NWAF Grants

Northwest Area Foundation Grants $4.9 Million for Jobs Training, Worker-Owned Businesses, and Financial Education

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 CST

Grants include two innovative pilot programs in Native American communities

ST. PAUL, Minn. (April 15, 2013) – Native Americans would learn skills to launch employee-owned businesses under a pilot program the Northwest Area Foundation is funding. A $300,000 grant to the Democracy Collaborative Foundation Inc. (DCF) of Cleveland will provide six Native American organizations with deep, hands-on learning in the Evergreen Cooperatives model of worker-owned enterprises. The grant to DCF is one of 48 worth $4.9 million the Foundation announced in the first quarter of 2013 aimed at building assets and wealth through job creation, small business development, and personal financial education.

“Employee-owned cooperatives have shown great success in moving low-income workers to living wage careers. We believe that such community wealth-building strategies offer great potential for prosperity in Native American communities,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of the Northwest Area Foundation. “The portfolio of grants we’ve announced include many innovative approaches to creating new jobs and financial opportunities to reduce poverty in Latino, refugee, minority, immigrant, and low-income communities within our region.”

The Foundation has committed a minimum of 40 percent of its grant portfolio in 2013 to Native American programs and Native-operated nonprofit organizations working to build community and individual financial know-how, access to capital, and entrepreneurial skills. A $1.5 million grant to the Seventh Generation Fund for Indian Development Inc. is aimed at strengthening the influence of a nonprofit network of Native American organizations in Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. This pilot program will offer small grants, project training, advocacy, and peer-centered learning.

Additional grants to support asset building in Native American communities include:

• Economic Policy Institute of Washington, D.C., received $100,000 for policy research that will call attention to unemployment rates and the need for job creation for Native Americans.
• Makoce Wasté Development Corporation of Rapid City, S.D., received $100,000 through its fiscal sponsor United Tribes Technical College to create jobs, fund economic development, and purchase lands in the Black Hills for the Lakota-Dakota-Nakota people.
• Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Minneapolis received $100,000 over two years to develop a comprehensive Minnesota American Indian Business Directory and to create a “Buy Indian Policy.”

Grants to build assets and wealth in other communities include:

• Amos Institute of Public Life of Des Moines, Iowa, received $200,000 over two years to expand the Project IOWA program that helps low-income workers move to living wage jobs.
• Craft3 of Ilwaco, Wash., received $350,000 to strengthen the leadership and organizational ability. Funding will also increase financial services, including business and consumer loans, provided to rural and Native American communities.
• Hacienda Community Development Corporation of Portland, Ore., received $200,000 over two years to build assets of low-income Latinos through micro-enterprise, home ownership, savings, and strong credit scores.
• Mountain States Group Inc. of Boise, Idaho, received $180,000 over two years for the Micro Enterprise Training and Assistance (META) program which provides business training and assistance to low-income and refugees entrepreneurs in the green energy industry.
• Nexus Community Partners of St. Paul, Minn., received $500,000 over two years for an initiative to create living wage jobs and build the financial abilities of low-income workers on St. Paul’s East Side.
• OneAmerica of Seattle received $200,000 over two years to launch a pilot program that combines financial literacy training for low- and moderate-income immigrants pursuing citizenship, with the goal of improving prospects for economic opportunity and full integration for this growing community, including eventual access to business training, loans and partnerships with financial institutions.
• Stairstep Foundation of Minneapolis received $100,000 over two years to recruit, support, and advocate for low-income people of color to work in living-wage construction industry jobs.

Grants to support leadership and organizational ability include:

• Headwaters Foundation for Justice of Minneapolis received $500,000 for collaborative planning, leadership development, community problem-solving and collective action among five regional networks of African American Leadership Forums in five cities: Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.; Seattle; Tacoma, Wash.; Portland, Ore.; and Des Moines, Iowa.

For a full list of the 48 grants the Northwest Area Foundation announced in the first of 2013 quarter, visit www.nwaf.org/content/firstqgrants13.

The Northwest Area Foundation is dedicated to supporting efforts by the people, organizations and communities to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable prosperity. The Foundation’s region includes the eight states of Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon and more than 70 sovereign Tribal Nations that share the same geography. The Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill, operated in this area. Hill’s son, Louis W. Hill, established the Foundation in 1934. For more information, please visit www.nwaf.org.

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Northwest Area Foundation Grants $2.7 Million for Small Business and Employment Opportunities

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 CST

Grants build assets and wealth through access to capital, job training, and financial education

ST. PAUL, Minn. (Jan. 22, 2013) – Creating new jobs, new businesses, and newly-trained workers is the goal of a three-year, $380,000 grant to the Portland Development Commission. Funding will support the Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative, a partnership between the city of Portland, Ore., nonprofit organizations, residents, and private business to forge economic development in six low-income commercial districts and to connect people to jobs. This is among $2.7 million in interrelated grants the Northwest Area Foundation announced in the fourth quarter of 2012 to reduce poverty and build prosperity.

“We believe that increasing personal assets and wealth offers the brightest hope for people who are trying to move from poverty to financial stability,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of the Northwest Area Foundation. “One of the most effective ways to do that is by creating new business with jobs that generate living wages. Our grants will also support financial education and job training so low-income workers can build a solid future.”

The Foundation also granted $222,400 over two years to the Three Affiliated Tribes – Mandan, Hidatsa and the Arikara Nation of New Town, N.D. The money will support a major visioning and strategic planning process aimed at rebuilding the Tribal government and its economic structure in order to foster self governance. That Tribal Nation is located on oil rich lands. Planning will support long-term economic development by managing wealth that could come from the precious natural resources.

Additional grants to build assets and wealth include:

• African Development Center of Minneapolis received $250,000 over two years to assist African immigrants in starting and sustaining successful businesses.
• Native American Community Development Corporation of Blackfeet, Mont., received $50,000 to expand a youth mini-bank and matched savings program in Minnesota, Washington, and Montana.
• Northside Achievement Zone of Minneapolis received $50,000 to offer career and financial resources to low-income families.
• Neighborhood Development Center of St. Paul, Minn., received $75,000 for work to grow business through local food systems, collaborations between rural and urban economies, and entrepreneur training.
• Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity of Minneapolis received $100,000 to improve public policies to reduce poverty and to prepare low-income families for home ownership. Family training will focus on budgeting and saving, building credit, and working with financial institutions.

Grants to improve public policy include:

• Minnesota Council of Nonprofits of Saint Paul, Minn., received $60,000 for its Minnesota Budget Project initiative. Funding will support research and analysis on tax and spending policies that impact low-income workers in Minnesota.
• Farmers’ Legal Action Group (FLAG) of Saint Paul, Minn., received $100,000 to advocate for stronger immigrant farmer-government relations. Funding will also provide access to capital, farmland, business training, and new markets.

Grants for rural development include:

• Lutheran Social Services Housing Inc. of Fargo, N.D., received $75,000 through its fiscal sponsor, Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota. This grant will fund research and development of a loan fund that will provide low-interest financing for affordable housing and child care facilities with an emphasis on projects in rural North Dakota.
• MinnPost of Minneapolis received $100,000 for investigative reporting on predatory lending practices in Minnesota.

Grants to build leadership for reducing poverty include:

• Association of Washington State Hispanic Chambers of Commerce of Seattle received $125,000 over two years through its fiscal sponsor, Yakima Valley Community Foundation, to provide financial education and business assistance to low-income Latino entrepreneurs.

For a full list of the 24 grants the Northwest Area Foundation announced in the fourth quarter, visit www.nwaf.org/content/fourthqgrants12.

The Northwest Area Foundation is dedicated to supporting efforts by the people, organizations and communities to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable prosperity. The Foundation’s region includes the eight states of Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon and more than 70 sovereign Tribal Nations that share the same geography. The Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill, operated in this area. Hill’s son, Louis W. Hill, established the Foundation in 1934. For more information, please visit www.nwaf.org.

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Grants

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 15:25:47 CST

Northwest Area Foundation adopted a single, poverty-reduction focus in 1998. Since then, we have devoted more than $200 million to this mission throughout our service region.

The Foundation operates under the premise that prosperity is possible for all. We believe the most effective way of moving from poverty to prosperity is to bolster assets and wealth of low-income families. Building financial reserves creates economic stability to meet long-term needs and to withstand unexpected events.

We fund various asset- and wealth-building strategies. Examples include efforts that develop strong leaders capable of spearheading poverty reduction initiatives and work to improve public policies that enable wealth creation among low-wage earners. We provide grants to established and emerging nonprofit organizations doing this type of work in rural, urban, and Native American reservation communities throughout the Foundation’s eight-state service region.

In 2013, the Foundation will issue targeted invitations for proposals to organizations doing proven or promising work in the focus areas described above. We anticipate that most of our funding decisions will be shaped through this process. We do not accept unsolicited proposals at this time.

We champion new ideas that bring bold new projects to scale. As such we support convenings and forums among thought leaders who have the ingenuity, passion, and skills to make lasting change. We encourage funding partners to join us on the journey to making prosperity a reality for those currently in poverty.

Northwest Area Foundation is committed to the evaluation of grants and programs we support. We believe in holding ourselves accountable for our work in order to be good stewards of our resources and to maximize the impact on our mission. We make it a priority to learn from our actions and to share both positive and negative outcomes. This helps our Board, management, and staff gauge the results of our work. We then are able to continue our efforts, pause and reassess, or shift resources toward efforts that more effectively support our goals and strategies.

Your ideas, comments and questions about reducing poverty and building sustainable prosperity are important to us. You can contact the Foundation at grants@nwaf.org, or call us at 888-904-9828.

Northwest Area Foundation Grants $3 Million to Build Assets and Wealth in Underserved Areas

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:00:00 CST

Native American, rural Latino, Hmong, and immigrants among the communities served

ST. PAUL, Minn. (Oct. 23, 2012) – Native American artists and culture bearers will sharpen their business skills, expand distribution of their art, and increase their household incomes through a $130,000 grant to the First Peoples Fund of Rapid City, S.D. It is one of 38 grants worth $3 million Northwest Area Foundation announced in the third quarter of 2012.The overall funding takes an inter-related approach, directing support to nonprofits that help low-income people create assets and wealth to overcome poverty. The work funded recognizes the connections between public policy improvements, financial education, access to microenterprise or business loans, and social entrepreneurship. Projects include an agriculture education program for Hmong-Americans; business training and loans for Latinos, immigrants, refugees, and Native Americans; and a renewable energy wealth-creation model on the White Earth Indian Reservation.

“Small business ownership plays an important part in creating jobs and wealth needed to rise above poverty. It takes coordinated strategies to be successful,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of Northwest Area Foundation. “Our grants are funding aspects of asset-building that we believe will work together to create opportunities to move toward prosperity.”

Grants to create assets and wealth include:
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) of Duluth, Minn., received $100,000 for Duluth at Work, an employment model that seeks to increase wages of low-income workers and net assets of small business owners by 25 percent over three years.
• Summit Academy OIC of Minneapolis, received $50,000 to support the HIRE Minnesota Coalition advocacy efforts to ensure minorities and disadvantaged workers have access to jobs created through public investments.
• The NetWork for Better Futures of Minneapolis, received $95,000 to create jobs and job training in the recycling industry for prior offenders.

Grants to support rural and urban Latino entrepreneurs include:
• Adelante Mujeres of Forest Grove, Ore., received $225,000 over two years for two pilot projects to expand and share microenterprise development among rural Latinos in Northwest Oregon.
• ISED Ventures of Des Moines, Iowa, received $200,000 over two years.
• Latino Economic and Development Center of Blackfoot, Idaho, received $63,000.
• Washington CASH (Community Alliance for Self-Help) of Seattle, received $200,000 over two years.

Grants to support immigrant and Hmong entrepreneurs include:
• Immigrant Development Center of Moorhead, Minn., received $160,000 over two years to provide financial education and access to commercial loans for low-income immigrant and refugees entrepreneurs in the Moorhead and Fargo, N.D area.
• Hmong American Farmer’s Association (HAFA) of Minneapolis, received $75,000 over two years through its fiscal sponsor, Latino Economic Development Center Inc. Funding will support efforts to develop a produce business, offer bilingual farm training, and launch a vegetable-freezing pilot operation.

