Press Release | November 26, 2024
Northland Foundation awards more than $1.1 million in 3rd quarter grants
In the third quarter of 2024, the Northland Foundation awarded 43 grants totaling $1,145,000 through its Quarterly Grant program. Quarterly grants are typically $10,000 or more and made to nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, Tribal Nations, local governmental agencies, and educational institutions/school districts.
A combined $135,000 across five grants went toward housing and support for families and individuals, including youth, who are experiencing homelessness. The grantee partner organizations serve people who are homeless in communities in Carlton County, Itasca County, Lake County, Northern St. Louis County and Southern St. Louis County.
Another $470,000 in additional grants within the foundation’s Basic Needs priority area was awarded in support of access to food and health care, services for people with disabilities, mental health care for veterans, and more.
“The community resources that help our neighbors who are without stable housing or struggling to afford the barest minimum see a major increase in demand for their services during cold-weather months,” stated Michelle Ufford, Director of Grantmaking.
“Rural homelessness and poverty are complex issues, but our grant program’s part in addressing them is straightforward: prioritize basic human needs,” Ufford said, “because nobody can have a productive, healthy life if they don’t know where they’ll sleep or if they’ll eat tomorrow.”
All Northland Foundation Quarterly Grants awarded July 1 – September 30, 2024, are listed below.
BASIC NEEDS Grants for services and programming that address human needs essential to overall wellbeing, such as food security, housing, aging, homeless services, and more.
Second Harvest Northland, Duluth: $45,000
To support food assistance programming in northeast Minnesota.
Chisholm Food Shelf, Chisholm: $20,000
To provide food, housing, and utility support to community members in Chisholm.
Western Lake Superior Habitat for Humanity, Duluth: $20,000
To support affordable and sustainable housing and make safety and accessibility upgrades to older homes.
American Indian Community Housing Organization, Duluth: $45,000
To provide supportive services for families living in the Gimaajii-Mino-Bimaadizimin building and general operating support for AICHO.
YWCA of Duluth, Duluth: $35,000
To provide general operating support to YWCA Duluth’s mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, and freedom for all.
Churches United In Ministry, Duluth: $30,000
To support Churches United In Ministry’s services for unhoused community members as the organization transitions to a temporary location during renovations.
United Way of Carlton County, Cloquet: $20,000
To provide basic resources, support, and connection to housing opportunities in the community to youth experiencing homelessness in Carlton County.
Range Transitional Housing, Inc., Virginia: $35,000
To support providing case management services to community members experiencing homelessness in northern St. Louis County.
Grace House of Itasca County, Grand Rapids: $10,000
To support safe, temporary shelter for individuals and families experiencing homelessness and connect them to community resources in Itasca County.
Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Nett Lake: $25,000
To support social, recreational, and nutritional programming for Bois Forte elders.
Lighthouse Center for Vital Living, Duluth: $25,000
To provide supportive and adaptive services for older adults and people with disabilities.
Project Care Free Clinic, Hibbing: $25,000
To support general operations of Project Care Free Clinics in the Iron Range.
Children’s Dental Services, Inc., Minneapolis: $30,000
To provide comprehensive trauma-informed dental care and Opioid and Substance Use Disorder (OUD/SUD) education in northeast Minnesota.
Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota & South Dakota, Saint Paul: $20,000
To provide comprehensive and culturally specific sex education to Native American, Black, and other people of color in the Duluth area.
Autism Opportunities Foundation, Minnetonka: $30,000
To provide transitional support programming for young adults with autism-spectrum disorder in northern Minnesota.
Veteran Resilience Project, Inc., Minnetonka: $20,000
To support no-cost trauma therapy services for underserved veterans and service members in northern Minnesota.
Zeitgeist Center for Arts and Community, Duluth: $25,000
To support improved access to basic needs and to promote civic and community life for residents of the Hillside neighborhood in Duluth.
Wilderness Health, Inc., Two Harbors: $40,000
To support obtaining basic needs, including trusted food sources, transportation to medical appointments, and basic hygiene supplies for those experiencing homelessness in northeast Minnesota.
