Search Through Washington County Grants for Nonprofits in Minnesota

Vision

While talent may be spread evenly throughout humanity, opportunity is not. Comis Foundation envisions that every child has access to opportunities to not only succeed in life, but to thrive.

Mission

Comis Foundation invests in organizations that provide opportunity and access to equip children with skills to explore, learn, and thrive in their chosen communities.

Guiding Principles

Comis Foundation has 5 principles which guide our focus: We work to build relationships of mutual trust with our grantees; We value sustainable systems and solutions; We are not experts, we want to learn and enable learning; We are willing to accept risk when warranted to achieve greater impact; We value both new and established ways of serving communities.

Area of Interest

Comis Foundation supports programs and policy work that drive improvements in educational outcomes for children and youth. We are interested in programs that support the community as well as children and youth directly. We embrace the whole child concept of full community engagement to drive better outcomes for the child and our society at large.

Comis Foundation Grant

Pilot and Proof of Concept: $5,000 – $25,000

• New programs within existing organizations, standalone new organizations just getting off the ground, or testing new approaches within a current scope
• Smaller-scale research or data collecting project or other similar short-duration investigations
• Timeframe is single-year; multi-year research or evaluation projects will not be considered under this program

Capacity Building and Innovation: $25,000 up to $75,000 per year

• Capacity building for organizations, including but not limited to staff professional development, strategic planning, leadership development, and supplemental expertise (e.g., communications)
• General operating support for innovative organizations. We consider the concept of innovation broadly: organizations that create opportunity for children to explore, learn and thrive are by definition innovative until all children can engage with the world through the same set of opportunities.
• Multi-year research or evaluation projects will be considered under this program, particularly as a pre-cursor to scaling innovative programs
• Multi-year grants will be considered under this program at $25,000 – $75,000 per year

Grant Opportunities

Communities need nonprofits to thrive

We believe in transformational ideas that help individuals, families and communities flourish—and since 1975, the Murdock Trust has invested more than $1.4 billion into nonprofit organizations that share our commitment to thinking bigger, challenging problems and making a true difference.

Strategic Project Grants

Capacity-building awards for mission-focused projects and infrastructure investment

Equipment & Technology Grants

Best practices suggest that a healthy equipment and supporting technology infrastructure is essential. Please note that with these grants, recipient organizations are responsible for 50% or greater of the purchase cost.

About Us

CICF is the community foundation for the region of Central Indiana. We help people give to the causes they care about, and we support nonprofits so they can do their work more effectively.

Our Mission

To build a community of opportunity no matter place, race, or identity.

Our Vision

Central Indiana is the most connected, philanthropic, and impactful region in the nation.

Church, Church, Hittle & Antrim Scholarship

With the legal field’s focus on expanding the reach of the profession, CCH+A’s scholarship will support a student with tuition and real-world experience.

Recent reviews of the legal system have focused on the lack of access to attorneys as a result of “legal deserts,” largely in rural areas, and on creating pathways to the legal profession for traditionally underrepresented groups spanning ability, gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, military service, and the like.

With the legal field’s focus on expanding the reach of the profession, Church, Church, Hittle & Antrim’s Scholarship will support a student with tuition and real-world experience. Applicants must complete the application and a personal statement identifying their interest in the legal field and the ways their background and experience advance the legal profession.

This scholarship also includes a 75-hour paid summer internship at CCH+A.

The Impact Fund awards recoverable grants to legal services nonprofits, private attorneys, and small law firms who seek to confront economic, environmental, racial, and social injustice. Since our founding in 1992, the Impact Fund has made more than 800 recoverable grants totaling more than $10 million for impact litigation. We award grants four times per year, most within the range of US$10,000 to US$50,000.

Social Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants and legal support to assist in human and civil rights cases. We have helped to change dozens of laws and win cases to improve the rights of thousands. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Texas and North Carolina, incarcerated people with mental health disabilities are forced to remain in jail despite being found not guilty and unable to proceed with a criminal trial.
• In Orange County, California there are currently 13 gang injunctions under effect, which disproportionately affect young men of color.
• In Chicago, Illinois, the city’s homeless shelter program is inaccessible to people with disabilities.
• In Springfield, Oregon, the city and its police department used excessive force against Black Lives Matter protesters.
• In West Virginia, the state fails to protect children in foster care from abuse and neglect. 
• In Montana, voter suppression laws disadvantage young adults and give priority to gun owners.
• In Gary, Indiana, a gun manufacturer negligently marketed and distributed its guns, leading to an epidemic of gun violence in the city. 
• In Vancouver, British Columbia, the police perpetuate systemic discrimination against Indigenous people through bureaucratic measures.

