Who We've Funded

CollegeBound St. Paul is the first college savings account program in the nation where every child born in the city is eligible, most are auto-enrolled, and all participants receives a $50 seed deposit. The program includes “bonuses” for activities such as completing well-child clinic visits and attending financial health programming. Through the program incentive structure, the accounts become a mechanism that can be utilized to support whole families thrive related to a range of issues through increased engagement with city agencies and social support organizations.

Minneapolis, MN — This grant will support the work of Relationships Evolving Possibilities (REP), fiscally sponsored by Family Tree Clinic. REP is developing steps to build community response capacity and preparing vetted resources as an approach to public safety. The two umbrellas of REP are Revolutionary Emergency Partners and Radical Ecosystem Pods. The first element, Revolutionary Emergency Partners, will provide emergency care to community members via a secure hotline. The second element, Radical Ecosystem Pods, will facilitate and build community capacity to respond to crises through trainings and relationship building. This work will fortify neighborhood resources and skills around mental health incidents, situational management, and de-escalation, which will overall minimize the need to reach beyond our own community for crisis support.

Minneapolis, MN — To operate two grant programs with the purpose of inspiring and supporting creative problem-solving across Minnesota and the Native nations that share that geography.

Rapid City, SD — Institute of Indigenous American Legacy (aka I.Am.Legacy) an Indigenous-led 501(c)(3)] and Pennington County will be working closely to utilize the idea of the warm hand-off referral process to reduce racial disparities of Indigenous persons in Pennington County criminal justice system. I.Am.Legacy's will scale up capacity to provide programmatic services. Pennington County will solidify the referral process with departments of the county and support replication with non-county entities to allow more community members to accesses culturally specific services.

The model would demonstrate that individuals with lived experiences are well suited to be part of a systemic approach to reduce recidivism that has been tested and hopes to be expanded.

Porcupine, SD — Makoce Agriculture Development is developing a new and comprehensive model for a sustainable local food system that will support good health and create new economic opportunities on the Pine Ridge Reservation. This 5-year project will include community education and training, network strengthening and securing access to and building on tribal land to create community food centers. This will be done through five initiatives that will work across sectors and in partnership with one another to build an interconnected regenerative local food system. The ultimate aim of this work is to advance tribal sovereignty in the region by supporting tribal leaders and communities to build their own systems for wellness and modes of self-determination.

Winchester, MA — Mastery Transcript Consortium will expand its 7-member cohort to 12-25 school districts across North Dakota to expand competency-based learning and test and spread the use of the Mastery Transcript™. This is a key part of the North Dakota strategy to transform education to be student-centered and ensure every student gets the support they need to be choice-ready and document their learning.

Minot, ND — Three partner institutions (Minot State University, Dakota College at Bottineau, and Certification Central) will develop a new coordinated model of special education teacher preparation pathways. The effort will focus on addressing the special education teacher shortages in the most rural parts of North Dakota. If successful, the approach could be applied to address other rural teaching shortages.

Rapid City, SD — In recognition of becoming a finalist for the 2021 Community-based Grant Program Partner RFP, this grant will advance the organization's charitable mission.

Communities in Minnesota's Regions 2 & 5 will implement a comprehensive community safety model that is specific to the rural experience. This model will be an adaptation of NP’s work in developing locally led, nonviolent, and non-partisanship peacekeeping and peacemaking infrastructure.

Minneapolis, MN — North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) will support the development and spread of Indigenous foods and cuisine through increased food production, growth and education, and will advance Indigenous economic opportunities through restaurants, consumer products, and agriculture. These efforts will lead to improved health and strengthened cultural connections to land and food among Indigenous peoples.

Bismarck, ND — The North Dakota Native Tourism Alliance, a sponsored organization of North Dakota Community Foundation, will develop and test a new model of tourism that creates tour packages specific to and created by Nation Nations in North Dakota. This model combats a history of colonizing narratives and practices within tourism where non-Native entities primarily dominate the narratives and own the sites most frequently encountered within tourism experiences. This five-year project will include product development, implementation and capacity building. The ultimate aim of this work is to educate visitors about Native American heritage and Tribal Nationhood and to create economic opportunities within Native communities.

Pine Ridge, SD — This grant supports the development and launch of the Oglala Lakota Structural Fire Department, which will be the first community-led structural fire department to serve the Pine Ridge Reservation. In addition to bringing firefighting services to life, the Fire Department will collaborate across Pine Ridge to develop better-coordinated emergency services and to deliver fire prevention education.

Mandan, ND — To operate two grant programs with the purpose of inspiring and supporting creative problem-solving within Native nations and Native communities across the Bush Foundation region.

