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.

NOTE: Applications are reviewed for hosting dates prior to the end of October. For hosting dates past October, please let us know about your interest so we can alert you if/when the submission process will open for those dates. We have no deadline for submissions. MHC staff and partners will review Statements of Interest from interested and eligible applicants as we receive them. We will notify applicants within two weeks of their submission.

Minnesota Humanities Center

Mission

The Minnesota Humanities Center connects our past, present, and future by bringing people together to increase understanding and spark change.

Vision

A just society that is connected, curious, and compassionate.

The Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) collaborates with individuals, organizations, and communities to bring transformational humanities programming into the lives of Minnesotans throughout the state. Using story as a catalyst, we produce, create, and support projects and programs that explore a range of subjects. Founded in 1971, MHC is an independent nonprofit affiliated with and supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities. MHC is also a grantmaking organization and operates a full-service event center in a historic building on St. Paul’s East Side.

In 2019, MHC completed a new strategic framework that affirms our identity and key priorities. Through educational opportunities, cultural experiences, and public engagement, we are committed to making the humanities more broadly relevant and accessible to people across the state.

Why Treaties Matter”: Program Description

“Why Treaties Matter” began when tribes residing in Minnesota approved a partnership between the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, Minnesota Humanities Center, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.

We created the exhibit through a community-based approach. Since its inception, the knowledge, insight, and perspective of tribal members have been the exhibit’s foundation. From this foundation emerged a vehicle for Dakota and Ojibwe individuals and communities to tell their own stories of sovereignty, adaptability, and sustainability.

The current partners are the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council and the Minnesota Humanities Center.

Funding support

 The “Why Treaties Matter” partners seek applications from potential host communities interested in utilizing the exhibit in two different ways:

• Community-engaged host site—These host sites develop public programming and/or interpretive or educational resources to complement their hosting of the exhibit with Dakota and/or Ojibwe scholars, cultural knowledge bearers, and/or community members. These scholars, cultural knowledge bearers, and/or community members may already work for your organization and/or be a part of your community. Or, your organization may choose to work with these people or organizations specifically in support of your hosting of “Why Treaties Matter.” Community-engaged host sites may receive contracts with the Minnesota Humanities Center to offset project costs. MHC will give preference to community-engaged host site applicants over general host site applicants.

• General host site—These host sites share the exhibit with their audiences but don’t have the capacity to develop public programming or interpretive or educational resources at this time. MHC will not support general host sites with additional funds. MHC will give preference to community-engaged host site applicants over general host site applicants.

Program Goals and Core Values

MHC offers a new way to think about our future — grounded in the humanities. We collaborate with organizations and people through education, partnerships, and public programs to inspire community conversations, forge deep connections, and illuminate authentic, diverse voices across the state — especially those left out, marginalized, or otherwise absent from our education and public awareness.

We help people listen, connect, and understand each other better — because we know isolation and division are dangerous. The Humanities Center’s approach affirms we’re all in this together — using philosophy, literature, civics, history, language, and more.

At the core of our work is the Absent Narratives Approach™, a values-driven framework for community engagement and collaboration. The four values ask us to put relationships with people at the center of community change-making and to center voices that have been absented. The four core values are:

• Learn from and With Multiple Voices
• Build and Strengthen Diverse Relationships
• Recognize the Inequity (or Dangers) of a Single Story
• Amplify Community Solutions for Change

Goals

• Communicate, in a meaningful and truthful way, the history of sovereignty and treaties between nations in Minnesota territory (and, later, the state of Minnesota) to educators, students, and the general public.
• Improve the amount and quality of teacher instruction about American Indian histories and cultures in the project’s partner school districts.
• Center indigenous knowledge and expertise in the hosting of the exhibition and community engagement activities.
• Build relationships that will endure beyond the active exhibition period.

About the Antioch Foundation 

Since 2000, The Antioch Foundation has provided financial support to innovative people and institutions across the U.S. and around the word to share the Gospel of Jesus and serve others in the areas of faith, education, medicine, and humanitarian need.

Our Mission:

To make a positive difference in the lives of others for the greater glory of God.

 What We Fund:

• Pilot programs, start-up costs, or building projects receive priority over operating budget items. 
• Most awards do not exceed $40,000 and are generally awarded for a one-year period. Multi-year grants are occasionally made for larger amounts.
• Evidence of project support from other donors is highly desirable.

Examples of previously funded grants include:

Faith: Church construction and remodel; audio, video, and online training materials production; summer youth programs 

Education: Classroom technology; tuition assistance; teacher training seminars; special education programs

Medicine: Hospital and clinic expansion; advanced technology; research; community health outreach

Humanitarian Need: Natural disaster relief; water filtration and purification; temporary housing; food distribution

About Us

ARAC Mission

The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council’s mission is to facilitate and encourage local arts development. This mission statement grows from a conviction that the arts improve the quality of life in the region.

