Blandin Foundation - Community Wealth Building Grants

Blandin Foundation - Community Wealth Building Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Blandin Foundation
Amount: US $25,000 - US $150,000
Last Updated: February 06, 2026

Summary

The Blandin Foundation's Community Wealth Building Grants aim to empower rural communities in Minnesota by addressing economic disparities and fostering sustainable growth. Targeting low-income, diverse populations, the grants focus on collaborative projects that enhance affordable housing, promote local businesses, and improve access to resources. With funding ranging from $25,000 to $150,000, the foundation seeks innovative solutions to strengthen community ties and support marginalized populations, ensuring a robust future for rural Minnesota.

Overview

Please note: We anticipate a high number of inquiries; Blandin Foundation funding will be directed toward the smallest, lowest income, most diverse, and remote communities. Deadline dates may change depending on the volume of applications received. Community Wealth Building Grants Weaving together financial, intellectual, cultural, and social assets for healthy communities. About Blandin Foundation and 2025 Grantmaking Mission: We connect, fund, and advocate for ideas and people to inspire resourcefulness and move rural places forward. As one of the few foundations in the nation devoted exclusively to rural needs, Blandin Foundation has shifted our strategic focus to better meet rural Minnesota’s urgent challenges. The COVID pandemic and racial turmoil accelerated many of the economic and social disparities that originally inspired our collective passion for rural philanthropy, and we realized we had to take bold steps to meet the moment. Our intent is to support rural communities and Native Nations in tapping courage, ingenuity, and resourcefulness to rebuild connections that have long been a source of their strength and identity. Community Context for our Focus on Community Wealth Building We know that land ownership inequality is growing, wealth and income gaps persist, and that this inequality harms economic growth. Community wealth building’s focus on collaborative work aimed at reducing disparities and support for projects that promote equitable access and outcomes will help push back against these harmful trends. Knowing that Community Wealth Building concepts were developed in urban settings, one objective of this grant program is to gather data from partners’ community wealth-building activities to more deeply inform rural practice and impact. What is Community Wealth Building? In a nutshell, it is building the rural bases of knowledge, money, workforce, entrepreneurship, and investment – and keeping those powerful resources close to home. Its goal is to reduce disparities in outcomes that too often fall along the lines of place, race, and class. Community Wealth Building is a community development approach that considers the full spectrum of assets needed for healthy communities – financial, intellectual, environmental, cultural, and social – and weaves them together in a way that roots all development locally, focusing on sustainable, shared community benefit and reducing disparities. Outcomes We Seek Affordable Housing and Housing Stability Increased Affordable Housing Units: Creation, preservation, or rehabilitation of a significant number of affordable housing units for low- and moderate-income residents, particularly in communities facing housing shortages in Itasca County. Improved Housing Stability for Disadvantaged Populations: Reduction in housing instability and homelessness through initiatives that provide direct support services such as rental assistance, legal aid, and tenant education for marginalized groups (e.g., low-income, Indigenous, and people of color communities). Increases in the number of homeowners from historically underserved populations and from lower-income households as a core household wealth-building strategy. Green and Sustainable Housing Development: Development of energy-efficient, climate-resilient housing projects that reduce long-term living costs for lower-income families and address environmental justice concerns. System Capacity Building: Expand local expertise, organizational capacity, and access to capital to accelerate and sustain long-term capacity for strategic development of affordable housing in rural communities. Community-Based Economic Development Local Business Growth and Job Creation: Support for community-based businesses, particularly those owned by people of color, Indigenous individuals, and women, leading to new living-wage job creation and economic opportunities for marginalized groups. Strengthened Community Land Ownership: Increased access to community land trusts and co-operative business models, giving local communities, especially people of color and Indigenous populations, greater control over their land and economic resources. Increased Economic Diversification: Enhanced economic resilience through the development of new industries or revitalization of key sectors in rural areas, such as sustainable food systems, clean energy, or creative industries, benefiting rural communities. Whole-community Development: Support Indigenous approaches to wealth—rooted in relational, cultural, and environmental well-being— that build not only financial capital but also value the health of relationships, the stewardship of natural resources, and the preservation of language, cultural knowledge, and traditions to build community. Workforce and Talent Development Systems Improved Workforce Participation: Increased participation of underrepresented groups (especially Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), rural women, immigrants, and low-income residents) in the workforce through tailored job training programs, apprenticeships, and support for re-entry populations. Industry-Specific Workforce Development: Development of workforce pipelines in high-demand sectors like healthcare, housing construction, renewable energy, and technology, with pathways that are specifically inclusive of rural residents with greater barriers to success. Leadership Development for Underrepresented Groups: Increased representation of BIPOC, women, and rural populations in leadership roles in both the public and private sectors through mentorship programs, leadership training, and capacity-building initiatives. K-12 