Saint Paul, MN — Shared Capital Cooperative will develop and test a commons-based approach to acquire and steward a network of farms across Minnesota focused on supporting BIPOC farmers. This approach would enable farmers to access affordable land long-term while advancing shared agro-ecological stewardship and supporting strong community ownership. The design process would establish the social and operational systems needed to establish a successful farm enterprise within vibrant communities.

Pierre, SD — To operate two grant programs with the purpose of inspiring and supporting creative problem-solving across South Dakota and the Native nations that share that geography.

Minot, ND — To operate two grant programs with the purpose of inspiring and supporting creative problem-solving across North Dakota and the Native nations that share that geography.

Sioux Falls, SD — The Compass Center will scale the Little Navigators Empowerment Program, growing the number of students, locations and staff. The program builds a network of support within childcare centers to promote healthy social development and prevent child abuse for young children who have experienced trauma.

Bismarck, ND — In recognition of becoming a finalist for the 2021 Community-based Grant Program Partner RFP, this grant will advance the organization's charitable mission

Saint Paul, MN — In recognition of becoming a finalist for the 2021 Community-based Grant Program Partner RFP, this grant will advance the organization's charitable mission.

Minneapolis, MN — In recognition of becoming a finalist for the 2021 Community-based Grant Program Partner RFP, this grant will advance the organization's charitable mission.

Brooklyn Park, MN — This grant builds on a previous Community Innovation Grant aimed at elevating the profile of microbusinesses, accessing data on needs and practices, and creating a pipeline to resources and funding. This important work is developing and testing an idea that has the potential to transform the ecosystem of support for microbusinesses that have not received adequate visibility or resources to date. ACER will uplift those unmet needs and work to improve the ability of public agencies to provide rapid response to microbusinesses impacted by crises.

Callaway, MN — Intertribal hemp cooperative development and demonstration project

Eagle Butte, SD — To test and support Akiptan's agriculture-lending model for Native American farmers and ranchers

Minneapolis, MN — This grant builds on a previous Community Innovation Grant to surface innovative strategies that prevent gentrification and displacement. With this work, the Alliance and its partners hope to use the critical momentum around eviction prevention to explore and establish sustainable wins for renters in Minnesota that will provide benefit long after the temporary eviction moratorium ends.

Minneapolis, MN — To establish the Commercial Land Trust Initiative to demonstrate the need for, and viability of, using the community land trust mechanism to preserve the availability and affordability of community-owned commercial space

Minneapolis, MN — Communities United Against Police Brutality is the fiscal sponsor for Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence (FSFAPV). FSFAPV has a track record of supporting individuals impacted by police violence to be advocates for change. This grant would build on that work, creating a new approach that combines culturally responsive healing and self-care with support to play leadership roles in organizations to influence public safety systems change.

Minneapolis, MN — To have first-time home buyers from BIPOC communities become owner-occupant landlords of 2–4-unit properties in Saint Paul in several inner ring suburbs

Sioux Falls, SD — This grant builds on a previous Community Innovation grant. Helpline Center will test the coordinated social services delivery model they developed in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in two new cities: Brookings and Watertown. They will document their efforts to share with others. The work in Sioux Falls has been very successful and as the state explores what is possible for a statewide system, having two medium-sized towns pilot the Sioux Falls model will further contribute to the efforts to build a statewide network.

Minneapolis, MN — Hennepin Healthcare Foundation and its partners will develop a new Medicaid benefit for access to respite care service for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. They will co-design the benefit with the Minnesota Department of Human Services. If all goes as planned, this benefit and the design of the recuperative program will be spread throughout Minnesota to meet the respite care needs of these individuals. This will also save costs for health care, housing, and criminal justice systems.

Kyle, SD — To develop an online mapping resource that spans and connects Lakota history, culture and place through a community-led process

Saint Paul, MN — The Latino Economic Development Center leads a collaborative that includes a broad range of immigrant business owners who are served by the African Economic Development Solutions, Council on American-Islamic Relations - MN Chapter, and African Development Center. This grant builds on a previous Community Innovation Grant effort that supports the collaborative's long-term strategy to transform past disinvestment in the immigrant community. Collaborators will provide immediate access to financial resources to impacted immigrant business owners and rural areas.

Dodge City, KS — Lead For America will establish Waseca, MN as a "demonstration city" serving as a hub for rural economic and community development. This will build on the success they have had in supporting a diverse cohort of young, rural leaders to be effective leaders in their hometowns. Once developed, the hub will be a lab and training center to test and spread ideas that work across communities.

