Fiscal Year
Highlights
Following are a handful of highlights of the past fiscal year, July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. They are the result of scores of community-based partners, funders, board members, and staff who work persistently to help strengthen communities across the region.
Organization Overall
- Raised $6.7 million – 92% from outside the region – for the fiscal year to fund grantmaking, business services, programming, and special initiatives. See Our Funding for details.
- Celebrated 25 years of our Youth In Philanthropy Program (anniversary video) which has empowered 110 young board members to award $510,598 supporting 620 projects led by children and youth throughout the region.
- Lent $1 million for affordable housing development that will result in 40 units of housing in northern St. Louis County and Cook County communities.
- Served as a trusted regional hub for other funders, both public entities and larger philanthropic organizations, to deliver resources efficiently and effectively in rural northeastern Minnesota.
Grantmaking Summary
Details of all the individual grants awarded last fiscal year can be found on the Recent Grants page of our website.
Quarterly, Maada’ookiing, Youth In Philanthropy
Grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofits and governmental entities (Quarterly), Native American individuals or groups (Maada’ookiing), and by our Youth In Philanthropy board.
| Category | Amount | # Given |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Needs | $1,235,000 | 41 |
| Belonging | $270,000 | 6 |
| Domestic Violence & Abuse Prevention/Intervention | $220,000 | 6 |
| Early Care & Education | $106,500 | 6 |
| Out-Of-School Time Services | $465,000 | 16 |
| Other Critical Needs | $55,000 | 2 |
| Maada’ookiing | $106,490 | 25 |
| Youth In Philanthropy | $27,749 | 32 |
Special Grants to Businesses
Unique, time-limited funding opportunities awarded in partnership with funding partners, including the State of Minnesota, for small businesses.
| Category | Amount | # Given |
|---|---|---|
| Child Care Start-up, Sustainability & Expansion | $415,000 | 16 |
| State of MN Promise Act Grants | $1,120,000 | 45 |
| State of MN Main Street Economic Revitalization | $999,000 | 3 |
| SBDC IRRR Accelerate Entrepreneur Grants | $30,000 | 2 |
Total:
$5,049,739
200 Grants
Small Business Support
- Closed 17 loans totaling $3 million to help finance 12 business expansions and 5 start-ups in northeastern Minnesota, which assisted borrowers to leverage an additional $21.6 million in other investments.
- Served as a partner to the State of Minnesota to administer $1.1 million in Promise Act Grants to 46 small businesses adversely affected by lack of access to capital, loss of population or an aging population, and other factors.
- Hosted the Northland Small Business Development Center (SBDC) which provided over 4,500 hours of technical assistance to 993 small business clients who, with SBDC help, raised $63 million in capital and started 60 new businesses.
- Continued a low-interest construction & rehabilitation loan pilot program, lending $1.94 million to 11 projects that will expand jobs, improve energy efficiency, increase property values, and support economic vitality in the region.
- Administered Main Street Economic Revitalization Program grants as legislated by the State of Minnesota, funding just under $1 million in commercial corridor projects in rural communities last year.
Child Care Quality and Access
- Invested $415,000 in grant funding, with support from the State of Minnesota, for the start-up and expansion of 16 licensed child care projects creating 364 child care slots and 63 child care jobs in the region.
- Provided 150 hours of expert, individualized technical assistance to help center-based and family child care programs improve and sustain their operations.
- Engaged 663 child care providers in 48 professional development trainings, recruited 8 new Parent Aware-approved trainers and developed 10 training courses, as well as assisted 56 licensed child care programs with financial incentives to support them with Parent Aware quality ratings.
- Continued working with 13 partner organizations as part of the Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) Caregiver Program, providing 172 Play & Learn opportunities in the region serving 576 FFN caregivers and more than 2,000 young children.
- Hosted 6 infant and early childhood mental health training sessions for 345 professionals working with young children and their families through the Thrive Initiative, and implemented a pilot project with 15 community partners to provide resources and support to 1,450 families with young children through early childhood screening and home visiting.
Belonging Work
- Engaged 10,692 people of all ages in intergenerational programming such as reading programs, grandfriend pen pals, community gardens, tutoring, and arts and cultural activities across 16 AGE to age communities in the region.
- Closed a total of $1.15 million through 9 loans to businesses owned by entrepreneurs who traditionally would have difficulty accessing financing, as well as organizations specifically serving individuals from low-income households.
- Supported 25 projects led by Native American individuals with $106,490 in Maada’ookiing grants as approved by the Maada’ookiing Advisory Board—more than doubling the grant funding awarded the previous fiscal year.
- Awarded 12 grants totaling $435,000 to organizations led by and/or primarily serving historically overlooked and underserved communities, in alignment with Northland Foundation’s values and priorities.
- Provided an avenue for rural young people to experience philanthropy and community service through our Youth In Philanthropy Program, with the youth-led board awarding $27,749 in grants to 32 projects developed by children and youth.