NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Bethany Wesley, Communications Director
email: bethanyw@nwmf.org
July 24, 2024 (Bemidji, MN) – Fifty grants totaling more than $1.1 million have been issued to support small businesses and nonprofits throughout Northwest Minnesota that have experienced hardship since the COVID-19 pandemic.
That total represents almost half of the $2.4 million that was loaned or granted out into the region from April through June through the Northwest Minnesota Foundation. That three-month timeframe comprises the fourth quarter of NMF’s fiscal year.
Funding pushed out into the region included $1,145,000 in grants to businesses through the Minnesota Legislature’s PROMISE Act program, another $709,600 through discretionary mission-driven grants, $316,900 through loans to small business owners, and $234,400 in grants awarded by local funds within NMF’s family of funds
Additionally, the Northwest Small Business Development Center, for which NMF serves as host, provided 775 hours of no-cost business consulting to 182 unique clients throughout the region.
The Northwest Minnesota region served by NMF includes two tribal nations (Red Lake Nation and White Earth Nation) and 12 counties (Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, and Roseau).
PROMISE ACT GRANTS
Fifty grants totaling $1,145,000 have been issued to Northwest Minnesota businesses and nonprofits through the first round of PROMISE Act grants in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The PROMISE Act grants program was approved and funded by the Minnesota Legislature.
Through this program, businesses that have been adversely affected by structural racial discrimination, civil unrest, lack of access to capital, loss of population or an aging population, or lack of regional economic diversification were eligible to apply for grants. Each region of the state was awarded funds for two rounds of PROMISE Act funding. This concludes the first round for Northwest Minnesota; a second grant round is expected this fall.
Grants include:
- Polk County, 10 grants totaling $295,000
- Roseau County, 11 grants totaling $270,000
- Pennington County, 10 grants totaling $210,000
- Beltrami County, 5 grants totaling $95,000
- Hubbard County, 3 grants totaling $60,000
- Lake of the Woods County, 4 grants totaling $55,000
- Kittson County, 2 grants totaling $50,000
- Clearwater County, 2 grants totaling $35,000
- Mahnomen County, 1 grant totaling $25,000
- Red Lake County, 1 grant totaling $25,000
- Norman County, 1 grant totaling $25,000
Depending on factors such as annual revenue, businesses were eligible for grants in the amounts of $10,000, $25,000, and $50,000. Once all eligible applications were determined to meet the grant guidelines, the final selection of awardees was determined through random selection.
MISSION-DRIVEN DISCRETIONARY GRANTS
In addition to PROMISE Act grants, NMF approved 28 discretionary mission-driven grants totaling 709,639.
These grants included:
- 2 grants totaling $309,039 through the state’s Minnesota Main Street Economic Revitalization Program to support revitalization projects.
- A grant to White Earth Nation for $172,000 to support their efforts in improving youth mental health and wellness within their communities.
- 6 grants totaling $113,200 to support welcoming and inclusion efforts in Crookston, Roseau, Thief River Falls, and Bemidji.
- 6 grants through NMF’s Homelessness program, totaling $31,300 to fund six organizations working in the field of homelessness and housing.
- 2 grants totaling $25,000 through NMF’s Thriving Together program, including $20,000 to fund new pilot program that will develop an Aging Population Service Provider Network in Crookston/Polk County, and $5,000 to support a new initiative that will collect and report data on the region’s ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) population.
- 2 grants from the Children & Families program, totaling $23,000. This includes $12,000 to support Endazhi-Nitaawiging (Growing Anishinaabe Leaders), an Anishinaabe charter school in Red Lake; and $11,000 to fund community members in Red Lake and White Earth who are attending and participating in the Indigenous Dementia Research Network conference.
- 8 Training & Education grants, totaling $16,100 to support the vitality of the nonprofit sector. Funded projects include staff training and board development, QuickBooks training, a seminar, and a workshop focused on creating culturally competent leaders.
- 1 grant for $20,000 continues NMF’s participation in the Initiators Fellowship, which support social entrepreneurism throughout Greater Minnesota.
FAMILY OF FUNDS
Through 64 grants approved by local funds, $234,435 was dispersed into Northwest Minnesota. NMF maintains more than 430 funds within its family of funds, including community funds, donor-advised funds, education funds, scholarship funds, and others. Each fund has its own purpose.
Grants dispersed through these funds included:
- Education funds: 26 grants, $63,856
- Environment and recreation funds: 2 grants, $56,143
- Community funds: 21 grants, $42,451
- Donor-advised funds: 5 grants, $37,000
- Community service funds: 5 grants, $25,800
- Scholarship funds: 2 grants, $4,685
- Cultural funds: 1 grant, $3,000
- Economic development funds: 2 grants, $1,500
BUSINESS LOANS
Nine loans were approved for nine businesses, totaling $316,909.
More than $290,000 was approved through NMF itself while about $25,000 was approved through the Northwest Minnesota Community Impact Corporation, a subsidiary of NMF that targets loan funding to those who have been traditionally underserved.
NMF loans included:
- 3 loans for Beltrami County businesses, totaling $213,500
- 2 loans for Clearwater County businesses, totaling $68,000
- A $10,000 loan for a Lake of the Woods County business
NMCIC loans supported:
- A Lake of the Woods County business with a $10,000 loan
- 2 Beltrami County businesses with loans totaling $15,409
