From October through December 2020, the Northland Foundation awarded 81 grants for a total of $858,612. A large share of grants continues to be aimed at relief and recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Thanks to strong local, regional, and state funding support, we have been able to award more than $5 million in relief and recovery related grants over the last 10 months in northeastern Minnesota, nearly 5x what Northland usually processes in a year.
“It is gratifying to help get additional resources into communities at a time when the need is so great.” —Erik Torch, Director of Grantmaking
Nearly $210,000 was granted to community organizations and school districts for emergency wrap-around early care and education services. The funding was awarded to better support children ages 0-8 who are being disproportionately impacted by the effects of the pandemic, including children from low-income families; black, Indigenous, and other children of color; and children in rural communities. Grantees will employ a variety of strategies, from technology to help students with distance learning, to mental health supports, and more. A second round of these grants will be awarded in March.
Also included in recent COVID relief and recovery grants were two significant “pass-through” grants of $100,000 each to the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa and the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Northland applied for a St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation’s Minnesota Disaster Recovery Fund grant, in collaboration with the two Tribal Nations, who will use the awards to bolster early care and education and children-and-youth programming that will help essential workers to continue in their jobs.
In addition, the KIDS PLUS Youth In Philanthropy Board awarded seven grants totaling $6,570 during their virtual January meeting. The Board includes middle and high school students from across the region who review and award grants totaling up to $1,000 each to support projects led by children and youth.
All grants made between October 1 and December 31, 2020, along with January 2021 Youth In Philanthropy grants, are listed below.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Grand Rapids and Greenway, Grand Rapids |
$30,000 |
To support out-of-school time programming to students in the Grand Rapids and Greenway School Districts. |
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Chester Bowl Improvement Club, Duluth |
$2,500 |
To support an alpine ski program with YWCA Girl Power! participants. |
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ServeMinnesota, Minneapolis |
$25,000 |
To support the placement of Reading Corps tutors to help bolster academic achievement in the Deer River, Grand Rapids, Hibbing, and Mesabi East School Districts. |
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Volunteers in Education, Inc., Virginia |
$14,000 |
To support tutoring and program expansion to bolster academic achievement in Iron Range schools. |
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Kids Closet of Duluth, Duluth |
$5,000 |
To support the purchase of winter outerwear and school clothing for low-income students in the Duluth School District. |
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Essentia Health Foundation, Duluth |
$15,000 |
To provide hospitality to families with seriously ill or injured children. |
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Floodwood Services and Training, Inc., Floodwood |
$10,000 |
To support staff development training to strengthen the quality of services to people with disabilities. |
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Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Duluth |
$25,000 |
To support economic and community development activities in the Duluth area. |
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Citizens for Backus, International Falls |
$20,000 |
To support to-go meals for families in need. |
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The Northspan Group, Inc., Duluth |
$30,000 |
To support training on the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) to governments and quasi-governmental community groups and organizations across Northeast Minnesota to help foster welcoming communities and equity. |
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Life House, Inc., Duluth |
$30,000 |
To support advancing Life House’s diversity, equity, and inclusion engagement practices and culturally relevant teachings for youth. |
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Community Action Duluth, Duluth |
$20,000 |
To support free tax filing services for people with low incomes. |
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Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, Saint Paul |
$9,000 |
To support Duluth Neighborhood Profiles on the MN Compass website. |
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Minnesota Council on Foundations, Minneapolis |
$2,500 |
To support the Minnesota Council on Foundations' annual conference. |
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The following grant was made through the Northland Foundation’s Integrated Rural Community Aging Program to help older adults age successfully in their setting of choice. |
Lake Superior School District - ISD #381, Two Harbors |
$16,500 |
To support an AGE to age Fellows Team, made up of a college student and an adult age 50+, to work together to offer intergenerational programming in their hometown. |
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The following grants were made through the Northland Foundation’s Integrated Rural Community Aging Program to provide multi-year support for intergenerational activities in AGE to age sites in northeastern Minnesota. |
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AGE to age Communities, Northeastern Minnesota |
$140,000 |
North Shore AGE to age, Silver Bay |
$55,000 |
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Barnum Schools - ISD #091, Barnum |
$45,000 |
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Lake Superior School District - ISD #381, Two Harbors |
$40,000 |
The following grants were awarded by the Northland Foundation's KIDS PLUS Youth In Philanthropy Board at their January 2021 meeting. The Board is made up of middle and high school students and volunteer adult mentors from throughout the region. They meet three times per year to consider grants up to $1,000 each for children-and-youth led projects in Northeast MN and Superior, WI. |
Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, Saint Paul |
$1,000 |
To support the creation of a zine that raises awareness of Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April. |
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Many Rivers Montessori, Duluth |
$1,000 |
To create and grow a garden that will support local projects and be distributed to families in need. |
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Littlefork-Big Falls- ISD #362, Littlefork |
$990 |
To expand use of the local school forest during winter months by providing students and the community with access to snowshoeing. |
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Northern STEM Robotics, Hermantown |
$930 |
To offer youth-led free robotics classes to K-12th grade students in underrepresented communities to show them the opportunities robotics provides. |
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Hope Community Presbyterian Church, Virginia |
$1,000 |
