Ciresi Walburn Foundation Annual Grants

Ciresi Walburn Foundation Annual Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Ciresi Walburn Foundation for Children
Last Updated: January 22, 2026

Summary

The Ciresi Walburn Foundation supports innovative educational initiatives in Minnesota, focusing on eliminating inequities for children and youth. They partner with K-12 schools and nonprofits to enhance educational opportunities, emphasizing early learning, parent engagement, and diverse educator recruitment. The foundation prioritizes projects that foster equitable access to quality education while strategically investing in transformative ideas. However, past funding does not guarantee future support, and technology expenses are only considered if ancillary to broader proposals.

Overview

Our Mission The mission of the Ciresi Walburn Foundation is to serve as a catalyst for creative, innovative, and societal-changing programs and policies to promote education and equitable opportunities for all of Minnesota’s children and youth. Our Key Priorities Eliminate the misconception that Minnesota schools provide a quality education for all our children. Expand the number and capacity of high-performing schools and educational organizations throughout Minnesota serving students of color and low-income students. Support parent and family engagement in schools and their demands for access to high-performing schools for all students. Invest in strategies to diversify Minnesota’s educator workforce and equip teachers with the cultural intelligence and skills needed to support and educate all students. Expand access to science-based literacy instruction; high-quality early childhood learning opportunities; equitable pathways to in-demand careers; and scalable, high-quality tutoring programs. What We Do The Ciresi Walburn Foundation seeks to partner with K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that support youth and families in Minnesota. We support efforts to eliminate inequities in the educational system. We’ve funded early learning programs, education policy and advocacy, programs that support educators, high performing K–12 schools, and wrap-around programs focused on children and families in high-needs neighborhoods. We also established a scholarship fund to help African-American males complete their undergraduate degrees and stride forward as tomorrow’s leaders. We look forward to helping innovative, effective ideas gain traction and build momentum across the educational system. Please note: We seek to make strategic investments during critical phases in an organization's history and to be a catalyst for innovative, bold ideas, approaches, and initiatives. Therefore, past recipients of funding should not necessarily assume that they will receive funding every year. The Foundation will not consider for funding project or program budgets which are solely or predominantly related to technology expenses, but will consider requests for support for technology (hardware and software) that are ancillary to broader, innovative proposals. The Foundation requires all K-12 School finalists to complete our Schools Data Dashboard Form, which can be downloaded from our website or the online application portal. In order to be eligible for funding, schools must commit to, during the grant period, assess all students, as appropriate, using either: The State Standards-Based Accountability Assessments (MCAs or MTAS); and/orA nationally-normed growth and proficiency assessment (such as the NWEA/MAP) at least twice during the school year; and, to share the results of the assessment(s) with the Foundation.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. To be eligible for funding, an organization must be tax-exempt or operate under the fiscal sponsorship of a tax-exempt nonprofit. The Foundation will not consider for funding project or program budgets which are solely or predominantly related to technology expenses, but will consider requests for support for technology (hardware and software) that are ancillary to broader, innovative proposals. The Foundation requires all K-12 School finalists to complete our Schools Data Dashboard Form, which can be downloaded from our website or the online application portal. In order to be eligible for funding, schools must commit to, during the grant period, assess all students, as appropriate, using either: a) The State Standards-Based Accountability Assessments (MCAs or MTAS); and/or b) A nationally-normed growth and proficiency assessment (such as the NWEA/MAP) at least twice during the school year; and, to share the results of the assessment(s) with the Foundation.

Ineligibility

What We Don’t DoWring our hands on the sidelines or accept a system that doesn’t provide all children the opportunity for the very best.The Foundation does not fund individuals, endowments, political organizations, or political lobbying.