United Way of Northeastern Minnesota, Chisholm: $5,000
To support data-gathering efforts that support financial stability for families in northeast Minnesota.
Justice North, Duluth: $30,000
To provide low-cost legal services to families with low incomes.
Minnesota Diversified Industries, Minneapolis: $30,000
To support programming that helps people with disabilities in northeast Minnesota overcome societal barriers to employment.
BELONGING Grants for projects and initiatives designed to help everyone, especially those who are under-served or underrepresented in traditional power structures, to gain full and fair access to essentials like quality housing, education, and employment, and generally thrive.
Family Freedom Center, Duluth: $45,000
To support programming that promotes resilience, economic development, and community empowerment through education and safe spaces for Black community members in the Duluth area.
DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND ABUSE INTERVENTION/PREVENTION Grants for prevention and intervention such as shelter, advocacy, legal, and other supports in relation to domestic and family violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault, Duluth, $35,000
To support the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program that provides forensic medical exams and advocacy services to victims of sexual assault.
Men As Peacemakers, Duluth: $40,000
To support gender-based violence prevention programming for youth and young adults.
North Shore Horizons, Inc., Two Harbors: $20,000
To support prevention and intervention services to address sexual assault and intimate partner violence in Lake County.
Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault, Duluth: $30,000
To provide crisis services to community members affected by sexual assault in St. Louis County.
Safe Haven Shelter for Battered Women, Duluth: $30,000 To support programming that provides multi-generational support, safety, space to heal, advocacy, and empowerment for women, children, and all survivors of domestic violence.
EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION Grants for early care and education quality and access, parenting education and supports.
KOOTASCA Community Action Inc., Grand Rapids: $30,000
To provide services that assist and support child careproviders in Itasca County.
Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis: $15,000
To support Bagidanaamowin Wiiji Aki Professional Learning for Indigenous Perspectives in Children’s Environmental Inquiry, an Indigenous-led network of early childhood professionals, in planning and implementing programming that deepens young children’s relationship to the natural world.
Duluth Public Schools – ISD 709, Duluth: $10,000
To support training and coaching to assist school staff in addressing student behaviors.
Northeast Minnesota Child Care Expansion: $155,000
For seven projects to expand child care in the region, with funding provided by the State of Minnesota and support from the Northland Foundation.
Aaron Rudolph, McGregor: $5,000
Moose Lake Schools – ISD 097, Moose Lake: $25,000
Live and Learn with Lora, Cook: $20,000
Montessori School of Duluth, Duluth: $20,000
Erika Menzel, Cohasset: $5,000
Shania Lind, Duluth: $5,000 Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Cloquet: $75,000
OTHER CRITICAL NEEDS Grants in support of economic and community well-being for a more thriving region.
McGregor KIDS PLUS Something Cool, Inc., McGregor: $10,000
To provide supportive programming and resources for economically stressed youth and families in rural eastern Aitkin County.
OUT-OF-SCHOOL-TIME SERVICES Grants supporting structured, consistent, and accessible out-of-school time educational programming and activities for broad groups of children and youth.
REACH Program Youth-Adult Partnerships, Cloquet: $30,000
To support an initiative to re-engage youth in out-of-school programming in Carlton County.
Conflict Resolution Center, Duluth: $20,000
To support out-of-school youth restorative programming in the Duluth area to increase equity for at-risk youth.
Aitkin Youth Center, Deerwood: $40,000
To provide year-round out-of-school programming for youth in Aitkin County.
Neighborhood Youth Services, Inc., Duluth: $20,000
To provide support for out-of-school and wrap-around services for youth in the Duluth community.
Boys and Girls Club of the Northland Hibbing, Hibbing: $30,000
To support safe, supportive afterschool and summer programming for school-aged youth in the Hibbing community.
Ely Community Resource, Inc., Ely: $30,000
To support after school programming for youth in the Ely community.
Volunteers in Education, Virginia: $20,000
To support a volunteer tutoring program in rural northeast Minnesota.
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