Bush Prize: Minnesota Grant

About Bush Prize: Minnesota
The Bush Prize program identifies and honors extraordinary organizations that consistently engage and lead their community toward creative solutions, provides them with flexible support to keep doing that work, and supports them to amplify their story to inspire others.
In 2026, two organizations will be selected as Bush Prize: Minnesota honorees. Honorees will receive an award of $250,000. The award is unrestricted and can be used for any charitable purposes in the state of Minnesota, including operating costs, program-related expenses, capital expenditures or whatever else would best support the organization's ongoing work.
The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation was selected as the community grant partner for Minnesota and began implementing Bush Prize: Minnesota in 2024. The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation operates Bush Prize: Minnesota as a Community Grant Partner of the Bush Foundation.
History of Creative Solutions
Bush Prize: Minnesota honors organizations which have at least three years of history using innovative approaches that offer real solutions for the challenges and issues affecting their community. Bush Prize finalists will be able to identify specific examples of processes, programs or projects that use creative approaches, technologies, collaborations, and methods to drive sustainable change and solve problems more effectively.
Community-led Solutions
Bush Prize: Minnesota honors organizations which understand that communities are best positioned to articulate and effectively respond to today's challenges. Bush Prize finalists will show a consistent commitment to listen, engage and involve the community to ensure the people they serve inform, form and benefit from the organization’s impact.
Benefits - The community served realizes significant impact and change for the issues and challenges they identify as most critical to them.Informs - Work should be shaped by input from the community itself. This means the organization listens to the experiences, needs, and feedback from the community it serves to align its goals and initiatives with the actual needs and priorities of the community.Forms - Beyond being informed by the community, the community has an active role in shaping the work. The community is directly involved in designing and implementing programs and solutions, and the organization’s work reflects the values, culture, and strengths of the community.
Culture of Creative Problem Solving
Bush Prize: Minnesota honors organizations that exemplify a culture of innovation and creative community problem solving. Bush Prize finalists will articulate how their organization’s values, policies, practices, people and partnerships allow them to innovate and utilize community assets and resources in creative ways to develop sustainable solutions to community issues.

Eligibility

Organizations must be located in Minnesota, and the specific work of the organization highlighted in the Bush Prize: Minnesota application must also have occurred within the state of Minnesota. If awarded, all grant funds must be used for charitable purposes to benefit communities in Minnesota.Organizations that are 501(c)(3) public charities or government entities (including schools and tribal governments) are eligible to apply.Organizations or programs that are fiscally sponsored are eligible to apply. Fiscal sponsors must be 501(c)(3) public charities or government entities (including schools and tribal governments).The sponsored organization or program should register and complete the application as the primary applicant and will be asked to provide information on their fiscal sponsor and a copy of a fiscal sponsorship agreement.If the applicant is selected as a grant recipient, their fiscal sponsor will serve as the grantee and receive the funds.Groups of organizations (such as coalitions or collaboratives) are eligible to apply, but only one organization may apply and receive the award on behalf of the group.

Ineligibility

Organizations that have received a Bush Prize in the last 10 years are not eligible to apply.