Grants to support Native American entrepreneurship in rural and urban areas include:
• Oregon Native American Business and Entrepreneurial Network of Portland, Ore., received $210,000 in funding for the Native American Social Entrepreneurship Initiative, a two-year learning cohort aimed at building local reservation economies and Native community development financial institutions.
• Potlatch Fund of Seattle, received $250,000 over three years to expand staffing and program work with Native nonprofits in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.
• Snake River Basin Business Association Inc. of Fort Hall, Idaho, received $60,000 to expand services to Native-led nonprofits and to encourage small business development in the Fort Hall and Snake River Basin communities.
• Spokane Tribe of Indians of Wellpinit, Wash., received $50,000 to encourage small business development and create jobs.
• Tiwahe Foundation of Minneapolis, received $125,000 over two years to develop a statewide leadership network in order to provide better services to urban Native Americans in Minnesota.
• White Earth Land Recovery Project of Callaway, Minn., received $150,000 over two years to create a model for renewable energy, energy strategies, and green jobs.

Grants to improve public policy include:
• Coalition of Communities of Color of Portland, Ore., received $150,000 over two years through a grant to its fiscal sponsor, Native American Youth and Family Center. Funding will support efforts to extend racial equity advocacy from the city of Portland to the state of Oregon level.

For a full list of the 38 grants the Northwest Area Foundation made in the third quarter, visit www.nwaf.org/content/thirdqgrants12.

The Northwest Area Foundation is dedicated to supporting efforts by people, organizations and communities to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable prosperity. The Foundation’s service region includes urban, rural and American Indian reservation communities in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. The Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill, served these states. Hill’s son, Louis W. Hill, established the Foundation in 1934. For more information, please visit www.nwaf.org.
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Nature Meets Workforce Development in Northwest Area Foundation Grants

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 00:00:00 CST

$5.3 Million Invested to Expand Economic Access in Native American, African-American, Rural, and Urban Communities

ST. PAUL, Minn. (July 23, 2012) – Native American workers will be tapped to improve the health of forests in the Northwest through a $225,000 grant to The Nature Conservancy. The Northwest Sustainable Forestry Workforce Project will address unemployment and poverty through the creation of living wage jobs benefiting Klamath and Yakama tribal members. The project will provide workforce training and improve the forest landscape. It is part of $5.3 million in grants the Foundation announced in the second quarter that provide job training, financial education, leadership development, and public policy improvements.

“Our goal is to expand economic access to low-income families so they have a path to move from poverty to prosperity,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of Northwest Area Foundation. “The grant to The Nature Conservancy is a resourceful way of creating job opportunities while advancing environmental stewardship.”

The Foundation made the following grants to increase assets and wealth of low-income families:
• AccountAbility Minnesota of St. Paul, Minn., will receive $200,000 over two years to integrate asset-building services with free tax preparation.
• Express Advantage of Seattle, Wash., will receive $150,000 over two years to provide personal financial education, training, and outreach for people with limited access to mainstream banking services.
• First Children’s Finance of Minneapolis, Minn., will receive $150,000 over two years to provide financial education, access to credit, and business services for childcare providers in Iowa serving low-income families.
• Opportunity Link of Havre, Mont., will receive $268,000 over 18 months to use social entrepreneurship principles for addressing economic inequities in rural and Native American reservation communities.

The Foundation is investing $1,327,000 in asset- and wealth-building programs for Native Americans living in urban areas. These are some of the grants:
• Chief Seattle Club of Seattle, Wash., will receive $250,000 over two years for employment training, Earned Income Tax Credit assistance, and expanding financial literacy and rental readiness programs.
• Migizi Communications Inc. of Minneapolis, Minn., will receive $277,000 over two years for a pilot program to promote business training, social entrepreneurship, internships, and savings among Native American youth.
• Native American Community Development Corporation of Billings, Mont., will receive $250,000 over two years to explore income-generating opportunities and to establish a new equity investment fund that will support services to Native communities throughout Montana.
• Native American Youth and Family Center of Portland, Ore., will receive $500,000 over two years for job training, financial education, leadership development, and to create a Community Development Financial Institution that supports businesses.

The Foundation made $600,000 in grants to strengthen and develop grassroots leadership in order to advance a common agenda. Funding will support the African American Leadership Forum (AALF), a regional initiative to build powerful networks of leaders capable of executing plans for reducing poverty in urban African-American communities. The following grants are aimed at bolstering a regional collaboration to achieve civic, social, political, and economic change:
• The Director’s Council of Des Moines, Iowa, will receive $75,000 over two years for the Des Moines AALF.
• Headwaters Foundation for Justice of Minneapolis, Minn., will receive $350,000 over two years for the Twin Cities AALF and to support the regional network of forums.
• Self Enhancement Inc. of Portland, Ore., will receive $100,000 over two years for the Portland AALF.
• Tacoma Urban League of Tacoma, Wash., will receive $75,000 for the newly formed Tacoma AALF.

The Foundation made $2,115,000 in grants to improve public policies, including initiatives to increase the influence of Native American policy efforts. The following are some of those grants:
• Center for Rural Affairs of Lyons, Neb., will receive $75,000 to advance federal rural microenterprise policy.
• Montana Indian Business Alliance of Great Falls, Mont., will receive $100,000 through its fiscal sponsor, Rural Dynamics Inc., and South Dakota Indian Business Alliance of Eagle Butte, S.D., will receive $75,000 through its fiscal sponsor, Four Bands Community Fund Inc. Both grants will support efforts to advance economic policy and access to capital.

The following are among the grants to support community organizing, advocacy, policy coalitions and analysis of tax and budget policies:
• Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance of Minneapolis, Minn., received $200,000 over two years to develop and coordinate a statewide coalition that advocates for asset-building and asset-protection policies.
• South Dakota Voices for Children of Sioux Falls, S.D., received $100,000 to increase understanding and engagement in policy solutions to reduce poverty, build prosperity, and ensure adequate state revenues for public services.
• Child and Family Policy Center of Des Moines, Iowa, will receive $90,000 over two years for learning, sharing, and advocacy around poverty-reduction and wealth-building policies.
• Iowa Policy Project of Iowa City, Iowa, will receive $155,000 over two years for policy analysis on work supports, education, and other programs that help young people move from poverty to the middle class.
• Mountain States Group of Boise, Idaho, will receive $200,000 over two years for the emerging State Fiscal Analysis Initiative (SFAI), which conducts analysis on state budget and tax policies.
• Washington State Budget & Policy Center of Seattle, Wash., will receive $90,000 over two years to support budget analysis.

For a full and detailed list of Northwest Area Foundation’s second quarter grants, visit www.nwaf.org/content/secondqgrants12.

The Northwest Area Foundation is dedicated to supporting efforts by people, organizations and communities to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable prosperity. The Foundation’s service region includes urban, rural and American Indian reservation communities in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. The Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill, served these states. Hill’s son, Louis W. Hill, established the Foundation in 1934. For more information, please visit www.nwaf.org.
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Northwest Area Foundation Announces $2.5 Million in Grants for Building Financial Security, Improving Public Policy and Strengthening Leadership

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 CST

ST. PAUL, Minn. (April 5, 2012) – “I appreciate all your program does to help (people)…get out of the welfare system,” said one member of the Prosperity Club. Another member of this program offered by Rural Dynamics Inc. (RDI) added, “I now know I can be financially stable and succeed in life.”

Northwest Area Foundation’s grant of $207,000 to RDI of Great Falls, Mont., is among $2.5 million in awards it announced in the first quarter of 2012 to build financial security, improve public policy and strengthen leadership. Funding will bolster RDI’s Family Economic Security Program and several other asset-building services in rural and reservation communities in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota:

• Tax Help Montana, a coalition of community partners working to provide no-cost tax preparation and access to financial services
• Mobilizing Rural Communities, which provides training on policy issues, program developments, and professional skill building
• Building Economic Strength Together (BEST), a coalition to improve asset- and wealth-building policies in Montana

Grant dollars will also support the creation of a new community development financial institution, RDI Financial, which will increase access to capital for low-income businesses.

“These multi-faceted strategies for building assets show great promise for making prosperity a reality for all low-income families,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of the Northwest Area Foundation. “We are pleased that Rural Dynamics will be sharing its successful asset-building models at the national Grassroots & Groundwork conference the Foundation is hosting this June in Minneapolis.”

Additional grants the Foundation made to increase assets and wealth include:
• Latino Economic Development Center of Minneapolis, Minn., received $250,000 in a two-year grant for the Minnesota Rural Farming and Agricultural Latino Co-op Initiative. Funding will establish training, lending, networking, and incubator programs in rural communities. The grant will also support organizational development.
• Main Street Project of Minneapolis, Minn., received $250,000 in a two-year grant for the Rural Enterprise Center Program, which helps low-income entrepreneurs establish small-scale farming operations through poultry production and community gardens.
• Mountain States Group (MSG) of Boise, Idaho, received $125,000 for the Growing Green Businesses initiative to foster green enterprise development and expansion among disadvantaged entrepreneurs, women, minorities, and refugees. Grant dollars will go to the MicroEnterprise Training and Assistance (META), a direct program of MSG, which operates Growing Green Businesses.
• National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB) of San Antonio, Texas, received $500,000 for a two-year grant to expand regional partnerships in leadership development and small business strategies. NALCAB will provide business training, professional development, and access to grants that strengthen asset-building organizations.
• Summit Academy OIC of Minneapolis, Minn., received $95,000 to create training and placement for low-income workers seeking green jobs in St. Paul and on the Leech Lake Reservation.

The Foundation’s grants to improve public policy include:
• Consensus Council Inc. of Bismarck, N.D., received $175,000 in a two-year grant to advance the work of the North Dakota Economic Security & Prosperity Alliance (NDESPA), a statewide coalition that advocates for policies that reduce poverty and build prosperity
• Four Bands Community Fund Inc. of Eagle Butte, S.D., received $25,000 to advocate for policies that would strengthen Native community development financial institutions.
• Iowa Policy Project of Iowa City, Iowa, received $25,000 to support the Coalition for a Better Iowa, which is working to build a strong state revenue system to bolster education, health, and human services.
• Minnesota Council of Nonprofits of St. Paul, Minn., received $75,000 for efforts to engage racial justice advocates in tax and budget analysis and to protect anti-poverty programs from state budget cuts.
• Oregon Center for Public Policy of Silverton, Ore., received $50,000 to build the strength and ability of anti-poverty groups to engage in policy debates over raising additional state revenue.

The Foundation made the following grant to strengthen leadership:
• Native Youth Leadership Alliance (NYLA)* of Pine Ridge, S.D., received $175,000 in a two-year grant to support the NYLA Fellowship program which provides inter-generational and collaborative leadership training for Native college students to achieve their goals for community development.

For a detailed list of Northwest Area Foundation’s first quarter grants, visit www.nwaf.org/content/firstqgrants12.

The Northwest Area Foundation is dedicated to supporting efforts by people, organizations and communities to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable prosperity. The Foundation’s service region includes urban, rural and American Indian reservation communities in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. The Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill, served these states. Hill’s son, Louis W. Hill, established the Foundation in 1934. For more information, please visit www.nwaf.org.

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*Leaders from NYLA will lead a breakout session at Grassroots and Groundwork conference that will be held June 6 – 8, 2012 in suburban Minneapolis, Minn. To learn more, visit www.grassrootsandgroundwork.org.

Northwest Area Foundation Announces $2.25 Million in Grants to 'Bank the Unbanked,' Build Job Skills, and Improve Public Policy

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CST

ST. PAUL, Minn. (Dec. 21, 2011) - It may be hard to imagine that in an age of online banking the FDIC says one in four families don’t have the money to open a bank account or tap basic financial services.[i] Northwest Area Foundation’s grant to the Mission Asset Fund is designed to ‘bank the unbanked’ by replicating an innovative peer lending program. It provides low-income families the chance to get a loan, build credit scores, and become full banking consumers. The Foundation’s $200,000 award to Mission Asset Fund is meant to provide an alternative to payday loans, predatory lending, and check cashing services with high fees that make it difficult to build wealth. It is among $2.25 million in grants the Foundation announced in the fourth quarter of 2011 to further strategies of increasing assets and wealth, building leadership and capacity, and improving public policy to reduce poverty.