Saint Paul, MN — To create a model of public-private partnership with government agencies that will transform the way government respects and honors Dakota history and cultural beliefs in managing lands and waters

Minneapolis, MN — This grant supports the Minneapolis Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to expand the use of its community organizing model to protect consumers where payday lending is prevalent. This effort aims to make payday lenders modify terms of loan products under more competitive market conditions and transform how individuals access loans. This grant builds on a previous Community Innovation grant to support this work.

Minneapolis, MN — This grant supports the Native American Community Clinic to adapt its telehealth visit model to meet an urgent need for coordinated health care for Native Americans living in Minneapolis. This work will transform the existing health care system serving Native Americans, prepare for when extra state funding ends and a possible recurrence of COVID-19. This grant builds on a previous Community Innovation grant to support this work.

Saint Paul, MN — Nexus Community Partners will develop and test a new model for supporting healing and wellness for BIPOC racial equity leaders in Minnesota through sabbaticals. This 3.5-year project will include a community design process, pilot implementation and gradual full implementation of a paid sabbaticals program. The ultimate aim of this work is to advance progress on issues of racial equity in Minnesota by supporting leaders to invest in their own wellness and rejuvenation for the work.

Callaway, MN — Niibi Center will partner with community members and organizations to recommend guiding standards and regulatory practices that support the Rights of Manoomin ('good berry' in Ojibwe and refers to wild rice) law on White Earth Nation and beyond.

Bismarck, ND — Dakota Legacy, a sponsored organization of North Dakota Council on the Arts, seeks to work in partnership with community, arts, and education organizations to “repatriate, contextualize, and make more accessible traditional Lakota songs recorded on the Standing Rock reservation” by ethnomusicologist Frances Densmore between 1911-1914. Many of these songs are currently stored at the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress and remain inaccessible to Indigenous communities.

Rapid City, SD — To provide transitional housing with wrap around assistance to reduce the reoccurrence of homelessness in Rapid City, South Dakota

Saint Paul, MN — This grant builds on a previous Community Innovation grant aimed at expanding and embedding an innovative partnership model between community members and juvenile justice system leaders to transform Ramsey County justice system practices. With this grant, Oyate Hotanin will help Ramsey County expand alternatives to detention through community-based restorative justice strategies, as well as explore increasing the criminal categories that are eligible for this alternative pathway. The goal is to launch this work in Ramsey County, with the intention of implementing it in nearby tribal communities.

Minneapolis, MN — This grant builds on a previous Community Innovation grant to establish the Commercial Land Trust Initiative. The CLTI aims to demonstrate the need for, and viability of, using the community land trust mechanism to preserve the availability and affordability of community-owned commercial space.

Welch, MN — To address the lack of a culturally sustaining food systems and energy insecurity to support the food system in alignment with traditional values and principles

Landsdowne, VA — Prison Fellowship will spread the practice of using a Prison Culture Assessment (PCA) to improve prison environments in North Dakota and Minnesota. Results from the PCA will be used to reform rehabilitation programs within correction systems and enable correctional leaders to channel resources for better functioning prison environments.

Minneapolis, MN — To develop a community hub for the creation and application of culturally-relevant education resources

Mission, SD — The Wolakota Buffalo Range (WBR) is a dynamic, multidimensional project that will regenerate the land, people, and economy of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate by returning buffalo at a scale essential to ensuring they survive and thrive. With a capacity to support 1,500 animals, the WBR will become North America’s largest Native American owned and managed buffalo herd and will model how to integrate large herds within Native nations in the region and beyond. This grant builds on a previous Community Innovation grant to support this effort.

Minneapolis, MN — To develop Minnesota’s first prescription medication repository program and make it accessible to communities with the greatest needs

Alexandria, VA — This grant builds on a previous Community Innovation Grant for the Mni Wizipan Wakan (Water Bundles) Project. This work aims to manage and protect water rights on the Ihanktonwan (Yankton) Reservation by creating a political, scientific and legal basis for tribal-federal government co-management of the landscape and hydroscape of the Missouri River Cultural Basin that passes through tribal lands. This grant supports developing and testing an idea that has the potential to transform the way tribes manage water.

Mckinleyville, CA — To develop energy self-reliance to the benefit of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

Saint Paul, MN — To test shifts in opportunity, power and narrative through a Guaranteed Income Pilot for artists, culture bearers and creatives in St. Paul, MN

Kyle, SD — This is the first phase of work to establish new markets for Native-raised, grass-fed beef and buffalo. Tanka Fund will create the Tanka Resilient Agricultural Company as a social enterprise to build the capacity of individual Native cattle and bison producers and create and test a new collective marketing approach.