ARAC Vision

We believe that art strengthens communities, stimulates diversity of expression and communication, and commemorates communities and cultures. ARAC believes all people should have opportunities to engage in the arts. Accordingly, ARAC’s vision for the region is that:

• The arts are integrated into the social, political, and economic fabric and identity of every community in the region.
• Artists, arts organizations, and arts activities thrive and contribute to the regional economy.
• Community members and audiences are arts literate.

ARAC Goals

• ARAC will communicate with grant applicants and other constituents in a clear, thorough, and prompt manner and will deliver respectful service and assistance.
• ARAC will maintain transparent decision-making processes, and accessible public information.
• ARAC’s programs and services will reflect its Mission, and achieve its Vision.

ARAC’s Service

The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council serves individual artists, nonprofit arts organizations, informal arts groups, community education organizations, and non-arts nonprofit organizations with annual operating expenses under $160,000, which reside in Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Lake, Koochiching, and St. Louis counties. This region includes Duluth as it urban center, but also serves a significant rural population. The region comprises 22% of the state’s geography and serves a population of approximately 340,000 people or 6% of the state’s total population.

As one of the 11 regional arts councils in Minnesota, ARAC’s funding is derived from appropriations from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the State’s general fund and Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (Legacy Amendment) as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008. ARAC also receives a generous grant from The McKnight Foundation.

Arts Learning Grant

The Arts Learning program provides funding of up to $5,000 to support arts learning activities in any arts discipline. This grant program is intended to support high-quality, age-appropriate arts education to increase knowledge, skills, and understanding of the arts. These projects may occur in a wide variety of community venues.

Criteria:

• Educational Value (50%): 
  • The quality, significance, and appropriateness of the arts instruction for the identified learners. This includes the specific qualifications of the teacher(s) or groups involved, as well as the value of the overall concept behind the project.
• Impact and Evaluation (25%):
  • The anticipated community value of your project. This includes demonstrating a clear vision of what success will look like, as well as articulating appropriate assessment strategies for knowing whether you achieved what you intended.
• Ability (25%): 
  • You or your organization’s capacity to undertake your project. This includes: providing a budget that is realistic, feasible, and demonstrates a clear understanding of the scope of your project; and adequate support materials.

NOTE: The Joyce Foundation accepts grant inquiries online throughout the year. Proposals are considered at meetings of the Foundation’s Board of Directors in April, July, and December. Applicants are strongly encouraged to plan their application and proposal submission process for the April or July meetings, since most grant funds will be distributed at those times.

About

Through its grantmaking and other policy-focused efforts, the Foundation seeks to:

• Racial Equity: Incorporate the voices of, and achieve more equitable outcomes for, Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities in the Great Lakes region.
• Economic Mobility: Improve the ability of individuals in the Great Lakes region to move up the economic ladder within a lifetime or from one generation to the next.
• Next Generation: Incorporate the voices of, and improve outcomes for, the next generation of Great Lakes residents, defined as young people born after 2000.

Education & Economic Mobility Grants

The Education & Economic Mobility Program, through the focus areas below, works to increase the number of historically underserved young people who move up the economic ladder by ensuring equitable access to high-quality education and jobs. We invest in local, state and federal policies that ensure historically underserved young people have effective educators, graduate high school with academic and career momentum, and attain college credentials with economic value. We also support policies that help ensure low-wage workers achieve economic stability, dignity, and mobility. In the short term, we will invest in research, policy development, and advocacy to help the education systems recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effective Educators

Advance federal, state and district policies to ensure historically underserved students in the Great Lakes region have highly effective, diverse teachers and principals. Efforts include research, policy development, advocacy, and technical assistance to reform teacher preparation, diversify the educator pipeline, build strong pathways from high school into teaching, and overhaul school staffing models to support principals and spread the reach of great teachers. Our investments here are focused on Illinois, Indiana, and Minnesota and on national efforts.

College and Career Readiness

Support federal, state and school district policies that ensure historically underserved young people in the Great Lakes region graduate high school ready for college and career success. Efforts include research, policy development, and advocacy to reform dual-credit and remediation policies, expand access to quality work-based learning opportunities, and align K-12, post-secondary and workforce systems.

Post-Secondary Success

Support federal and state policies to close race- and family income-based gaps in college attainment. Efforts include scaling up proven student support models to improve community college outcomes; preserving access for students of color and rural students to affordable, high- quality public college options and to labor markets that require college degrees; seeking racial and family income representativeness at selective public universities; and supporting advocacy, litigation, and policy development to narrow gaps in post-graduate financial outcomes for students of color and low-income students.