“When families are struggling to get ahead, the last thing they need is excessive bank fees that rob them of their chance to build assets,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO. “The grants we have made are aimed at making prosperity possible for low-income people by providing access to banking, financial education, job training, leadership development, and improved public policies.”

Grants to support financial education:

CFED (Corporation for Enterprise Development) of Washington, D.C., received $500,000 over two years to strengthen the ability of asset- and wealth-building organizations that work with low-income families. Grant dollars will be used to foster collaboration in the Assets and Opportunity Network, a national movement of advocates, practitioners, policymakers, and others working to expand the reach and deepen the impact of asset-based strategies.
Iowa Caregivers Association of Des Moines, Iowa, received $215,000 over two years to work with its national partner, PHI, to provide asset-building programs for low-income direct care workers.
Build Wealth MN of Minneapolis, Minn., received $75,000 for a two-year financial education program that teaches families budgeting and savings, and matches them with basic financial products, services, programs, and affordable housing resources.

Grants to provide vocational training:

Rural Learning Center of Howard, S.D., received $100,000 for the Green Jobs training project to prepare low- and moderate-income workers for careers as wind turbine installers and energy technicians in the emerging renewable energy industry.
Spectrum Resource Program of Des Moines, Iowa, received $60,000 for the Phoenix Project, which provides entry level job training for ex-offenders ages 18 – 21.

The following grants further the Foundation’s strategy of engaging leadership and building organizational ability:

Headwaters Foundations for Justice of Minneapolis, Minn., received $75,000 to engage leaders in the Twin Cities African American Leadership Forum.
Urban League of Portland of Portland, Ore., received $36,267 to support efforts of the Portland African American Leadership Forum.
Native Americans in Philanthropy of Minneapolis, Minn., received $150,000 to develop leadership and organizational ability through engagement and knowledge sharing that will help build vibrant Native American communities in urban, rural and tribal areas.
TakeAction Minnesota Education Fund of St. Paul, Minn., received $50,000 for organizing community leaders who will advocate for policies that reduce poverty.

The Foundation made two grants to advance the work of the State Fiscal Analysis Initiative affiliates, which conduct rigorous, independent research and analysis on policies, particularly those that impact low- and moderate-income working families:

Montana Budget and Policy Center of Helena, Mont., received $200,000.
South Dakota Voices for Children of Sioux Falls, S.D., received $175,000 for the South Dakota Budget & Policy Project. The Foundation also made a grant of $25,000 to support two statewide coalitions that advocate for policies that promote asset-building among low-income families.

For a detailed list of Northwest Area Foundation’s fourth quarter grants, visit www.nwaf.org/content/fourthqgrants11.

The Northwest Area Foundation is dedicated to supporting efforts by people, organizations and communities to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable prosperity. The Foundation’s service region includes urban, rural and American Indian reservation communities in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. The Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill, served these states. Hill’s son, Louis W. Hill, established the Foundation in 1934. For more information, please visit www.nwaf.org.

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[i] FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households. January 2009. http://www.fdic.gov/householdsurvey/

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:12:44 CST

Grants List for Fiscal Year 2010

Northwest Area Foundation made 149 grants in fiscal year 2010 (FY10 is April 1, 2009 - March 31, 2010) worth $13,402,908.49. The following list describes payments on new grants as well as payments on earlier grant agreements. This list corresponds with the IRS 990-PF Form for 2009.

The following list is a description of the new grants paid in FY10 as well as payments made during the fiscal year on earlier grant agreements.

ACCION USA
Boston, MA
$101,755.00
11/1/2007 - 3/31/2010
Raices Initiative – to develop micro lending and credit-building programs in four low-income cluster communities in Iowa, Minnesota, Idaho, and Oregon

African-American Academy for Accelerated Learning
Apple Valley, MN
$750.00
11/1/2009 - 11/30/2009
Support for the seventh Education Conference held in November 2009

Asian American-Pacific Islanders In Philanthropy
San Francisco, CA
$1/30/2007 - 2/1/2010
25,000.00
Support for the National Gender and Equity Campaign and to provide leadership and capacity-building opportunities for Asian-American and Pacific Islander organizations

$2,500.00
4/1/2009 – 3/31/2010
Annual Membership

Association of Black Foundation Executives, Inc.
New York, NY
$1,500.00
4/1/2009 - 3/31/2010
Annual Membership

Augsburg College
Minneapolis, MN
$3,912.79
7/9/2009 - 12/31/2009
Support for the Center for Democracy and Citizenship

Calvert Social Investment Foundation, Inc.
Dallas, TX
$10,000.00
1/13/2010 - 5/31/2011
To administer scholarships for the Grassroots & Groundwork 2010 conference

Center for Communication and Development (KMOJ Radio)
Minneapolis, MN
$20,000.00
2/26/2010 - 12/31/2010
Support for expanded coverage of poverty issues on KMOJ radio

Center for Community Change
Washington, DC
$100,000.00
3/10/2010 - 2/28/2011
Support for building new and emerging community organizing groups in Idaho, Montana, and South Dakota

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
Eagle Butte, SD
$1,000,000.00
3/31/2006 - 3/31/2016
To develop and implement a strategic plan to reduce poverty for the long term

City of St. Paul
St. Paul, MN
$75,000.00
3/15/2010 - 3/31/2011
Support for Employment Opportunities in Energy Conservation and Deconstruction, a pilot project to create green jobs for unemployed and under employed people

Consensus Council, Inc.
Bismarck, ND
$100,000.00
11/1/2009 - 12/31/2010
To initiate development of a State Fiscal Analysis Initiative (SFAI) affiliate in North Dakota, to promote fair tax and budget policies that impact low- and moderate-income families

Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED)
Washington, DC
$365,000.00
11/1/2009 - 12/31/2010
Support for Building Financial Assets in the Northwest

$35,000.00
8/15/2009 – 7/31/2010
Support for the Asset and Opportunity Policy Campaign

Council on Foundations Inc
Arlington, VA
$39,500.00
4/1/2009 - 3/31/2010
Annual membership

Demos: A Network for Ideas & Action
New York, NY
$75,000.00
3/1/2010 - 2/28/2011
To provide training for Northwest Area Foundation grantees that will deepen and enrich their efforts to build public will for public solutions to reduce poverty and achieve prosperity

Emerge Community Development
Minneapolis, MN
$75,000.00
1/1/2010 - 11/30/2010
Support for Sectoral Employment Programming and Green Community Development which will create viable employment opportunities in North Minneapolis

Express Advantage
Seattle, WA
$100,000.00
11/17/2009 - 12/31/2010
Support for the Scaling & Evaluating Innovative Credit Union Strategies program that will create three asset-building strategies that can be expanded regionally

First Nations Development Institute
Longmont, CO
$100,000.00
11/15/2009 - 11/30/2010
Support for the Native Asset-Building Partnership Project and general operating support

First Nations Oweesta Corporation
Rapid City, SD
$200,000.00
11/15/2009 - 11/14/2010
Support for a Native community development financial institution and asset-building project

Food Gatherers
Ann Arbor, MI
$5,000.00
2/10/2010 - 5/31/2010
General operating support – contribution for participation in the Grassroots & Groundwork 2010 conference

Foundation Center
New York, NY
$2,000.00
4/1/2009 - 3/31/2010
Annual Membership

Framing Our Community
Elk City, ID
$75,000.00
1/1/2010 - 12/31/2010
Support for Workforce Training & Economic Development Center a project to expand small business training

Fresh Air, Inc. (KFAI Radio)
Minneapolis, MN
$35,000.00
2/5/2010 - 1/15/2011
To sponsor 10 segments of Conversations with Al McFarlane Policy Forums that address asset- and wealth-building strategies

Grantmakers for Effective Organizations
Washington, DC
$5,000.00
4/1/2009 - 3/31/2010
Annual Membership

Grantmakers of Oregon and SW Washington
Portland, OR
$2,975.00
4/1/2009 - 3/31/2010
Annual Membership

Grants Managers Network, Inc.
Metairie, LA
$1,000.00
4/1/2009 - 3/31/2010
Annual Membership

Headwaters Foundation for Justice
Minneapolis, MN
$75,000.00
11/9/2009 - 11/30/2010
Support for the Twin Cities African American Leadership Forum

Hispanics in Philanthropy
San Francisco, CA
$3,000.00
4/1/2009 - 3/31/2010
Annual Membership

Idaho Community Foundation
Boise, ID
$37,500.00
8/14/2009 - 12/13/2009
To assist 15 Horizons program communities to implement their strategic action plans to reduce poverty

Idaho Nonprofit Development Center
Boise, ID
$35,000.00
2/1/2010 - 6/30/2010
To develop a State Fiscal Analysis Initiative (SFAI) plan for Idaho

Independent Sector
Washington, DC
$12,500.00
4/1/2009 - 3/31/2010
Annual Membership

Iowa Council of Foundations
Des Moines, IA
$1,000.00
4/1/2009 - 3/31/2010
Annual Membership

Iowa Credit Union Foundation, Inc.
Des Moines, IA
$165,000.00
3/10/2010 - 11/30/2011
Support for the Credit Union Family Partnership Individual Development Account (IDA) program

Latino Economic Development Center
Minneapolis, MN
$100,000.00
3/1/2010 - 2/28/2011
Support for implementing the Building Latino Financial Capacity project to support development of a strong and sustainable Latino lending program

Local Initiatives Support Corporation
Duluth, MN
$7,770.00
4/2/2008 - 6/30/2011
Support for the Duluth Economic Opportunity Initiative that helps low-income workers secure higher paying jobs

$100,000.00
3/10/2010 – 2/11/2011
Support for the Rural LISC Initiative that will provide opportunities to share best practices and assistance to seven community development corporations in Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, and South Dakota

Lummi Nation Service Organization
Bellingham, WA
$500,000.00
3/31/2006 - 3/31/2016
To support the Promoting Prosperity Lummi Nation Ventures Program to reduce poverty

Micro Grants
Minneapolis, MN
$1,000.00
11/10/2008 - 2/28/2010
General operating support, and for sharing micro grant materials with area foundations

Minnesota Community Foundation
St. Paul, MN
$30,000.00
8/14/2009 - 12/13/2009
To assist 12 Horizons program communities to implement their strategic action plans to reduce poverty

Minnesota Council on Foundations
Minneapolis, MN
$24,000.00
4/1/2009 - 3/31/2010
Annual Membership

$5,000.00
6/1/2009 – 12/31/2009
In support of the Minnesota Council on Foundation/Minnesota Council of Nonprofits joint conference held November 2009 in St. Paul, Minnesota

Minnesota Public Radio
St. Paul, MN
$160,000.00
10/5/2007 - 12/1/2010
Support for the Poverty and Opportunity Project to expand American Radio Works coverage of poverty in America

Montana Budget and Policy Center
Great Falls, MT
$75,000.00
11/1/2009 - 11/30/2010
To support efforts by Montana's State Fiscal Analysis Initiative affiliate to build a policy agenda and conduct policy analysis for shared prosperity

Montana Community Foundation, Inc.
Helena, MT
$37,500.00
8/14/2009 - 12/13/2009
To assist 15 Horizons program communities to implement their strategic action plans to reduce poverty

Montana State University
Bozeman, MT
$515,000.00
To deliver the Horizons program in 15 communities in Montana
7/17/2008 - 10/1/2010

$65,000.00
8/17/2009 – 9/30/2010
Support for follow-up work with35Horizons alumni communities

National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders
San Antonio, TX
$300,000.00
11/15/2009 - 5/31/2011
Support the work, training, leadership, and networking of Latino Asset Builders across the Foundation's region

National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
Washington, DC
$5,000.00
4/1/2009 - 3/31/2010
Annual Membership

National Urban Fellows, Inc.
New York, NY
$1,000.00
4/1/2009 - 4/30/2009
Sponsorship for the ‘Twin Cities Leadership Champion' reception

Native American Youth and Family Center
Portland, OR
$2,835.00
8/1/2009 - 12/31/2009
Sponsorship of the 6th Annual Gala held November 2009 in Portland, Oregon.

