Search Through Operating Grants for Nonprofits in Minnesota in the U.S.

Background

The Community Innovation program invests in great ideas and the people who power them across our region.

CI grants and program-related investments (PRIs) fund ideas that have the potential to make our region better for everyone. The idea can be related to any issue that a community believes is important. Through this program, we aim to:

• Develop, test and spread great ideas: CI grants support efforts to develop and test ideas to solve problems and create opportunities, 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.

The potential for ideas to spread is a key aspect of this program. If an idea works, we want to understand if that idea could spread to other organizations or communities or issues. And if it doesn’t work as hoped, we want to know if there are lessons learned that can help others doing similar work. We also provide funds to help you understand and evaluate those lessons learned.

What We Fund

We fund the development and spread of great ideas. We make grants for ideas as varied as reimagining agricultural finance, Indigenizing tourism and adapting telehealth for people experiencing homelessness. We removed funding caps on our biggest grantmaking program, Community Innovation, and make large commitments to ensure that great ideas get the support needed for success. We tripled our grantmaking through community grant partners to make sure programs are designed with the communities served.

We invest directly in people. We know that change only happens when people make it happen. We invest in individuals through our Bush Fellowship program and by supporting amazing programs that help entrepreneurs thrive in rural areas and grows the next generation of Native leaders and leadership approaches. We also funded the creation of programs that help build generational wealth and support sabbaticals for leaders who are creating and nurturing community change.

We support organizations that support problem solvers. We offer flexible funding to organizations that we hear are the most highly valued by problem solvers in the region. We know we can directly fund only a small fraction of the great efforts happening in our region. And yet we can be even more helpful by supporting the work of organizations that others turn to for help in their own problem-solving efforts. We do this through Ecosystem grants and the Bush Prizes that are operated by our community grant partners.

The Minneapolis Foundation

The Minneapolis Foundation drives collective action to realize strong, vibrant communities. We cultivate generosity by taking action on the greatest civic, social, and economic needs—partnering with nonprofits, facilitating grantmaking, driving research and advocacy, and providing services to donors seeking to make a difference in their communities.

Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program

In partnership with the Midwest Environmental Justice Network, NDN Collective, and RE-AMP Network, the Minneapolis Foundation will award environmental justice grants to organizations working in and for underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region.

Grants will be awarded to community-based nonprofits and other eligible organizations in the following three tiers:

• Tier 1: Assessment and Engagement
• Tier 2: Community Education and Planning
• Tier 3: Project Development and Implementation

We aim to distribute 30% of grant funding to federally recognized tribes and Native American organizations, 25% to rural communities, and 45% to urban communities. The partnership anticipates making 206 grants: 83 in Year 1, 85 in Year 2, and 38 in Year 3.

You may submit an application for multiple tiers at the same time, in any order.

Program Goal

The Great Lakes TCGM Partnership will distribute grants to organizations working in and for underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region. The partnership was selected by the EPA as one of 11 grantmakers around the nation in its new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program.

The program’s goal is to lift up community-led innovation and strengthen community-based groups by breaking down barriers to federal funding. All grants will be given to environmental and public health efforts in underserved communities as defined by the EPA.

Issue Areas

Grants will support projects that focus on issues including, but not limited to:

• Environmental health
• Air, soil, and water quality
• Healthy homes
• Access to healthy food
• Stormwater and green infrastructure
• Emergency preparedness
• Disaster resilience
• Environmental job training

Tier 3: Project Development and Implementation

Tier 3 awards are one- to two-year grants of up to $350,000 to pilot or implement project plans. Projects may have educational and outreach components, but must focus on developing tangible community assets or providing environmental or public health benefits to one or more disadvantaged communities. Up to 50% of the grant can be used for relevant property acquisition or purchase. Grants will be paid on a reimbursement basis, with a small number of grantees eligible for one advance payment of up to 10% of the total grant.

Eligible activities include, but are not limited to:

• Strengthening cumulative impact, public health, or environmental protections
• Increasing access to healthy food
• Reducing the use of pesticides or toxic substances
• Cleaning up contaminated sites
• Conducting healthy home assessments
• Increasing energy or water efficiency in homes or buildings
• Launching community energy or water efficiency programs
• Installing water filters; developing community gardens
• Creating community resilience hubs
• Installing green infrastructure projects
• Creating internships or implementing workforce development programs

You need not develop a new project to receive a grant. These one-time grants are well suited to support existing work that is currently not funded by another source or to complement other projects for which you already have funding. We also welcome proposals for high-priority new projects. 

Arts & Culture: 

The Arts & Culture program supports organizations, programs, and projects that provide support structures for working artists and culture bearers to develop and share their work, and to lead in movements and communities. These artists and culture bearers spark our collective imagination, enrich the quality of our lives, and enhance the vitality and vibrancy of Minnesota.Our strategies include: supporting partnerships that provide direct support for individual artists and culture bearers; developing and sustaining the presence and visibility of underrepresented artists and cultural institutions, including Black, Indigenous, Asian, and Latinx artists, and those in rural areas, Tribal Nations, and across Greater Minnesota; and supporting working artists and culture bearers advancing justice.

Our Approach

The Midwest Climate & Energy program uses its philanthropic funding to support efforts that build power through partnership, aligning climate and equity goals to advance bold action on the climate crisis.

Our program takes a systems change lens, focusing on shifting the conditions that perpetuate the climate crisis, which include structural racism. We direct grantmaking toward work that shifts mental models, changes power dynamics, engages communities, and advances transformative policies, practices, and resource flows, in order to dramatically cut carbon pollution in the Midwest by 2030.

Our Strategies

Transform the Energy System

We aim to ensure that the Midwest equitably transitions to an energy grid capable of powering an increasingly electrified society – a grid that’s powered by clean energy sources, accessible and affordable to ratepayers, and flexible and resilient to accommodate more clean power and withstand disruptive events.

Our grantmaking through this strategy will:

• Engage the utility sector and related decision-making venues as a crucial lever for system transformation.
• Amplify stories of the clean energy transition and combat mis- and disinformation.
• Expand solutions that advance customer options for clean energy that is accessible, equitable, and affordable.
• Elevate voices that are representative of the rich diversity of the Midwest.

