Rooted Philanthropic Grant

The Rooted Philanthropic Grant is dedicated to supporting the East Side of Saint Paul through responsive and innovative grantmaking. By focusing on entrepreneurship, education, and wellness, the foundation aims to empower local communities with financial and social resources. Grants are primarily by invitation and are tailored to meet the unique needs of the community, ensuring that organizations and individuals can thrive and contribute to sustainable economic growth.

Note: The majority of grants made will come through a relationship building process that brings good ideas and critical community interventions to the foundation’s attention. These prospective grantees will come through referrals, community advisors, existing grantees and relationships, occasional RFP’s or other mechanisms of community exploration. This means the vast majority of applications will be by invitation only. Grants will be made on an ongoing basis without application deadlines or a strict grant application process. Our goal is to be as responsive and efficient as possible in making grant decisions and distributing resources.
Our Approach to Grantmaking
We will provide financial, social and supportive resources to efforts and organizations aligned with our interests.
Areas of Philanthropic Focus
Rooted Philanthropic focuses its giving and support on the neighborhoods of the city of Saint Paul’s East Side.
Entrepreneurship & Small BusinessCreating and building ideas and businesses is a long-term path to sustainable economic security and generational asset-building.EducationA quality and holistic education is fundamental to opportunity.WellnessThe active pursuit of physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being is an individual and collective set of activities that make each of us and our neighborhoods safer and more resilient.Special InitiativesOccasionally, the foundation addresses a need identified by the community by facilitating short or long-term initiatives that do not neatly fit into one of our three funding pillars.

Eligibility

The foundation will provide financial support through all mechanisms that advance our funding priorities as allowed by our status as a 501c3 nonprofit private foundation. These could include support to/for:501c3 Nonprofit OrganizationsIndividualsCapital activation and loans through CDFIs and other loan funds, Program Related Investments (PRI), Mission Related Investments (MRI), and loan guaranteesCharitable purposes at for-profitsFunding alliances and collaborativesIntermediaries and CDFI’sSponsorships of community eventsDirect program creationDirect co-investment
In general, grants will be for general operating support, but may also include funding for specific training, technical assistance, learning cohorts, or other services to support the grantee. Occasionally the foundation will make a grant for a specific purpose, generally at the behest of the requesting organization.