$10,000.00
11/1/2009 – 3/31/2010
Matching grant for new donors at the 2009 Paddle Raise-the 6th annual community celebration held November 2009

Native Americans in Philanthropy
Minneapolis, MN
$4,000.00
4/1/2009 - 3/31/2010
Annual Membership

$10,000.00
2/10/2010 – 12/31/2010
Emergency disaster relief in the wake of a severe winter ice storm on the Cheyenne River Reservation

Neighborhood Development Center, Inc.
St. Paul, MN
$150,000.00
11/1/2009 - 9/30/2010
Support for entrepreneur programs in North Minneapolis and a North Side Green Initiative

Neighborhood Funders Group
Washington, DC
$5,000.00
3/15/2010 - 10/31/2011
Sponsorship of annual conference

North Dakota Community Foundation
Bismarck, ND
$37,500.00
8/14/2009 - 12/13/2009
To assist 15 Horizons program communities to implement their strategic action plans to reduce poverty

North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND
$515,000.00
7/17/2008 - 10/1/2010
To deliver Horizons program in 15 participating communities

$65,000.00
9/22/2009 – 9/30/2010
For support for follow-up work with 42 Horizons alumni communities

NorthWay Community Trust
Minneapolis, MN
$750,000.00
12/15/2008 - 12/31/2011
To support long-term poverty reduction strategies

Northwest Federation of Community Organizations
Seattle, WA
$100,000.00
11/15/2009 - 11/30/2010
Support for the Community, Action, Research & Training (CART) project, which uses a community organizing model to improve public policy engagement in low-income and communities of color

NWAF Charitable Giving
St. Paul, MN
$3,871.66
4/1/2001 – 3/31/2010
Employee Matching Gift Program

Ohio State University Foundation
Columbus, OH
$50,000.00
2/26/2010 - 1/31/2011
Support for the Geography of Opportunity, a mapping opportunity to advance racial
and social equity in Portland and Seattle

Open Arms of Minnesota, Inc.
Minneapolis, MN
$250.00
4/1/2009 - 3/31/2010
Employee volunteer matching grant

Opportunity Link, Inc.
Havre, MT
$500,000.00
4/10/2009 - 12/31/2011
To support long-term poverty reduction strategies in North Central Montana

Oregon Native American Business & Entrepreneurial Network
Tigard, OR
$200,000.00
12/1/2009 - 1/31/2011
Support for Platforms, Networks and Indianpreneurs – Forging Partnerships to Grow the Trader Sector

Partners for Prosperity New Beginnings for Eastern Idaho, Inc.
Blackfoot, ID
$1,000,000.000
4/7/2009 - 4/30/2012
To support long-term poverty reduction strategies in eastern Idaho

$3,526.49
6/15/2009 – 7/15/2009
In support of community site visits and a community celebration

$75,000.00
3/15/2010 – 5/31/2011
Fiscal sponsor for the Latino Economic and Development Center (LEAD) Initiative, which delivers culturally-relevant social, economic and civic development services to low income rural Latinos and immigrants

Philanthropy Northwest
Seattle, WA
$6,175.00
4/1/2009 - 3/31/2010
Silver Sponsorship

$2,500.00
4/1/2009 - 3/31/2010
PRI Makers Network – Annual membership

$11,700.00
4/1/2009 - 3/31/2010
Annual Membership

PolicyLink
Oakland, CA
$50,000.00
6/23/2009 - 10/31/2009
Research on predatory investing to identify and recommend best practices and actions for area organizations

Rebuilding Together - Twin Cities
St. Paul, MN
$3,000.00
6/1/2009 - 12/31/2009
General operating support

Regents of the University of Idaho
Moscow, ID
$527,600
7/17/2008 - 10/1/2010
To deliver Horizons program in 15 communities

$65,000
8/17/2009 – 9/30/2010
Support for follow-up work with   34 Horizons alumni communities in Idaho

Regents of the University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
$481,710.00
7/17/2008 - 10/1/2010
To deliver Horizons program in 12 communities in Minnesota

$65,000.00
10/22/2009 – 11/15/2010
Support for follow-up work with 25 Horizons alumni communities in Minnesota

$40,000.00
2/1/2009 – 11/30/2009
Support for the Institute on Race and Poverty to research credit access in the Twin Cities, Portland and Seattle Areas

$18,030.00
2/5/2010 – 5/31/2010
Support for the dissemination of a report on the economic impacts of immigration (working with the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs)

Rural Dynamics, Inc.
Great Falls, MT
$150,000.00
3/10/2010 - 2/28/2011
Support for the Assets for Montana project, a three-pronged approach to asset and wealth-building that includes financial education, community outreach and public policy initiatives

Rural Learning Center
Howard, SD
$200,000.00
2/20/2001 - 2/20/2011
To support long-term poverty reduction strategies

Sitting Bull College
Fort Yates, ND
$5,000.00
1/11/2009 - 4/30/2011
Support for continuation of the Horizons program in 18 communities in South Dakota

Society for the Advancement of Native Interests Today
Rapid City, SD
$50,000.00
7/1/2006 - 8/31/2009
To support poverty reduction initiatives

South Dakota Community Foundation
Pierre, SD
$32,500.00
8/31/2009 - 12/31/2009
To assist 13 Horizons program communities to implement their strategic action plans to reduce poverty

$10,000.00
3/8/2010 – 12/31/2010
Emergency Disaster Relief after a winter ice storm on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation

South Dakota Rural Enterprise, Inc.
Sioux Falls, SD
$5,000.00
6/1/2007 - 7/31/2009
To implement the Creating a Value-Added Community curriculum in 10 South Dakota communities

South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD
$447,000.00
7/17/2008 - 10/1/2010
To deliver the Horizons program in 13 communities in South Dakota

$65,000.00
8/17/2009 – 9/30/2010
Support for follow-up work with 36 Horizons alumni communities in South Dakota

South Dakota Voices For Children
Sioux Falls, SD
$100,000.00
11/1/2009 - 11/30/2010
Support to develop a South Dakota State Fiscal Analysis Initiative (SFAI) affiliate to promote fair tax and budget policies that impact low- and moderate-income families

Stairstep Foundation
Minneapolis, MN
$50,000.00
3/8/2010 - 12/31/2010
Support for economic initiatives to improve economic vitality, create jobs, and help low-income families build assets and wealth

State of Minnesota - Council on Black Minnesotans
St. Paul, MN
$1,500.00
12/15/2009 - 1/31/2010
Sponsorship of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Statewide Holiday Celebration in January of 2010

Summit Academy OIC
Minneapolis, MN
$75,000.00
1/1/2010 - 11/30/2010
Support for the HIRE Minnesota Coalition, to advocate for job training and access to jobs created through public investments for minorities and low-income workers

The Aspen Institute Inc.
Washington, DC
$2,000.00
4/1/2009 - 3/31/2010
Annual support for the Aspen Philanthropy Letter or Annual Fund

The Minneapolis Foundation
Minneapolis, MN
$4,250.55
3/12/2009 - 7/31/2009
Support for Minnesota's Bottom Line, a project in collaboration with other Foundations to develop suggestions for reducing Minnesota’s state budget deficit

$50,000.00
3/15/2010 – 3/31/2011
Funder’s collaborative for a statewide immigration initiative

The Paul J. Aicher Foundation
East Hartford, CT
$5,000.00
8/1/2008 - 12/31/2010
Funding for Everyday Democracy Study Circles training for 99 Horizons communities

The Saint Paul Foundation
St. Paul, MN
$25,000.00
3/15/2010 - 12/31/2010
Support for the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative, to ensure that low-income businesses and neighbors share in the economic benefits of public and private investments in the Central Corridor Light Rail

The Seattle Foundation
Seattle, WA
$500,000.00
3/15/2006 - 3/31/2011
Support for Strategies to Eliminate Poverty – ( STEP), which seeks to improve public policies that reduce poverty

Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians
Belcourt, ND
$925,000.00
3/31/2006 - 3/31/2016
Support for Pathways to Prosperity, a long term poverty reduction strategy

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
Minneapolis, MN
$2,500.00
5/1/2010 - 5/1/2010
Sponsorship of the 2010 Hard Hat & Black Tie Gala

University of Richmond
Richmond, VA
$5,000.00
9/1/2008 - 9/30/2009
Funding for the Horizons LeadershipPlenty® training

University of Washington - Office of Sponsored Programs
Seattle, WA
$300,000.00
3/1/2007 - 3/31/2012
Support for the Community Vitality Project, which develops research related to building prosperity among low-income families

Washington State 4-H Foundation, Inc.
Puyallup, WA
$37,500.00
8/31/2009 - 12/31/2009
To assist 15 Horizons program communities to implement their strategic action plans to reduce poverty in Washington

Washington State University
Pullman, WA
$622,472.00
7/17/2008 - 12/15/2010
To deliver the Horizons program in 15communities in Washington

$65,000.00
9/22/2009 – 12/15/2010
Support for follow-up work with 40 Horizons alumni communities in Washington.

Way to Grow
Minneapolis, MN
$800.00
6/15/2009 - 7/15/2009
Sponsorship of the Reaching for the Stars event

Western Organization of Resource Councils Education Project
Billings, MT
$100,000.00
11/15/2009 - 11/30/2010
Support for the Homegrown Prosperity Project to create green jobs and businesses

YWCA of Minneapolis
Minneapolis, MN
$3,525.00
9/15/2009 - 12/31/2009
Sponsorship of the annual 'Forums on Race' held November 2009 in Minneapolis

Grand Total $13,402,908.49

February 2010 Grants

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:48:58 CST

On February 4, 2010, the Northwest Area Foundation’s board of directors approved six grants designed to encourage substantial investments from other funders also intent on reducing poverty long term. This strategic focus on building assets and wealth is one of three the Foundation believes are critical to reducing poverty and building sustainable prosperity. The others are building capacity and leadership, and improving public policy solutions.

Totaling $665,000, these grants will support grantees’ efforts within the Foundation’s eight-state service region:

City of St. Paul: Employment Opportunities in Energy Construction and Deconstruction, $75,000
The City of St. Paul is partnering with Neighborhood Energy Connection, Better Futures Enterprises and Twin Cities Local Initiatives Support Corporation (TCLISC) in a nine-month pilot program to train low-income, disadvantaged, bilingual and bicultural workers as energy auditors, insulation installers and deconstruction workers. This initiative could trigger up to $2.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) federal stimulus money and housing block grants to expand access to jobs in the green energy industry. This effort will target bilingual and bicultural people with low incomes who are unemployed or underemployed and build their skills for jobs in energy conservation and deconstruction –recycling building materials rather than demolishing them.

Iowa Credit Union Foundation Inc. (ICUF): Credit Union Family Partnership Individual Development Account Program, $165,000
Based in Des Moines, The Iowa Credit Union Foundation Inc. (ICUF) is the philanthropic branch of the Iowa Credit Union League, which seeks to build financial security and reduce poverty. ICUF’s Credit Union Family Partnership Individual Development Account Program is a statewide initiative of ICUF to encourage personal savings, through Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). The goal for this 18-month grant is to spur additional investment of state and federal funds that will expand by 45 the number of credit unions providing financial education training and matching dollars for the IDAs. Aimed at families earning less than $40,000 per year for a family of four or those that qualify for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, IDAs can be used to buy a home, start a business or pay for education. A portion of the grant will be designated for credit unions outreach to Latino communities.

Rural Dynamics, Inc: Assets for Montana, $150,000
Rural Dynamics Inc. (RDI), based in Great Falls, Mont., provides programs and develops partnerships that foster economic independence. This grant is designed to expand the work of RDI in Montana through many different strategies to building prosperity:

Develop a network of nonprofit organizations that promote policy and legislation that will increase knowledge and awareness of asset-building strategies.
Increase the use of the Earned Income Tax Credit, which returns millions of dollars every year to low income families and communities thereby helping them build personal wealth and assets.
Expand access to tools to identify benefits for families working their way out of poverty and on to prosperity.
Offer online financial education courses for Native Americans and people living in rural Montana
Promote family savings, through Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). This grant will release additional state and federal matching funds to augment the savings accounts of families with low incomes. IDA savings can be used for buying a home, paying for education or starting a business.

Local Initiatives Support Corporation: National Rural Program - Rural LISC, $100,000
The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), based in Washington, D.C., provides information and financial assistance to community development corporations (CDCs), which invest in low-income communities by developing residential and commercial property and supporting business development.

This grant provides CDCs working in rural Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon and South Dakota access to Rural LISC’s network of best practices, operating support, financial expertise, federal loans and grants and jobs creation and retention programs. The award will strengthen rural CDC’s ability to better address workforce development, financial services for the rural poor and the creation of healthy/green housing and economic development while leveraging additional state and federal dollars.