Decarbonize Transportation

We aim to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector in the Midwest through electrification and reducing driving (vehicle miles traveled, or “VMT”) by increasing the use of transit, biking, and other mobility options. We support the Midwest States leading in transportation infrastructure implementation that is equitable, and sustainable and ensures that everyone has access to clean, affordable, and accessible transportation mobility options.

Our grantmaking through this strategy will:

• Support increased public sector investment in transit, active transportation modes, and other shared mobility options.
• Support the equitable deployment and implementation of electrification infrastructure.
• Elevate the engagement of diverse Midwest communities to advance transportation planning that prioritizes climate and equity and repairs historical harms resulting from discriminatory policies.

Decarbonize Buildings

We aim to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the buildings sector in the Midwest, cutting energy usage, electrifying equipment and appliances, and resolving the energy insecurities and burdens of under-resourced households.

Our grantmaking through this strategy will:

• Engage with the utility sector and related decision-making venues as a crucial lever for building decarbonization.
• Raise the bar on building performance to incorporate increasingly electrified end-uses, promote health, safety, and comfort, and center the real needs of people.
• Bridge across sectors and break down silos to fundamentally shift the paradigm for how buildings are built.
• Scale innovation to advance real-world examples of carbon-free buildings in the Midwest.

Support Working Lands

We aim to partner with the stewards of working lands to advance solutions that cut greenhouse gas emissions (carbon, methane, and nitrous oxide), sequester carbon, and build soil resiliency in the face of increasing climate disruptions, while centering the leadership of farmers and rural communities’ prosperity.

Our Grantmaking through this strategy will:

• Promote the leadership of farmers and farmer-led organizations to advance climate solutions.
• Build partnerships with public and private sectors to seed and scale farming practices that reduce emissions and sequester carbon.
• Support organizing and advocacy infrastructure in the Midwest for an inclusive farming system with strong workers’ rights that honors Indigenous farming knowledge and has equitable opportunities for low-income, communities of color, and emerging farmers.

Strengthen Democratic Participation

We aim to increase statewide infrastructure and capacity, engage diverse people in advancing our shared prosperity, and create platforms for broader participation in movements to realize vibrant, equitable, and climate-resilient communities.

Our grantmaking through this strategy will:

• Bolster organizations, networks, and intermediaries working to engage and organize communities toward more powerful participation in civic life.
• Ensure our democratic institutions and policymaking arenas are accessible and equipped to meet the challenge of the climate moment. ​

Valero Energy Foundation 

Valero, its employees and the Valero Energy Foundation are committed to improving the quality of life in communities where we work and live, fulfilling a mission that was set from the beginning. We set the standard for corporate citizenship and promotes prosperity in our communities. 

The Valero Energy Foundation -- a public charity and Valero's philanthropic arm -- funds nonprofit agencies that serve predominantly disadvantaged children and families. In 2019, the Foundation contributed appoximately $40 million in assistance in the communities where Valero has major operations.

Four Pillars of Support

Our funding focuses on our four pillars of giving in communities where we have major operations.

• Basic Needs:  Valero gives assistance to agencies that provide basic needs of life, including shelter, food and clothing necessary for the development of a strong and safe community. 
• Health Care: We invest in the development of strategic community health resources and facilities that will support the needs of all members of our nearby communities, with major gifts going to children’s hospitals, university medical centers and service providers that offer specialized health care services and programs.
• Education: Valero is a strong advocate of education as it creates a necessary foundation for all children to thrive and for adults to lead productive lives. 
• Civic: We support civic and environmental initiatives directly related to the success of the communities where we live and work.

Our Approach

McKnight’s Vibrant & Equitable Communities program fosters shared prosperity, power, and participation through four strategies: Accelerate Economic Mobility, Build Community Wealth, Cultivate a Fair and Just Housing System, and Strengthen Democratic Participation.

Within these strategies, we use all forms of capital—from our grants to our civic voice—to advance systemic improvements for individuals, communities, and society at large.

Accelerate Economic Mobility

We recognize that to create vibrant and equitable communities, all Minnesotans need high-quality jobs. We aim to drive gains in employment, working conditions, and earnings for Black, Latinx, Asian, immigrant, Indigenous, and low-income Minnesotans across the state, paying attention to industry-specific and geographic clusters. We work with a range of partners, such as networks of funders, worker centers, businesses, and government agencies.

Our grantmaking priorities in this area focus on efforts that:

• Engage champions, allies, funders, workers, and private sector partners to identify and prioritize worker-centered approaches to high-quality jobs.
• Develop and advance shared solutions among worker leaders, government, and the private sector to make gains in safety, wages, working conditions, and workers’ assets.

Build Community Wealth

We aim to increase the dollars flowing to the community investment sector and into communities of color and low-income communities, and to increase access to capital (as loans and other forms) to under-represented entrepreneurs and households, so they can launch or grow businesses and/or acquire assets, whether it is a new home, vehicle, or other resources.

Our grantmaking priorities in this area focus on efforts that:

• Strengthen key community-focused financial institutions’ operational and lending and investment capacity.
• Develop and spread innovative and equitable lending and investment capital—such as new underwriting, risk management, due diligence, and credit consideration—resulting in new types of loans, ownership structures, and investments.
• Increase private and public investments in Minnesota’s Community Development Financial Institutions and other community-focused capital providers.
• Accelerate an equitable procurement strategy designed to increase underrepresented businesses’ share of contracts for products and services to the public and private sectors.

Cultivate a Fair and Just Housing System

We aim to ensure that more Minnesotans of color and low-income Minnesotans are affordably housed and positioned to build wealth through housing. In doing so, we must also stabilize the housing system to ensure as little loss of existing affordability and ownership as possible.

Our grantmaking priorities in this area focus on efforts that:

• Increase political will and public support for public sector investments in affordable housing.
• Expand capital flows to support project pipelines and resource efforts to make it easier and faster to produce and preserve affordable housing (rental and ownership) in our state.
• Catalyze innovative housing-oriented wealth-building efforts, such as financial products, development practices, and models of ownership.

Strengthen Democratic Participation

We aim to foster multi-issue coalitions organizing in support of our program goals and to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in our democratic and governing institutions.

