Minnesota grants for Nonprofits

The Office of Adult Career Pathways, within the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, is calling for applications from eligible Minnesota community-based organizations. The purpose is to enhance their capacity to provide workforce services and training to historically underserved communities of color or low-income communities. The grant aims to address the needs of areas with historical high unemployment rates, low academic achievement, and median income below the family sustainable wage. Eligible use of funds includes covering the costs of workforce program delivery staff, infrastructure, and the development of service models. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all funds are allocated, with no more than $4,750,000 to be awarded before July 1, 2024.

This grant provides financial support for small businesses and nonprofit organizations in Hennepin County, Minnesota, to improve their recycling and organics recycling efforts by acquiring containers and compostable bags.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for projects that conserve and improve natural resources, targeting municipalities, nonprofits, schools, and private property owners in Hennepin County.

The Cultural STAR Capital Project program offers grants to acquire or upgrade physical assets like buildings and equipment. These activities must demonstrate the potential for significant or long-term impact, and the expenditures must be depreciable. The program's core mission aligns with promoting cultural vitality and economic growth, particularly within Saint Paul's downtown Cultural District, by strengthening its arts and culture community. The target beneficiaries of the Cultural STAR fund are primarily nonprofit arts and cultural organizations located within the City of Saint Paul. For-profit businesses located in the Cultural District are also eligible for projects that enhance visitor enjoyment. The program aims to build and diversify audiences, promote a broad range of cultural offerings, produce a long-term impact, and leverage additional financial support. The expected outcomes include attracting audiences, developing and improving cultural facilities, and building the capacity of artists and cultural organizations. The program's geographic focus prioritizes the Cultural District, with at least 80% of funds allocated to nonprofit organizations within this area. The remaining 20% can go to for-profit businesses in the Cultural District for visitor enhancement projects or nonprofit organizations in Saint Paul but outside the Cultural District. The Cultural District is specifically defined by Interstate 94 to the north, the Lafayette Bridge to the east, Harriet and Raspberry Islands to the south, and Chestnut Road to the west. The Cultural STAR program offers various funding types: Special Projects Grant, Organizational Development Grant, or Capital Project Grant. Applicants can apply for only one type per funding round, and grants can generally be received once per calendar year. However, Saint Paul-based nonprofit arts and cultural organizations outside the Cultural District may apply twice per round and receive funding up to two times per calendar year. The minimum grant request is $5,000, with estimated available funding in 2024 being $796,366 for the Cultural District and $199,091 for outside the Cultural District and for-profit businesses. The project period for successful applications is from August 1, 2024, to July 31, 2026.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations, schools, and government entities in Douglas County, Minnesota, to support health and wellness initiatives that address the needs of residents experiencing poverty.

The **Mardag Foundation** is now accepting applications for its **2024 Grant Program**, supporting organizations that promote equity, strengthen communities, and improve quality of life for Minnesotans. Rooted in collaboration and racial equity, the foundation’s approach emphasizes community-informed work that empowers marginalized populations and fosters lasting, inclusive change. Grant funding is available to organizations serving residents in **Greater Minnesota** and the **East Metro counties of Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington**. The foundation’s giving focuses on three primary areas. The first is **improving the lives of low-income children, youth, and families** who face barriers to opportunity. Priority is given to organizations serving marginalized communities—especially Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC)—and addressing intersections of education, mental health, basic needs, employment pathways, healthcare access, and housing stability. Projects that eliminate inequities and expand equitable opportunities for youth and families are especially encouraged to apply. The second focus area supports **older adults who face isolation, financial hardship, or barriers to full participation in community life**. Funding will prioritize organizations serving low-income older Minnesotans, particularly those who are also members of marginalized groups such as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ individuals, or people with disabilities. Grants may support efforts to meet basic needs, improve caregiving quality, promote mental health, reduce isolation, and enable aging in place through stable and safe housing. The foundation also welcomes programs fostering **intergenerational connections**, which enrich both older adults and younger participants through shared experiences. The third priority is **strengthening community vitality through arts and culture**. The Mardag Foundation believes that the arts play a vital role in honoring diverse cultures and fostering shared understanding. Funding will support arts and culture organizations that elevate underrepresented voices and amplify the creative contributions of BIPOC, low-income, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ communities. Through these efforts, the foundation aims to build stronger, more connected, and culturally vibrant communities across Minnesota. The foundation offers two types of grants: **General Operating Support** and **Capital Project grants**. General operating grants provide flexible funding to nonprofits that serve at least 50% of their beneficiaries in the East Metro or Greater Minnesota. Capital grants support facility improvements or equipment purchases for projects based in these same regions, typically distributed over multiple years. Eligible applicants include **501(c)(3) nonprofits, educational institutions, government agencies, and religious organizations**. Preference is given to entities whose work is led or informed by the people most affected by the issues they address. The Mardag Foundation does not fund organizations using fiscal sponsors, those exclusively serving Minneapolis or the West Metro, scholarships, sectarian programs, or large-scale capital campaigns for private schools or universities. By focusing its support on community-led efforts that address inequality and strengthen social infrastructure, the foundation continues its mission of advancing opportunity, dignity, and well-being for all Minnesotans—especially those facing the greatest barriers to success.

