to create enabling conditions for long-term social and ecological health and resilience in places of importance to the Laird Norton Family. Currently, we prioritize work in Minnesota and Wisconsin as well as a few key watersheds in the Western United States, consistent with the Laird Norton family's priorities.

About Us

The Petfinder Foundation is a public charity that works to end the euthanasia of adoptable pets by assisting animal shelters and rescue groups across North America. Founded in 2003, the Petfinder Foundation has given more than $20 million in cash and product grants to help organizations save the lives of pets in need.  

Our grant programs are designed to make homeless pets more adoptable by keeping them happy and healthy, to make shelter operations more sustainable, and to aid adoption groups during times of natural or man-made disaster. Our grant recipients include more than 13,000 organizations, caring for more than 300,000 homeless pets at any given time, throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. 

P.L.A.Y. Pet Beds 

The Petfinder Foundation has partnered with P.L.A.Y. Pet (Lifestyle and You) through the Warm Bellies Initiative to give luxury beds to shelter pets. P.L.A.Y. joins us in the belief that every pet deserves a warm and cozy place to sleep.

P.L.A.Y. Pet Beds Product Grant is available to all species of adoptable pets. P.L.A.Y. in partnership with the Petfinder Foundation is accepting grant applications from Petfinder members interested in receiving a total of ten pet beds valued at $528.00.  

Submit your application today as this product grant is awarded according to the following regional schedule:

• JAN:
• Northeast: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut
• FEB:
• Northeast-Mid Atlantic: New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey
• MAR
• Warm Bellies Initiative
• APR:
• Northeast-South Atlantic: Delaware, Maryland, DC, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Caroline, Georgia, Florida
• MAY:
• South-Southeast: Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi
• JUNE:
• Warm Bellies Initiative
• JULY:
• South-US Center: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas
• AUG:
• Midwest-East: Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio
• SEP:
• Warm Bellies Initiative
• OCT:
• Midwest-West: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa
• NOV:
• West-Mountain: Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico
• DEC:
• West-Pacific: Washington, Oregon, California

NOTE: There is no need to apply in the month your region is under consideration. We hold all P.L.A.Y. Grant applications and sort/review applicants based on the geographical region schedule.

NOTE: If you are a Tribal government or an organization using a fiscal sponsor, please reach out to us before applying. 

Summer Pilot only: organizations with an active grant from the Foundation are ineligible for the pilot. Summer pilot is a one-time application for grants that focus on innovative uses of data, we recommend discussing your proposal idea with Foundation staff before submitting.

Background

The Shavlik Family Foundation mission is to remove barriers by providing access to technology needed to empower people and organizations to find their full potential. In helping nonprofits utilize technology to improve operations, program efficiency, collaboration, donor support, communication or service delivery we empower the futures of Minnesota nonprofits in a unique way – by supporting innovation through the implementation of technology.

Who and What We Fund

The Shavlik Family Foundation focuses on nonprofits or Tribal governments serving Minnesota, but we do not focus on the size or services provided by a nonprofit. We simply want to fund the best technology projects that will have the greatest impact on an organization or the community it serves.

While the Foundation encourages organizations to undertake a full planning process including working with consultants to determine the best solution, this stage is outside our funding focus. It would be premature to apply to us if you have not completed the vetting, budgeting, and implementation plans of the technology project for our consideration. Our focus in funding is on implementation of technology versus the planning stage.

We continue to be inspired every year with new and different ways technology can be applied to issues facing the Minnesota nonprofit community.

Funding Outcomes

We focus on information and technology resources that can build capacity for nonprofits and their clients.

We encourage organizations to account for routine replacement of hardware and software and upgrades in their annual planning and operating budgets and not apply for grants to maintain the systems they are already using or upgrades to a technology already deployed. When proposing new systems make sure your approach is well planned out and show through expected outcomes how it will make positive change for the organization.

In looking at outcomes, we want to see projects that can show a clear impact or transformation on an organization's operations or capacity to meet its mission. Our financial investment should have clear measurable benefits greater than the cost.