Our grantmaking priorities in this area focus on efforts that:

• Support a strong civic infrastructure around the state through capacity-building investments in key organizations, networks, and intermediaries focused on civic engagement, organizing, and participation.
• Solidify our core democratic institutions through equity-focused initiatives, such as the U.S. Census and legislative re-districting.

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.

About

Established in 1957, the Elmer L. & Eleanor J. Andersen Foundation strives to improve lives through effective family grantmaking. Now a Signature Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation, the Andersen Foundation continues to honor the legacy of its founders while investing in social change.

The Andersen Foundation’s vision is to catalyze positive change by empowering people to contribute to a sustainable world encompassing thriving, livable communities. Their mission is to improve the quality of life through effective family grantmaking.

Values:

The Andersen Foundation embraces the democratic ideals of fairness, justice and opportunity for all. Broad civic engagement, realizing the full potential of people, builds sustainable communities of life.

The Andersen Foundation is committed to carrying on the good works its founders began during their lifetimes.

Legacy Grants

Elmer and Eleanor Andersen supported a wide range of interests throughout their lives, including the arts and humanities, communications, education, environment, human services, and libraries. This grant program continues their legacy of investing in these community issues.

Focus Areas:

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

The Foundation will accept requests for a variety of grant types, including:

Program, Project, Capital, Start-Up and Operating Grants

• We welcome grant requests to support innovative program initiatives, short-term projects, capital requests, start-up or operating needs.

Capacity Building

• Grant resources are available to invest in efforts to enhance the management and governance performance of charitable organizations that are addressing our themes of social equity in St. Cloud, global warming in Minnesota and end of life issues in Minnesota.

Advocacy

• While the Foundation is prohibited from lobbying, we will consider funding permissible advocacy activities such as public education campaigns on a given topic, nonpartisan analysis study or research, training for nonprofits on how to engage effectively in advocacy, educating public policy makers on various issues, and nonpartisan election-related activity.

Theme: Social Equity

Social equity is central to our purpose, as we seek a just society in which all individuals have ample opportunities to thrive and outcomes are not determined by one’s heritage, physical characteristics, beliefs, residence or inclusion in any particular group. Social inequities directly challenge many different groups of people and in many different sectors of our society, and we all suffer when some are excluded from their full potential.

The scope of this grant program is limited to advancing social equity in St. Cloud, Minnesota and/or the immediate vicinity. The focus of our social equity grantmaking is the reduction of unfair disparities for disadvantaged communities and at-risk populations in St. Cloud, Minnesota and for positive change in attitudes, practices and policies that lead to equitable outcomes for those communities. This includes, but is not limited to, disparities and inequities of race, class, religion, gender, age, immigrant status, sexual orientation, and ability, as well as inequities related to COVID-19.  

As the Foundation learns more about social equity in St. Cloud, we may narrow our focus further for future grant cycles.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• preparing individuals from marginalized and at-risk populations to serve and lead the community;
• building healthy relationships among various societal groups; and
• triggering bold, collaborative community projects that advance social equity.

Our Mission

The mission of the Ciresi Walburn Foundation 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; equitable pathways to in-demand careers; and scalable, high-quality tutoring programs. 

What We 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. 

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. 

Jones Family Foundation

We commit leadership and resources to enhance Red Wing’s vitality by working in partnership to address critical challenges and advance bold efforts that invigorate our community.

Core Values

• We create an environment that is equitable and welcoming – within our Foundation and in the community. We address barriers that prevent groups or populations from participating fully in our community.
• We learn authentically from stakeholders in the community and experts around the world to improve practice and identify new initiatives that improve Red Wing.
• We seek new, transformative ideas to address entrenched social problems. We build on – rather than tear down – emerging ideas and opportunities to serve the Red Wing community.
• We build the capacity of our grantees, partners, constituents, board and staff members to lead. We empower and support their leadership in the community.
• We understand that Red Wing’s success is dependent on so many others, and we seek to work with partners wherever possible to expand our collective reach and impact. 

Priority areas

Most of our grant-making will be dedicated towards requests which advance efforts or address critical needs in the following areas:

• Education
• Economic Vitality
• Arts & Culture

Grant Requests We Will Consider

• Special projects of a limited-time nature
• Start-up costs for promising new ideas or programs which align with our mission and priority areas of focus
• Program expansion
• Matching grants – funds to match contributions received from other sources or to provide a challenge to help raise new contributions
• Capital funding on a limited basis

Cultural Sustainability: Equity-Based Operating Grants

Arts Midwest is now accepting applications for Cultural Sustainability: Equity-Based Operating Grants, a pilot program that offers grants of up to $67,000 to small arts and culture organizations that are rooted in communities of color.

What is it?

Cultural Sustainability: Equity-Based Operating Grants is a general operating grant pilot program that offers grants of up to $67,000.

About Cultural Sustainability: Equity-Based Operating Grants

Cultural Sustainability: Equity-Based Operating Grants is a pilot program offered by the six U.S. Regional Arts Organizations (USRAOs) in partnership with The Wallace Foundation. It will give general operating support grants to arts and cultural organizations rooted in communities of color with annual operating expenses up to $500,000.

In total, Arts Midwest will be awarding 18 general operating grants across our nine-state region.

• 9 Organizations (one per state) with operating expenses between $0-$249,999 will receive a $55,000 general operating grant.
• 9 Organizations (one per state) with operating expenses between $250,000-$499,999 will receive a $67,000 general operating grant.

Over the 15-month pilot program, Arts Midwest will offer five virtual workshops on topics focusing on long-term visioning and sustainability planning. Grantees will also be invited to join virtual peer networking sessions and quarterly check-ins with Arts Midwest staff.

Arts Midwest believes that equity means ensuring that everyone has access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.

About

The Nonprofit Infrastructure Grant Program (NIGP) has received appropriations from the State of Minnesota since 2017 to create a grant program to build organizational infrastructure capacity of small, nonprofit, culturally specific organizations that serve historically underserved communities throughout the state. To date, Propel has awarded $3.5 million in grants to 70 small, nonprofit, culturally specific organizations throughout the state of Minnesota.