Latino Economic Development Center: Building Latino Financial Capacity, $100,000
Based in Minneapolis, the Latino Economic Development Center is a community economic development organization that works with Latinos and immigrants in Minneapolis/St. Paul and in rural Minnesota.

Grant funding will strengthen bilingual training and business support services and increase access to capital for low income Latinos and immigrants in Minnesota. The award will support additional capital for start-up businesses throughout Minnesota, financial education classes and will attract outside investments to potentially expand the Latino Small Business Loan Fund.

Partners for Prosperity New Beginnings for Eastern Idaho Inc., fiscal sponsor of Latino Economic and Development (LEAD), Center $75,000
Based in Blackfoot, Idaho, LEAD works with a growing Latino and immigrant community in rural Idaho. LEAD was created with the help of its fiscal sponsor, Partners for Prosperity New Beginnings for Eastern Idaho Inc., in response to challenges the Latino community had in accessing services from mainstream financial institutions.

This 15-month program will strengthen LEAD’s ability to provide financial education to low income Latino and immigrant families, provide training and assistance to start-up businesses, improve access to credit, expand partnerships that will increase microloans to Latino small businesses and develop networking opportunities.

Northwest Area Foundation Launches Native American Social Entrepreneurship Initiative

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CST

Effort to build Native economies focuses on creating local businesses
ST. PAUL, Minn. (Oct. 13, 2011) Northwest Area Foundation has launched a Native American Social Entrepreneurship Initiative, an innovative effort to increase the number and strength of reservation-based Native businesses. Supported by $1.59 million in grants, this two-year undertaking aims to bolster Native financial institutions that would spawn new businesses and new jobs that, over time, build stronger communities. Native social entrepreneurship not only uses business principles to build wealth, but also to formulate solutions to social issues.

“Historically, less than one-half of one percent of philanthropic dollars is invested in Native American programs, and studies indicate that number is decreasing. This initiative seeks to invest in Native communities’ ability to reduce poverty and build prosperity. We hope other funders will see this as an opportunity for investment and impact,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of Northwest Area Foundation.

Native social entrepreneurship is one of several investment pathways identified during Foundation-sponsored roundtable discussions with Native and philanthropic leaders. Together they developed a bold and multifaceted vision for thriving Native communities describing ways funders might support efforts in healthcare, education, economic development, community revitalization and more.

“Native social entrepreneurship offers great hope for social change that reduces poverty. Currently, most Native American reservations have little to no locally-based businesses. When nearly all money is spent outside Native communities, there are few opportunities to create jobs, earn a living, and build prosperous families,” added Walker.

Oregon Native American Business and Entrepreneurial Network (ONABEN) of Tigard, Ore. will lead the two-year initiative. The Foundation awarded ONABEN a $491,627 grant to support an educational cohort in which the participating Native organizations will meet regularly to learn and share best practices. The goal is to increase their ability to improve entrepreneurship in their communities. Training and assistance will focus on strengthening their operations and prospects for long-term sustainability and on applying entrepreneurial principles to social issues in the broader community. Participants will test innovative asset-based strategies and expand services that create assets and wealth.

Six additional grants have been awarded to Native nonprofits participating in the cohort. Many of these organizations are community development financial institutions (CDFIs) that support new businesses with loans, business plan development, marketing assistance, and financial projections. In addition, they will receive funds to implement pilot programs that build assets and wealth.

Four Bands Community Fund Inc. of Eagle Butte, S.D. will receive up to $100,000 over two years to create a green business development curriculum, including green business training and entrepreneurship outreach services. Four Bands will work in partnership with Cheyenne River Tribal Ventures.

Hunkpati Investments Inc. of Fort Thompson, S.D. will receive up to $200,000 for its fledgling Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), which seeks to stimulate economic growth on the Crow Creek Sioux Indian reservation. Located in one of the most impoverished regions in the nation, Hunkpati Investments will pilot a youth financial initiative offering financial education, job training, matched savings accounts, and hands-on business experience.

Lakota Funds of Kyle, S.D. will receive up to $200,000 to support a pilot project for a children’s matched savings program known as Children’s Development Accounts (CDA). The program will offer financial education that embraces partnerships with area schools, churches, and other community organizations. If successful, the CDAs will be introduced on other Native American reservations.

Northwest Native Development Fund (NNDF) of Nespelem, Wash. will receive up to $200,000 to implement its Growing into Our Footprint project which will expand business training, outreach, tax preparation assistance, and access to loans. This initiative will promote matched savings programs and use of the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Taala Fund of Taholah, Wash. will receive up to $200,000 for the Quinault Asset Building initiative, which introduces youth to financial management and business principles in order to pave pathways to future prosperity. The grant provides resources for the Taala Fund, a CDFI, to provide asset-building services such as training, assistance, and microloans.

Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation – Business Service Center of Pendleton, Ore. will receive up to $200,000 to provide business and financial education as early as elementary school. The curriculum will include a hands-on summer internship for middle school and high school students to prepare them for the emerging economy on the Umatilla reservation.

For a detailed list of Northwest Area Foundation’s third quarter grants, visit www.nwaf.org/content/thirdqgrants. To listen to a podcast on Native social entrepreneurship, visit http://www.nwaf.org/Media/AudioVideoGallery.

Yearly Grants Lists

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:33:56 CST

The Following is a list of yearly grants made since the Foundation began grantmaking as outlined in the NWAF Strategic Plan approved in October of 2008.

$1.83 Million in Northwest Area Foundation Grants Bolster Green Jobs, Native Leadership, Asset Building and Public Policy Work

Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 CST

ST. PAUL, Minn. (May 11, 2011) – Some low-income, working families are eligible for tax credit money from the Internal Revenue Service, but many aren’t aware of it. Northwest Area Foundation awarded a grant so the two in 10 families that currently don’t claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) will collect that refund. Some may be eligible to receive up to $5,657 for tax year 2010 depending on family size. The Foundation’s grant of $125,000 to AccountAbility Minnesota (AAM) will support free tax preparation services in 2011 and 2012 to help connect struggling families to tax refunds, money that may boost personal assets above the poverty line. AAM also partners with banks and credit unions to offer financial services, like free savings accounts and low-cost prepaid debit cards, which are available to families regardless of their banking or credit history. These products are aimed at creating more savings, less debt and better credit.

This support to AAM is among 50 grants totaling $1.83 million the Foundation made between October 15, 2010 and March 31, 2011. The grants support efforts to increase wealth among people with low incomes, develop leadership skills, and to shape public policy. These efforts are critical to reducing poverty long term.

“The best path out of poverty is to increase household income, so families can get beyond the paycheck-to-paycheck struggle and start building long-term assets. We are investing in programs to create living wage jobs, increase financial security, support small businesses, and improve policies that are barriers to prosperity,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of Northwest Area Foundation.

Among the other grants are:

•Enterprise Cascadia (formerly ShoreBank Enterprise Cascadia) of Ilwaco, Wash. received $125,000 for the Community Power Works Community Power Works program in Seattle that offers energy-saving home improvements and creates living wage jobs in the budding green energy sector. Enterprise Cascadia will establish a lending pool to enable disadvantaged and start-up businesses to participate in weatherization contracts offered through the city of Seattle.
•CFED (Corporation for Enterprise Development) of Washington, D.C. received $250,000 for the Building Financial Assets in the Northwest project to promote small business development, provide business assistance, and advance policies that will help low-income businesses succeed.
•Native Americans in Philanthropy of Minneapolis, Minn. received $100,000 on behalf of the Native Youth Leadership Alliance to support the Tribal College Students Project, a program that develops student leaders with skills to initiate economic development in their Native communities.
•Mountain States Group, Inc. of Boise, Idaho received $100,000 to establish and support the work of the State Fiscal Analysis Initiative (SFAI) in Idaho. The SFAI is committed to in-depth analysis that will inform the development of tax and budget policy, with a focus on the needs of low- and moderate-income families.

For a complete list of Northwest Area Foundation’s grants, visit www.nwaf.org/content/firstqgrants.

The Northwest Area Foundation is dedicated to supporting efforts by people, organizations and communities to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable prosperity. The Foundation’s service region includes urban, rural and American Indian reservation communities in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. The Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill, served these states. Hill’s son, Louis W. Hill, established the Foundation in 1934. For more information, please visit www.nwaf.org.

Northwest Area Foundation Awards Grants for Native American Jobs Creation, Financial Education and Asset-Building

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 CST

ST. PAUL, Minn. (December 7, 2010) Efforts to overcome poverty are taking a decidedly green turn, supported by Northwest Area Foundation grants. The Foundation has announced five grants totaling $550,000 to nonprofit organizations that work to build assets and leadership abilities among Native Americans. They are among $1.79 million in awards the Foundation approved. Funded initiatives span Tribal classrooms in South Dakota to green jobs training in Oregon.

Amid the rolling prairies of South Dakota, Native tribes have realized their next generation needs tools to break the cycle of poverty. One strategy is to offer financial education as early as elementary school. A grant of $100,000 to Four Bands Community Fund will help make that a reality on the Cheyenne River Reservation. Four Bands is developing the Making Waves curriculum and will market it to other South Dakota tribes so they, too, can introduce it in their schools.

Nearly 2,000 miles away in Portland, Ore., a $125,000 grant to the Native American Youth & Family Center (NAYA) focuses on developing green jobs and small businesses. NAYA will form partnerships to establish career development services and a job training center focused on green energy opportunities. A new Family Center Marketplace will offer small entrepreneurs a place to test business plans before launching their ventures.

“These grants reflect the commitment we have to increasing prosperity among Native Americans living on and off the reservation. We’re supporting projects designed to build personal assets through new jobs and strong communities,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of the Foundation.

The $550,000 granted will support workforce development, asset-building and community leadership.

For workforce development and small-business strategies - $250,000 was awarded to two nonprofits:

Montana Community Development Corporation of Missoula, Mont. received $125,000 to expand jobs creation and economic development in eastern Montana and on five Native American reservations.
Native American Youth & Family Center (NAYA) of Portland, Ore. received $125,000 to support the Green Job Training & Small Business Development project.

To combine asset-building with community development - $200,000 was awarded to two nonprofits:

Four Bands Community Fund of Eagle Butte, S.D. received $100,000 to introduce the Making Waves youth financial education in Tribal schools.
Oregon Native American Business & Entrepreneurial Network (ONABEN) of Tigard, Ore. received $100,000 to continue its work increasing family assets, the Indian Entrepreneurship Development System, and partnerships to create new sources of Native capital.

To build leadership to reduce poverty - $100,000 was awarded to one organization:

Native Youth Leadership Alliance of Pine Ridge Reservation received $100,000 through a grant to its fiscal sponsor, Native Americans in Philanthropy, to assist in launching a leadership development and advocacy program for Native American college students in South Dakota, Washington and Montana.

The Foundation also supports efforts to improve public policy that affects low-income families. For a description of all the grants, visit www.nwaf.org.

The Northwest Area Foundation is dedicated to supporting efforts by the people, organizations and communities in eight states to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable prosperity. The Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill, served these states. Hill’s son, Louis W. Hill, established the Foundation in 1934.

The Foundation is currently accepting grant proposals only on an invitation basis. For more information, please visit www.nwaf.org.

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Northwest Area Foundation Awards Grants for Latino Community Farming, Growing Green Businesses, Asset-Building and Leadership Development

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 CST

ST. PAUL, Minn. (December 7, 2010) Efforts to overcome poverty are taking a decidedly green turn, supported by Northwest Area Foundation grants. The Foundation has announced four grants totaling $375,800 for reducing poverty and building prosperity among low-income Latino families. They are among $1.79 million in awards the Foundation approved this quarter. Funded initiatives span farm fields in southern Minnesota to green jobs initiatives in Idaho.

The largest investment will fund training for low-income business owners, a key component to building assets and wealth. A $140,800 grant to the Main Street Project of Minneapolis, Minn. will bolster the Rural Enterprise Center Agripreneur Training Program. This innovative way of creating prosperity offers Latinos culturally-relevant training in small-scale farming. Families expand their enterprises through access to community garden plots for growing vegetables and land for raising poultry.