Environmental Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants to support local litigation for environmental justice. These grants are for cases aiming to help people or communities who are affected by environmental harm or who lack access to basic environmental needs, such as clean water, clean air, adequate waste treatment, and green spaces. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Centreville, Illinois, the city’s failure to maintain its sewer system has caused raw sewage to flood peoples’ homes, endangering the property and health of a predominantly Black community.
• In Fresno County, California, the California Department of Transportation approved a highway expansion project that would increase air pollution and traffic in one of the state’s most environmentally burdened communities.
• In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the proposed expansion of a highway would divide the region's Black, Asian, and Latine neighborhoods and cause pollution and ill health.
• In North Dakota, the five-month closure of a highway in response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests disproportionately affected the livelihoods and health of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe members.
• In Ontario, Canada, mercury contamination of the English-Wabigoon river system causes catastrophic environmental and health impacts for the Grassy Narrows First Nation.
• In Sacramento, California, the county government and Sacramento Area Sewer District violated the Clean Water Act by discharging raw sewage into nearby rivers.
• In the Eastern Coachella Valley in California, 1,900 residents of the Oasis Mobile Home Park suffer from arsenic-laced drinking water, wastewater contamination, and overcharging for utilities.

Economic Justice

The Impact Fund provides financial and other forms of support to cases fighting for economic justice. From workers' rights to consumer protection for vulnerable populations, impact litigation is a powerful tool to hold corporationss and the government accountable. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Brooklyn, New York, a prominent mortgage lender engaged in predatory practices, leaving homeowners of color at risk of losing their homes. 
• In Washington, live-in caregivers are unconstitutionally excluded from the state’s wage-and-hour protections.
• In Ravalli County, Montana, the county has created a “modern-day debtors’ prison” by incarcerating people unable to afford pre-trial fees. 
• In San Diego, California, vehicle ordinances target unhoused vehicle owners even when no adequate housing alternative exists.
• In New York, a federal immigration detention facility is violating minimum wage and forced labor laws by forcing detainees to work for just a dollar a day. 
• In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the city and county destroy the property of unhoused individuals and conduct forced evictions from public spaces. 
• In Miami, Florida, insurance companies discriminate against a nonprofit community development corporation renting to tenants with Section 8 rental subsidies.

First Thousand Days Grant Program Guidelines

What is the background and focus of the First Thousand Days grant program?

More than ever before, early childhood education is understood as an essential element for our children, families, and communities to thrive. Yet, the United States currently invests about one ninth as much per child per year on care and education in the first five years of life as in each of the next 13. The St. Croix Valley Foundation’s First Thousand Days Fund was established by a generous donor in 2022 to support the physical, mental, emotional, and social development of children during the critical “first thousand days of life” (roughly the first three years). In 2023, the earnings from this endowed fund will be used to launch The First Thousand Days grant program, funding organizations and programs that prepare children to succeed when they enter school.

The grant program acknowledges that there are several domains of early childhood development including: Physical, Cognitive, Communicative, Social and Emotional, and Adaptive

• Physical: The development of the senses as well as gross and fine motor skills.
• Cognitive: The ability to mentally process information.
• Communicative: The ability to comprehend, utilize, and manipulate language.
• Socioemotional: “The process of developing the self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal skills that are vital for school, work, and life success.” 
• Adaptive: Self-care (eating, drinking, getting dressed, etc.).

The program also recognizes that “there is considerable overlap across these domains and competencies” and therefore intends to fund programs and organizations that foster children’s development and learning in multiple domains. 

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.

Commitment To Community

The Saint Paul 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 recognize the rich cultures and multifaceted identities that make our region strong.

Our Building Community Capacity grants are designed to be broadly responsive to community-identified priorities for residents in Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties across six areas of community vitality.

