The Twin Valley-Gary Area Community Fund and the Joseph Urdahl Memorial Fund are community-focused grantmaking programs established under the umbrella of the Northwest Minnesota Foundation. These funds support charitable, educational, and public purpose projects that enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors of the Twin Valley-Gary area. The 2025 grant cycle includes a funding preference for initiatives related to health and wellness, reflecting a strategic emphasis on community well-being.
Eligible projects must serve the geographic area defined by the Norman County East School District. This includes the towns of Twin Valley and Gary as well as surrounding townships. Specifically, the Twin Valley area includes the townships of Lake Ida, Wild Rice, Flom, Fossum, Rockwell, and Home Lake, while the Gary area includes the townships of Waukon, Strand, Green Meadow, Spring Creek, Sundal, and Bear Park. Priority will be given to proposals that clearly demonstrate local impact and benefit to community residents.
The deadline for submitting applications is October 31, 2025. Projects should align with the fund’s mission of supporting public good through programming, infrastructure, education, health, or cultural enrichment. All project types must be charitable in nature and must directly benefit the community within the designated service area. Funding levels and award amounts are not published in the announcement and may vary depending on available resources and the number of applicants.
Both funds are administered through the Northwest Minnesota Foundation, which supports local philanthropy and community development across the region. While detailed application procedures are not provided in the grant announcement, applicants are expected to follow NMF’s standard process for community fund proposals. Organizations may contact the Foundation for further guidance.
All applicants are encouraged to consider the Foundation’s current focus area of health and wellness, which will be used as a prioritization factor during the review process. Projects outside that category are still eligible but may receive lower consideration during scoring.
Health and wellness projects will be prioritized in the 2025 cycle