To fill the community food pantry and keep it stocked for families to utilize during stressful times. |
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Cook County Community YMCA, Grand Marais |
$650 |
To expand the afterschool program to include the creation of two books written by kids. |
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Minnesota Children's Press, Grand Marais |
$1,000 |
To create a youth-designed and youth-led internet security online class for local elders. |
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Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa |
$100,000 |
To support COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts with grant funding provided through the Minnesota Disaster Recovery Fund. |
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Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Nett Lake |
$100,000 |
To support COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts with grant funding provided through the Minnesota Disaster Recovery Fund. |
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Calvary Baptist Church, Duluth |
$4,000 |
To support outreach, health, and community-building efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
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School and Community Organizations, Northeastern Minnesota |
$210,112 |
The following following 18 grants totaling $170,812 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. An additional four grants totaling $39,300 were awarded for wrap-around services using Northland Foundation funding. |
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Duluth Preschool, Duluth |
$4,950 |
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Lake Superior School District-ISD #381, Two Harbors |
$15,000 |
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Wrenshall School District-ISD #100, Wrenshall |
$3,700 |
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Grand Rapids School District-ISD #318, Grand Rapids |
$5,000 |
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Center City Housing Corporation, Duluth |
$15,000 |
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Duluth Area Family YMCA, Hermantown |
$10,000 |
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Caring and Sharing Daycare, Aitkin |
$1,000 |
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Hope for Kids Childcare Center, Duluth |
$9,162 |
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Cook County Schools-ISD #166, Grand Marais |
$15,000 |
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Invest Early, Grand Rapids |
$15,000 |
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Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, Duluth |
$15,000 |
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Otis Family Daycare, Cloquet |
$1,000 |
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Churches United In Ministry, Duluth |
$15,000 |
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McGregor KIDS PLUS/Something Cool, Inc., McGregor |
$11,000 |
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Children of Grace Childcare & Education Center, Hibbing |
$10,000 |
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Cook County Community YMCA, Grand Marais |
$10,000 |
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Cook County Schools-ISD #166, Grand Marais |
$5,000 |
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New Hope FOR Families, Duluth |
$10,000 |
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Duluth Area Family YMCA, Duluth |
$10,000 |
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Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northland, Duluth |
$10,000 |
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Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Grand Portage |
$15,000 |
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Oshki Ogimaag Charter School, Grand Portage |
$4,300 |
Licensed Family and Center-based Child Care, Northeastern Minnesota |
$51,000 |
The following 38 grants were made in support of licensed child care providers caring for the children of emergency and essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
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Wood City Preschool, LLC, Cloquet |
$3,000 |
Colleen Paulsen, Cloquet |
$1,000 |
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Alyssa Haedrich's Child Care, Moose Lake |
$1,000 |
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Enchanted Garden, Cloquet |
$1,000 |
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Cathy's Daycare, Cloquet |
$1,000 |
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Judy's House, Cloquet |
$1,000 |
Colleen's Daycare, Cloquet |
$1,000 |
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Andrea Anderson, Cloquet |
$1,000 |
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Erin Lunde's Family Daycare, Cloquet |
$1,000 |
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Kid's Corner, Cloquet |
$3,000 |
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Kathy's Little Stars, Esko |
$1,000 |
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Tender Loving Childcare, Cloquet |
$1,000 |
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Tykes N Tots Preschool & Childcare, Carlton |
$1,000 |
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Duluth Preschool of Fine Arts, Duluth |
$3,000 |
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Miles of Smiles, Chisholm |
$1,000 |
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Kickstart Preschool, LLC, Two Harbors |
$3,000 |
Kidz Zone Daycare Center, Aitkin |
$3,000 |
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Jaime's Daycare, Duluth |
$1,000 |
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Leslie Frink's Daycare, Duluth |
$1,000 |
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Wind Ridge Schoolhouse, LLC, Duluth |
$1,000 |
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Sarah's Tiny Tots Daycare, Aitkin |
$1,000 |
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Little Footprints Daycare, Gilbert |
$1,000 |
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Country Kids Daycare, Duluth |
$1,000 |
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Krawlers to Kindergarten, Duluth |
$1,000 |
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Kids First Day Care, Duluth |
$1,000 |
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T-N-T's Dynamite Kids, Duluth |
$1,000 |
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Sara's Child Care, Virginia |
$1,000 |
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Tiny Turtles Care Center, Eveleth |
$1,000 |
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Heidi's Home Day Care, Proctor |
$1,000 |
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Jill's Cozy Curriculum, Duluth |
$1,000 |
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Barbie's Daycare, Duluth |
$1,000 |
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Kids Can Be Kids Daycare, Hibbing |
$1,000 |
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Laura Lafreniere, Duluth |
$1,000 |
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Montessori School of Duluth, Duluth |
$3,000 |
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Amy's Childcare, Duluth |
$1,000 |
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My Little Bumble Bees Daycare LLC, Duluth |
$1,000 |
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Dragonfly Childcare, Duluth |
$1,000 |
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Little Farmers Daycare, Aitkin |
$1,000 |