Program

Propel Nonprofits (Propel) was awarded a two-year $4 Million appropriation by the State of Minnesota. The legislation provides Propel the funds to administer the Nonprofit Infrastructure Grant Program (NIGP) aimed at supporting the infrastructure of small, nonprofit, culturally specific organizations. NIGP will provide reimbursement-based grants of up to $65,000 and ongoing support to 50-70 small, nonprofit, culturally specific organizations.

Propel Nonprofits fuels the impact and effectiveness of nonprofits with guidance, expertise, and capital. We provide capacity building grants, loans, finance, strategy, and governance services. Our vision is a diverse network of mission-driven nonprofits building a healthy, vibrant, and more just community. Propel Nonprofits supports the nonprofit sector by building the capacity of nonprofit leader teams to implement sound financial practices and operation strategies that lead to long-term sustainability.

Who We Are - The Minneapolis Foundation

The Minneapolis Foundation drives collective action to realize strong, vibrant communities. We cultivate generosity by taking action on the greatest civic, social, and economic needs—partnering with nonprofits, facilitating grantmaking, driving research and advocacy, and providing services to donors seeking to make a difference in their communities.

What We Do

We believe that those closest to issues are best positioned to understand and address them. We partner with others to sow and nurture the seeds of strong, vibrant communities by:

• Promoting civic participation and leadership
• Fostering belonging, connection, and inclusion
• Increasing access to opportunities that advance upward mobility
• Seeing and dismantling barriers that hold inequities in place

We are guided in our work by our Strategic Framework, which requires us to be bold, optimistic, and responsive to the voices of those most affected by challenges in our community.

WCA Foundation

Founded in 1866, the WCA Foundation was the first benevolent nonprofit organization in Minnesota. Now a Signature Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation, WCA makes grants to a diverse group of nonprofit human service agencies and programs, stewarding an endowment of approximately $18 million.

WCA Foundation Grant

The WCA Foundation values its relationships with grant applicants and views them as partners in changing the lives of women. This philosophy guides the WCA Foundation’s grantmaking and the relationships it strives to develop.

About Us

The Northland Foundation is a place-based, publicly supported foundation working within seven Northeast Minnesota counties and all or parts of five Native nations.

Mission & Values

Our mission is to support Northeast Minnesota people and communities working toward a future where everyone feels they belong and can thrive.

Integrity. Be solid partners: ethical, reliable, and transparent. Keep the mission and values at the forefront.

Respect. Honor different cultures, traditions, and beliefs. Trust communities to know their own challenges and strengths.

Empowerment. Help ensure people and communities can use their voice and power to shape their own lives for the better.

Inclusiveness. Actively work to reach and reflect the diversity of the people and communities served. Be intentional to break down barriers and bring people together.

What We Fund

Quarterly grants can be used for general operating support and are flexible to help grantees meet their funding needs. General operating grants are only available to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that are headquartered and have a staffing presence in our geographic region. Grants may also be used for capacity-building efforts that strengthen the organization or improve service delivery.

Program restricted grants are available for nonprofit organizations that 1) have operations or are headquartered outside our region or 2) are governmental organizations, such as school districts, colleges or universities, or Tribal nations. Program-restricted grants can only be used to support a specific program and associated activities that take place in our service area.

Grant Priorities

The most successful proposals will clearly address one or more of the following five priorities.

Basic Needs

Services and programming that address human needs essential to overall wellbeing. Proposals can address one or more of the following basic needs categories.

• Food Security
  • Support for food access programming such as meal services, food banks and food shelves, and child hunger programs (summer meal programs, backpack programs, school-based pantries, etc.).
• Affordable Housing
  • Support for affordable housing programs or services that help increase opportunities for people to access quality affordable housing.
  • Proposals should be for general operating or program support, not construction costs.
  • Examples are programs that provide downpayment assistance, home ownership programming, and landlord/tenant rights education.
• Homeless Services
  • Support for services to people experiencing homelessness such as support for shelters, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, or warming shelters.
• Aging
  • Providing services to help older adults age in place, such as caregiver support, grocery services, or meal services.
• Health and Wellbeing
  • Programs that support the health, wellness, and mental wellbeing of people who otherwise would not have access to these services.
  • Examples are free health clinics, oral health care programs, and mental health services.
• Other Basic Needs
  • Services to people with disabilities, workforce programs, legal services, etc.

Belonging

Inequities exist in our society. Resources and opportunities are often limited based on place (where someone lives), race (skin color or cultural background), and class (economic status). Belonging seeks to support projects and initiatives designed to help everyone, especially those who are under-served or underrepresented in traditional power structures, to gain full and fair access to essentials like quality housing, education, and employment, and generally thrive. This may include broad, community-wide efforts or a specific focus on belonging within our existing priority areas.Domestic and Sexual Violence

Prevention and intervention efforts in relation to domestic abuse and family violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking, such as shelter, advocacy, legal, and other supports or visitation programs that provide a place for safe and supervised parental visits.

Early Childhood Care and Education

Early care and education quality and access, parenting education, and supports. Note: the quarterly grant program does not include support for child care start-ups or child care operating expenses, but sometimes there is funding available for these activities through Special Grant Opportunities.

Out-of-School Time

Structured, consistent, and accessible out-of-school time educational programming and activities for broad groups of children and youth delivered by an organization whose primary focus is to serve youth/youth development.

Strategic Approaches that are Encouraged

High-impact programs and projects build in certain strategic approaches that can improve outcomes. We encourage including one or more of the following approaches in work 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.

Systems Change

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

The Management Improvement Fund

THE MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT FUND, A SPECIAL FUND OF THE SAINT PAUL & MINNESOTA FOUNDATION, IS DEDICATED TO STRENGTHENING NONPROFITS’ INTERNAL OPERATIONS.

The Management Improvement Fund provides grants of up to $15,000 to small and midsize nonprofits across the state of Minnesota for technical assistance and consultation to:

• Support new and vital capacity-building work
• Expand and improve organizational capacity
• Nurture Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) leadership in the nonprofit sector

Since 1991, the Fund has provided $7 million to more than 470 nonprofit organizations.

