Northwest Minnesota Foundation issues $840,000 in grants, loans during 2nd quarter

BEMIDJI — Thanks to the work of the Northwest Minnesota Foundation, more than $840,000 was loaned or granted out into the region from October through December 2022. This three-month timeframe comprises the second quarter of NMF’s fiscal year.

Funds released by NMF included more than $450,000 through local philanthropic activities, more than $264,000 through NMF’s discretionary grant programs, and more than $126,000 through loans to small business owners, a release said.

Additionally, the Northwest Small Business Development Center, for which NMF serves as the host, provided 764 hours of free business consulting hours to 141 clients throughout the region.

These figures bring the total disbursements for the current fiscal year to more than $1.8 million.

The Northwest Minnesota region served by NMF includes Red Lake and White Earth Nations and Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake and Roseau Counties. Additionally, NMF’s Homelessness program serves the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.

Through 120 philanthropic fund grants approved, $450,935 was dispersed into northwest Minnesota in this three-month timeframe. NMF houses around 415 funds within its family of funds, including community funds, donor-advised funds, education funds, scholarship funds, and others. Each fund has its own purpose.

Grants dispersed through these funds included:

• $123,720 through 27 grants from donor-advised funds, supporting a wide range of charities and benefiting an array of community efforts.  
• $99,683 through health care funds to support medical services.
• $54,857 through education funds to support education activities within local school districts.
• $48,212 through community service funds, supporting local efforts such as animal shelters, Boy Scouts and Rotarians, community development, churches and homeless shelters.
• $45,000 from environmental funds.
• $27,305 through community funds to support local cities, school districts and nonprofit organizations. 
• $24,157 through cultural funds, supporting local music, theater and arts projects.
• $14,000 through scholarship funds. 

Through discretionary grants, NMF approved $264,667 in grants in this second quarter, including:

• $125,000 for continual support toward a program providing affordable access to transportation throughout the region.
• $75,000 to support the development of an affordable and culturally specific youth housing initiative in the Bemidji area.
• $15,000 for a three-year sponsorship ($5,000 a year) of an annual conference that focuses on youth and mental health.
• $15,000 to support a program in the Bemidji area that helps finance automobile repairs so people can maintain their independence and ability to commute to work.
• $10,000 to support a vocational construction training program for men in recovery in the Clearbrook area.
• $10,000 to help fund the opening of a new culturally sensitive child care center in the EGF area that will have a 75-slot capacity.
• $10,000 to help fund the construction of an addition to a child care center in the McIntosh area that will increase the capacity to 57 slots.
• $4,667 in funding to support a vaccination clinic for vulnerable populations in the Bemidji area.

In this time period, NMF approved nine loans to nine businesses throughout the region, totaling $126,200, including:

• Four loans were approved through the Child Care Finance Program to support child care businesses in Beltrami and Marshall Counties.
• One loan was approved through the CDFI Rapid Response program in Hubbard County.
• Four loans were SBA Microloans to businesses located in Polk, Marshall, Clearwater and Hubbard Counties.

To learn more about NMF grant opportunities, visit nwmf.org/resources/grants/open-grant-rounds.