Nearly 2,000 miles away in Boise, Idaho, a $125,000 grant to the Mountain States Group and its microenterprise program, META, will support the Growing Green Business Initiative. The award will provide green jobs training and for low-income refugees and Latinos. Those who want to start or expand a green business will be able to tap into a small revolving loan fund to finance their ventures.

“Finding a job or starting a business is challenging in any economy. It can be especially difficult for Latino families who are trying to integrate their background and skills in a new culture. These grants will leverage new opportunities by creating jobs in promising new industries,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of the Foundation.

The Foundation awarded $60,000 to Hacienda Community Development Corporation of Portland, Ore. to combine asset building with community development. The grant will provide disadvantaged Latinos access to small business loans, financial education, leadership development, and GED classes through the Plaza Comunitaria adult education program.

The Foundation made a grant of $50,000 to the Farmworker Housing Development Corporation for $50,000 for the CAPACES Leadership Institute. CAPACES is a unique partnership between nine nonprofit organizations that provides leadership training across a diverse sector of Latinos. The grant will help support a new Latino-based leadership curriculum and a building in which the Institute will be housed.

The Foundation also supports efforts to improve public policy to benefit people with low incomes. Visit www.nwaf.org for a description on all the grants.

Grants for Community Farming, Green Businesses, Financial Education, Leadership and Public Policy

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 CST

ST. PAUL, Minn. (November 4, 2010) Efforts to overcome poverty are taking a decidedly green turn, supported by Northwest Area Foundation grants. The Foundation has announced 35 grants totaling $1.79 million. Funded initiatives span farm fields in southern Minnesota to green jobs training in Oregon.

The largest investment will support training for low-income entrepreneurs, a key approach for building assets and wealth. The Foundation’s $140,800 grant to the Main Street Project of Minneapolis, Minn. will bolster the Rural Enterprise Center Agripreneur Training Program. An innovative way of creating prosperity, it offers Latinos culturally-relevant training in a system of small-scale sustainable farming. Families increase assets through access to community garden plots for growing vegetables and to land for raising poultry.

Nearly 2,000 miles away in Portland, Ore., a $125,000 grant to the Native American Youth & Family Center (NAYA) focuses on developing green jobs and small businesses. NAYA will form partnerships to establish career development services and a job training center for green energy opportunities. A new Family Center Marketplace will offer small entrepreneurs a place to test business plans before launching their ventures.

“These grants will leverage new opportunities by creating jobs in industry, including green opportunities. We’re supporting projects designed to open avenues for low-income workers to get in on the ground floor and take advantage of emerging industries and new careers,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of the Foundation.

Besides increasing assets and wealth, the Foundation supports building leadership and improving public policy. The following are highlights of the grants made.

To implement workforce development and small business strategies - $640,800 was awarded to five nonprofits:

Main Street Project of Minneapolis, Minn. received $140,800 for the Rural Enterprise Center Rural Agripreneur Training Program.
Mountain States Group of Boise, Idaho and its microenterprise program, META, received $125,000 for the Growing Green Businesses project to offer assistance, training, and small loans to low-income green entrepreneurs, with a focus on refugees and Latinos in southwest Idaho.
Montana Community Development Corporation of Missoula, Mont. received $125,000 to expand job creation and economic development in eastern Montana and on five Native American
reservations.
Native American Youth & Family Center (NAYA) of Portland, Ore. received $125,000 to support the Green Job Training & Small Business Development project.
Enterprise Cascadia of Ilwaco, Wash. received $125,000 to support a lending pool to assist women, minority, and low-income contractors in bidding for weatherization jobs and contracts through the Seattle Community Power Works project.

To combine asset-building and economic development - $332,853 was awarded to five nonprofits:

Four Bands Community Fund of Eagle Butte, S.D. received $100,000 to integrate the Making Waves youth financial training within the curriculum of Tribal schools.
Hacienda Community Development Corporation of Portland, Ore. received $60,000 to provide Latinos access to small business loans, financial education, leadership development, and completion of GED classes through the Plaza Comunitaria adult education program.
Washington State Microenterprise Association of Federal Way, Wash. received $72,853 to link asset and wealth development tools, including low-income tax credits and individual savings accounts, with small business training and assistance.
First Children’s Finance of Minneapolis, Minn. received $100,000 to strengthen childcare businesses and the quality of childcare in Waterloo/Cedar Falls, Iowa to benefit low- and moderate-income workers.
Oregon Native American Business & Entrepreneurial Network (ONABEN) of Tigard, Ore. received $100,000 to continue its work increasing family assets, the Indian Entrepreneurship Development System, and partnerships to create new sources of Native capital.

To build leadership for reducing poverty - $150,000 has been allocated to the following organizations:

Native Youth Leadership Alliance of Pine Ridge Reservation received $100,000 through a grant to its fiscal sponsor, Native Americans in Philanthropy, to assist in launching a leadership development and advocacy program for Native American college students in South Dakota, Washington and Montana.
Farmworkers Housing Development Corporation of Woodburn, Ore. received $50,000 to support the CAPACES Leadership Institute capital campaign. The money will be used to develop curriculum and construct a building to house the Institute. This unique partnership between nine nonprofit organizations provides leadership training across a diverse sector of Latinos.

To improve public policy solutions - $50,000 was awarded to one organization:

The Statewide Poverty Action Network of Seattle, Wash. received $50,000 through its fiscal sponsor, Solid Ground. The grant will support the Grassroots Activism and Advocacy project to establish and train statewide coalitions. They will advocate for policies that increase assets and wealth for people with low incomes.

To increase impact on poverty reduction - $125,000 has been allocated to two nonprofit organizations:

Headwaters Foundation for Justice of Minneapolis, Minn. received $75,000 for the African American Leadership Forum to address critical challenges facing the Twin Cities African American community.
Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees of Sebastopol, Calif. received $50,000 to engage Foundations within the Northwest region in conversations about economic integration of immigrant families.

For a complete list of the grants included in this announcement, visit www.nwaf.org.

The Northwest Area Foundation is dedicated to supporting efforts by the people, organizations and communities in eight states to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable prosperity. The Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill, served these states. Hill’s son, Louis W. Hill, established the Foundation in 1934.

The Foundation is currently accepting grant proposals only on an invitation basis. For more information, please visit www.nwaf.org.

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Northwest Area Foundation Awards $1.9 Million to Prosperity-Building Work

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 CST

Grants will boost poverty reduction strategies guided by seven state universities
ST. PAUL, Minn. (July 26, 2010) The Northwest Area Foundation has awarded grants totaling $1.9 million to seven state universities to expand work of Horizons – an 18-month leadership development program for rural towns with populations of 5,000 or fewer and with poverty rates of at least 10 percent. These grants will bolster poverty-reduction work within 260 communities in seven states that have completed Horizons. The funds will support work such as financial literacy education for youth and adults, business training, leadership development, public policy engagement and building awareness and use of tax credits for low-income families. Grant dollars will also be used to further community action plans, leverage public and private funding and to identify resources communities can tap into to sustain their work. The universities’ extension services will provide coaching, training, and resources.

“Horizons has been a powerful call to action for people passionate about making change in their rural communities. We want to build on the momentum that nearly 300 towns have generated in just a year-and-a-half. These funds will help move their ideas to the next level of impact,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of Northwest Area Foundation.

Grants were made to the following intermediary organizations:

Regents of the University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho - $200,000 will fund asset- and wealth-building strategies in 34 communities. Activities include financial literacy education for youth and adults, small business training, tax clinics, grant-seeking workshops and networking at a statewide rural conference.

Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis - $200,000 was awarded to increase understanding of financial management, leadership, public speaking and public policy skills in 25 communities and to increase understanding of poverty among University graduate students.

Washington State University, Spokane, Washington - $300,000 was awarded to build partnerships in 40 communities that will increase leadership and effectiveness, expand asset- and wealth- creation programs, and build expertise in public policy work. Funding will provide intensive trainings in asset- and wealth-building strategies, such as savings accounts and tax credits for low income people, microenterprise development, affordable housing and transportation.

Iowa State University Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa - $300,000[1] was awarded to provide continued coaching, assistance and resources to the Horizons Steering Committees, the groups that guide Horizons in 35 communities. Funding will support asset- and wealth-creation opportunities, tax preparation training, and financial management training. Statewide convenings on financial literacy issues, leadership and public policy will promote civic engagement.

Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana - $300,000 was awarded to promote financial education, business training, leadership development and civic engagement in 35 communities.

North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota - $300,000 was awarded to support work in 42 communities such as youth and family financial literacy trainings, regional microenterprise trainings and strategies to promote community gardens and farmers markets.

South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota - $300,000 was awarded to fund advanced education and technical trainings in 36 communities within four key areas: entrepreneurship, development of local food systems, family financial management, business training and mentorships, and leadership training.

All 260 communities will convene for monthly webinars with their counterparts across the seven states to build connections, develop awareness of others’ work, learn about potential collaborative efforts and increase knowledge about successful asset- and wealth-building strategies. They will gather periodically within their own states for networking and information sharing.

The Northwest Area Foundation is dedicated to supporting efforts by the people, organizations and communities in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable prosperity. These states were served by the Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill. In 1934, Hill’s son Louis W. Hill established the Foundation.

[1] $76,000 of this grant is from the Northwest Area Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines

Northwest Area Foundation Awards $1.59 Million to Engage Public Policy and to Support Community Action Plans

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 CST

ST. PAUL, Minn. (June 1, 2010) The Northwest Area Foundation has awarded eight grants totaling $1.59 million to reduce poverty and build prosperity among people with low incomes. The grants will support community action plans to reduce poverty and move toward prosperity in 99 small towns located in seven states within the Foundation’s region. The money will also further efforts to improve public policy that impacts people with low incomes.

Northwest Area Foundation approved the following grants for building capacity and leadership:

Seven grants totaling $841,500 were awarded to community foundations to support grants for small towns that have completed the Horizons III leadership program:

Minnesota Community Foundation - $102,000
Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines - $119,000
*This is a donor-advised fund grant from the Northwest Area Fund
North Dakota Community Foundation - $127,500
South Dakota Community Foundation - $110,500
Montana Community Foundation - $127,500
Idaho Community Foundation -$127,500
Washington State 4-H Foundation - $127,500

The community foundations will direct the money to 99 small towns in seven states to implement community plans developed in the 18-month Horizons III program. Universities that Northwest Area Foundation works with in each of the seven states coach the communities and assist with action plans that call for services which help low income people thrive, such as daycare, affordable housing, transportation, adult education, job training, youth services, tourism or local farmers markets. Horizons is a leadership development program aimed at reducing poverty in towns with populations of 5,000 or fewer. Each community that completes Horizons receives a $10,000 grant.

Northwest Area Foundation made one grant to improve public policy solutions:

$750,000 was awarded to The Seattle Foundation of Seattle to support Strategies to Eliminate Poverty (STEP). Through this grant, STEP will provide funding to nonprofits working on public policy solutions to reduce poverty across the Foundation’s eight-state region. This grant will help strengthen and expand State Fiscal Analysis Initiative (SFAI) affiliates, which work for responsible tax and budget policies for low income people. This award will fund efforts to include immigrants, tribes, people of color, and faith-based groups in statewide poverty reduction policy efforts.

“We are confident that grants to these proven organizations will make an impact on efforts to help low income families that are struggling to get ahead. Public policy is one of our nation’s most effective tools to get to the root of poverty and increase prosperity. Building leadership equips people with the tools to make deep and lasting change that will transform the direction of struggling communities,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of Northwest Area Foundation.

Northwest Area Foundation also makes grants to further asset- and wealth-building. The Foundation is currently accepting grant proposals by invitation only. For more information about the Foundation’s grantmaking approach and the work of grantees across its eight-state region, please visit www.nwaf.org.

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Executive-Approved Grants

Fri, 28 May 2010 08:26:56 CST

Click on search grants on the right navigation bar to find a specific grant

President- and vice president-approved grants totaling $951,518 were made from April 1, 2009 – March 31, 2010. Similar to the board-approval process, executive-approved grants are made by invitation only to nonprofit programs that further one of the three outcomes the Foundation has identified as being crucial to reducing poverty and increasing prosperity: building assets and wealth, building leadership and capacity, and improving public policy. Grants were also made to advance the work of other funders to increase economic opportunities or to leverage public policy.