About Us

Committed to Funding Technology to Advance Nonprofit Missions

Our Values

• We will always be programming agnostic: we fund technology projects for nonprofits with a wide range of missions.
• Transparent: we make our process and funding decisions as transparent as possible. If you cannot find an answer – please ask us!
• Minnesota focus: we focus our funding across the entire state and reserve capital for each cycle to specifically fund nonprofits outside the Twin Cities metro or who provide services statewide.
• Continuous improvement: we are open to suggestions on how our process can be improved.
• Trust nonprofits to do their mission: you are the expert in your operations and how you can best leverage technology to impact your ability to meet your mission.

Focus on the Future

Leveraging the Power of Technology.

The implementation of an innovative technology project can make a non-profit a leader in program delivery or operational efficiency that sets them apart from their peers.

What We Fund

Impactful Projects that Serve the Organization or Community

Projects should show a clear impact or transformation for an organization’s operations or capacity to meet its mission with measurable benefits greater than the cost. Technology investments have limited shelf lives so we want to see projects that can amplify results and allow the organization to be ready for what comes next. 

Organizations Who Have Done the Work

Projects should show a clear relationship to an organization’s strategic planning and mission. Vendor/solution vetting, budgeting, and project plans of the technology proposal must be done prior to our involvement. Our focus is on funding the implementation of the technology versus the planning stage.

Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation

The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation is a statewide community foundation that serves all of Minnesota. We got our start in Saint Paul in 1940, and today we steward $1.8 billion in charitable assets for community good.

Community IDEAS Grant Program

The Minnesota Community IDEAS Program seeks to design, test and spread ideas that make our communities better for everyone and inspire, equip and connect people through meaningful, community-led change.

Grants will be awarded within three target communities, with five grants awarded within each of the communities:

• Greater Minnesota
  • Organizations located outside the 7-County Metro Area.
• Twin Cities 7-county Metro Area
  • Organizations located within in the seven counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington.
• Native-led, Native-serving organizations
  • Within Minnesota and the 11 Native Nations that share the same geography.
  • Organizations must have at least 51% of the Board of Directors and Senior Leadership identifying as Native to be considered Native-led.

This program’s selection criteria focus on an organization’s transformational impact; or the long lasting, meaningful change that can happen through ideas of all sizes, within communities of all sizes, and through organizations of all sizes.

Selection Criteria

This statewide grant program was informed by, and developed alongside, community members. Grant selection will be determined by community members through Community Selection Committees that will consider the following criteria for grant review and selection.

• Impact: Communities realize significant, long-lasting change.
• Development: Communities develop, test and spread ideas.
• Equity: Communities are equipped and connected to benefit from change.
• Agency: Communities inform and form change.
• Solutions: Communities drive action

Funding

The Minnesota Community IDEAS Program will award $1.6 million each year. Grants will be awarded on an annual basis, one round per year.

Selected organizations will each receive a total award of $160,000, paid over three years ($100,000 in the first year, $40,000 in the second year, and $20,000 in the third year).

Funding is unrestricted and can be used for any charitable purposes that align with the vision and purpose of the Minnesota Community IDEAS Program, including operating costs, program-related expenses, capital expenditures or whatever else would best support the organization's ongoing good work.

In the first year of the program, the Foundation will award grants to 15 organizations. To ensure broad and equitable distribution of these across the entire state of Minnesota and the 11 Native Nations that share the same geography, the Foundation will distribute grants into three target communities.

Background

F. R. Bigelow Foundation believes that our community should not only benefit from our work, but inform and form it as well. Creating solutions to today’s issues requires a collaborative approach. Our work is also rooted in a commitment to racial equity.

We offer general operating, program and some capital support. The Foundation considers grant applications from nonprofit organizations and public entities fostering a vibrant East Metro region and seeking to achieve racially and economically equitable outcomes in the areas of arts & culture, economic & community development, education & youth development, health, housing and human services.

Funding Priorities

F. R. Bigelow Foundation has six focus areas and will consider proposals that address one or more of the following:

Arts & Culture

Strengthening the arts & culture sector to serve all individuals and all communities across the East Metro region by supporting general operations and capital projects

• The Foundation shares Grantmakers in the Arts’ view that all “peoples, their cultures, and their art contribute to the meaning and understanding of our humanity and should be honored and celebrated.”
• Priority will be given to arts and culture organizations that seek to amplify narratives and voices across BIPOC communities and other communities experiencing marginalization (e.g., people with disabilities, low-income communities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, formerly incarcerated people, etc.).
• Please note that the Foundation has not historically supported specific productions, performances, exhibits, artist fees, etc. through this application-based process.

Community and Economic Development

Building a strong and vital East Metro through community building, physical development and strengthening support for low-income individuals, families and underrepresented communities through workforce development and training 

• The Foundation seeks to invest and partner in solutions informed and formed by the people facing the highest barriers to wealth creation, economic security and family-sustaining career pathways. In the East Metro, this includes BIPOC, women, veterans, young people, people with disabilities, formerly incarcerated people and LGBTQIA+ people.
• Specific priorities for wealth creation include strengthening the entrepreneur ecosystem and increasing local ownership of businesses and homes.
• Regarding economic security, the Foundation recognizes the importance of anchor institutions embedded at the neighborhood level. For workforce development, we will prioritize employment pathways that meet the needs of individuals and employers alike.

Education & Youth Development

Supporting under-served children, youth and young adults by investing in access to high-quality education and youth development both in and out of school from cradle to career

• The Foundation recognizes how important it is for students and young people to feel cared for, protected, valued and seen after a difficult period in their learning and growth. This is complex and urgent work, and the Foundation will prioritize organizations that blend academic, social and emotional support for young people most impacted by educational inequity.
• The Foundation will also prioritize support to organizations working to build a robust early childhood system that gives children and families access to high-quality care and education programs.

Health

Increasing health equity through quality, affordable, culturally relevant services, particularly for low-income, uninsured, under-insured and socially marginalized individuals.

