CFDC Community Impact Grants

CFDC Community Impact Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Community Foundation of Dunn County
Amount: US $500 - US $5,000
Last Updated: March 24, 2026

Summary

The CFDC Community Impact Grants aim to enhance the quality of life in Dunn County by supporting nonprofit organizations and community groups. These grants focus on various areas, including health, education, culture, and civic initiatives, providing funds for projects that address community needs. The foundation prioritizes innovative programs that serve a broad audience and demonstrate sustainability. By fostering collaboration, these grants help enrich the lives of local residents and promote long-term community benefits.

Overview

Community Impact Grants The Community Foundation of Dunn County’s mission is to connect people who care with causes that matter to enrich the quality of life in Dunn County, now and for future generations. Competitive grants are available to non-profit organizations and community groups for projects or programs that fulfill a community need in such areas as health, the arts, culture, heritage, the environment, recreation, education, humanitarian needs and other civic initiatives. These grants are provided by CFDC funds created by local families, philanthropists, corporations and private foundations for the betterment of Dunn County and to enrich the lives of those who live here. Grant Initiatives Community Grants enable nonprofits and charitable groups to better serve their local communities. In setting priorities for making grants, we consider the needs of the Dunn County area, the programs of other funding agencies, and our available resources. Projects which are supported generally fall under one of the following broad categories: Community Health & Wellbeing Health and wellness are at the heart of our quality of life. That’s why the Community Foundation of Dunn County invests in a spectrum of health programs and projects, mainly through the Healthy Futures Fund, which is an endowed fund formerly managed by the Menomonie Health Foundation. These funds support health-related initiatives that benefit the service area of the Red Cedar Medical Center – Mayo Health System through a variety of initiatives that: Enhance the health status of the communityPromote health education and healthy lifestyle choices for community residentsImprove community-based health services that includes oral, mental, and behavioral health.Improve and expand healthcare delivery and integrate prevention effortsAddress human needs such as food security, housing, and safetyImprove intervention efforts and increase self-sufficiency of at-risk populations Program Development or Expansion Nonprofits play a vital role in providing opportunities and public services within the communities they serve. Community grant funding can help organizations offer new, innovative programs to better meet the changing needs of the community through projects or activities that: Take an imaginative and innovative approach to deepen impactServe a broad and wide range of Dunn County citizensSolve critical local problems or address critical local needsCan be sustained without continued funding from the Community FoundationEncourage collaboration and cooperation among charities and does not duplicate servicesHave measurable impact on the community that can be evaluated and shared Capacity Building When used strategically, grant awards can increase an organization’s sustainability so it can better serve the community today and into the future. It is not meant to simply sustain day-to-day activity – it is meant to help an organization reach a new level of operating effectiveness. Capacity building grants are broad and can support various improvement efforts to: Form new partnerships or collaborations to improve services or eliminate duplicationStrengthen governance, leadership or staff expertiseRefine and improve communications and outreachImprove volunteer recruitment, training and engagementAcquire or improve impact measurement tools and evaluation capacitySecure equipment/assets that allow the organization to operate more efficiently and effective

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. The Foundation welcomes grant requests from nonprofit organizations and civic groups that serve Dunn County citizens. Eligible entities include:Independent nonprofit organizationsCharitable organizations classified as 501(c)(3) under the Internal Revenue CodeLocal units of state or national organizationsGroups of individuals or clubs organized to sponsor a charitable projectGrants may also be made to units of government, including Native American tribal governments, for public purposes.Organizations must serve residents of the Foundation’s service area.Applications should detail measurable and achievable outcomes and demonstrate other sources of support, collaboration and/or cooperation. Applications should also address the sustainability of the proposed program or project for which funding is desired.Limitations:Units of Government (city, county, township, etc.): The Foundation does occasionally fund units of government whose proposal extends beyond the traditional governmental functions that impact the broader community or when the request for support is judged to be an effective means to address a priority issue.Schools: The Foundation will consider funding for public, charter and private/parochial Pre-K-12 schools and post-secondary educational institutions, when the request for support is judged to be an effective means to address a priority issue, particularly when the issue addresses the needs of a substantial or underserved portion of the population.Faith-Based Funding: Requests will be considered from individual faith-based organizations only if the program, services or initiatives do not promote that specific journey of faith or include activities such as religious worship, instruction or preaching.Capital Campaigns: Lower priority is given to capital campaigns for which a typical community grant will have minimal impact. Capital campaigns for college campuses or medical centers are low priority unless the project will have a direct impact by hosting community-based programs or providing significant public access to meeting spaces and community services.Indirect Costs: The Foundation does not typically fund indirect costs through the competitive grantmaking process but will consider indirect costs of up to fifteen percent (15%) of a total grant request. All indirect costs must be listed in the grant Project Budget in the grant application.

Ineligibility

The Foundation will not normally make grants to private non-operating foundations. The Community Grant program is not a source of ongoing annual funding for an organization. Large, multi-year awards are not typically offered. The Foundation typically does not fund:Repeat grants to the same project on an open-ended basisAnnual fundraising campaignsRoutine operating expensesReligious or sectarian activitiesPolitical activitiesExisting obligations or debts/liabilitiesGrants to individualsEndowment fundsTravel for groups such as school classes, clubs or sports teams