Grant Guideline

We offer general operating, program and some capital support to nonprofits serving the east metro.

Areas of community vitality

We support work that addresses at least one of six areas of community vitality. Data and our experience suggest that the following elements play key roles in community health and vitality.

Community Connectedness: creating opportunities for equity in arts, civic dialogue, community problems solving as well as supporting natural and built spaces where people live, work and play.

Economic Opportunity and Security: strengthening support for low-income individuals and families through community development, workforce education and training and creating sustainable employment pathways.

Education: exploring high-quality educational opportunities for everyone, from cradle to career, and more equitable access for racial and cultural communities.

Health: increasing health equity through quality, affordable health services, particulary for low-income, uninsured and under-insured individuals. 

Housing and Transportation: strengthening our region through affordable, quality housing, addressing homelessless and investing in equitable transportation options and benefits.

Human Services and Family Support: meeting basic needs for individuals and families, helping them be safe, stable and independent. 

Types of Grants

Our current grant opportunity includes funding for general operating support for the whole organization, support for a specific East Metro serving program or project, and capital support.

General Operating Grants

These one-year grants provide flexible funding for the overall operations of nonprofits in which at least 50% of the organization’s service benefits residents in the East Metro.

Capital Grants

These grants are designed to support your organization’s 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.

We will consider capital grants for projects located in Dakota, Ramsey and Washington counties for:

• Renovations/repairs
• Land acquisition
• Construction costs
• Technology hardware and software
• Equipment
• Furniture
• Appliances

Our History

On August 27, 1953, Archie D & Bertha H Walker established the Archie D & Bertha H Walker Family Foundation. The purpose, as stated in conformity with the Minnesota Nonprofit Corporation Act, "shall be to foster and promote charitable, scientific, literary, religious and educational ends,..." their personal reasons for establishing such an institution were to support and encourage charitable activities. They wished to devote the excess of funds over and above their needs, and those of their family, to improve the community in which they lived. They wished to enhance the effectiveness and value of those funds devoted to the charitable activities in which they had become interested. They encouraged their family members to become involved in community programs which improve and enrich the life of their community.

Annual Grant Priorities

Support for Combating Systemic Racism, Prejudice, & Exclusivity

• Nonprofits that address racist practices and policies.
• Nonprofits that are working to dismantle systemic barriers and create equitable access to resources and opportunities.

Support for  Organizations in Arts

• Nonprofits that support the creation of art, learning in the arts at all stages of life, and the integration of the arts into the fabric of community life.
• Nonprofits that provide visual arts, performing arts, and/or literary arts.

African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund Grants

Grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund advance ongoing preservation activities for historic sites, museums, and landscape projects representing African American cultural heritage. The fund supports work in four primary areas: Capital Projects, Organizational Capacity Building, Project Planning, and Programming and Interpretation. Grants made from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund will range from $50,000 to $150,000. In 2022, the National Trust awarded $3 million to 33 projects. Since establishing the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund’s National Grant Program in 2017, the National Trust has supported more than 200 preservation projects nationally.

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.

Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative Grant

Across the country, descendant communities and families are engaged in exciting and groundbreaking efforts to reclaim, rescue, and share overlooked stories and places of resilience, achievement, and perseverance. The impact of these efforts deserves admiration, resources, and partnership. Grants from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund's Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative will empower and equip descendant-led and family-led organizations and projects to preserve, activate, and manage historic places. This initiative is a testament to our belief in the capacity of descendant communities and families to be full partners and leaders in the physical preservation, interpretative programming, management, and governance of historic places.

The Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative is not just another grant funding opportunity. It's a unique, multi-year partnership and investment opportunity with one grant funding category – Stewardship Project. Powered by the Mellon Foundation's Humanities in Place, the Action Fund will award five grants and invest $200,000 per grantee, providing specialized consultation and best practices support for a period of two years.

Descendant and Family Stewardship Grants support project management, capacity-building, grantmaking, and convenings for place-based organizations. In collaboration and consultation with the Action Fund, the selected grantees will engage in the following activities during the two-year grant period as we work together to preserve American history and model new approaches in historic preservation:

• Completing a Stewardship Project needs assessment to inform the scope of work, the use of the grant funds, and define project milestones and deliverables.
• Receiving $200,000 in grant funds to develop a Stewardship Plan and launch the implementation of its recommendations.
• Promoting the partnership, process, and lessons learned for other stewarding organizations to replicate.
• Participating in convenings with initiative stakeholders to share best practices, build community, and advance the field.