• The Foundation continues to prioritize health organizations that focus on health equity and increasing access to affordable, culturally relevant health services.
• The Foundation hopes to better align its health grants to be inclusive of programs and organizations that serve low-income families, provide free or affordable, culturally relevant services, and holistic care.
• Given the increase in severity, cost of and demand for mental health services, urgent care and/or crisis prevention, access to reproductive health care, trauma-informed health care, and free or reduced services for uninsured or underinsured communities, the Foundation will prioritize these programs and organizations to continue to serve our most vulnerable and marginalized communities.

Housing

Improving access for low-income individuals and families to affordable quality housing, preventing and ending homelessness.

• The Foundation embraces the vision for housing justice articulated by the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness.
• The Foundation will prioritize work that ensures the most marginalized people experiencing housing instability and homelessness are able to access housing that is “safe, decent, affordable,” and “free of prejudice” while also receiving the additional support and services they need.

Human Services 

Investing in basic needs for individuals and families, helping them be safe, stable and independent.

• The Foundation will prioritize grants that assist residents in navigating life transitions, finding safety and stability, and promoting independence.
• In addition to supporting work that centers the voices of the people most impacted by an organization’s work, special priority will be given to disability support services, child welfare support services, family and parent support services, food relief and assistance, older adult services, immigration and legal services, and re-entry supports for formerly incarcerated people.

Types of Grants

The Foundation will consider grant applications for:

General Operating Support

• These grants provide flexible funding for nonprofits in which at least 50% of the organization’s services benefit residents in the East Metro (Dakota, Washington and Ramsey counties).

Capital Projects

• The Foundation supports capital projects located in the East Metro with 50% or more of services from that facility benefiting East Metro residents.
• Grants are designed to support investment in buildings, facilities and equipment. Foundation investments are typically limited to buildings owned by nonprofits or held by long-term lease agreement.
• These grants are generally paid over multiple years.

Mardag Foundation Grants

Mardag Foundation has three primary interest areas for its grantmaking.

Improving the lives of low-income Children, Youth and Families that lack access to critical opportunities and resources that they need

Mardag Foundation seeks to support organizations focused on eliminating barriers and increasing access to equitable opportunities for children, youth and families.

This round, priority will be given to organizations working with marginalized communities (especially Black, Indigenous and communities of color) at the intersections of education, basic needs, mental health, access to healthcare, pathways to employment, and stable and affordable housing.

Supporting older adults across Minnesota who lack access or have barriers to critical opportunities to thrive and create community connections

Mardag Foundation supports organizations directly serving low-income older adults who may also be experiencing other forms of marginality (e.g., Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, etc.).

Priorities include meeting basic needs, improving the well-being and quality of caregiving, addressing isolation and mental health issues, services to help older Minnesotans age in place and/or in safe and stable housing, and intergenerational programming.

Building capacity to improve community vitality through Arts and Culture

Mardag Foundation shares Grantmakers in the Arts’ view that “all peoples, their cultures, and their art contribute to the meaning and understanding of our humanity and should be honored and celebrated.”

Priority will be given to arts and culture organizations that seek to amplify narratives and voices across BIPOC communities and other communities experiencing marginalization (e.g., older adults, people with disabilities, low-income children/youth/families, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, etc.) through the arts.

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, Tennessee, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. We believe in supporting where our clients, team members 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 four strategic initiatives: Affordable Housing, Workforce Development, Economic Development, and Financial Empowerment. We prioritize programs that serve underrepresented communities and low- to moderate-income people. 

Examples of funding priorities with measurable outcome focus areas include:

Affordable Housing

• Increase Homeownership Opportunities: We seek initiatives that enable individuals and families to purchase homes through accessible financing, down payment assistance, and homeowner education.
• Support Critical Home Repairs and Revitalization: We fund programs that ensure safe, habitable housing by assisting with essential repairs for homes
• Promote Multi-Family Housing Developments: We prioritize programs that develop or sustain affordable rental units

Economic Development

• Small Business Development and Growth: We aim to support programs that help small businesses scale, access resources, and build sustainable growth plans.
• Capacity Building for Technical Support: We encourage projects that enhance the capability of organizations offering technical support to small businesses and nonprofits.
• Entrepreneurship and Business Coaching: We support programs that offer entrepreneurship education, business coaching, and professional development for new or aspiring business owners.

Financial Education

• Old National Bank’s Real-Life Finance e-learning curriculum provides robust financial education training for community partners

Workforce Development

• Access to Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning: We support workforce readiness through initiatives offering hands-on training, particularly in trades and high-demand fields.
• Job Creation, Employment Entry, and Retention: We support projects that connect individuals to stable employment and increasing levels of income. This can include higher education with dual credentialing, leadership and professional development

Financial Empowerment

• Financial Wellness: We fund long-term initiatives that reduce barriers to banking and credit access, especially for underbanked groups. This can include culturally relevant and multilingual outreach, foreclosure prevention, and credit counseling with the goal of financial independence
• Community Lending Access: We support organizations that provide access to affordable microloans, emergency loans, and community cooperative lending as safe and sustainable alternatives to predatory loans

The Jerome Foundation promotes a dynamic culture through support for artists, collectives and/or ensembles across all disciplines in the early stages of their vocational artistic lives to create new work and for nonprofit arts organizations that offer programs, services and activities for such artists, collectives and/or ensembles. We support artists and nonprofit arts organizations based in the state of Minnesota and the five boroughs of New York City.

Jerome Foundation Values

The Foundation’s core values, which we strive to model in our practice as grantmakers and to support in our grantees, are:

Diversity: We consciously embrace diversity in the broadest sense. We support a diverse range of artists and organizations, including but not limited to those of diverse cultures, races, sexual identities, genders, generations, aesthetics, points of view, physical abilities, and missions. We support a diverse range of artistic disciplines and forms, created in a variety of contexts and for different audiences.

Innovation/Risk: We support artists who and organizations that push the boundaries of their respective disciplines, and we applaud unconventional approaches to solving problems.

Humility: We work for artists (rather than the reverse) and believe that artists and organizations are the best authorities to define their needs and challenges—an essential humility reflective of Jerome Hill, our founder. The artists we support embrace their roles as part of a larger community of artists and citizens, and consciously work with a sense of purpose, whether aesthetic, social or both.

