Recent grants
Quarterly, Maada’ookiing, and Youth In Philanthropy grants
More than $1.3 million awarded in October through March Quarterly grants
Through the Quarterly Grant program, the Northland Foundation awarded 21 grants totaling $585,000 in the last three months of 2024, followed by another 21 grants totaling $756,500 during the first quarter of 2025.
Among the 42 grants were funding awards to eight child care businesses around the region. The $255,000 to eight child care businesses in the region to help them start, sustain, or expand. Child care expansion grants are made in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Northland has worked in the realm of child care quality and access for more than a decade to help address the serious shortage of care affecting families and employers across our region and statewide.
One of the largest grants—$100,000—went to Northspan to expand the Welcoming Community Program. The program, which takes a cohort of local citizens from rural sites through a months-long community-building process, began in 2022 with Northland Foundation grant support. Cloquet, Cook County, Deer River, and International Falls have participated with learning cohorts already. The recent grant supports bringing Welcoming Community to a fifth community and launch another facet of the program: engaging local elected officials.
“Feedback from past participants is extremely positive,” Ufford continued. “Northland is pleased to help Northspan deliver Welcoming Community in more sites, and now to also establish a brand-new cohort of elected officials who will have a chance to learn side-by-side with their rural Northeast Minnesota peers.”
- Find the list of October – December 2024 Quarterly grants HERE.
- Fine the list of January – March 2025 Quarterly grants HERE.
Application deadlines for Quarterly grants are January 5, April 1, July 1, and October 1.
19 grantees receive $76,490 for Native-led projects in the region
The Northland Foundation is pleased to share that 19 Maada’ookiing grants have been awarded to Native American individuals in the past six months. Ten grants totaling $32,500 were awarded in late 2024 and nine more totaling $43,990 were maethis spring.
Maada’ookiing (“the distribution” in Ojibwe) is a Native American-led program of the Northland Foundation. Grant funding up to $5,000 is offered three times per year to Tribal citizens, descendants, or those who have kinship ties or affiliation to Native American communities within the foundation’s geographic region. Maada’ookiing grants are considered and approved by the Maada’ookiing Advisory Board.
“The Maada’ookiing Advisory Board’s decision last spring to increase the grant to $5,000 has, I believe, opened the door to more opportunities to support—in a more meaningful way—the wealth of important, creative work that happens at the grassroots community level,” said Cayla Bellanger DeGroat, Program Officer at the Northland Foundation. stated Cayla Bellanger DeGroat, Program Officer at the Northland Foundation.
- Find the list of the 10 winter 2025 grants HERE.
- Fine the list of the 9 spring 2025 grants HERE.
Application deadlines for Maada’ookiing grants are February 5, May 15, and September 15. PLEASE NOTE: The May 2025 deadline will be May 28 as we transition to a new grant portal.
Youth In Philanthropy Board awards nearly $10,000 to children-and-youth led projects
The Northland Foundation and the young people serving on its Youth In Philanthropy Program Board awarded 11 grants totaling $9,766 in their winter 2025 funding round to projects within the geographic area that the foundation serves.
Middle and high school students appointed to serve on the Youth In Philanthropy Board make real-world grantmaking decisions with guidance from volunteer adult mentors. This year’s board includes students from Aitkin, Barnum, Cherry, Cloquet, Duluth, Hermantown, Superior, and Two Harbors.
Grants range up to $1,000 each for school and community projects within northeast Minnesota communities or the border community of Superior, Wisconsin. Children and youth must complete the grant application and carry out the project with the support of an adult advisor.
- Find the list of Winter 2025 Youth In Philanthropy grants HERE.
Application deadlines for Youth In Philanthropy grants are January 1, April 1, and September 1.