Blandin Foundation

A nudge to rural employers with dual-training programs to think about a just-announced grant opportunity from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education... Dual Training Grants are awarded to employers to support occupational training in the industries of advanced manufacturing, agriculture, health care services, information technology, child care, transportation, and legal cannabis industry. The program helps employers meet their workforce needs by creating earn-and-learn programs for employees. Potential applicants are encouraged to attend a Request for Proposal Writing Workshop to learn more about applying for the grant: ?? In-person: Monday, March 10 at 11 a.m. in St. Paul ?? In-person: Wednesday, March 12 at 11 a.m. in Bemidji ?? Virtual: Friday, March 14 at 9 a.m. ?? Virtual Refresh Version: March 14 at 11 a.m. Learn more about the Dual Training Pipeline and this grant opportunity: https://lnkd.in/gQHPPieh

Get to know our Community Wealth Building funding priority! Community Wealth Building is a community development approach that considers the full spectrum of assets needed for healthy communities – financial, intellectual, environmental, cultural, and social – and weaves them together in a way that roots all development locally, focusing on sustainable and shared community benefit. Its goal is to reduce disparities in outcomes that too often fall along the lines of place, race, and class. These grants seek outcomes in the following areas: ?? Affordable Housing and Housing Stability ?? Community-Based Economic Development ?? Workforce and Talent Development Systems ?? Equitable Access to Capital ?? Cross-Cutting and Community-Level Outcomes Our upcoming funding round is open to Itasca-area non-profit organizations, with letters of inquiry opening March 7th. After several years of grassroots collaboration, strategic planning and a realignment of the Foundation's priorities with the intent of our founder, we've refocused our grant portfolios to focus on three key priority areas: Community Wealth Building, Rural Placemaking, and Small Communities. Each initiative is designed to empower local leaders and organizations to create lasting, meaningful change. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3DRAE42

You've seen the data: Rural Minnesota faces a housing crisis due to a lack of affordable housing, rising construction costs, and a shortage of rental units. At the same time, as the Minnesota Reformer reported, small towns are uniquely disadvantaged when applying for housing funding. This all makes newer opportunities like the Greater Minnesota Small Cities Housing Aid Grant Program something to look into for communities outside the metro with populations less than 10,000. The RFP process opened last week. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4hDz7O3

Get to know our Small Communities funding priority! This grant portfolio supports resources, skills, and needed system changes in rural Minnesota’s smallest communities by funding planning, implementation and capacity building projects. Our Small Communities grants seek the following outcomes: ?? Bring about positive, visible change. ?? Engage in productive discourse around issues that will have a long-lasting impact on the health and well-being of residents and visitors. ?? Prepare for the future. Our upcoming funding round is open to Itasca-area non-profit organizations, with letters of inquiry opening Match 7th. Future opportunities will be open to organizations serving small, rural communities beyond our home giving area. After several years of grassroots collaboration, strategic planning and a realignment of the Foundation's priorities with the intent of our founder, we've refocused our grant portfolios to focus on three key priority areas: Community Wealth Building, Rural Placemaking, and Small Communities. Each initiative is designed to empower local leaders and organizations to create lasting, meaningful change. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3DRAE42

Are you working to improve health in your rural community? Consider applying for Project REACH through the University of Minnesota's Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Project REACH (Rural Experts Advancing Community Health) is a year-long program that provides diverse community leaders in rural Minnesota with health policy and leadership training. Participants will learn to frame health policy challenges and how to communicate effectively with state legislators and other policymakers. Learn more and apply by March 17th: https://bit.ly/3DYFvjN

You know we do grantmaking, but do you know who makes up the Blandin Foundation grantmaking team? Meet them! With each member bringing their own rich and varied community engagement and philanthropy experiences, this team works alongside grantees in every corner of Greater Minnesota to confront rural disparities and promote community vitality. ? LuAnn Robinson, Grants Program Officer ? Mary Magnuson, Grants Program Officer - Rural Placemaking ? Kyle Erickson, Director of Rural Grantmaking ? Linda Gibeau, Grants Program Officer - Small Communities ? Matt Hanson, Grants Program Officer Their work is a continuation of our founder Charles Blandin's vision: focusing on the needs of the rural worker, whose prosperity and dignity enable the rich and unique culture that makes Minnesota the incredible place it is. Follow along for more on our grantmaking program areas!

Thank you to all the rural nonprofit organizations and fellow rural funders who participated in this year's Minnesota Grantmakers event! The convening provided valuable opportunity for nonprofits to ask questions directly of funders and for funders to increase understanding in how to better support nonprofit needs and goals. If you attended, drop your insights in the comments! And if you missed it, here's some of what Kyle Erickson, Blandin Foundation's Director of Rural Grantmaking, shared with attendees: ?? Strategic planning in the early states of a nonprofits' work is essential. ?? Grantseeking should be finding intersection of your organization’s vision with a foundation’s mission and focus areas. ?? Resist the urge to chase funding. That can feel impossible when so few philanthropies are funding in rural. But that approach doesn’t help you get to impact in the best way possible. ?? Proposals must be mission-driven and impact-focused. And if your project’s not a fit for this cycle, we’ll still be here next year. Many thanks to the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits for creating a valuable opportunity for Greater Minnesota! They offer conferences, trainings, and educational opportunities throughout the year. Find yours today: https://bit.ly/4gEvTss

It's a good time to be in community with one another. Last Friday, that looked like more than 50 current and future grantee organizations from across our local giving area — Grand Rapids, Itasca County, Blackduck, Northome and Remer — gathering at our Foundation offices to connect with program officers, deepen relationships, forge new ones, and learn more about the upcoming grant round. We are deeply appreciative of all the work local nonprofits do in providing essential services to our home region, and we are excited work with grantees and local leaders as they create community-centered solutions to our region’s urgent needs. Our next grant round opens to letters of inquiry on March 7th. The opportunity is specific to our local giving area and work in the areas of Community Wealth Building, Rural Placemaking, and Small Communities. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3DRAE42

What are the challenges and opportunities of small-town philanthropy? Jennifer Bevis, Blandin Foundation's senior rural advocacy manager, visited with The Daily Yonder for a conversation that included rural disparities, pandemic-fueled changes in grantmaking, the coming great wealth transfer, and a one small town's request for funding for one wall with a door. Read their conversation: https://bit.ly/3EajBdD

?? All Itasca-area students are encouraged to apply for a Blandin Foundation Scholarship by March 1st! To complete our very simple and quick application, students will need a copy of their FAFSA Submission Summary. Start there: www.fafsa.gov Learn more about our scholarship program and apply today: https://lnkd.in/gKJVGzns