The Stewardship Project's scope of work, for example, can include architectural and design services, strategic and fundraising planning, interpretation and program development, community engagement and audience development, staff support, limited capital and restoration, and other priorities established through the assessment process.

The Action Fund provides consultation to meet our grantees’ organizational needs and priorities. Our role as the grantor is to work hand in hand with our grantee partners through a collaborative process focused on asset management of heritage resources and holistic stewardship visioning and planning. Project partners will work as a team to achieve the grantee's short-term and long-term stewardship goals.

Help Define Descendant in Historic Preservation

Today, the preservation field has varying views on defining "descendant," though it is often used in connection to heritage sites associated with slavery, such as a plantation, burial ground, or jail. The Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative is a collaborative effort that values the input of all stakeholders. Our work with grantees includes strategic collaboration across the historic preservation field to define “descendant” and establish more broadly-adopted language. For example, descendant communities can include a direct blood lineage or historical affiliation to a site of enslavement, like Virginia's Sharswood Plantation, or social movements in education and civil rights, such as Washington-Rosenwald Schools, Birmingham Foot Soldiers, and the Tulsa Race Massacre.

The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund is committed to understanding the different perspectives of descendant-led organizations and projects and seeks your help. Therefore, applicants for this grant can define “descendant” for themselves and make the case that their organization and project are descendant-led and family-led on the Letter of Intent (LOI) form. We deeply respect and value the unique perspectives and experiences that each organization brings to the table.

In addition to descendant-led, family-led describes organizations where family members with direct ties to a historic place help steward the site, such as a granddaughter advocating for Virginia's Anne Spencer House and Garden Museum, siblings volunteering at Philadelphia's John Coltrane Home, or a family saving a legacy farm. It may also include property owners of a historic residence or venue associated with Black history, actively supporting its preservation, public access, and interpretation.

THE LAURA JANE MUSSER FUND was established by the estate of Laura Jane Musser of Little Falls, Minnesota to continue the personal philanthropy which she practiced in her lifetime.

Intercultural Harmony Grant

The LAURA JANE MUSSER FUND would like to promote mutual understanding and cooperation between groups and citizens of different cultural backgrounds within defined geographical areas through collaborative, cross-cultural exchange projects. Projects must be intercultural and demonstrate intercultural exchange, rather than focused on just one culture.

Priority is Placed on Projects that . . .

Include  members of various cultural communities working together on projects with common goals

Build positive relationships across cultural lines

Engender intercultural harmony, tolerance, understanding, and respect

Enhance intercultural communication, rather than cultural isolation, while at the same time honoring the unique qualities of each culture

Projects must demonstrate:

• Need in the community for the intercultural exchange project
• Grassroots endorsement by participants across cultural lines, as well as their active participation in planning and implementation of the project
• The ability of the organization to address the challenges of working across the cultural barriers identified by the project
• Tangible benefits in the larger community

Available Funds

Planning (up to $5,000) 

These funds may support costs like: consultant or staff time, meeting costs, mailings, secretarial support, refreshments, local travel, childcare, etc.

Implementation (up to $25,000)

These funds are available to implement collaborative cross-cultural exchange projects. The projects should result in a tangible outcome within at least the first 18 months. Projects will be eligible for either planning or implementation funds during any one grant period

Outcomes

Outcomes should include:

• A demonstration of intercultural exchange between cultures
• Increased comfort in interaction between the groups and individual citizens addressed by the project
• Harmonious shared use of public space and community facilities
• Continued cooperation by the participants or communities addressed by the project

Intercultural Harmony projects can be carried out in a number of areas, including (but not limited to):

• Community service
• Youth activities
• The arts

What the program will cover

• New programs or projects within their first three years
• The planning or implementation phase of a project

The Laura Jane Musser Fund was established by the estate of Laura Jane Musser of Little Falls, Minnesota to continue the personal philanthropy, which she practiced in her lifetime.