As technology constantly evolves we are open to expanding what we fund and look forward to hearing about new ideas for technology projects that will solve issues nonprofits face in delivering on their unique mission.

Areas of Interest 

Regular Grant

The Shavlik Family Foundation focuses on the technology you want to implement first and foremost. We have funded projects that utilize databases, websites, mobile applications, text messaging services, smart devices, audio visual equipment, and other hardware and software systems to create better systems, data tracking, communication, access and services for their organizations.

Old National Bank Foundation

The Old National Bank Foundation makes contributions to nonprofit organizations to fund widespread community impact programs and/or projects. The Foundation is part of Old National's overall charitable giving initiative, which enables us to support programs that improve quality of life in areas of Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin where our clients, associates and shareholders live and work.

Funding Priorities

Our funding targets innovative programs that enhance the quality of life within our communities in support of the following strategic initiatives: Affordable Housing, Economic Development, Workforce Development, Financial Literacy and Education Achievement. Priority consideration is given to programs that serve low- to moderate-income populations/communities and small businesses. As part of our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, we also seek to support programs that focus specifically on enhancing opportunities for education, economic empowerment, mentorship and inclusion for underrepresented people and communities.

Examples of funding priorities with measurable outcome focus areas include:

Affordable Housing

• Increase homeownership opportunities
• Promote multi-family housing developments
• Enhance neighborhood stabilization and vitality through home revitalization and repairs

Economic Development

• Increase neighborhood revitalization initiatives
• Strengthen community resource infrastructure
• Increase business development and growth

Financial Literacy

• Our Real-Life Finance e-learning curriculum provides robust financial literacy training for community partners at no charge

Workforce Development

• Build skills/knowledge and improve achievement gain
• Increase entrepreneurship initiatives and business coaching/training
• Increase job creation, employment entry, and retention

Education Achievement

• Improve educational readiness and achievement
• Increase access to quality education
• Increase access to impactful mentoring programs

About the Foundation

James B. Linsmayer was a lifelong resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The James B. Linsmayer Foundation was established to further the legacy and memory of James B. Linsmayer by primarily funding/supporting programs in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and human services in the vibrant Twin Cities. The vision of the James B. Linsmayer Foundation is to be recognized as a strategic partner in funding programs in these areas.

Mission

To further the legacy and memory of James B. Linsmayer by primarily funding/supporting programs within the areas of arts and culture, education, health and human services in the vibrant Twin Cities of Minnesota.

Program areas

• Arts, culture, and humanities 
• Education 
• Health 
• Human services

Program limitations

There are no program limitations, but the Foundation has a practice of primarily supporting areas of arts and culture, education, health and human services.

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.  

Ecosystem Grants

The Bush Foundation works to inspire and support creative problem solving — within and across sectors — to make our region better for everyone. We know problem solving is hard. Our Ecosystem grant program provides operating support to the organizations that support the people doing this work.

Some might call these infrastructure organizations or intermediary organizations or just can’t-do-without organizations. We call them Ecosystem organizations because they create the environment needed for organizations and leaders to solve problems. 

The Ecosystem program primarily supports organizations helping people solve problems across a number of issues, rather than orgs focused on a particular issue area. The exceptions to this are organizations working on spreading student-centered learning or using the arts to address community challenges. (These exceptions reflect our long-standing commitments to education and the arts.) We also want to make sure we are funding organizations focused on Native nation building in ways that support sovereignty. 

What We Fund

We award Ecosystem grants to organizations that other organizations and leaders within our region rely heavily on to do one or more of the following:

• Provide critical data and analysis.
• Advance public awareness and policy.
• Spread great ideas and build capacity.
• Build and support leadership networks.

Ecosystem grantees work across a variety of issues, or on one of three specific issues: supporting the sovereignty of Native nations, spreading student-centered learning, or using art to solve community problems. Organizations may apply to receive as much as $450,000 over three years in operating support. The annual grant amount is typically 25% of the organization’s expenses, up to $150,000 per year. All Ecosystem grantees receive an additional $10,000 in capacity building funds to build or increase their skills to work across differences.