Foundation Notes

“MEDICA FOUNDATION

A new online “flipping book”, for its Funding Opportunities Guide, is well-written, well-laid out, and has well-organized information including deadlines, contact people, and funding priority definitions. Four big areas: Behavioral Health, Early Childhood Health and Rural Health, and Strategic Initiatives. Each has its own deadline and processes.

MOUNT SINAI COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

MCSF’s mission is to improve health, enhance wellbeing, or otherwise advance medical care in the Jewish and larger communities, honoring the history and legacy of the Mount Sinai Hospital. Several giving circles and legacy funds are part of the Foundation, which operates from the Minneapolis Jewish Federation’s online grant portal. Grants of up to $10,000 in a two-tier system. LOI deadline is February 10th, and if invited, the final deadline is April 1st.

GRANTMAKERS FOR GIRLS OF COLOR

G4GC moved over $10 million to over 200 Girls of Color-led or -serving organizations across ALL 50 state, including MN. A relatively new organization, G4GC is a great example of how funders can really collaborate.

OTTO BREMER TRUST

After an end of year hiatus, the Bremer Trust case is back in court, with closing arguments scheduled for this week, but perhaps delayed until March. The Star Tribune has a recent update.

BANK OF AMERICA CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

BofA published its philanthropic strategy this week. Pretty much the same as last year, with a bit more detail. Because MSP is a larger market, grants to local groups may be in the $5,000 to $50,000 range. Check out the FAQ and Eligibility Criteria links on the RFP page:

— Economic Mobility focused on needs of inpiduals and families (workforce development & education and basic needs). Applications accepted 1/24/2022 – 2/18/2022
— Economic Mobility focused on needs of community (affordable housing, small business, neighborhood revitalization). Applications accepted: 5/30/2022 – 6/24/2022.

By the way, BofA now has more than 25 outlets across the Metro Area. While it doesn’t really help to have a local banker, connecting with a local BofA banker let’s BofA grantmakers know that you really want to be connected to the company.

FIRST INDEPENDENCE BANK

The 8th largest Black-owned bank in the US is opening a branch at 3430 University Avenue SE in Minneapolis. Based in Detroit, First Independence has received several awards and recognitions for its work with young professionals, small businesses, community development, community advisory boards, financial literacy, and CDFI work. Several Twin Cities banks, such as Wells Fargo and B of A are helping First Independence to settle in the Metro Area. Currently, the bank is stronger as a corporate sponsor than nonprofit grantmaker.

RELATED:

If you’ve followed APs on bank philanthropy, you know banks which want to expand their consumer outlets (branches and ATMs) also need to expand their local grantmaking visibility. So we should expect more social investments and grants from these banks:

— JPMorgan Chase (which just awarded $25M to MSP Center for Economic Inclusion) will be opening 25 new branches/outlets in 2022
— BMO Harris (aka Bank of Montreal) will also be adding 20 new branches and outlets
— Pittsburgh-based PNC bank has plans to open two bank branches in the Twin Cities – in Rosedale and Edina.
— Midwest One also has plans, but we haven’t heard concrete info.
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“Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation issued its first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Progress Report. Will such reports become a standard annual thing for major foundations? We hope so.

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Minneapolis Foundation – has three news items on grants made or grants to come:

— Micro Grants Support Community Efforts to Promote Healing, Connection.
— $4.2 Million Awarded in Racial and Economic Justice Grants.
— Main Street Grants Will Support Small Business Recovery In Minneapolis.

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Patrick and Aimee Butler Family Foundation – another tried and true Metro area family foundation, the Butler Family Foundation continues to grow in financials and in wisdom. Although we aren’t crazy about the closed Invited Grants program, we understand this is a generations old family fund with its own family traditions. See the latest round of grants.

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A Few Other National Opportunities:

— Levitt Foundation AMP Your City awards for live music in mid-sized towns.
— Ben & Jerry’s national Grassroots Organizing grant program– bigger than Vermont!
— Clif Family Foundation (Clif Bar) Operational Support grants for smaller groups – health, food, environment (no in-kind donations!)

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US Agency for International Development recently announced plans to invest $50 million in global childcare infrastructure. USAID will invest $50 million in the World Bank’s Childcare Incentive Fund to expand global access to quality childcare and early learning programs.

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People on the Move:
We welcome CEDRICK BAKER, the McKnight Foundation’s new Chief of Staff, who recently served as Chief of Staff for Saint Paul Public Schools. NA ENG, previously Communications Director at the McKnight Foundation, has been named new Chief Communications Officer at People for the American Way (PFAW).”

“Our Favorite Dysfunctional Financial Corporation – Our friends at Otto Bremer Trust are getting things together with the help of Ramsey County District Judge Robert Awsumb. Two big things:

— The judge removed trustee Brian Lipschultz from the OBT board of trustees. Read the Star Trib article here.
— The judge said the trustees could still move forward with the proposed sale of Bremer Bank, one of the things that started the relationship meltdown between the trustees and the bank official.

Lots of questions about the remaining trustees’ ongoing interest in selling the bank. But there’s no question that someone would be willing to pay big bucks for it, its presence in four states and its great relations with local (rural and urban) communities.

One of the top current bidders is Huntington Bank (the new TCF). Would Huntington keep up OBT’s community grants and outreach programs? They don’t have a history in their own banking practices, but maybe.

Meantime, the trust’s grantmaking operation remains remarkable, one of the best, if not the best, in Minnesota. April announcement of $7.3 million to 96 organizations.