The Thief River Falls Area Community Fund is inviting applications for grants from nonprofit or public entities within the Thief River Falls School District area. Grants are intended for projects, programs, or activities that enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors of the Thief River Falls area. Primary focus areas include youth engagement, social need, senior enrichment, and overall quality of life enhancement. Applications are open until May 1, 2024. The fund is a component of the Northwest Minnesota Foundation, which serves 12 northwestern Minnesota counties. More information and application details can be found on their website.

This grant provides financial assistance to local governments and authorities in Minnesota for investigating and cleaning up contaminated sites to promote redevelopment and increase property tax revenue.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is offering approximately $4.5 million in grants to support organics management projects aimed at reducing the amount of organic material sent to landfills or incinerators. This funding is intended for projects that enhance or establish collection, processing (through composting, anaerobic digestion, or feeding to animals), and education/outreach initiatives related to organics management. Eligible entities must serve or operate within Minnesota, and include not-for-profit organizations, businesses, institutions, political subdivisions (e.g., counties, cities), state agencies, and tribal governments. Applications are due by 4 p.m. Central Time on June 10, 2024.

The North Central Region SARE (NCR-SARE) Partnership Grant Program is seeking applications to provide funding of $10,000 to $100,000 for projects that foster cooperation between agriculture professionals and small groups of farmers and ranchers, aiming to catalyze on-farm research, demonstration, and education activities related to sustainable agriculture.

This grant provides financial support to non-profit organizations in Richfield, Minnesota, to help community members recover from the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on issues like housing stability, food insecurity, and economic support for low-income households.

The New American in the Long-Term Care Workforce grant, administered by the Department of Human Services (DHS) in Minnesota through its Grants, Equity, Access, and Research (GEAR) Division, aims to support New Americans in obtaining, maintaining, and growing within the long-term care (LTC) workforce. This initiative directly aligns with the broader mission of strengthening the LTC sector by addressing workforce shortages and promoting diversity and inclusion. The grant is designed to provide specialized services and supports to New Americans, fostering their professional development and contributing to the stability and quality of LTC organizations across all counties in Minnesota. The primary target beneficiaries of this grant are New Americans seeking to enter or advance in the LTC workforce. The program's impact goals include increasing the number of New Americans in LTC, enhancing their skills and career pathways, and ultimately improving the capacity and cultural competency of LTC organizations. By focusing on this specific demographic, the grant seeks to create a more inclusive and robust workforce, which is a critical component of ensuring high-quality care for residents. The grant prioritizes several key areas to achieve its objectives. These include offering onsite Occupational English classes and training, establishing in-house mentorship programs, providing cultural competency and humility training for LTC employers and staff, and offering hiring bonuses and incentives. Furthermore, the program emphasizes digital skills training, developing mentorship and career-pathways programs for employee retention, career navigation and education, financial literacy coaching, and training stipends or tuition reimbursement. Crucially, it also provides wraparound support services such as mental health assistance, medical career education, childcare, and transportation, recognizing the holistic needs of New American workers. Expected outcomes and measurable results include an increase in the number of New Americans successfully placed and retained in LTC positions, improved career progression and skill development among participants, and enhanced cultural competence within LTC facilities. The grant anticipates awarding up to $12 million in the first round of applicants, indicating a significant investment in these outcomes. The grant period from August 1, 2024, through July 31, 2026, allows for a two-year window to implement and measure the effectiveness of these programs, with an emphasis on creating sustainable pathways for New Americans in the LTC sector. Eligible applicants for this grant include nonprofit organizations, community-based agencies, educational institutions, LTC employers, and government entities that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving New Americans. This broad eligibility ensures that a diverse range of organizations can contribute to the grant's goals. The strategic priorities of DHS, as evidenced by this grant, include fostering equity and access within critical sectors like long-term care, leveraging grant contracts to achieve workforce development goals, and supporting underserved populations. The theory of change behind this program is that by providing targeted support, training, and resources to New Americans, the state can simultaneously empower individuals, strengthen the LTC workforce, and enhance the quality of care provided to its residents.

The Sexual Violence Prevention Grant Program in Minnesota, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Rape Prevention and Education program, aims to prevent sexual violence by enhancing health equity and addressing social determinants of health. The program supports activities in three priority areas: strengthening economic supports for families, creating protective environments, and promoting social norms that protect against violence. The program emphasizes interventions that prevent violence through community and societal level changes and prioritizes projects that address systemic inequalities and promote health equity.