and Higher Education Partnerships: Enhanced collaborations between local schools, community colleges, and businesses to create career pathways for youth, particularly in underserved communities, including mentorship programs, internships, and dual-credit opportunities. Emphasis on collaborative regional approaches versus support for individual programs or organizations. Pathways should lead to living-wage work. Equitable Access to Capital Increased Access to Small Business Financing: Strengthening the rural economic development ecosystem to support small businesses and entrepreneurs from marginalized communities in Itasca County and across rural Minnesota, particularly those owned by BIPOC, women, and low-income individuals. Community Investment Funds: Creation of community investment funds that pool resources from residents and local organizations to fund community development projects and businesses that directly benefit local residents, with a focus on rooting economic activity and wealth building in Minnesota’s rural communities. Financial Empowerment and Capital Access Education: Increased financial empowerment programs aimed at BIPOC and low-income communities to improve financial management, investment strategies, knowledge of household wealth-building pathways, and access to credit for both businesses and households. Partnerships for Equitable Economic Investment: Formation of strategic partnerships between local governments, financial institutions, and community organizations to increase investment in rural communities, prioritizing equitable access to capital for underserved populations. Cross-cutting and Community-Level Outcomes Reduction of Racial and Economic Disparities: Demonstrable reductions in economic disparities across racial, class, and geographic lines, with a focus on lifting up communities of color, Indigenous populations, immigrant communities, and rural low-income residents in Itasca County and across rural Minnesota.Strengthened Social Cohesion and Community Leadership: Increased capacity of local community leaders, to advocate for and drive economic development and policy change that addresses racial, economic, and geographic disparities and emphasizes community benefit and inclusive prosperity. Improved Public Health and Economic Well-Being: Measurable improvement in health outcomes (mental, physical, economic) through the combined impact of affordable housing, access to quality jobs, financial stability, and reduced systemic barriers. Sustainable Rural Development: Enhance rural resilience by integrating climate adaptation, sustainable practices, and long-term economic sustainability into all community wealth-building efforts in rural, underserved areas. Community-focused Procurement and Purchasing Practices: Grow resilient local and regional rural economies by prioritizing procurement for local businesses and producers, supporting conditions for increased economic activity, living-wage job growth, and inclusive, locally-created wealth. Funding Range Please request an amount that speaks to what you need to complete your proposal. Typical grant awards will be between $25,000 and $150,000. Funded projects can have a timeframe of up to 3 years. Requests over $250,000 may follow a different timeline for review and approval. Please see FAQs on the Grant Eligibility & Applications page for additional guidelines and information.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. These outcomes aim to empower Itasca County and rural Minnesota communities by building lasting wealth and economic opportunity for marginalized populations, creating a more equitable future.Grantee organizations and projects must align with Blandin Foundation’s mission and meet the following requirements:Authorized by the Internal Revenue Service as having Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or be fiscally sponsored by an eligible organization for charitable purposes or categorized as a Tribal government  entity, public agency, or a unit of government with a charitable purpose. Must adhere to Blandin Foundation’s Anti-Discrimination Policy.Applicants under this RFP will be required to meet the following target geography and/or population requirements:Be Native Nations, cities, towns, and townships in the Blandin Foundation local giving area: Itasca County plus Northome, Blackduck, Hill City, and Remer. Find the size of your community using the U.S. Census. Organizations (including fiscal sponsors) located in rural hubs of more than 5,000 people may apply if funding can be demonstrated to directly benefit small communities.For applicants utilizing a Fiscal Sponsor, please contact our grants team prior to submitting an LOI.Funding should address one or more of the following. A known community need and/or issue facing its residents. Show engagement across different beliefs, races, ages, genders, socioeconomic status, educational, physical and cognitive abilities, and differing experiences present in the community. Systemic barriers through new or continued partnerships; implementing projects that are sustainable, innovative, scalable and/or replicable; increasing the capacity of the community to engage in, plan, or facilitate activities. Demonstrate ideas that move small communities forward. Show evidence of community support. Examples of community support (monetary and nonmonetary): Volunteer time Professional services (electrical, plumbing, etc.) Donated space Donated equipment uses and laborThere is not a matching requirement, but organizations are encouraged to leverage other resources.

Ineligibility

Metro-based organizations are ineligible to apply for funding under this RFP.We will not fund the following: Grants to organizations outside of the state of Minnesota General operating support (operating support can be part of a capacity-building or project-based request) Grants to individuals Grants intended to influence specific legislation, specific candidates, or lobbying Intervene in any campaign for elective public office, or support or oppose any political party, by expenditure of any resource, including volunteered labor, or in any other way Supplant public funding for development of infrastructure ordinarily provided by government entities such as water, sewer, roads, streets, and public safety Religious organizations seeking funding for religious purposes Grants for private benefit, including for-profit businesses or commercial ventures