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James R. Thorpe Foundation, one of our favorite local funders, offers funding twice a year, once for youth and once for seniors. Youth requests are due June 15. Most grants are in the $6,000 to $12,000 range.

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Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council  — This is the voter-approved State of Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Fund, one of four funds created by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. Deadline May 27, 2022.

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G4GC’s Black Girl Freedom Fund (BGFF) is part of the Grantmakers for Girls of Color network. In only its second round of grants, BGFF awarded $4 million to 68 groups nationwide

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“Target Foundation Funding Opportunity: Racial Equity Grants. This opportunity is up to $200,000 in general operating support, with an opportunity to request support over two years for BIPOC-led organizations. Four priorities:

— Entrepreneurship and Small Business
— Workforce Development
— Housing
— Asset Building

The Foundation supports organizations that improve the asset building opportunities available to traditionally marginalized communities, especially those that are engaged in work to increase financial inclusion, wealth building and overall financial health.

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Mortenson Family Foundation is making three key changes to its grantmaking process:

— Schedule a 30 minute call with Community Relationship Officer Ambar Hanson (for Expanding Opportunities for Children and Families grants) or Danyelle O’Hara (for Sustaining Environmental Systems grants).
— Share updates on the outcomes you stated you want to accomplish in your 2021 application. No more budget reports.
— If you have an annual report that includes last year’s outcomes, the foundation can use that report.[1]
— We applaud the Mortensons for streamlining grantseeking for nonprofits.

This may confuse some applicants- there is a different process/contact depending on grant.
See: mortensonfamily.org/explore-partnership/

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Huntington Bancshares (which merged with TCF) announced it wants to be the largest SBA funder in the Twin Cities market. No small feat, since climbing to #1 in SBA loans means creating A LOT of general banking business – both consumer and corporate lines. In turn, this means a lot more presence in the Twin Cities and lots more community investments, including Community Reinvestment funds. Consequently, more funding for community causes. Watch these folks, especially, Marcio Thompson, Community Development Relationship Manager.

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Groundbreak Coalition – You’ll be hearing about these folks and the $2 billion they’re investing in thousands of BIPOC homeowners, businesses, rental units, and commercial developments in the neighborhoods most affected by the George Floyd protests. Th effort is led by representatives of major regional and national foundations, including the McKnight, Minneapolis, and Bush Foundations, our Twin Cities Mayors, several banks (PNC, Sunrise, Wells Fargo, US Bank, JPMorgan, and others), Chambers of Commerce, the Center for Economic Inclusion, Hennepin and Ramsey counties, and several private businesses

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40 Social Enterprise Grant Opportunities

Global Peace Careers magazine recently produced a list with descriptions of 40 social enterprise grants, investments, etc., such as Echoing Green, Draper Richards Kaplan, and SEED Replicator. Need a grant, or just need to know what social enterprise grants are? This is a good place to start.

THE GRANTS DEADLINE CALENDAR IS BACK

The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits is back to publishing its list of Minnesota funders’ grant deadlines, this time with links to most funders’ websites. An invaluable tool for planning the upcoming quarterly grant request calendar.

“EVELYN AND WALTER HAAS FUND

One of the best LGBTQI funders in America ($105 million to LGBTQI groups in the last 20 years) has decided to wind down its LGBTQI program. There will be two years of transition funding, but the board believes the Fund has done its work and needs to move on. Hmmm… This is/was a leader in the LGBTQI funding community. It will be hard to find a replacement.

MINNEAPOLIS FOUNDATION

Besides its donor advised funds, The Phillips Family Fund, and other unrestricted funds, the Minneapolis Foundation has EIGHT program funds:

— Catalyst Initiative
— Climate Action Fund
— Fourth Generation
— Fund for Safe Communities
— ONEMPLS
— Restore/Rebuild/Reimagine
— Reimagine Education
— WCA Foundation

NORTHWEST AREA FOUNDATION

NWAF’s Karla Miller recently wrote a piece for their website saying the foundation is keeping equity as a goal but focusing on justice. “Supporting equity is an important goal, but it doesn’t reach far enough. We need to cultivate justice. Our new grantmaking approach centers justice and systems change to help our priority communities thrive on their own terms. It emerged from our continual effort to be a better grant-maker and partner. We aspire to:

— Honor grantees’ worldviews and values
— Share power with grantees
— Trust grantees to know their challenges and know what might work for them
— Recognize that we need to do things differently from a traditional philanthropic approach
— Listen to our grantees
— Support healing within grantees’ communities
— Hold ourselves accountable to learning.”

Read the article on the NWAF website. The Foundation has recently spent a big chunk of cash and resources on American Indian causes, and immigrant and refugee issues.

PROPEL NONPROFITS announced their 2021-2023 Nonprofit Infrastructure Grant Program grantees. A great program in a deeply needed area. Congrats to our friends at Brownbody, one of Propel’s grantees. We love Brownbody’s tagline: “Skate Truth to Power.”

STATE FARM IS 100 YEARS OLD THIS YEAR

Why is that important? Every year the company awards 40 Neighborhood Assist grants. BUT this year, they’re awarding 100 grants of $25,000 to help fund neighborhood improvement projects. The program is unusual in two ways:

— Submissions begin on February 16 and close when State Farm receives 4,000 of them

After State Farm choose 200 finalists, anyone can vote (up to 10x day!) to select the winners.

If you’re up for the competition, it’s a relatively simple application.

MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

$3 million was awarded to 26 organizations to provide business loans to disadvantaged entrepreneurs, women, and people of color. Our congratulations to friends at First Children’s Finance and African American Economic Development Solutions.”