Northwest Minnesota Foundation Pushes More Than $840,000 Into the Region in 2nd Quarter of FY23

(Bemidji, MN) – More than $840,000 was loaned or granted out into the region from October through December through the Northwest Minnesota Foundation. 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.

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 two tribal nations (Red Lake Nation and White Earth Nation) and 12 counties (Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, and Roseau). Additionally, NMF’s Homelessness program serves the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.

PHILANTHROPY (COMPONENT AND COMMUNITY FUNDS)

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 benefitting 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. 

DISCRETIONARY GRANTS

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

Approved grants included:

• $125,000 for continual support toward a program providing affordable access to transportation throughout our 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 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.

BUSINESS LOANS AND SUPPORT

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

These loans included:

• Four loans were approved through the Child Care Finance Program to support child care businesses in Beltrami and Marshall counites.
• 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 follow NMF grant opportunities, please visit and bookmark this page, www.nwmf.org/resources/grants/open-grant-rounds and follow NMF on social media.

To learn more about NMF funds or to speak with a Philanthropy Officer, please visit www.nwmf.org and click on “Ways to Give”.