Deadline: 13-Mar-25
The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of the Minnesota Community IDEAS Program.
The Minnesota Community IDEAS Program seeks to design, test and spread ideas that make the communities better for everyone and inspire, equip and connect people through meaningful, community-led change.
With funding provided by the Bush Foundation, the Minnesota Community IDEAS Program values and invests in organizations in the following ways:
- Broad and equitable access to funding for organizations across the entire state of Minnesota and the 11 Native Nations that share the same geography.
- Commitment to equity and support for work where historically underserved communities inform, form and benefit from community change.
- Respect for the time and resources each organization expends to seek funding and do their work by reducing the capacity needed to apply, providing support to navigate a simplified application process, and providing unrestricted, multi-year funding without formal reporting requirements.
- Community-led grant decisions by reducing bias in consideration of proposals and giving final decision-making authority to a Community Selection Committee.
Funding Information
- The Minnesota Community IDEAS Program will award $1.6 million each year, beginning 2025 through 2027. Grants will be awarded on an annual basis, one round per year.
- Selected organizations will each receive a total award of $160,000, paid over three years ($100,000 in 2025, $40,000 in 2026, and $20,000 in 2027).
Target Communities
- Five awards will be distributed to each of the following target communities:
- Greater Minnesota – Organizations located outside the 7-County Metro Area.
- Twin Cities Metro Area – Organizations located within in the seven counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington.
- Native-led organizations that serve Native communities within Minnesota and the 11 Native Nations that share the same geography.
Eligibility Criteria
Grants will be awarded to Minnesota nonprofit organizations meeting the following criteria:
- Organizations must be located in Minnesota. If awarded, all grant funds must be used for charitable purposes to benefit communities in Minnesota.
- Organizations must be located in Minnesota. If awarded, all grant funds must be used for charitable purposes to benefit communities in Minnesota.
- The Foundation accepts applications from organizations or programs that are fiscally sponsored. Fiscal sponsors must be 501(c)(3) public charities or government entities (including schools).
- If an organization becomes a finalist in the grant selection process, the Foundation will learn more about its fiscal sponsor and collect a fiscal sponsorship agreement.
- If the applicant is selected as a grant recipient, their fiscal sponsor will serve as the grantee and receive the funds
- Groups of organizations (such as coalitions or collaboratives) are eligible to apply, but only one organization may apply and receive the award on behalf of the group.
For more information, visit Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.