Environmental Initiative Program

The Laura Jane Musser Fund assists public or not-for-profit entities to initiate or implement projects that enhance the ecological integrity of publicly owned open spaces, while encouraging compatible human activities. 

The Fund's goal is to promote public use of open space that improves a community's quality of life and public health, while also ensuring the protection of healthy, viable and sustainable ecosystems by protecting or restoring habitat for a diversity of plant and animal species.

The Laura Jane Musser Fund encourages the use of a community-based approach with broad and active local stakeholder participation in both planning and implementation stages of projects concerning the environmental preservation and sustainable use of public open spaces. It has been our experience that projects designed through this process have a greater chance of acceptance and lasting success.

The Musser Fund is likely to make a total of 5 to 7 grants in the Environmental Initiative this year. This is a very competitive granting initiative.

Funds will be available for: 

• Planning (UP to $8,000)
• Implementation (Up to $35,000)

Planning Grant Requests: Planning grant applications must demonstrate commitment to a broad-based, active community process for the design and use of local publicly-owned open spaces.

Note - The planning stage is optional and not a required phase prior to applying for or receiving an implementation grant. If an organization receives a planning grant from the Musser Fund, this in no way implies a commitment on the part of the Musser Fund to provide the organization with any subsequent implementation grant. 

Implementation Grant Requests:  Implementation grant applications must demonstrate clear evidence of local community active participation and support.

About

Since 1987, we have strengthened communities through philanthropy and leadership. We channel generosity where it is needed, bringing together resources and passion to tackle our region’s most pressing issues and create lasting change.

What is a Community Foundation?

• We are a public charity improving our region by encouraging philanthropy, pooling and investing resources, addressing urgent needs, and supporting individuals and nonprofits through grants and scholarships.
• We provide a variety of giving options, investment management and back-office strength to help make giving easy and grantmaking transformative.
• We are a trusted partner to donors, organizations and community leaders, doing all that we can to strengthen our communities.

Simple Gifts Fund Grant

Bill Crofut was a folk singer who brought his talent into the world of international exchange with music. He had an unusual career and an unusual life, traveling and sharing his passion for music with others.

In the last months of his life he made an extraordinary CD, “Dancing on a Moonbeam.” It is his gift of music to raise money for the Simple Gifts Fund at the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. This final work fulfills a vision of Bill’s life – to make a recording with some of the many artists he worked with during a long and illustrious career and give the proceeds to aspiring young people.

Bill had deep understanding and empathy for the dreams and aspirations of young people. He wanted to do something that could help them achieve their goals. He knew that even small amounts of money could help someone to purchase an instrument, study dance and participate in a summer program. He loved to foster those small steps to further great passions.

The Simple Gifts Fund was established at Berkshire Taconic in 1998.

AWARDS

Generally the awards will be from $200 to $800. Payments will be made directly to the organization or vendor.

ELIGIBILITY

It is up to you, the applicant, to make the case that the program you want to participate in will offer you an opportunity to explore new ventures. For example, you might request funds to do an artistic apprenticeship, internship with a dance or theater company, learn a musical instrument, or experiment in a new art form.

Your request might be for the cost of tuition, art supplies, or travel/living expenses: these grants are intended to make it possible for you to participate in a program that will have significance to you in some way. 

Mission

The mission of the St. Croix Valley Foundation is to enhance the quality of life in the St. Croix.

Vibrant Communities Mental Health Grant Program

For many years, qualitative and quantitative health data has identified mental health as a priority throughout the St. Croix Valley Foundation’s (SCVF’s) six-county service area (Chisago and Washington counties in MN and Burnett, Polk, St. Croix and Pierce counties in WI). Our local data align with national data which find:

• More than 50% of adults will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime.
• 1 in 5 Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year.
• 1 in 5 children, either currently or at some point during their lifetime, have had a seriously debilitating mental illness.

The Vibrant Communities grant program recognizes that supporting mental health and wellbeing lies on a spectrum from prevention to management. Each stage of the spectrum addresses important aspects in helping people achieve and maintain positive mental health and wellbeing.

Focus Areas & Funding Examples

The Vibrant Communities grant program intends to fund programs that address any aspect of the mental health and wellbeing spectrum. To help organizations determine if their programs address the mental health and wellbeing spectrum, please find examples of previously funded programs below.

