Between April 1 and June 30, 2021, the Northland Foundation awarded 46 grants totaling $571,635 to benefit the people and communities within its service area. These numbers do not include 13 already announced Maada’ookiing grants awarded to Indigenous individuals through the foundation’s newest initiative.)
Sixteen grants totaling $166,991 went toward work specific to the wellbeing of children and youth in the region. In addition to funding for academic help and out-of-school time enrichment programming, an award to Family Rise Together ($20,000) will help support a new program connecting Black, Indigenous, and other Youth of Color in the foster care system with family members who can help care for them. Another two grants will help fund alcohol and drug use prevention efforts for young people, one to McGregor KIDS PLUS/Something Cool, Inc. ($25,000) for a new, youth-led program in the McGregor area and one to ISD #317 - Deer River School District ($15,000) aimed at helping young people in the Deer River area.
"Supporting the healthy development of children and youth has been a Northland Foundation priority for 35 years now," stated Erik Torch, Director of Grantmaking. "This spring's funding adds to the more than $13.6 million to date in Children and Youth grantmaking, dedicated to nurturing our region's next generations."
April through June 2021 grants are as follows.
Children and Youth
School District Teams, Northeastern MN $11,991
The following 6 grants were awarded to PreK-Grade 3 School District Teams that attended the Northland Foundation’s 2021 Early Childhood Summit. These grants support planning and activities that strengthen the learning continuum from early childhood through 3rd grade.
Ely Public Schools – ISD #696, Ely: $1,000
Mesabi East Schools - ISD #2711, Aurora: $991
Virginia School District #706, Virginia: $1,000
Duluth Early Childhood Family Education, Duluth: $4,000
Invest Early, Grand Rapids: $4,000
Cloquet Public Schools-ISD #094, Cloquet: $1,000
Outside the Box, Duluth $20,000
To support out-of-school time enrichment programming about design thinking and creativity.
Friends of the Finland Community, Finland $20,000
To support out-of-school time enrichment programming for youth in the Finland area.
REACH Mentoring Program, Cloquet $5,000
To support young people in their path to high school graduation through credit recovery efforts, well-being activities, enrichment activities and service-learning opportunities throughout the summer.
Mesabi East Schools - ISD #2711, Aurora $5,000
To support an inclusive, multi-generational community garden program in the Aurora-Hoyt Lakes area.
Oldenburg Arts and Cultural Community, Carlton $5,000
To support youth programming associated with the visit of US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo.
McGregor KIDS PLUS/Something Cool, Inc., McGregor $25,000
To support the creation of a youth-led alcohol and drug prevention program in the McGregor School District.
Deer River Schools - ISD #317, Deer River $15,000
To support drug and alcohol use prevention programming for youth in the Deer River area.
Rock Ridge Public Schools - ISD #2909, Virginia $25,000
To support the creation of programming to support academic success for PreK - Grade 1 students.
Family Rise Together, Duluth $20,000
To support new programming to connect BIPOC youth in the foster care system with relatives who can care for them.
Children's Dental Services, Inc., Minneapolis $15,000
To support access to dental care for at-risk families across northeastern Minnesota.
Individual and Community Wellbeing
Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Hibbing, Hibbing $20,000
To support a new program to help residents in public housing achieve greater economic security and independence.
Servants of Shelter, International Falls $20,000
To support housing and services to people experiencing homelessness in International Falls.
Northland Counseling Center, Inc., Grand Rapids $25,000
To provide supportive housing services and housing-related resources in Itasca County.
Falls Hunger Coalition Inc., International Falls $15,000
To increase food security and access to fresh foods in rural Koochiching County.
Zeitgeist Center for Arts and Community, Duluth $2,000
To support programming to increase understanding of Asian American experiences.
Project Care Free Clinic, Hibbing $20,000
To provide health care access to the uninsured.
Old School Lives, Incorporated, Cotton $4,600
To support mental health services in the Cotton area.
Access North Center for Independent Living, Hibbing $25,000
To support programming to make homes more accessible to older adults and people with disabilities.
Economic and Community Vitality
Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, Saint Paul $1,000
To sponsor the Greater Minnesota Nonprofit Summit.
Integrated Rural Community Aging Program – Community Planning and Care Coordination
The following two grants were made through the Northland Foundation’s Integrated Rural Community Aging Program to increase access, awareness, and availability of services to help older adults and their family caregivers age successfully in their setting of choice. The foundation is partnering with 7 lead aging services organizations across northeastern Minnesota to support community-based work.
Koochiching Aging Options, International Falls $65,000
To support efforts to improve access, awareness, and availability of services and supports that help Koochiching County older adults and their family caregivers age successfully in their homes and communities.
North Shore Area Partners, Silver Bay $65,000
To support efforts to help increase awareness, availability, and access to aging services and supports in the Silver Bay area.
Integrated Rural Community Aging Program – AGE to age Implementation
The following grant was made through the Northland Foundation’s Integrated Rural Community Aging Program to provide multi-year support for intergenerational activities in AGE to age sites.
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Cloquet $30,000
To provide multi-year support for intergenerational activities through the Fond du Lac AGE to age program.
COVID Relief and Recovery
School and Community Organizations, Northeastern MN $98,544
The following 15 grants were awarded in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Education on behalf of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund for emergency wrap-around early care and education services. The grants are designed to support northeastern Minnesota children ages 0-8 from underserved populations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Legacy of Excellence Foundation, Moose Lake: $5,000
Minisinaakwaang Leadership Academy, McGregor: $1,400
YWCA of Duluth, Duluth: $4,400
Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Nett Lake: $10,000
Little Lambs Learning Center, Duluth: $4,944
Lake Superior School District - ISD #381, Two Harbors: $5,000
Virginia School District #706, Virginia: $10,000
Grand Rapids School District-ISD #318, Grand Rapids: $5,000
Citizens for Backus, International Falls: $5,000
Lincoln Park Children and Families Collaborative, Duluth: $10,000
Cook County Early Childhood Coalition, Grand Marais: $5,000
First Witness Child Advocacy Center, Duluth : $7,800
Ely Community Resource, Inc., Ely: $10,000
Hibbing Public Library, Hibbing: $5,000
McGregor Schools - ISD #004, McGregor: $10,000
Licensed Child Care Providers, Northeastern MN $13,500
The following three grants were awarded through the Northland Foundation’s Emergency Child Care Grant Program, with the support of numerous funding partners, to licensed family and center-based child care providers serving the children of emergency and essential workers.
Brandie’s Little Bear Learning Center, Hibbing: $4,500
Children of Grace Childcare & Education Center, Hibbing: $4,500
Kiddy Karousel Child Care Center, Hibbing: $4,500