Minnesota Freedom Fund

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, democracy, and nonprofit capacity, serving the East Metro and communities statewide. Its 2025 grants had a median of $26,000, while the Management Improvement Fund offers up to $15,000. It accepts unsolicited requests through open application programs, though some opportunities are invite-only.

The McKnight Foundation

Minneapolis, MN

The McKnight Foundation funds nonprofit organizations, research, and community initiatives in arts and culture, food systems, climate and energy, neuroscience, and equitable communities, primarily in Minnesota and the Midwest, with some work in Africa and South America and beyond. Its 2024 grants ranged from $1,150 to $10 million, with a median of $100,000; prospective applicants are asked to contact program staff first, who provide proposal instructions if they determine funding may be considered.

FR Bigelow Foundation

St. Paul, MN

The F. R. Bigelow Foundation funds arts and culture, community and economic development, education and youth development, health, housing, and human services, with emphasis on equitable community-led work in the East Metro, especially Saint Paul and Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties. Community Solutions grants are typically up to $50,000 per year for one to two years, while capital grants may reach $250,000 over two years. It accepts applications to the Community Solutions program on a rolling basis; its Systems Change program is invite-only.

Women's Foundation of Minnesota

Minneapolis, MN

The Women’s Foundation of Minnesota funds community-led work advancing gender and racial justice, including safety, leadership, well-being and reproductive justice, and economic justice, primarily across Minnesota. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,250 to $340,000, with a median of $20,375; several programs are invitation-only, and the profile does not describe a general unsolicited application process.

American Tower Corporation Foundation

Boston, MA

The Minneapolis Foundation

Minneapolis, MN

The Minneapolis Foundation supports civic, social, and economic needs, including economic mobility, education equity, community safety, health, and the environment. In 2025, its grants had a median of $25,000, though awards varied widely; 77% of grant dollars went to Minnesota recipients. It does not state a general policy on unsolicited requests; current opportunities are closed, and some programs are invitation-based.

Detention Watch Network

Washington, DC

Detention Watch Network seeks to end the cruel system of immigration detention via programs of grassroots organizing, strategic communications, and collective advocacy.

Freedom Together Foundation

New York, NY

The foundation funds work to strengthen multiracial democracy and build community and worker power, racial and gender justice, movement infrastructure, reproductive health, medical research, and community institutions. In 2024, its grants ranged from $5,000 to $14 million, with a median of $500,000; its largest shares went to organizations in Washington, DC, New York, California, Massachusetts, and Illinois. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.

Tikkun Olam Foundation Inc

New York, NY

Tikkun Olam Foundation supports women’s health, gender justice, and reproductive rights, including social justice and community organizing; its 2024 grants ranged from $2,500 to $1 million, with a median of $60,000. Grants went mainly to organizations in New York, California, Massachusetts, Washington, DC, and Minnesota. It does not accept unsolicited requests and funds only preselected charitable organizations.

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.

Wells Fargo Foundation

Minneapolis, MN

The Wells Fargo Foundation funds nonprofits working on financial opportunity, affordable housing, and small-business growth, with giving at national and local levels. Its 2025 grants ranged from $3,000 to $8 million, with a median of $35,000. It does not accept unsolicited requests; eligible organizations are invited to apply.

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.