• Prevention:
  • Programs for individuals and/or families who are at high-risk for mental health conditions that aim to encourage resiliency, help improve overall mental well-being, and/or address social determinates of health (SDOH).
  • Examples:
    • Mentoring programs that develop positive relationships with at-risk youth.
    • Programs that connect at-risk parents and their children to resources that build resiliency and address social and emotional needs and development.
• Access:
  • Programs that help eliminate or reduce barriers to accessing mental health services.
  • Examples:
    • Mental health evaluations offered with interpretational help.
    • Treatments, medications, and services offered to patients at reduced cost.
• Illness Identification / Diagnosis:
  • Programs that help individuals/organizations understand the warning signs of mental health conditions and/or programs that help people living with mental health conditions receive an accurate diagnosis.
  • Examples:
    • Training for individuals to identify mental health crisis and respond appropriately.
    • Training or implementation of new diagnostic assessment tools to support early diagnosis of mental illness.
• Treatment / Intervention:
  • Treatment programs vary based on the mental health diagnoses and may include medication, counseling (therapy), and education.
  • Examples:
    • Individual and family counseling and therapy.
    • School-based behavioral health intervention.
• Management:
  • Programs that help manage symptoms of diagnosed mental health conditions.
  • Examples:
    • Case and resource management for people living with severe and persistent mental illness.
    • Vocational training and intervention to help people living with mental health conditions obtain and maintain employment.

Grant Range

• Affiliate Community Grants: $500 to $6,000
• Multi-Affiliate Grants: $500 to $10,000

Mission

The Mission of the Foundation is to provide resources to nonprofit organizations that build thriving communities and improve the quality of life primarily in the St. Croix Valley geographic region of Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Funding Priorities

The Foundation has established a focused set of priorities and welcomes requests for general operations, programs, or projects.  Capital requests may be considered on a more limited basis.

• Healthcare
  • Medical Research
  • Mental/Chemical Health
  • Hospitals
• Housing
  • Affordable Housing for Families and Seniors
• Education
  • Youth Education Initiatives
• Human Services
  • Basic Needs
  • Food Insecurity
  • Employment
• Civic
  • Local Initiatives
• Environment
  • Environmental Education

Program Description

Minnesota Statutes Sec. 144.1464 MN Statutes authorizes the Commissioner of Health to contract with a statewide nonprofit organization representing statewide facilities across the state at which secondary and postsecondary summer health care interns will serve. This organization will award grants to hospitals, clinics, nursing facilities and home care providers to establish or expand a secondary and postsecondary summer health care intern program. The purpose of the program is to expose interested secondary and postsecondary students to various careers within the health care profession.

Health Equity Priorities

The Summer Health Care Internship Program seeks to address shortages by introducing secondary and postsecondary students to careers in health care. Summer internships foster interest in pursuing a health care career, thus increasing the likelihood interns will expand the pipeline for Minnesota’s health care workforce.

This grant will serve:

• All Minnesotans, by seeking to expand the pipeline for the health care workforce.

Grant outcomes will include:

• Introducing perspective students to careers in health care
• Increasing Minnesota’s health care workforce through internships and potential health care careers
• Improving access to care for Minnesota’s diverse populations, which may include those based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, income, geography, education, sexual orientation, physical and/or mental disabilities, and military/veteran status.

Funding

• Estimated Amount to Grant: $300,000
• Estimated Number of Awards: 1
• Estimated Award Maximum: $300,000
• Estimated Award Minimum: n/a

This award will be for 3 consecutive years, as continued funding and grantee performance allows.

Charitable Foundation

The Paul Lauzier Charitable Foundation was created pursuant to the Last Will and Testament of Paul Lauzier. During his lifetime, Mr. Lauzier made numerous contributions to religious, educational, and community organizations. His legacy of charitable giving continues through annual grants awarded by the Paul Lauzier Charitable

Foundation in support of community development, youth programs, public health and safety, education, and agriculture.

There is no geographical limitation for funding requests. With that said, the Paul Lauzier Charitable Foundation prefers to fund programs and projects geographically located in rural communities in central and eastern Washington, with an emphasis within Grant County.

The Foundation also provides support in the form of long-term grants disbursed over several years. The Foundation will consider funding requests for program support, equipment and capital projects. 

