Deadline: 15-Jan-2025
The Willmar Area Community Foundation’s Grant Program support specific community initiatives through a variety of grants.
WACF seeks to make smaller grants for general operations and programs to address changing community needs. WACF also seeks to make significant grants that will be the “Difference Maker” in bringing about community-wide, lasting, and positive changes in the Willmar area.
WACF is looking to provide leadership and financial support that goes beyond the grant in order to advance the project or initiative that needs a large dollar amount to get started or completed.
Focus Areas
- Increasing Community Connections and Welcoming Diverse Populations
- Projects that welcome newcomers to our community, that create social connections, create an open/welcoming community, address aesthetics and improve the quality of life through art and active recreational opportunities.
- Leadership development projects for emerging leaders of varied ages and backgrounds.
- Newcomer Programs that are community led and culturally relevant or that connect New Americans to education and civic systems.
- Supporting Productive Aging
- Projects that provide basic needs for low-income seniors or enrich the quality of life for seniors across the spectrum.
- Activities that deploy multigenerational approaches to connect seniors and youth or projects that meaningfully engage seniors as a volunteer force to address an unmet community need.
- Community Innovations
- Projects that address critical needs in our region that may not align with another priority area
- Requires innovation or creativity in implementation design
- Not intended for on-going fundraising
- Example: MMDC/CCT partnership to design and implement a Fare Free Bus Route program for workforce seniors & special needs populations for a year.
- Capital Needs
- Brick & mortar projects or significant essential materials/equipment
Funding Information
- Funding Amount Range:
- Small Grant: $5,000 to $20,000 (focused on single organization, issue or program)
- “Difference Maker” Grant: $25,000 to $50,000
What they Fund?
- Small grants: General operations and project/program support for:
- Productive Aging,
- Bridging Diverse Sectors of the Community,
- Community Innovations (creative approaches to community challenges, not focused on youth/children) &
- Capital Projects
- “Difference Maker” Grant: Other strategic investments that support community-wide, lasting, and positive changes involving 2 or more collaborating organizations (By invitation only)
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible organizations: 501(c) 3 nonprofit organizations, schools or government entities.
- Geographic Area: Kandiyohi County in Minnesota
- Favorable Considerations
- Are likely to make a clear difference in the quality of life for a substantial number of people.
- Propose practical approaches to resolve current community problems.
- Address diversity and positive change in a constructive manner. (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy)
- Help nonprofit organizations manage themselves and their finances more effectively.
- Encourage cooperation and eliminate duplication of services.
- Stimulate others to participate in problem-solving.
- Promote leverage for generating additional funds.
- Sustainability.
Ineligibility Criteria
- Individuals
- Religious organizations for religious purposes (Funding for Faith-Based Organizations Policy)
- Political organizations or political campaigns.
- Annual fundraising drives
- Endowments
- Debt retirement or deficit financing
- Projects or portions of projects that have already been completed
For more information, visit WACF.