Lakes Area Food Shelf

Initiative Foundation

Little Falls, MN

The Initiative Foundation funds nonprofit and community capacity-building, economic and workforce development, childcare, and community resilience in Central Minnesota’s 14-county region and portions of the Leech Lake and Mille Lacs Bands of Ojibwe. Its 2024 grants had a median award of $24,500, with individual grants ranging from $5,176 to $146,160. General grant applications are submitted through its portal and reviewed on a rolling, competitive basis; the profile does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.

Minnesota Power Foundation

Duluth, MN

The foundation funds education, environment, community services, youth development, arts and culture, and health and human services, prioritizing organizations in Minnesota Power’s service territory. Its 2024 grants ranged from $250 to $99,500, with a median of $1,000; applications are accepted and reviewed throughout the year, so unsolicited requests are accepted.

Happy Dancing Turtle

Pine River, MN

Better Way Foundation

Minneapolis, MN

Better Way Foundation funds long-term, community-driven and culturally rooted approaches to children’s well-being, especially Indigenous early childhood development and education in Indian Country. Its 2024 grants ranged from $5,000 to $200,000, with a median of $30,000. It does not accept unsolicited requests; proposals are by invitation only, and it is not currently accepting proposals.

Xcel Energy Foundation

Minneapolis, MN

The Xcel Energy Foundation funds STEM career pathways, environmental sustainability, and community vitality programs in Xcel Energy’s service area across Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Texas, and New Mexico. Its 2024 grants ranged from $5 to $619,552, with a median of $512. It does not accept unsolicited requests; applications are by invitation only.

The Minneapolis Foundation

Minneapolis, MN

The Minneapolis Foundation funds Minnesota nonprofits working on civic participation, inclusion, economic mobility, education, and other community needs; 77% of its 2025 grant dollars went to Minnesota recipients. Its median grant was $25,000, and it does not state that it accepts unsolicited requests generally; applications are tied to specific opportunities, some of which invite eligible organizations to apply.

Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation

St Paul, MN

The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation funds community-led work in areas including economic development, health and human services, youth and education, arts and culture, housing, democracy and food access. Its 2024 grants had a median of $24,000; its Community Solutions grants for East Metro work offer up to $50,000, while other opportunities serve communities across Minnesota. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.

The Richard M Schulze Family Foundation

Minneapolis, MN

The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation funds education, health care, and human services, including college scholarships, with most support benefiting working- and middle-class families in specified Minnesota and Florida counties; it also makes some national grants. Its 2024 grants had a median of $5,000, though awards ranged from $50 to $10 million. It plans to move to invitation-only grantmaking in 2027; whether it currently accepts unsolicited requests is not stated.

First Children's Finance

Minneapolis, MN

First Children’s Finance funds and supports child care businesses and community projects that expand access to quality early care, including facility improvements, technology, and provider support. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,283 to $50,000, with a median award of $11,839; grantmaking is mainly in Minnesota, Vermont, and Wisconsin, while its lending spans ten states.

C K Blandin Foundation

Grand Rapids, MN

The C K Blandin Foundation funds community wealth-building, rural placemaking and small-community efforts, including work on housing, civic engagement, community spaces and food systems. It primarily supports rural Minnesota, especially Itasca County and nearby communities, and its 2024 median grant was $2,900, though awards ranged from $50 to $335,000.

Otto Bremer Trust

St Paul, MN

The Otto Bremer Trust supports people and communities through grants for work benefiting residents of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin; its 2024 grants had a median award of $50,000, with amounts ranging from $3,500 to $1.4 million. It does not accept unsolicited direct requests, but some Community Responsive Fund grants are available through selected intermediary partners.

Land O'Lakes Foundation

St Paul, MN

Land O’Lakes Foundation funds hunger relief, education, and community vitality, especially projects connected to Land O’Lakes member-owner and dairy-farming communities. Its 2024 median grant was $1,000, though awards ranged widely; funding is concentrated in Minnesota and also reaches communities across its member footprint, including the East and West regions and California. It offers multiple programs with program-specific guidelines, but the profile does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.