The Northwest Minnesota Foundation

THE NORTHWEST MINNESOTA FOUNDATION INVESTS RESOURCES, FACILITATES COLLABORATION, AND PROMOTES PHILANTHROPY TO MAKE THE REGION A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK.

A) GRANTS AWARDED: GRANT PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLIC AGENCIES AS THEY ADDRESS ORGANIZATIONAL, COMMUNITY, AND REGIONAL ISSUES. EACH PROGRAM HAS ITS OWN SET OF PRIORITIES AND ELIGIBILITY, AND REVIEW PROCESSES. A TOTAL OF $4,720,441 WAS AWARDED AS GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS AND FORGIVABLE LOANS PROGRAMS IN FY 2022 AND INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: COMPONENT FUNDS: AS PART OF THE FOUNDATIONS COMMITMENT TO STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITIES TO SHAPE THEIR FUTURE, WE ADMINISTER 372 ACTIVE COMPONENT FUNDS TO ASSIST COMMUNITIES AND NONPROFIT AGENCIES IN BUILDING THEIR RESOURCES. FROM THESE, $1,357,530 WAS GIVEN FOR 320 GRANTS AWARDED IN FY 2022. BEYOND THE GRANTS AWARDED, $352,933 OF GRANT-RELATED ACTIVITIES SUCH AS MISSION-RELATED AND DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT ACTIVITIES WERE EXPENDED IN SUPPORT OF OUR REGION. AN ADDITIONAL $379,723 WAS GIVEN FOR 242 SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE REGION. EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANT PROGRAMSL SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF PROGRAM: WE ADMINISTERED 211 GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE BUSINESSES TOTALING $2,225,000 PROVIDED BY THE STATE OF MINNESOTA TO PROVIDE RELIEF FROM THE EFFECTS OF THE SHUT-DOWN MANDATED BY THE STATE GOVERNMENT IN AN ATTEMPT TO ADDRESS THE SPREAD OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. GOVERNORS EMERGENCY EDUCATION RELIEF PROGRAMWE ADMINISTERED 5 GRANTS TOTALING $59,100 TO CHILDCARE PROVIDERS THROUGHOUT OUR 12-COUNTY REGION AS PART OF THE GOVERNORS EMERGENCY EDUCATION RELIEF PROGRAM PROVIDED BY THE STATE OF MINNESOTA. UNDER THIS SAME PROGRAM, WE ADMINISTERED 3 GRANTS FOR A TOTAL OF $52,500 TO LOCAL SCHOOLS AND OTHER NON-PROFIT AGENCIES TO PROVIDE INCREASED EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES TO CHILDREN IN THE AREA. COVID COMMUNITY HEROES: IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE STEEP CHALLENGES IT SPURRED THROUGHOUT NORTHWEST MINNESOTA, WE LAUNCHED THE COVID COMMUNITY HEROES PROGRAM TO RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS THAT HAVE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY DURING THAT DIFFICULT TIME. NMF AWARDED 7 GRANTS TOTALING $3,500 IN RECOGNITION OF THOSE EXTRAORDINARY EFFORTS. CHILDREN & FAMILIES PROGRAM: WE AWARDED 5 GRANTS TOTALING $110,000 TO AGENCIES IN OUR SERVICE AREA TO IMPROVE THE FAMILY STRUCTURE THROUGH COMMUNITY-LED, COMMUNITY-DRIVEN SHARED VISION AND ACTIONS, DEVELOPING PARENT SUPPORTS AND PARENT-LED COMMUNITY PROJECTS. CHILD CARE PROGRAM: WE AWARDED 5 GRANTS TOTALING $191,600 TO AGENCIES AND CHILDCARE CENTERS AS WELL AS 14 FORGIVABLE CHILDCARE LOANS TOTALING $70,000 TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND OTHER SUPPORTS TO CHILDCARE FACILITIES SO THAT THEY CAN REMAIN IN OPERATION AND RETAIN OR INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CHILDCARE SLOTS AVAILABLE. HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS PROGRAMS: SEVEN GRANTS TOTALING $49,467 WERE AWARDED TO LOCAL NONPROFIT AGENCIES TO WORK TOWARD ADDRESSING HOUSING INADEQUACIES AND AVAILABILITY IN OUR REGION. SIX GRANTS TOTALING $47,821 WERE AWARDED TO VARIOUS HOMELESS SHELTERS AND OTHER NON-PROFIT AGENCIES ADDRESSING YOUTH HOMELESSNESS IN THE REGION, PROVIDING INCREASED ACCESS TO HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR YOUTH AGES 16 TO 24. AMERICAN INDIAN CDC VACCINE INCENTIVE PROGRAM: TWO GRANTS FOR A TOTAL OF $15,000 WERE ISSUED TO LOCAL NONPROFIT AGENCIES FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING NATIVE AMERICANS IN OUR REGION, SPECIFICALLY THROUGH THE EFFORT OF PROMOTING COVID-19 VACCINATIONS. INNOVATION: ONE GRANT FOR $10,000 WAS ISSUED TO A LOCAL NONPROFIT AGENCY WHO FOCUSES ON HELPING INDIVIDUALS OVERCOME SUBSTANCE ABUSE. TRAINING GRANTS: TWO GRANTS TOTALING $25,000 WERE ISSUED TO A LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND TO A NONPROFIT AGENCY WHO HELP INDIVIDUALS IN OUR REGION WITH TRAINING TO BECOME BETTER LEADERS. FUNDERS NETWORK FOR SMART GROWTH: THREE GRANTS TOTALING $44,200 WERE GIVEN TO LOCAL NONPROFITS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITIES IN THE AREAS OF DISASTER RELIEF AND ASSISTANCE FOR THE ELDERLY DURING THE PANDEMIC. FOR THE DISASTER RELIEF, THESE RESOURCES WERE PROVIDED TO SMALL BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY FOCUSING ON CHILDCARE PROVIDERS AFFECTED BY DISASTERS AND HELPING TO ASSEMBLE A DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PLAN. IN ADDITION, ONE OF THE GRANTS WAS TO A NONPROFIT AGENCY THAT HAS A PROGRAM DESIGNED TO AID WITH THE ELDERLY BY PROVIDING OUTREACH SERVICES TO SENIORS IN OUR 12-COUNTY REGION WHO HAVE BECOME MORE ISOLATED DURING AND AFTER THE PANDEMIC. INGENUITY DRIVES ENTREPRENEUR ACCELERATION (IDEA) PROGRAMTHREE GRANTS TOTALING $15,000 WERE AWARDED UNDER THE IDEA (INGENUITY DRIVES ENTREPRENEUR ACCELERATION) PROGRAM, WHICH ASSISTS PROMISING LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS IN THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS, PROCESSES, AND DELIVERIES BY CONNECTING THEM TO THE BEST RESOURCES AVAILABLE. INITIATOR FELLOWS PROGRAM: WE GRANTED $20,000 TO A FOUNDATION MANAGING THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM THAT RECOGNIZES SUCCESSFUL SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS. THE FUNDS WILL BE USED IN SUPPORT OF EMERGING SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS IN GREATER MINNESOTA BY AWARDING TWO-YEAR FELLOWSHIPS TO ENTREPRENEURS SEEKING TO ADDRESS NEEDS IN THEIR HOME REGION. ADVOCACY GRANTS: WE GRANTED OUT A TOTAL OF $45,000 FOR FIVE DIFFERENT PROJECTS RELATED TO ADVOCACY EFFORTS. TWO GRANTS TOTALING $15,000 WENT TO AMHERST H. WILDER FOUNDATION FOR MINNESOTA COMPASS TO HELP MAINTAIN THE WEBSITE FOR COMMUNITY LEVEL DATA TOOLS. WE TYPICALLY SUPPORT MINNESOTA COMPASS AT $5,000 PER YEAR, THIS FUNDING SUPPORTED THREE YEARS OF OPERATIONS FOR THE GRANTEE. THE PARK RAPIDS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP. RECEIVED $10,000 TO SUPPORT THEIR LEAD FOR MINNESOTA