Porcupine, SD — For the Regional Equity Initiative to address inequities that exist for women in the Pine Ridge community by supporting women's leadership, traditional women’s societies and honoring champions of change

Saint Paul, MN — The West Side Community Organization (WSCO) is developing a strategy that can improve and preserve naturally occurring affordable housing in the west side of Saint Paul, while providing a pathway for collective ownership by tenants. WSCO is developing a tenant union, which will organize and train tenant leaders to manage a trust that supports a tenant-driven ownership structure. WSCO will collaborate with Trust Neighborhoods to acquire and rehabilitate naturally occurring affordable housing, and will collaborate with Land Bank Twin Cities to grow tenant ownership of properties.

Washington, DC — This grant builds on a previous Community Innovation grant to align the stewardship of Pine Ridge tribal lands with community needs and aspirations. The next phase of the work is to form an innovative public/Native nation partnership that indigenizes conservation by bringing the Oglala Lakota peoples' perspective to co-management of the 133,000-acre, tribally owned portion of Pine Ridge Reservation, designated the South Unit of Badlands National Park. This work has the potential to transform the way Native nations manage and regain cultural connections to their lands within national park boundaries.

Minneapolis, MN — To create a Community Investment Fund using an integrated capital model to promote access for black communities and work towards eliminating the racial wealth gap

Rapid City, SD — To improve data collection and analysis by Rapid City Collective Impact for its Affordable Housing Initiative

Saint Cloud, MN — To establish Minnesota Safe Harbor for All, a statewide effort to address sex trafficking and prostitution

Minneapolis, MN — Partners in Change: Building Resiliency within Minnesota’s Muslim Community, and Equipping Communities to Respond to and Prevent Bias in Greater Minnesota

Memphis, TN — To develop a demonstration farm in Beadle County, South Dakota to improve soil and water health with input from producers such as farmers, ranchers and landowners in the James River Valley region

Sioux Falls, SD — To create a Sioux Falls Area Childcare Collaborative staffing pool

Columbia, MD — To pilot a peer learning community in South Dakota for increasing homeownership opportunities and creating a mortgage ready environment in tribal communities

Minneapolis, MN — To increase the sustainability and supply of high quality child care in sovereign Native nations within the Bush Foundation region

Grand Forks, ND — To improve access to behavioral health services for low-income individuals in North Dakota through service provider supports

Saint Paul, MN — To identify regional solutions to reduce unsheltered homelessness in the seven-county metro area of the Twin Cities

Moorhead, MN — To establish the New American Loan Fund and related services to help low-income, low-wealth and disadvantaged immigrant business owners join the economic mainstream in the Fargo-Moorhead region

Grand Rapids, MN — To partner with justice-involved youth and their families in Itasca County to design and pilot a whole-family solution led by Itasca County Public Health that is appropriate, sustainable, and impactful

New York, NY — For community engagement to advance social impact investing and equitable development in designated Opportunity Zones

Saint Paul, MN — To create capacity and support for African American businesses to survive and recover during COVID-19

Mandan, ND — Implementation and evaluation of a rural grocery redistribution hub to demonstrate how distribution channels can be modified to improve rural food access and to benefit the regional economy

Minneapolis, MN — To address emergency operational needs and sector wide problems faced by affordable housing providers due to COVID 19

Brooklyn Park, MN — To mobilize a collaborative effort to ensure families receive meals during the COVID-19 outbreak

Sioux Falls, SD — To pilot the use of a Housing Retention Specialist to prevent evictions in the City of Sioux Falls

Agency Village, SD — Dakod Ohna Wasagic’iyapi, to strengthen yourself through the Dakota language

Brookings, SD — Conducting community deliberations to enhance inclusion among Brookings area businesses

Minneapolis, MN — To build a community-based overdose prevention site in Minneapolis

Hutchinson, MN — To pilot a local network of employers from Kandiyohi, Meeker, Renville and Redwood counties in Minnesota

Sioux Falls, SD — To create a fund and fill gaps in resources accessible to immigrant and undocumented communities in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic

Minneapolis, MN — To develop a low-barrier housing model that can provide stable housing for individuals experiencing homelessness in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Fridley, MN — To facilitate the expansion of Minnesota’s Safe Harbor laws to include labor trafficking

Falcon Heights, MN — To implement the Local Emergency Assistance Farm Fund

Fargo, ND — To adapt and test an online learning model created for students with special needs, their parents, and paraprofessionals in rural southeast North Dakota school districts

Tuttle, ND — To create a rural community and economy that exists at the intersection of food, art and entrepreneurship