The following is a list and description of the executive-approved grants made during the Foundation’s Fiscal Year 2010 (April 2009 – March 31, 2010):

Augsburg College of Minneapolis received $3,912.79 to support the Center for Democracy and Citizenship.

Calvert Social Investment Foundation, Inc. of Bethesda, Maryland received $10,000 to administer scholarships for the Grassroots & Groundwork 2010 conference.

The Center for Community Change of Washington D.C. received $100,000 for community organizing in Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Washington and Oregon. Center for Community Change (CCC) will assist low-income people in creating local leadership networks in the Northwest that can tap into national networks which assist in shaping state and federal policy on jobs, wealth creation and asset building. The grant will provide small sub-grants to organizations for participation in community organizing and will fund training about American democracy. In addition, CCC will work with immigrants within the Foundation’s eight-state region moving them toward citizenship and integration.

Center for Communication and Development of Minneapolis received $20,000 to expand programming on KMOJ radio that will benefit people with low incomes. The grant will support two weekly asset- and wealth-creation radio programs over a year’s time and will fund technological improvements that will foster greater interaction with its audience. Some of the money will be used to hire a consultant to write a business and fund development plan.

CFED (Corporation for Enterprise Development) of Washington, D.C. received $35,000 to support the Asset and Opportunity Policy Campaign.

Demos of New York, received $75,000 for the Public Works project. This grant will fund training for Northwest Area Foundation grantees to increase their understanding of developing effective public policy solutions to reduce poverty and build prosperity. Trainings will focus on advocacy, building coalitions and shaping public campaign communications. Demos will partner STEP (Strategies to Eliminate Poverty), to deliver the public policy advocacy training. STEP is a grantmaking initiative of the Seattle Foundation funded by a grant from Northwest Area Foundation. STEP focuses on improving public policy to benefit people with low incomes within the Foundation’s region.

Framing Our Community of Elk City, Idaho received $75,000 to expand small business training and to support a regional network that provides workforce training and economic development opportunities for displaced and low- and moderate-income workers in rural north central Idaho and within the Nez Perce Tribe. This initiative will offer job training to low-income workers in five counties and the Nez Perce reservation where three major businesses have closed or downsized in the past five years, resulting in significant job loss within the region. The grant will fund expansion of the Workforce Training and Economic Development Center small business incubator program. Framing Our Community is projecting to offer up to 90 people small business training, create up to 25 living wage jobs, and offer a limited number of small business micro loans.

Fresh Air, Inc. (KFAI Radio) of Minneapolis received $35,000 to support the “Conversations with Al McFarlane” radio program. The topics center on economic and community development in low income neighborhoods.

Headwaters Foundation for Justice of Minneapolis received $75,000 to support the Twin Cities African American Leadership Forum.

Idaho Nonprofit Development Center of Boise, Idaho received $35,000 for a convening of nonprofit organizations and policy- and low income advocates to discuss public policy and fiscal analysis needs for Idaho

The Minneapolis Foundation of Minneapolis received $50,000 to support statewide immigrant funders collaborative. This initiative will focus on advocacy and integration of immigrants in Minnesota. The collaborative is expected to attract additional local and national funding, which will be re-granted to Minnesota organizations and coalitions working on immigrant integration. Other components call for establishing a learning network and for providing sub-grants to support economic improvement, leadership development and advocacy on state and federal levels.

Northwest Area Foundation’s Matching Gift Program received $10,000 to match donations employees made to qualifying nonprofit organizations.

Ohio State University Foundation and Kirwin Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity of Columbus, Ohio received $50,000 for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at Ohio State University and to develop opportunity maps for Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington. This grant will raise awareness of the structural and community barriers impacting marginalized communities. Opportunity maps are geographical overlays, which will identify patterns of access and opportunities. The maps will provide a detailed analysis of each region’s demographics, including race, ethnicity and income, highlighting the impact of policies in overcoming poverty at the neighborhood level. Each map will include an assessment of affordable housing, foreclosures, access to credit, and housing investments associated with federal stimulus money.

PolicyLink of Oakland, California received $50,000 to research predatory investing practices in order to identify and recommend best practices and actions for area organizations.

Rebuilding Together – Twin Cities of Minneapolis received $3,000 for general operating support. Rebuilding Together brings together volunteers and communities to improve the homes and lives of low-income homeowners, particularly older adults, the disabled and families with children.

The Saint Paul Foundation of St. Paul. Minn. received $25,000 for the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative. This grant will support forums on issues affecting low income communities located along the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit that is planned between Minneapolis and St. Paul. Forums will address business resources, affordable housing, workforce and economic development and job access.

South Dakota Community Foundation of Pierre, South Dakota and Native Americans in Philanthropy of Minneapolis received $10,000 each to support emergency disaster relief for Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. These awards are provided as matching funds solicit donations to aid recovery from a winter ice storm that damaged homes, buildings and the tribe’s main water system on the Cheyenne River Sioux reservation.

Stairstep Foundation of Minneapolis received $50,000 for economic initiatives for people with low incomes in North Minneapolis. The grant will support public policy advocacy, affordable home ownership opportunities, jobs creation, financial literacy education and neighborhood renovations. It will also support a study to determine whether to establish an African American-led community bank, create a Community Development Corporation, and develop financial education centering on credit and alternatives to predatory lending.

University of Minnesota – Sponsored Projects Administration of Minneapolis received two grants totaling $58,030 for an Institute on Race and Poverty research report on credit access in the Twin Cities, Portland and Seattle, and to distribute a report on the economic impacts of immigration.

$171,575 went to support sponsorship, memberships and conferences for the following organizations:

African-American Academy for Accelerated Learning
Asian-Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy
The Aspen Institute Inc.
Association of Black Foundation Executives
Council on Foundations
Food Gatherers
Foundation Center
Grantmakers for Effective Organizations
Grantmakers of Oregon and SW Washington
Grants Managers Network
Hispanics in Philanthropy
Independent Sector
Iowa Council of Foundations
Minnesota Council on Foundations
National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
National Urban Fellows, Inc.
Native American Youth and Family Center
Native Americans in Philanthropy
Neighborhood Funders Group
Open Arms of Minnesota, Inc.
Partners for Prosperity New Beginning for Eastern Idaho
Philanthropy Northwest
State of Minnesota –Council on Black Minnesotans
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
Way to Grow
YWCA of Minneapolis

Northwest Area Foundation Awards $175,000 to Latino Asset and Wealth Building Efforts

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:00:00 CST

Grants aimed at leveraging additional dollars for greater impact on poverty reduction
ST. PAUL, Minn. (March 16, 2010) - The Northwest Area Foundation has awarded two grants totaling $175,000 to promote financial literacy and small business development for Latinos in Minnesota and Idaho, particularly in rural areas where access to credit is limited. The grants to two Latino-led organizations are designed to attract additional outside funding for a greater impact on building assets and wealth, a key element in moving from poverty to prosperity.

“Latinos immigrants living and working in our region often have to work very hard to overcome language and cultural barriers in order to integrate their skills in the job market. That can make it hard to access the training and credit they need to start or establish a business. It’s even more difficult when they live in rural areas that are disconnected from mainstream financial institutions,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of Northwest Area Foundation. “These grants are designed to provide low-income Latinos with access to capital and training that will build sustainable prosperity.”

The Northwest Area Foundation board of directors approved the two grants at its February 2010 meeting.

Latino Economic Development Center, Minneapolis, Minn. - $100,000
Based in Minneapolis, the Latino Economic Development Center is a community economic development organization that works with Latinos and immigrants in Minneapolis/St. Paul and in rural Minnesota.

Grant funding will strengthen bilingual training and business support services and increase access to credit for low-income Latinos and immigrants in Minnesota. The award will support additional capital for start-up businesses throughout the state, financial education classes and will attract outside investments to potentially expand the Latino Small Business Loan Fund.

Partners for Prosperity Eastern Idaho, fiscal sponsor for Latino Economic and Development (LEAD) Center, Blackfoot, Idaho - $75,000
Based in Blackfoot, Idaho, LEAD works with a growing Latino and immigrant community in rural Idaho. LEAD was created with the help of its fiscal sponsor, Partners for Prosperity New Beginnings for Eastern Idaho Inc., in response to challenges the Latino community had in accessing services from mainstream financial institutions.

This 15-month program will strengthen LEAD’s ability to provide financial education to low income Latino and immigrant families, provide training and assistance to start-up businesses, improve access to credit, expand partnerships that will increase micro loans to Latino small businesses, and develop networking opportunities.

These two grants are part of approximately $1,000,000 the Foundation has invested over the past two years in efforts to reduce and build prosperity within urban- and rural-Latino communities in eight states. In addition to building assets and wealth, Northwest Area Foundation grants support efforts to build capacity and leadership and improve public policy solutions to help people with low-incomes attain thriving, self-sustaining lives.

The Foundation is currently accepting grant proposals only on an invitation basis. For more information about the Foundation’s grantmaking approach and the work of grantees across its eight-state region, please visit www.nwaf.org.

The Northwest Area Foundation is dedicated to supporting efforts by the people, organizations and communities in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable prosperity. These states were served by the Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill. In 1934, Hill’s son Louis W. Hill established the Foundation.

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October 2009 Grants

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 09:11:56 CST

In October 2009, the Northwest Area Foundation made 14 grants totaling $2.04 million – the first awards approved under its new grantmaking approach. The Foundation’s board of directors approved the organization’s new strategic plan a year ago.

Over the next several years, the Foundation will guide its grantmaking, and non-grantmaking resources, to advance effective practice in asset and workforce development, as well as in economic development and job training in growth areas, such as the energy sector. The goal is to help nonprofits build their skill and knowledge, and to encourage organized communities able to nurture sustainable grassroots efforts. Grantmaking will also focus on improving public policy.

The grantees in this first round were selected because of their programmatic focus, organizational leadership, past achievements, and the ability to support to community-based practitioners within the Foundation’s entire eight-state service region.

The grant winners are nationally-known and ethnically-diverse organizations that support community-based practitioners focused on asset-building projects, as well as on efforts that help individuals and families build their financial and human assets. Their efforts directly address one or more of the Foundation’s three outcomes:

Increased assets and wealth among people with low incomes
Increased capacity and leadership to reduce poverty
Improved public policy solutions to reduce poverty

Grant Details

Increased Assets and Wealth - $1.565 million to support organizations that integrate economic development with asset- and wealth-building practices, expand local and regional partnerships for workforce development, implement small business strategies, and increase access to green jobs across the Foundation’s eight-state region. These grants are disbursed in two clusters:

1. Organizations integrating economic development and asset building practices -$1.265 million to intermediary organizations that provide local community organizations with technical assistance, training, networking, leadership and regranting:

CFED - $365,000
This Washington D.C.-based nonprofit organization works to expand economic opportunities for all Americans. Grant dollars will fund four projects:

Work with nonprofit organizations to establish matched savings programs within the Foundation’s eight-state region such as Individual Development Accounts that can be used to save for college, purchase a home or start a business.
Provide research on asset policies and program strategies to help city leaders in two cities determine the financial stability of their residents
Promote the use of the Self Employment Tax Initiative that bolsters small business development through access to the Earned Income Tax Credit for low income workers
Encourage innovative practice, products and programs that will increase economic opportunities within the Foundation’s eight-state region, including support for innovators of asset building programs and training in poverty reduction tools such as the Assets & Opportunities Scorecard.

First Nations Development Institute - $100,000

Headquartered in Longmont, Colo., First Nations Development Institute works to strengthen American Indian economies by investing in economic development and asset control strategies.
This award will develop the Native-Asset Building Partnership project, a peer mentorship project among several tribes to share what works in self-governance and economic development. Mentoring will focus on the development of tribal code, enterprise, alternative energy and community development financial institutions.

First Nations Oweesta - $200,000
First Nations Oweesta, Rapid City, S.D., works to develop Native assets and build strong Native communities. This grant will help establish strong Native community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and asset-building programs within the eight-state region. Oweesta will provide financial training and regranting of funds to CDFIs to promote the use of individual development accounts, earned income tax credit and loan products.