Future of Work

Support state and federal policies to help low-wage workers achieve greater economic stability, dignity, and mobility, with a special focus on technology’s role in the workplace and labor market. Specifically, we will support state policy to ensure employees can access public benefits, refundable tax credit policies, and nascent policy development on issues of technology and the labor market.

Mission

The Mission of Lake Region Arts Council is to encourage and support the vitality of the arts in West Central Minnesota.

Project Grant

Project Grant activities must be directly involved in the creation, performance and/or exhibition of an artistic project. The Project Grant is open to all artistic disciplines, art, dance, literary, musical performance, etc.

The Project’s primary focus must be the artistic activity and not other purposes or goals.

Grant Categories

Project grant activities can include, but are not limited to:

• Production or Exhibition Activities:
  • The project may directly involve the creation, performance or exhibition of artistic activities, or the development of an artistic form.
  • Organizations may apply for the specific artistic activities taking place during the festival or fair. Examples, performances, concerts, demonstrations, workshops, etc.
• Guest Artists:
  • Individuals and Ensembles may be contracted from outside the organization for the purpose of artistic development.
  • The focus is on providing the audience access to a wide variety of professional artistic experiences, such as:
    • Performances by touring artist or company
    • Touring exhibitions and displays
    • Film and video screenings
    • Public readings
  • The Project may concentrate on
    • Developing the organization
    • Developing individuals or artistic resources of the community
    • Presenting a public performance by the visiting professional with or without the members of the organization
• School Residencies for K-12 Public Schools:
  • School applicants should develop residency programs that enhance existing school curriculums. A school residency will include an interactive learning component.
  • Arts organizations may sponsor an artist residency program that enhances an existing school curriculum.
  • The role of the artist-in-residence is to work in cooperation with teachers to devise a plan which best corresponds to the strengths of the artist and the needs of the classes. Applicants must make sure that some component of the residency is accessible to the community, such as a public performance or exhibit.
• Organizational Development:
  • This support is for the development of the arts organization to promote its artistic growth. It is not for the continuation of ongoing managerial functions or regular staff costs.
  • Types of support can include:
    • Administrative or consultant services:
      • Funds for managerial or consultant projects for improving existing artistic programs or developing new artistic programs.
      • Most grants for administrative or consultant services will be awarded on a one-time basis.
      • Applications for a second grant for a similar project may be considered again; however organizations must demonstrate substantial need and commitment to carrying on the position after initial funding.
      • These services may include: public relations, audience development, design assistance, fiscal management, and other related management activities.
    • Production or planning services:
      • Activities that support and/or assist the needs of arts organizations and artists, or of the art needs of the general community by being commonly administered or coordinated by one agency.
      • Most grants requested for consultants to assist in the production or planning of arts services will be awarded on a one-time basis.
• Publications:
  • Funds are available for the production of literary magazines and small press books.
  • Grants are also available for special publications on the arts.
  • Monies may be requested for editorial services, production costs, and compensation for contributing writers or distribution.
• Workshops, Classes and Arts Awareness Projects:
  • Activities or materials may include classes, conferences, or workshops, publications, films, exhibits and other presentations of this nature.
  • These activities may also culminate in a public performance or exhibit by participants.
• Series of Events:
  • A series of events may be funded if there is an identifiable theme to the series. Grant funds may support artist fees, marketing, and other project expenses for multiple day activities such as workshops, concerts, demonstrations, lectures or other types of artistic presentations.

Funding Information

The Project’s activities must be completed in 12 months or less. Your organization may request funding of up to $3,000 per application. Your organization may apply for more than one Project Grant in each grant round. No organization may receive more than $5,000 per fiscal year for multiple Project Grants from the Fall and Spring Grants rounds. The fiscal year is from July 1st to June 30th.

Exception: University departments, public elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and community education departments in the same school district are each considered eligible to receive a maximum of $5,000 for multiple project grants in any one fiscal year.

NOTE: All applicants must be invited to apply for a grant from Bayer Fund. Invitation codes can be requested from the Bayer site in your community or through the Contact Us page.

We support high-quality educational programming by schools and nonprofit organizations that enable access to knowledge and information and empower students and teachers in communities around the nation, with a focus on furthering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) education. Priority is given to programs that take place during the school day, but also includes after school and summer programs, technical training programs, and academic programs that enrich or supplement school programs.

The in-school educational programs we support target grades K-12 and under-served students (50%+ students qualify for free/reduced lunch) and take place during the school day. The after school and summer programs we support include those offered by youth development organizations that take place outside of the regular school day and provide students in grades K-12 with opportunities to enhance their skills and interests through exposure to STEM fields.

