Community Sharing Fund Grant

The Community Sharing Fund Grant provides essential support for families and individuals in Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington Counties facing unexpected financial emergencies. With grants ranging from $100 to $1,500, the fund helps address urgent health and human services needs while prioritizing those who have not received funds in the past 18 months. This initiative aims to prevent crises that could lead to unemployment or homelessness, making it a vital resource for community resilience.

Grants That Change Lives
The Community Sharing Fund is how the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation responds to emergency needs in our community.
The Fund partners with more than 100 community organizations to identify families and individuals facing short-term financial setbacks. A small grant from the fund can prevent a tailspin that results in unemployment or homelessness.

Eligibility

The applicant is a resident of Dakota, Ramsey or Washington County, Minnesota, for at least 30 days.
The request must be a health and human services related need.
The applicant has not received a grant from the Community Sharing Fund within the last 18 months.
No other member of the applicant’s household has received a grant from the Community Sharing Fund in the last 18 months.
The need has been created by an unforeseen event that has resulted in an emergency.
The Community Sharing Fund is a resource of last resort. Eligibility for assistance from other funds and the family’s own resources are considered.
The grant will solve a problem that is not expected to reoccur in the near future.
If the emergency has resulted from a resolvable underlying issue, the grant will be approved only if the referring organization can verify that corrective action has been taken.
Grant amounts range from $100 to $1,000, and up to $1,500 for housing assistance.

Ineligibility

The Community Sharing Fund does not fund attorney fees or travel costs and other expenses related to child custody issues.
Requests are not approved for payment of bail, traffic tickets and fines or other expenses related to illegal activities.
Requests are not approved for burial or funeral expenses.
Requests are not accepted directly from individuals seeking emergency funding.