Seattle Economic Development Association (SEDA)/Express Advantage - $100,000
SEDA, Seattle, Wash., is a community development financial institution and fiscal sponsor of Express Advantage, the affiliate of the Express Credit Union that serves people with low incomes and who experience cultural barriers when accessing mainstream financial services in King County, Washington. Express Credit Union will build partnerships with nonprofit organizations to establish new ways to increase access to capital among people with low incomes and reduce the need for payday and predatory lenders. Financial education case workers will be based at partner nonprofits, making it easier to reach the unbanked with access to credit, individual development accounts, small business loans, car loans and other lending products.

National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB) - $300,000
NALCAB, San Antonio, Texas, is the national voice for Latino-led community development corporations and community-based organizations that focus on asset building. Its mission is to build financial and human assets as well as real estate and technology resources for Latino families, communities and organizations.

This grant will allow NALCAB and its partners to offer training in resource development, federal grant writing, organizational leadership and board and staff development. NALCAB will provide $95,000 in small sub-grants to community-development and asset-building organizations within the eight-state region for strengthening organization capabilities.

Oregon Native American Business and Entrepreneurial Network (ONABEN) - $200,000
ONABEN, Tigard, Ore., seeks to create a better quality of life for Native Americans by promoting ownership and management of successful businesses.

The award is designated to provide technical assistance and training for urban- or reservation-based Native economic development projects in up to ten sites in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and western Montana. Grant dollars will also fund a “train the trainer” Indian entrepreneurship development system and a family asset-building system.

2. Asset and Wealth Building – linking workforce and small business development - $300,000
This support will create a link between Emerge Community Development, the Neighborhood Development Center and Summit Academy OIC to increase employment opportunities and small business development for people with low incomes in North Minneapolis. Grants under this category include:

Emerge Community Development - $75,000
Emerge Community Development, Minneapolis, Minn., works with people who face challenges in housing and employment. This award will provide funds to develop a pilot training program for weatherization jobs, so workers with low-incomes have better access to positions in the green jobs industry, particularly employment opportunities that have been created through federal economic stimulus dollars.

Neighborhood Development Center Inc. (NDC)-$150,000
NDC, Minneapolis., Minn., offers training, assistance and loans for small businesses in urban Minneapolis neighborhoods with high potential and high need for economic development. The grant money will be used to provide small business loans, entrepreneurial training, technical assistance, contractor training and support for the Business Resource Center

Summit Academy OIC - $75,000
Summit Academy OIC (SAOIC), Minneapolis, Minn., is a nonprofit educational and vocational training center that empowers adults and prepares youth from economically depressed areas of Minneapolis and St. Paul to become educated, employed, contributing members of their community.

The award is for advocacy efforts to ensure that people with low-incomes are able to take advantage of workforce and entrepreneurial opportunities created through funding for green enterprises through the 2009 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. The grant will assist SAOIC in strengthening its HIRE Minnesota coalition, which is working to ensure that public investments in infrastructure and renewable energy help lift people out of poverty, reduce racial disparities and contribute to healthier communities.

Strengthening Capacity and Leadership - $100,000 - Grants within this category fund opportunities to strengthen community organizing networks in the region:

Western Organization of Resource Councils Education Project: Homegrown Prosperity Project - $100,000
Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC), Billings, Mont., is a regional network of seven grassroots community organizations that provides training and coordination on issues-related work.

The grant to the Homegrown Prosperity Project will promote small-scale renewable energy projects, create green jobs, and develop leadership and advocate for renewable energy in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho and Oregon. Through this effort, WORC will leverage federal incentives and create green jobs and businesses which benefit people with low incomes. Project examples include a micro-biodiesel pilot program and retrofitting energy-efficient schools to reduce energy costs.

Improved Public Policy Solutions - $375,000 - Grantees in this section were chosen based on their ability to develop and strengthen the organizational effectiveness of State Fiscal Analysis Initiative (SFAI) affiliates in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Idaho, emphasizing the development of policy analysis. SFAI affiliates advocate for responsible tax and budget policies, with a focus on the needs of low- and moderate-income families. Awards in this category are also made to promote civic engagement by advocating for public policy through the support of regional networks and asset coalitions.

1. Expand the capacity of State Fiscal Analysis Initiative affiliates - $275,000 will go to three organizations:

Consensus Council, Inc. - $100,000
The North Dakota Consensus Council, Inc., Bismarck, N.D., brings together leaders and citizens to build public policy agreements. This award will provide funding to develop and strengthen an SFAI affiliate for North Dakota.

Rural Dynamics, Inc. - $75,000
Rural Dynamics, Inc., Great Falls, Mont., provides programs and develops partnerships to help youth, individuals and families achieve economic independence. The award will be used to strengthen and expand the capacity of the Montana Budget and Policy Center, a newly established
SFAI affiliate in Montana.

South Dakota Voices for Children - $100,000
South Dakota Voices for Children, Sioux Falls, S.D., is a statewide organization that works to improve the lives of children through program and policy advocacy. The grant will provide funding to develop and strengthen an SFAI affiliate for South Dakota.

2. Civic Engagement - $100,000

Northwest Federation of Community Organizations: Community Action, Research, and Training (CART) project - $100,000
The Northwest Federation of Community Organizations, Seattle, Wash., is a regional network of four community organizations that exits to advance a progressive agenda by executing campaigns for economic, racial and social equity and by building strong affiliates.

The grant for the Community Action, Research, and Training (CART) Project will fund training and poverty-related policy research, two Jobs Gaps reports and a Racial Justice Report Card. CART will develop, train and engage grassroots leaders from low-income neighborhoods in four states, building coalitions that will address public policy solutions aimed at reducing poverty and promoting asset and wealth building.

Northwest Area Foundation Awards $2.04 Million to Prosperity Building Efforts

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST

Grants will support proven approaches that build assets and wealth, strengthen capacity and leadership and improve public policy

ST. PAUL, Minn. (November 19, 2009) The Northwest Area Foundation has awarded 14 grants totaling $2.04 million to nationally-known and ethnically-diverse organizations with proven track records of success offering approaches that reduce poverty by building prosperity across its eight-state region. This is the first set of grants made under the Foundation’s new strategic plan approved by the board of directors in October 2008.

“We believe the best way to reduce poverty is to ensure fair access to meaningful opportunity,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of the Northwest Area Foundation. “That change begins with making sure people can build their financial assets, but it also means building on the human potential that resides in every low-income community. These grants support a diverse array of outstanding organizations that are hard at work unlocking that potential.”

The awards will further one or more of three outcomes critical to the Foundation’s mission:

Asset and wealth building - $1.565 million was awarded to nationally recognized nonprofits that can support organizations that integrate economic development with asset- and wealth-building practices and expand regional partnerships for workforce development, small business strategies and green jobs development across the Foundation’s eight-state region.

$1.265 million was granted to a cluster of intermediary organizations that provide local community organizations with technical assistance, training, networking, leadership, and support for small grants. Grants include:
- CFED of Washington D.C. - $365,000
- National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders of San Antonio, Texas - $300,000
- Oregon Native American Business and Entrepreneurial Network of Tigard, Ore. - $200,000
- First Nations Oweesta of Rapid City, S.D. - $200,000
- First Nations Development Institute of Longmont, Colo.- $100,000
- Seattle Economic Development Association of Seattle, Wash., fiscal sponsor of Express Advantage - $100,000
$300,000 will support partnerships among workforce and small business development initiatives in Minneapolis. Grants were awarded to Emerge Community Development and Summit Academy OIC, for training in the new green jobs industry and to increase access to jobs created through federal stimulus dollars. A grant to the Neighborhood Development Center will provide training, technical assistance and micro lending for start-up and expanding micro businesses.

Improving public policy solutions - $375,000 was awarded to the following organizations:

Northwest Federation of Community Organizations of Seattle, Wash., - $100,000, to conduct research and increase civic engagement of low-income, immigrants and communities of color by training and engaging leaders who will build coalitions to address public policy issues that impact poverty reduction and prosperity building initiatives.
$275,000 was awarded to assist in the expansion or start-up phase of State Fiscal Analysis Initiative (SFAI) affiliates in North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana. SFAI affiliates are nonprofit, nonpartisan organizations that conduct rigorous policy analysis in order to advocate for responsible tax and budget policies, particularly as they impact people with low- and moderate- incomes. Grants to lead these efforts were awarded to:
- Consensus Council, Inc. of Bismarck, N.D. - $100,000
- Rural Dynamics, Inc. of Great Falls, Mont. - $75,000
- South Dakota Voices for Children of Sioux Falls, S.D. - $100,000

Strengthening capacity and leadership - $100,000 was awarded to Western Organization of Resource Councils of Billings, Mont, to develop leadership and advocacy in the small-scale renewable energy industry that will leverage federal incentives and create green jobs and businesses which benefit people with low incomes. Project examples include a micro-biodiesel pilot program and retrofitting energy-efficient schools to reduce energy costs.

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Grants at Work

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:22:44 CST

We are privileged to support the work of proven and promising organizations focused on reducing poverty and building sustainable prosperity among people with low incomes. Grantees all across our eight-state region are advancing innovative and tested approaches in rural, urban and American Indian reservation communities. These are but a sample of their efforts to help build assets and wealth, capacity and leadership, and improve public policy for reducing poverty.

Northwest Area Foundation Backs Three Key NorthWay Community Trust Initiatives Aligned With New Strategic Direction

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 CST

Jan. 2, 2009 - The St. Paul-based Northwest Area Foundation has awarded NorthWay Community Trust a three-year, $1.75 million grant to support three initiatives: Twin Cities Center for Arts and Technology, a center for building a skilled, competent workforce in North Minneapolis; Northside Achievement Zone, a model for organizing community members around the healthy development of children; and the Main Street Corridor Project, a program to prepare North Minneapolis residents for small business ownership. NorthWay is a Minneapolis community-based nonprofit organization focused on reducing poverty.

This grant marks a decision by NorthWay and the Northwest Area Foundation to change the relationship between the two organizations. For the last five years, they participated in a partnership agreement to implement a community-developed, 10-year poverty reduction strategy. That relationship has now moved to a more targeted one whereby Foundation support will assist Northway’s efforts to develop the three projects in North Minneapolis.

The Foundation’s approach aligns with its new strategic plan, which seeks to reduce poverty in three outcome areas: increasing assets and wealth, building capacity and leadership, and improving public policy solutions. “The three projects supported by our latest grant to NorthWay have great potential for lasting poverty reduction and prosperity building in North Minneapolis,” said Gary Cunningham, Northwest Area Foundation vice president of programs and chief program officer. With this newest grant to Northway, the Foundation has invested over $6.75 million in North Minneapolis in the last five years.

“Since the beginning, we have worked to address systemic problems, develop long-term solutions, and operate across sectors, organizations, programs and traditional neighborhood boundaries in order to fundamentally change the entire Northside community,” said Wesley Walker, Executive Director of NorthWay Community Trust. “At the same time, we were founded on the belief that change was essential if we wanted to achieve the community-developed vision of reducing poverty and increasing wealth in our 13 North Minneapolis neighborhoods.”

NorthWay Community Trust brings together citizens, service providers and government agencies in collaborative efforts to improve the quality of life for North Minneapolis residents. Although it will discontinue making partnership investments, Northway will maintain its role as a community convener, and will create, support, sustain, and assess community collaboratives.

“We are committed to making significant long-term investments in North Minneapolis to reduce poverty over time,” said Cunningham. “Our reframed relationship with NorthWay provides both organizations with the flexibility and accountability needed to target our efforts for greater impact,” he said. In tandem with NorthWay, the Northwest Area Foundation is tapping into more of the talent, experience and energy that exist among nonprofits and other change agents in North Minneapolis. “We are exploring relationships with organizations and funders to focus on pressing issues such as the mortgage foreclosure crisis, early childhood development, micro- and small-business development, and strengthening the social service infrastructure,” said Cunningham.

Northway Community Trust is a nonprofit community support organization leading efforts to expand economic opportunity, strengthen the social fabric and improve life circumstances for North Minneapolis residents. Its purpose is to foster collaborations and advocate for systemic change in order to reduce poverty and increase wealth in North Minneapolis.

The mission of Northwest Area Foundation is to support efforts by the people, organizations and communities of its eight-state region to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable prosperity. The region comprises the states once served by the Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill: Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. Hill’s son, Louis W. Hill, established the foundation in 1934. For additional information about the Foundation, visit www.nwaf.org, or call 651-224-9635.

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