All funding requests and budgets must be for program activities and expenses that start after funding decisions are made. All programs must be completed within one year of the start date, except in limited situations where longer term programs have been agreed upon. Grant award amounts vary, depending on the size of the community, the type of programming, and the reach/impact of the organization.

The Minneapolis Foundation announces a call for proposals from nonprofits, schools, and school districts seeking grants for work that advances equity in our local K-12 schools and supports youth voice. Our Reimagine Education grants prioritize efforts to:

• Elevate student and community voices and power to build bridges between schools, families, and communities and improve school climates and academic outcomes.
• Provide opportunities for educators to build their understanding of race and equity and implement strategies that create culturally responsive and inclusive schools.
• Advocate for policies at the school, local, and state level to address systemic barriers to racial equity in Minnesota’s education system.

WHY ARE WE MAKING THESE GRANTS? 

These grant guidelines reflect our Reimagine Education strategy, found here which uses a community-centered lens to ensure that the wisdom and experiences of students, parents, principals, teachers, administrators, and community members guide efforts to disrupt inequities in our schools.

Our education guidelines were revised in late 2020 and represent a shift in our strategy to a community centric focus on ensuring the wisdom and experiences of students, parents, principals, administrators, teachers, and community members guide efforts to disrupt inequities in our K-12 education system.

We were influenced by the perspectives of the more than 1,500 young people and educators who attended the All-Metro Student Conference in 2019 and the researchers and educators who developed the Reimagine Education reports: Expanding the Vision of Reimagine Minnesota found here and Education Equity in the Age of COVID-19 found here. 

WHAT WE WILL FUND

We plan to award approximately $1.2 million to $1.4 million to 25 to 30 groups. Grants will range from $10,000 to $75,000, with an average award of $25,000 to $40,000.

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of examples of the types of work we plan to support:

• Student leadership and power building
• Recruitment and retention of diverse educators with equity-focused mindsets
• Parent/family/community organizing
• Principal and teacher leadership and collaboration
• Equity and climate frameworks
• Local or state policy advocacy

We are also open to other ideas that help create equitable outcomes for children and youth from local Black, Indigenous and communities of color. Our foundation supported a diverse set of groups in Minneapolis and inner-ring suburbs in 2021 and 2022 as part of our first and second grant rounds.

Our Mission

The mission of the Ciresi Walburn Foundation for Children's is to serve as a catalyst for creative, innovative, and societal-changing programs and policies to promote education and equitable opportunities for all of Minnesota’s children and youth.

Our Key Priorities

• Eliminate the misconception that Minnesota schools provide a quality education for all our children. 
• Expand the number and capacity of high-performing schools and educational organizations throughout Minnesota serving students of color and low-income students. 
• Support parent and family engagement in schools and their demands for access to high-performing schools for all students. 
• Invest in strategies to diversify Minnesota’s educator workforce and equip teachers with the cultural intelligence and skills needed to support and educate all students. 
• Expand access to science-based literacy instruction; high-quality early childhood learning opportunities; and scalable, high-quality tutoring programs. 

What We Do and Don’t Do

The Ciresi Walburn Foundation seeks to partner with K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that support youth and families in Minnesota.

We support efforts to eliminate inequities in the educational system. We’ve funded early learning programs, education policy and advocacy, programs that support educators, high performing K–12 schools, and wrap-around programs focused on children and families in high-needs neighborhoods. We also established a scholarship fund to help African-American males complete their undergraduate degrees and stride forward as tomorrow’s leaders.

We look forward to helping innovative, effective ideas gain traction and build momentum across the educational system.

What we don’t do: Wring our hands on the sidelines or accept a system that doesn’t provide all children the opportunity for the very best.

Please note:

We seek to make strategic investments during critical phases in an organization's history and to be a catalyst for innovative, bold ideas, approaches, and initiatives. Therefore, past recipients of funding should not necessarily assume that they will receive funding every year.

The Foundation will not consider for funding project or program budgets which are solely or predominantly related to technology expenses, but will consider requests for support for technology (hardware and software) that are ancillary to broader, innovative proposals.

 The Foundation requires all K-12 School finalists to complete our Schools Data Dashboard Form, which can be downloaded from our website or the online application portal. In order to be eligible for funding, schools must commit to, during the grant period, assess all students, as appropriate, using either:

• The State Standards-Based Accountability Assessments (MCAs or MTAS); and/or
• A nationally-normed growth and proficiency assessment (such as the NWEA/MAP) at least twice during the school year; and, to share the results of the assessment(s) with the Foundation.