Willmar Area Community Foundation Opens Grant Round

The Willmar Area Community Foundation (WACF) announced today the opening of their annual grant round. The WACF seeks to fund programs that focus on three different areas this year; addressing the achievement gap for youth, increasing community connections and welcoming diverse populations, and supporting productive aging.  Eligible organizations must be a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, school or government entity who serve residents of Kandiyohi County.  For additional information and the online application, visit www.communitygiving.org/grants and select "WACF General Grants".

The WACF is also excited to introduce "Difference Maker" grants to their grant round process. These grants are significant investments that will be the "Difference Maker" in bringing about community-wide, lasting and positive changes to the Willmar area. Along with this change, the WACF grant round will take place once a year instead of twice annually as done in previous years.

Sara Carlson, executive director of the Willmar Area Community Foundation stated, "With the opening of our grant rounds, we look forward to giving community organizations the support to fund meaningful programs that not only are impactful to us but to the community at large. I am thrilled to see what we can do in partnership with local non-profits to make the Willmar community a stronger one, especially via our new Difference Maker Grant opportunity."

Last year the WACF granted to support programs such as a homework center at the Iftiin Somali Youth Organization, replacing the crisis phone system at Harmony Visitation Center at Safe Avenues, financial literacy programming in the Willmar school district, and seniors mentoring youth through Let's Go Fishing programming.

The Willmar Area Community Foundation (WACF), in affiliation with CommunityGiving, is a public charity that attracts and administers charitable funds for the benefit of the local community.  Since 1998, WACF has grown to over $17.7 million in assets and awarded $6.5 million in grants to nonprofits.  CommunityGiving is a collaboration of community foundations united under a single framework to create efficiencies that maximize the impact of our donors.  The core foundations working with CommunityGiving include the Alexandria Area Community Foundation, the Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation, the Central Minnesota Community Foundation and the Willmar Area Community Foundation.  Collectively, CommunityGiving administers more than 700 funds totaling more than $129 million. Learn more at CommunityGiving.org/Willmar.