The Minnesota Housing, in collaboration with Greater Minnesota Housing Fund (GMHF), is launching the Single Family RFP through its Community Homeownership Impact Fund. This initiative is designed to expand and preserve affordable homeownership opportunities across all counties in Minnesota. The program’s mission aligns closely with the foundation’s broader vision: ensuring that every Minnesotan has access to safe, affordable, and sustainable housing. By focusing on single-family, owner-occupied homes, this funding opportunity aims to address both supply and quality gaps, particularly in underserved and economically marginalized communities. Through multiple financing mechanisms—grants, deferred loans, housing infrastructure bonds, and interim loans—the program seeks to foster community stability, economic inclusion, and equitable pathways to homeownership. The program’s primary beneficiaries are low- to moderate-income households, with a targeted emphasis on households of color, immigrant households, and those including people with disabilities. This focus reflects GMHF’s commitment to applying a racial and economic equity lens to homeownership initiatives, aiming to reduce historic disparities in property ownership and wealth accumulation. Targeted investments will support both the creation of new affordable housing units and the rehabilitation of existing homes, ensuring that communities not only gain new housing stock but also preserve their existing neighborhoods. Special priority will be given to applicants leveraging cross-sector collaborations—particularly in health and housing—to improve overall community well-being. Strategically, the program prioritizes projects that deliver tangible, lasting impact. Priority activities include acquisition, rehabilitation, and resale of existing properties; new construction of single-family homes; and stand-alone affordability gap assistance. Additional emphasis is placed on projects that advance Tribal housing initiatives, ensuring that Tribal Nations and communities have equitable access to homeownership opportunities. By offering flexible funding types—including forgivable loans and deferred downpayment assistance—the program allows local governments, nonprofits, Tribal entities, and developers to structure their projects to meet community-specific needs and financial realities. Expected outcomes are centered on measurable, high-impact results. Awarded projects must lead to the creation or preservation of affordable, owner-occupied homes with no more than four units, ensuring at least one unit is owner-occupied. The program anticipates that these efforts will expand the affordable housing inventory, increase homeownership rates among underrepresented populations, and stabilize neighborhoods. Success metrics will include the number of homes developed or rehabilitated, the number of households served, demographic diversity among beneficiaries, and the degree to which affordability thresholds are met and maintained. Additionally, the program seeks to generate long-term community benefits such as improved health outcomes, greater neighborhood investment, and increased intergenerational wealth. The foundation’s strategic priorities and theory of change rest on the belief that stable, affordable homeownership is a critical lever for advancing economic mobility and community resilience. By combining capital investment with equitable housing strategies, the program aims to dismantle systemic barriers to homeownership and create conditions for sustained prosperity. Through partnerships with municipalities, Tribal governments, nonprofits, and developers, Minnesota Housing and GMHF are fostering a collaborative ecosystem that ensures funding leads to meaningful, measurable, and community-driven change. This initiative is not merely about building houses—it’s about empowering people, strengthening communities, and reshaping the housing landscape in Minnesota for a more inclusive future.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to contractors who will assist Minnesota Tribal governments and organizations in enhancing their capacity for environmental and climate initiatives through grant writing, management, and technical assistance.

This funding opportunity supports organizations in Minnesota that provide essential services to individuals and families facing housing and food insecurity, helping them acquire necessary tools and infrastructure to improve their support efforts.

The Crookston Area Community Fund (CACF), under the umbrella of the Northwest Minnesota Foundation, offers grants to support charitable, educational, and public purpose projects. These projects are specifically designed to enhance or improve the quality of life for both residents and visitors within the Crookston area. This grant program aligns directly with the foundation's mission to foster community well-being and development in Northwest Minnesota. The primary beneficiaries of this grant program are nonprofit organizations and public agencies operating in the Crookston area. The program aims to support projects that address key community needs and contribute to a better quality of life. Impact goals include fostering improvements in education, stimulating economic development, bolstering healthcare services, protecting the environment, enhancing recreational opportunities, and supporting cultural and community service initiatives. The CACF prioritizes projects that fall under specific topics: education, economic development, healthcare, environment and recreation, and cultural and community service. These focus areas represent critical sectors where strategic investment can lead to significant community benefits. The selection process considers how effectively proposed projects address these areas and their potential for positive, tangible outcomes. Expected outcomes include measurable improvements in the quality of life across the Crookston area. Projects should demonstrate clear objectives and the potential for a positive impact on the community. While specific measurable results are not detailed in the provided text, the emphasis on enhancing and improving quality of life suggests that successful projects will lead to concrete benefits, such as improved access to educational resources, new economic opportunities, better health outcomes, or increased engagement in cultural and recreational activities. The program plans to award a total of $25,000 in this grant round, with individual grants ranging from $500 to $10,000.

The North Central Region SARE (NCR-SARE) Research and Education (R&E) Grant Program is a competitive funding opportunity offering $100,000 to $500,000 for up to 3 years to researchers, educators, and organizations exploring sustainable agriculture, with the aim of improving economic viability, environmental quality, and quality of life in the North Central Region's agricultural sector.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations that provide stable housing and empower low- and moderate-income communities, focusing on vulnerable populations such as working families, youth, seniors, and veterans.

This grant provides financial support to develop and sustain primary care residency programs in rural Minnesota, aiming to increase the number of physicians serving underserved communities.