Apply for grants
The Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation offers more than $2 million in annual competitive grant funding.
To be eligible to apply for funding, an organization is required to:
- be a charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;
- be a charitable organization under Section 170(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code;
- have a fiscal sponsor classified as a charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3)
of the Internal Revenue Code; or Section 170(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code; or
- be one of the following seven tribal nations in our service area: Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, (Mashkiiziibii); the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, (Zagaakwaandagowininiwag); the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, (Nah-Gah-Chi-Wa-Nong); the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, (Gichi Onigaming); the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe; the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe; and the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, (Gaa-Miskwaabikaang)
The spring 2024 grant cycle closed on March 1, 2024 at 5pm. Notifications will be emailed to applicants by the end of May.
Applications for the fall 2024 grant cycle will be open August 1, 2024 through October 1, 2024 at 5pm.
Project start date must be January 1, 2025, or later, and end date no more than 12 months from the project start date. Notifications will be emailed in mid-December. If awarded, funding from the fall 2024 requests would be issued by end of December.
As part of our strategic planning process, we are working with consultants, fund advisors and our board in strategic conversations for more accessible funding and combined impact. There may be more funds added by August 1st, but at this point, the below list of funds have been confirmed for the fall 2024 grant cycle.
Click on each of the following funds to view the grant guidelines:
- Central Mesabi Fund for Human Services
- Community Opportunity Fund – Belonging
- Community Opportunity Fund – Opportunity
- Community Opportunity Fund – Resilience
- Community Opportunity Fund – Transformation
- Douglas County Disaster and Welfare Fund
- John T. & Elizabeth C. Adams Arts Fund
- Morgan Fund
- Samuel F. Atkins and Barbara H. Atkins Memorial Fund
- Superior Douglas County Arts Fund
Grant requests to the following funds are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year:
The Spring 2024 Grant Cycle applications are open January 2 to March 1, 2024 at 5pm.
The Community Foundation invites nonprofits to apply for funds that support projects enhancing communities throughout northeast Minnesota, northwest Wisconsin, and the seven sovereign tribal nations in the region.
The grant cycle aims to empower local nonprofit organizations, and initiatives seeking to impact the social, cultural and economic development of communities, and environmental protection throughout the region. The Community Foundation is increasing the amount of time between the opening of applications and the due date, to reduce the stress experienced by our invaluable nonprofit partners.
Click on each of the following funds to view the grant guidelines:
- Alexandra Smith Fund – In Support of Native American Treaty Rights
- Animal-Assisted Therapy Fund
- Anishinabe Fund
- Apostle Islands Area Community Fund
- Apostle Islands Area Human Rights Fund
- Biodiversity Fund
- Chequamegon Bay Area Community Fund
- Cook County Community Fund
- Eveleth Area Community Fund
- Four Cedars Environmental Fund
- Fund for Women and Girls
- Global Awareness Fund
- Grutzner Madeline Island Fund
- LaBounty Family Fund
- Lone Wolf Fund
- Mary H. Rice Community Innovation Fund
- Michael Madeline Island Fund
- Red Cliff / Miskwaabikaang Fund
- Silver Bay Charitable Fund
- Two Harbors Area Fund
- West Wind Fund
- Wetherby Fund
- Wirtanen Family Fund
Steps to apply:
Access the grant portal (bookmark this site).
Log on or create an account.
On the applicant dashboard, click “APPLY” at the top of the page, then take the eligibility quiz.
See Resources and Community Impact Team contacts below.
Resources:
- Grant applicant tutorials
- Collaborator tutorial (for use when multiple people are involved in completing the application)
- Grant application narrative Questions
- Documents required to upload in the application:
1. Project budget template (for optional use if you do not already have your own)
2. Most current organizational budget
3. Most current filed IRS Form 990 or audited financial statement
For a list of funding opportunities and detailed descriptions, visit Our Grants page.
Community Impact Team support contacts:
- Community Impact Director Michelle Morris, for discussion of funding opportunities
- Senior Community Impact Associate Kursula Harris, for technical assistance or general inquiries