The Ruth Danley and William Enoch Moore Charitable Fund is a private grantmaking foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, established in 1992. It focuses primarily on philanthropy and voluntarism, with an emphasis on charitable and educational purposes.

The fund specifically supports K-12 education for Native American children living on reservations, aiming to improve educational opportunities in these communities.

The foundation administers grants primarily to select regions based on donor preferences, including Pittsburgh and various counties in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Washington DC, and West Virginia.

The Laura Jane Musser Fund wants to encourage collaborative and participatory efforts among citizens in rural communities that will help to strengthen their towns and regions in a number of civic areas including, but not limited to, economic development, business preservation, arts and humanities, public space improvements, and education.

Priority is placed on projects that: 

• Bring together a broad range of community members and institutions
• Provide the opportunity for diverse community members to work together
• Contain measurable short term outcomes within the first 12 to 18 months
• Include community members actively in all phases of the process 
• Work toward an outcome of positive change within their community

Projects must demonstrate:

• Support from a diverse cross-section of community members and institutions
• Matching financial and/or in-kind support from the local community
• Significant volunteer participation
• Reasonable plans to complete the project within 18 months or less

Funds will be available for: 

• Planning (up to $5,000) - These funds may support costs like: consultant or staff time, meeting costs, mailings, secretarial support, refreshments, local travel, childcare, etc.
• Note - this stage is optional and not a required phase prior to applying for or receiving an implementation grant. If an organization receives a planning grant from the Musser Fund, this in no way implies a commitment on the part of the Musser Fund to provide the organization with any subsequent implementation grant.
• But organizations that receive a planning grant may apply for subsequent implementation support after their planning activities are completed.      
• Implementation (Up to $25,000) - These funds are available to implement community based rural projects that originate in, have been planned by, and involve diverse people from the local community.
• Capital campaigns will not be supported.
• The projects should result in a tangible outcome within at least the first 18 months.
• Projects will be eligible for either planning or implementation funds during any one grant period.

What the Program will Cover:

• New programs or projects within their first three years
• A planning, and/or implementation phase

St. Croix Valley Foundation Grant

The mission of the St. Croix Valley Foundation is to enhance the quality of life in the St. Croix Valley Region by: 

• Encouraging charitable giving in the Valley
  • Building permanent funds that will provide resources for the needs of today and tomorrow
• Connecting people and programs
  • Bringing together people’s charitable interests and the funding needs of programs and organizations
• Encouraging collaboration
  • Forming partnerships and providing servant leadership through programs that enhance the quality of life in our region’s distinct communities

Music Education Grant

This grant program was made possible by a donor whose gift established an endowed fund specifically for music education. The donor, a former music teacher, wanted to give the gift of music to students, pre-school through high school. The goal of this grant program is to enhance the quality of music education programs in area schools.   

Criteria

Proposals are reviewed using the following criteria:

• The project activities are engaging.
• There is a clearly defined plan and timeline.
• The project goals are defined and realistic.
• The project will have an impact on the students, music program, school, and broader community.
• The budget is realistic, the project is financially feasible and budget details are provided.
• Bids and/or supporting documentation is included

Grant Range 

Grants can range from $500 to $5,000. Proposals may be awarded partial funding.

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Our Mission: Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

Our Philosophy for Education: We believe all students – beginning at a young age – need access to real-world, applied learning experiences that empower them to gain the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.

We believe teachers play an immeasurable role in empowering students, and our programs provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students.

Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 12,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 75 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned.

PLTW Engineering - New Program

Getting students excited about STEM is essential to building a brighter future for all of us. Showing students how STEM topics fit into the real world and real careers can give them the tools to embrace this vital message. Burns & McDonnell and its Foundation have partnered with PLTW to increase access and participation to PLTW programs for students located in Burns & McDonnell communities. PLTW programs empower students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Through this partnership, Burns and McDonnell is supporting PLTW grants to schools interested in starting and expanding PLTW programs beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Program Requirements

Grantee must offer at least one PLTW Engineering course in the 2026-2027 academic year and must offer one additional course in the 2027-2028 academic year (two different courses in two years). Grantee may implement any PLTW Engineering courses of their choosing. Grantee must complete two years of grant reporting.

