Nonprofit Capacity Building Grants
Grant applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits, school districts, or local units of government operating within the 14-county region served by the Initiative Foundation. The service area includes Benton, Cass, Chisago, Crow Wing, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd, Wadena and Wright counties, and the Native nations of the Leech Lake and Mille Lacs Bands of Ojibwe.
We support Central Minnesota nonprofits with budgets of $1 million or less. Capacity-building grants are designed to strengthen organizations that lift up local economies, build a strong workforce, and add to the vibrancy of the region’s economy. We strive for geographic equity by annually delivering grants to each of the 14 counties and two Native nations we serve.
We fund capacity-building initiatives for organizations that provide …
- basic needs such as food or housing
- improve economic conditions such as jobs training, career education, life skills, and apprenticeships
- support for victims of crime or discrimination
- non-clinical mental health services and supports related to suicide prevention and substance abuse.
Capacity building can include strategic planning; training to grow staff skills; succession planning; fund development planning; marketing & communications planning; board and governance training; process-improvement initiatives; and staff time that supports these capacity-building activities.
For this grant, capacity building is not …
- hiring a grant writer or fundraiser
- adding program staff
- supporting a new or ongoing program
- general technology improvements or website upgrades
- operating expenses (rent, utilities, etc.).
NOTE: Healthcare, arts and historic preservation are not focus areas for Initiative Foundation grants. Potential applicants are encouraged to speak with staff before beginning an application associated with one of these areas.