FELLOW, WHO WAS HIRED TO SUPPORT ARTS AND CULTURAL WORK AT THE ARMORY ARTS AND EVENTS CENTER IN PARK RAPIDS. TWO OTHER GRANTS FOR $10,000 EACH SUPPORTED GENERAL OPERATIONS AND EMERGENCY DISASTER PREPAREDNESS FOR THE INTER-COUNTY COMMUNITY COUNCIL, INC. AND TRI-VALLEY OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL, INC.. BOTH ORGANIZATIONS WORK DIRECTLY WITH LOW-TO-MODERATE-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS AND WERE MAKING PROGRAM AND ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY INVESTMENTS WITH THE GRANT FUNDING.B) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: THE FOUNDATION IS COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. AS A PART OF THAT MISSION, SEVERAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE TO PROMOTE A HIGH LEVEL OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY THROUGHOUT THE REGION.IN FY 2022, 43 LOANS TOTALING $957,127 WERE FUNDED UNDER THE ENTREPRENEUR AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: ENTREPRENEUR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: THE ENTREPRENEUR DEVELOPMENT LOAN PROGRAM PROVIDES SMALL BUSINESS LOANS TO ENTREPRENEURS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE, EXPERTISE AND A WELL-DEVELOPED BUSINESS PLAN. 42 LOANS TOTALING $883,306 WERE FUNDED UNDER THIS PROGRAM. 21 LOANS TOTALING $182,100 WERE ISSUED TO CHILDCARE PROVIDERS, OF WHICH 14 LOANS TOTALING $70,000 ARE FORGIVABLE OVER FIVE YEARS, AND THE REMAINDER ARE LOW-INTEREST LOANS AS PART OF OUR CHILDCARE FINANCING PROGRAMS, INCLUDING 4 LOANS TOTALING $70,000 FUNDED BY RESOURCES PROVIDED BY THE WOMENS FOUNDATION OF MINNESOTA. THESE LOANS HELPED TO FACILITATE 189 NEW CHILDCARE SLOTS AND RETAIN 40 CHILDCARE SLOTS. FORGIVABLE LOANS WILL BE WRITTEN OFF ANNUALLY FOR A PROPORTIONATE AMOUNT AS BORROWERS CONTINUE TO MEET THE CRITERIA SET FORTH IN THE LOAN AGREEMENTS. 21 LOANS TOTALING $701,206 WERE ISSUED IN SUPPORT OF SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE RESTAURANT, HEALTHCARE, AGRICULTURE, AND TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRIES. WE ALSO SERVE AS THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER FOR THE NORTHWEST REGION OF MINNESOTA, WHERE APPROXIMATELY 401 SMALL BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT THE AREA RECEIVED OVER 3,485 HOURS OF DIRECT BUSINESS CONSULTING ASSISTANCE WHERE 15 BUSINESSES WERE BOUGHT OR STARTED WITH A DEBT OR EQUITY INVESTMENT RAISED OF $11.42 MILLION. THROUGH THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PROVIDED BY THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, WE PROVIDED OVER 1,480 HOURS OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO APPROXIMATELY 86 BORROWERS. IN ADDITION, 35 BORROWERS ALSO RECEIVED $34,212 IN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM SPECIALIZED SERVICES PROVIDED THROUGHOUT THE REGION. BUSINESS FINANCE PROGRAM: THE BUSINESS FINANCE PROGRAM (BFP) IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LOAN PROGRAM TYPICALLY ENGAGED IN MAKING GAP LOANS. THE BFP PARTNERS WITH COMMERCIAL BANKS THAT ARE UNWILLING TO ASSUME THE RISK OF GRANTING AN ENTIRE LOAN REQUEST. *** SEE ATTACHED PDF FOR REMAINING ACHIEVEMENTS***