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Our Mission: Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

Our Philosophy for Education: We believe all students – beginning at a young age – need access to real-world, applied learning experiences that empower them to gain the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.

We believe teachers play an immeasurable role in empowering students, and our programs provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students.

Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 12,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 75 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned.

PLTW Gateway - New Program

Getting students excited about STEM is essential to building a brighter future for all of us. Showing students how STEM topics fit into the real world and real careers can give them the tools to embrace this vital message. Burns & McDonnell and its Foundation have partnered with PLTW to increase access and participation to PLTW programs for students located in Burns & McDonnell communities. PLTW programs empower students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Through this partnership, Burns and McDonnell is supporting PLTW grants to schools interested in starting and expanding PLTW programs beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Program Requirements

Grantee must offer at least one PLTW Gateway unit in the 2026-2027 academic year and must offer one additional unit in the 2027-2028 academic year (two different units in two years). Grantee may implement any PLTW Gateway units of their choosing. Grantee must complete two years of grant reporting.

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Our Mission: Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

Our Philosophy for Education: We believe all students – beginning at a young age – need access to real-world, applied learning experiences that empower them to gain the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.

We believe teachers play an immeasurable role in empowering students, and our programs provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students.

Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 12,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 75 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned.

PLTW Gateway - Program Expansion

Getting students excited about STEM is essential to building a brighter future for all of us. Showing students how STEM topics fit into the real world and real careers can give them the tools to embrace this vital message. Burns & McDonnell and its Foundation have partnered with PLTW to increase access and participation to PLTW programs for students located in Burns & McDonnell communities. PLTW programs empower students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Through this partnership, Burns and McDonnell is supporting PLTW grants to schools interested in starting and expanding PLTW programs beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Program Requirements

Grantee must use their grant funds to expand their existing PLTW Gateway program. Example expansion activities include but are not limited to adding an additional PLTW Gateway unit not previously offered, and/or adding additional class periods of an existing PLTW Gateway unit previously offered, and/or training additional teachers in a PLTW Gateway unit for the 2026-2027 academic year. Grantee must complete one year of grant reporting.

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Our Mission: Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

Our Philosophy for Education: We believe all students – beginning at a young age – need access to real-world, applied learning experiences that empower them to gain the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.

We believe teachers play an immeasurable role in empowering students, and our programs provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students.

Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 12,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 75 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned.

PLTW Launch - New Program

Getting students excited about STEM is essential to building a brighter future for all of us. Showing students how STEM topics fit into the real world and real careers can give them the tools to embrace this vital message. Burns & McDonnell and its Foundation have partnered with PLTW to increase access and participation to PLTW programs for students located in Burns & McDonnell communities. PLTW programs empower students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Through this partnership, Burns and McDonnell is supporting PLTW grants to schools interested in starting and expanding PLTW programs beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Program Requirements

Grantee must offer at least one PLTW Launch module in the 2026-2027 academic year and must offer one additional module for the 2027-2027 academic year (two different modules in two years). Grantee may implement any PLTW Launch modules of their choosing. Grantee must complete two years of grant reporting.

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Our Mission: Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

Our Philosophy for Education: We believe all students – beginning at a young age – need access to real-world, applied learning experiences that empower them to gain the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.

We believe teachers play an immeasurable role in empowering students, and our programs provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students.

Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 12,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 75 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned.

PLTW Launch - Program Expansion

Getting students excited about STEM is essential to building a brighter future for all of us. Showing students how STEM topics fit into the real world and real careers can give them the tools to embrace this vital message. Burns & McDonnell and its Foundation have partnered with PLTW to increase access and participation to PLTW programs for students located in Burns & McDonnell communities. PLTW programs empower students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Through this partnership, Burns and McDonnell is supporting PLTW grants to schools interested in starting and expanding PLTW programs beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Program Requirements

Grantees must use these grant funds to expand their program. Example expansion activities include but are not limited to adding an additional PLTW Launch module not previously offered, and/or offering existing PLTW Launch modules to more students, and/or training additional teachers in PLTW Launch Classroom Teacher Training or PLTW Launch Lead Teacher Training for the 2026-2027 academic year. Grantee must complete one year of grant reporting.