Arts Organization Grants

In alternating years, the Jerome Foundation offers two-year grants for ongoing programs in six discipline(s) for artists that meet Jerome’s eligibility requirements as defined below. Applications are reviewed by panels in Dance; Literature; Media, including film, video, and digital production and new media; Music; Theater; and Visual Arts. Organizations may apply with programs in multiple disciplines. 

A diverse range of programs will be supported in each artistic discipline. This includes both development (artistic or career development and/or technical assistance) and production programs (culminating in a full production/exhibition/publication/etc.). 

No organization (whether previously funded or not) may request more than 25% of a three-year average of its actual annual operating income, based on its three most recent completed fiscal years. In-kind contributions may not be used in calculating this average. For fuller explanation, see the FAQ.

Organizations may seek support for programs activities that serve a broad range of artists, including but not limited to Jerome-eligible artists (i.e., programs that serve both early career and mid-career artists, or include artists from beyond Minnesota or New York City).

However, Jerome grant funds may only be used to cover costs for eligible artists. At least 75% of awarded grant funds must support direct costs for the specific program(s), although an organization might choose to dedicate a higher percentage of the grant to such direct program costs. Up to 25% of the grant funds may be applied to support indirect administrative costs for Jerome-funded programs and/or for ongoing organizational costs connected to services and activities for early career artists.

West Central Initiative

Mission

Serving to improve west central Minnesota through funding, programs, and technical assistance.

Vision

A vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable world starts here in west central Minnesota. 

Values

We seek to embody our values in all that we do.

• Neighborliness arises out of a strong belief that our interconnectedness is crucial to our long-term viability. Town to town, county to county, organization to organization, and certainly person to person, the fabric of our region depends on cooperation, appreciation, openness, and generosity.
• Generosity is a dimension of neighborliness, but it flies higher over the region because it speaks to a willingness to embrace a common good that we only can achieve through collective action, through everyone giving of their time, talent, and treasure.  
• Empowerment in our current context is directed both internally and externally. We encourage both our staff and our fellow citizens to be a part of bold action in our region, and to develop and use power to a good end.
• Trend-testing is a dimension of that bold action. We learn from one another while we work together to solve problems. We embrace risk and learn from our mistakes, always.

Otto Bremer Trust Community Responsive Fund Grants

The Otto Bremer Trust was founded in 1944. Since then, it has granted more than $1 billion to help further Otto Bremer’s mission in communities across Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.

As a trusted partner, West Central Initiative will award $350,000 in grants to west central Minnesota organizations from the Otto Bremer Trust Community Responsive Fund. This one-year program will support local organizations that are directly responding to immediate challenges in their communities.

The Otto Bremer Trust’s Community Responsive Fund will support organizations or programs that address relevant community priorities and align with the following funding priorities:

• Basic Needs
  • This funding priority supports organizations assisting displaced individuals or those encountering various challenges in their journey toward self-sufficiency.
  • These grants include those that focus on short-term assistance.
• Community Asset-Building
  • This priority includes a variety of investments—all with a central focus on strengthening community assets.
• Health and Well-Being
  • This priority seeks to increase the well-being of youth and adults.
• Restorative and Emergency Services
  • This priority focuses on assisting organizations dedicated to restoring stability for individuals and families encountering disruptive forces.

Grants will range from $10,000 to $75,000.

Travelers believes that strong communities are sustained by educational and economic opportunities — and we are dedicated to assisting our communities in generating those opportunities. With a focus on equity and inclusion, we target our giving and volunteerism to help improve academic and career success, develop thriving neighborhoods and create culturally enriched communities.

Travelers is ensuring opportunity by contributing to efforts that create strong, vibrant communities and offer pathways to success. Through corporate funding and the Travelers Foundation, Travelers targets its giving to achieve three outcomes: Academic & Career Success, Thriving Neighborhoods and Culturally Enriched Communities. Our primary focus is educating underrepresented students to lead tomorrow’s workforce. In addition, Travelers contributes to organizations that aid in developing communities through small business support and neighborhood revitalization, and that enhance lives and learning through arts & culture. 

Travelers accepts grant applications exclusively for Hartford, Connecticut and St. Paul, Minnesota, primarily for project, program and operating support and for limited capital opportunities.

Academic & Career Success

Because today’s student will be tomorrow’s co-worker, education is the primary focus of our giving. We support college and career readiness programs for underrepresented students from middle school through college and into career. 

A successful future starts in the classroom. But many people struggle to get the education they need to compete for quality jobs and to lead a fulfilling life. Our giving focuses on helping to provide a foundation for individual success and on building a skilled workforce for our industry and our communities.

Where We Give

Nearly half of our annual giving goes toward initiatives that help underrepresented students attain academic and career success. We seek to improve academic achievement gaps by focusing on low-income and minority students in grades five through 12, students in college and those seeking careers in the insurance industry.

Funding Priorities

Academic & Career Success: Travelers supports initiatives that improve academic achievement and career success for underrepresented youth, specifically targeted at public school students in grades five through 12, students in transition to post-secondary education, and students in post-secondary learning environments.

• Middle & High School Academic Achievement– Travelers funds initiatives that foster improved academic achievement for middle and/or high school students.
• Post-Secondary Preparation & Degree Attainment– Travelers supports organizations that are building awareness of and personal readiness for post-secondary education and educational initiatives that improve degree completion for underrepresented students.
• Career Awareness & Readiness– Travelers supports educational initiatives that are building awareness of and preparation for careers in insurance and financial services.

Background

Established in 2005, the C.H. Robinson Foundation is a Minnesota nonprofit corporation as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Foundation is funded by C.H. Robinson and creates a long-term resource for giving back to our communities through the support of other Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. We work with a trust company that provides support to charitable organizations to provides checks and balances while ensuring compliance with Internal Revenue Service guidelines and corporate tax law.

Through general operating and program grants to organizations that address hunger, provide shelter, support K-12 education and develop workforce, the C.H. Robinson Foundation helps strengthen the greater metropolitan area of Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Giving Priorities

The C.H. Robinson Foundation Twin Cities Grants Program is focused on strengthening our local communities and supporting basic needs of hunger, shelter, education and workforce development.

