Grants for Minnesota nonprofits address a wide range of focus areas, from health grants to the arts. Learn more about grants for Minnesota with our Grantfinder Search Tool. Become a member.
Giving Trends in Minnesota
Private, public, and corporate foundations and giving programs in Minnesota collectively gave $2.2 billion in charitable contributions in 2018, according to the Minnesota Council on Foundations. Looking at grants from funders based anywhere that flowed into the Midwestern state that year, Candid reports more than $3.5 billion in total 2018 grants for Minnesota. For 2023, and following years, the state legislature of Minnesota has significantly increased philanthropic support in the state to meet the increasing needs of its citizens.
The Minnesota Council on Foundations produces knowledge about Minnesota grantmakers and works to bolster philanthropy in the state. According to the MCF, Minnesota grantmaking tends to prioritize education, as well as human services, health, the environment, and religion. Minnesota, considered a climate change haven by some scientists, has increased environmental giving in particular in recent years. While many grants for Minnesota concentrate in the Twin Cities area, leading philanthropists have made a concerted effort to also give to the state’s rural regions.
Grants for Minnesota come from a mix of private, corporate, and community foundations. Leading funders of Minnesota grants include Wells Fargo Foundation, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, Minneapolis Foundation, St. Paul and Minnesota Foundations, McKnight Foundation, Greater Twin Cities United Way, Otto Bremer Trust, Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation, United Health Foundation, GHR Foundation, Fred C. and Katherine B. Anderson Foundation, General Mills Foundation, and Hormel Foundation
Foundations in Minnesota
3M FOUNDATION
The 3M Foundation supports education, community, and the environment in Minnesota and beyond.
FRED C. AND KATHERINE B. ANDERSEN FOUNDATION
The Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation supports, higher education, youth, elderly, and health in Minnesota.
F. R. BIGELOW FOUNDATION
The F. R. Bigelow Foundation supports arts and culture, community and economic development, education and youth development, health, housing and human services in St. Paul and the East Metro area of Minnesota.
BLANDIN FOUNDATION
The Blandin Foundation supports rural Minnesota nonprofits through programs for Itasca County vibrancy, rural community leadership, and opportunities for every community member.
BLOOMINGTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
The Bloomington Community Foundation supports education, youth, health, human services, arts and culture and other community needs in Minnesota.
BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF MINNESOTA FOUNDATION
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation supports health equity, early childhood education, community safety and access to health coverage in Minnesota.
OTTO BREMER TRUST
The Otto Bremer Trust supports health, youth, education, job training, housing, elderly, food, and emergency services in Minnesota and North Dakota.
PATRICK AND AIMEE BUTLER FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Patrick and Aimee Butler Family Foundation supports the arts, environment and human services in Minnesota.
BUSH FOUNDATION
The Bush Foundation supports community improvement, capacity building, human services, public benefit, arts and culture, education, environment, health, and media and communication in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
CARGILL FOUNDATION
The Cargill Foundation supports education, childhood nutrition and arts and culture in Minneapolis and the surrounding areas in Minnesota.
CATHOLIC COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MINNESOTA
The Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota supports Catholic education, human services, churches, youth, health, and other community needs in Minnesota.
CENTRAL MINNESOTA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
The Central Minnesota Community Foundation supports education, youth, community development, religion, rural poverty, emergency needs, arts and culture, women and girls and efforts for people with special needs in Minnesota.
CHS FOUNDATION
The CHS Foundation supports agriculture education, rural youth and agriculture careers in Minnesota and other places where the CHS company does business.
DULUTH-SUPERIOR AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
The Duluth-Superior Area Community Foundation supports arts, community and economic development, education, environment and human services in Minnesota.
ECOLAB FOUNDATION
The Ecolab Foundation supports youth, education, civic and community development, environment, conservation and arts and culture in Minnesota and other places where the Ecolab company does business.
EMERALD FOUNDATION
The Emerald Foundation supports arts and culture, health and human services in Minnesota.
ENGELSMA FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Engelsma Family Foundation supports education, human services, health and animals in Minnesota and other places of interest to the family.
FM AREA FOUNDATION
The FM Area Foundation supports arts and culture, basic human needs, community building, education in North Dakota and Minnesota.
GEORGE FAMILY FOUNDATION
The George Family Foundation supports integrative health and healing, authentic leadership, spirituality and mindfulness, youth development, environment and community in Minnesota.
GENERAL MILLS FOUNDATION
The General Mills Foundation supports food security, sustainable agriculture, hometown communities, and early childhood education in Minnesota and beyond.
HORMEL FOUNDTION
The Hormel Foundation supports efforts to provide food, shelter, clothing, quality healthcare, education, research, and quality of life in Minnesota.
INITIATIVE FOUNDATION
The Initiative Foundation supports nonprofit sustainability, entrepreneurs, economic development, education and leadership in Central Minnesota.
MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION
The McKnight Foundation supports local Minnesota organizations, parts of the Midwest, and occasionally makes other grants across the U.S. McKnight also makes some international grants, which are focused on “global food” security. McKnight’s general focus areas include climate change, arts and culture, neuroscience, housing and community development, and economic development, though programs evolve quickly here.
MEDTRONIC COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION
The Medtronic Communities Foundation supports health, natural disaster relief, social determinants of health, and civic engagement in Minnesota and globally.
MINNEAPOLIS FOUNDATION
The Minneapolis Foundation supports arts and culture, economic vitality, environment and conservation, civic engagement, community health, and education in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
NORTHLAND FOUNDATION
The Northland Foundation supports children and youth, individual and community wellbeing and the economy and jobs in northeastern Minnesota.
I.A. O’SHAUGHNESSY FOUNDATION
The I.A. O’Shaughnessy Foundation supports higher education, Catholic causes, youth, human services, economic success and arts and culture in Minnesota and other area of interest to the family.
RBC FOUNDATION
The RBC Foundation – USA supports youth, health, human services and arts and culture in Minnesota and other places where the company does business.
SAINT PAUL & MINNESOTA FOUNDATIONS
The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundations supports capacity building, emergency assistance, diversity, and community needs in the Saint Paul area and elsewhere in Minnesota.
RICHARD M. SCHULZE FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation supports education, human and social services, health and medicine, and college scholarships in the Twin Cities of Minnesota’s seven-county metropolitan area.
ALEX STERN FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Alex Stern Family Foundation supports the arts, social welfare, human services, education, youth recreation, civic projects, and health in the Fargo-Moorhead area of North Dakota and Minnesota.
J.A. WEDUM FOUNDATION
The J.A. Wedum Foundation supports housing, the elderly, education and community needs in Minnesota.
WELLS FARGO FOUNDATION
The Wells Fargo Foundation is a national funder with an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota focusing much of its giving on Minnesota communities in the areas of financial education, small business development, workforce development, and basic needs for families and children.