To be considered for a Twin Cities grant from the C.H. Robinson Foundation, your charitable organization must meet one of our giving priorities:

Hunger

• Serving the local community through food shelves/pantries/banks
• Providing meal service or food programs targeted to specific needs of senior citizens, youth, people living with life threatening illnesses, etc.

Shelter

• Providing transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and efforts to end chronic homelessness
• Offering emergency shelter for those facing homelessness or domestic violence
• Supplying essential household items and furniture for those in need

Education

• Improving educational opportunities for k-12 for students facing barriers to success
• Developing youth to become successful, productive adults through core educational programming
• Supporting systemic improvements to advance education outcomes for students, schools and educators
• Cultivating talent for successful careers in supply chain and technology

Workforce Development

• Strengthening pathways to quality jobs for low-income workers
• Supporting strategies that move low-wage workers into higher wage jobs including bridge, upskilling, and credentialing
• Improving the quality of low-wage occupations
• Building the capacity of workforce and education organizations to prepare for the future needs of the labor market
• Additional consideration may be given for:
  • Workforce development and talent pipeline initiatives for supply chain and logistics
  • Workforce development and talent pipeline initiatives for technology

Our Legacy

For more than 100 years, the Target Foundation (founded as The Dayton Foundation) has upheld the idea that the prosperity of a business is dependent on the prosperity of the communities in which it operates. It’s an important part of our history and our commitment to serve and support our neighbors.

In 2019, the Foundation expanded its support to address the growing urgency in our hometown, across the country and globally to help address widening socioeconomic gaps.

Target Foundation

We’re proud to continue our long legacy of support for communities in our hometown and around the world.

At the Target Foundation, we envision a world where all families and communities have the resources they need to determine and realize their own joy in life. It’s a reality that is out of reach for far too many families as they struggle for access to economic opportunity and stability, for equity and for the kind of empowerment that lifts up their communities. We believe we have a responsibility to work to remove structural barriers and help create access for those who have been left out. When we shift power to communities, they can more meaningfully participate in the economy, creating a world where all families can thrive.

Serving as a learning lab, the Target Foundation is committed to enabling shared prosperity and opportunity by upholding equity and inclusion for all communities. Guided by our deep commitment to community, we invest in leaders, organizations, coalitions and networks that expand economic opportunity equitably, enabling communities to determine their own futures. We support strategies that center and elevate the voices, stories and leadership of individuals and communities that have historically been silenced.

The Target Foundation is leaning into trust-based philanthropy to drive systems change, with values rooted in advancing equity, shifting power and building mutually accountable relationships. The Foundation’s capabilities allow it to work toward long-term solutions across complex and interconnected economic issues, grounded in the voices of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) as well as Global South communities and organizations.

Building on our legacy of giving in our twin hometowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and extending across the U.S. and in emerging economies around the world, we remain committed to listening, learning and building the kinds of relationships with partners that will shift systems to realize a world where joy is for all.

Hometown Racial Equity Grant

Advancing racial equity for underserved and under-resourced communities to enable shared prosperity and opportunity for all.

At Target Foundation, we believe a vibrant and growing economy is only possible when economic opportunities are available to all our neighbors. The Target Foundation is committed to advancing racial equity and shared prosperity in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and the greater state of Minnesota.

In addition to supporting the overarching Minneapolis-St. Paul philanthropic ecosystem and addressing persistent and immediate community needs, the Target Foundation hometown program concentrates its investments in organizations working to address the specific systemic and structural barriers facing Black communities, Indigenous communities and communities of color. We do this in four priority areas: entrepreneurship and small business, workforce development, housing and asset building.

• Entrepreneurship and Small Business: The Foundation supports entrepreneurship initiatives that address current ecosystem gaps, drive inclusive practices and create access to knowledge, services, networks and capital for entrepreneurs at all stages.
• Workforce Development: The Foundation supports employment and technical training opportunities to ensure the workforce development system operates effectively and connects job seekers and workers with the skills they need to succeed.
• Housing: The Foundation supports efforts that increase housing availability, stability and access — creating pathways to greater opportunity.
• Asset Building: The Foundation supports organizations that improve the asset-building opportunities available to traditionally marginalized communities, especially those that are engaged in work to increase financial inclusion, wealth building and overall financial health.

Why We Care

Target is proud to have called the Twin Cities our home since its founding more than 100 years ago. Our commitment to our hometown region continues to be a signature legacy of the Target Foundation.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul region is home to more than three million people. The region’s assets include the natural beauty of its parks, woods and lakes; a deep, vibrant and robust history of craft, visual arts, music and theater; numerous longstanding international anchor corporations; and widespread and increasing racial, ethnic and cultural diversity.

There are many communities who continue to be at an economic disadvantage despite our region’s thriving job market and strong economy.

Similar patterns can be found across the nation — rising income inequality and persistent racial gaps in health, education, employment, income and wealth preventing all people from realizing their full economic potential. As the demographics of our region continue to shift, the costs of inequality will grow.

However, the Twin Cities not only mirrors what is happening throughout the United States, but in several key areas, our hometown actually fares worse. Recent statistics on home ownership, income inequality, wages, and educational attainment all paint a picture of glaring disparities that could impact the region’s long-term success.

Equalizing economic opportunities for communities of color is not just important for these families and communities but also critical to a vibrant and growing economy, which ultimately benefits all.

Compelled by this data, Target Foundation recognizes that everyone’s future depends on overcoming inequalities and has made racial equity the cornerstone of its hometown program.

Our Desired Outcome

In our hometown program area, the Target Foundation envisions racial equity that enables shared prosperity and opportunity for all. To achieve this vision, the Foundation believes that our hometown region needs:

• A strong frontline of Black-, Indigenous- and people of color-led direct service organizations that are well-resourced, connected and able to serve the most marginalized communities, lifting them out of poverty and into economic vitality.
• Well-coordinated and well-resourced multi-sector networks, coalitions and alliances that are catalyzing economic development in the Twin Cities’ poorest neighborhoods, while displacing no one and leaving no one behind.

Who do we want to impact?

• Black communities, Indigenous communities and other communities of color.
• Historically disinvested communities.
• Individuals with low income.

Funding

Estimated grant size will range from $25,000-$200,000.