Blandin Foundation

Blandin Foundation Grants Approved
in December 2005

The Blandin Foundation Board of Trustees approved grants totaling $3,741,955 at its December 2005 meeting.

Of the total grants awarded at the December meeting, 89 percent was for the Grand Rapids and Itasca County area.

Grand Rapids Area Economic Advantage Grants - Grants that assist the community identify and mobilze its economic assets.

Organization
Grant Award
Itasca Area Schools Collaborative
$250,000/1.5 yrs
N E Entreprenuer Fund
80,000/2 yrs
Minnesota Wood Education Project
--Goods from the Woods
--MN Wood Campaign


65,000
15,000
Northern Itasca Joint Powers Board
70,000
Itasca Community College
--Financial Aid
313,000
Itasca Development Corporation
-- Comprehensive Plan for Greenway Area
Business Association
-- Develop Alumini Data Base


15,000

12.000
Deer River Hired Hands
50,000
 
Total    $870,000

Grand Rapids Area Responsive and Sustaining Grants - Grants that are responsive to critical area needs, and that help sustain high performing local organizations.

Organization
Grant Award
Reif Arts Council
$290,000/2 yrs
ISD #318-Community Education
--Baby Steps Boutique and Step Ahead

350,000/2 yrs
Community Cafe
20,000
Advocates for Family Peace
40,000
American Cancer Society
25,000
Bigfork valley Hospital (Home Visitor Program)
10,000
Bridges: Kinship Mentoring Program
23,000
Cooperative Solutions
50,000
First call for Help of Itasca County
45,000
Friendship Ventures
2,000
Girl Scouts-Land of Lakes Council
7,500
Itasca Alliance Against Sexual Assualt
30,000
Itasca County Historical Society
35,000
Itasca Orchestral Society
40,000
MN Special Olympics, Inc.
30,000
Northern Community Radio
45,000
Second Harvest North Central Food Bank
50,000
United Way of 10,000 Lakes
25,000
Voyageur Area Boy Scouts
7,500
Youth for Christ-Campus Life
25,000
Action through Churches Together
75,000
Bovey/Coleraine Youth Center
134,000/2 yrs
Legal Aid Service of NE Minnesota
-- Continued operating support
-- Project support for Native American programming
315,000

65,000
MacRostie Art Center
25,000
 
Total  $1,764,000

Grand Rapids Area Education and Scholarships
- The Board of Trustees approved a new educational and scholarship grant for local students for the 2006-07 school year. Since 1956 the Foundation has awarded more than 11,800 scholarships totaling almost $13.8 million.

Organization
Grant Award
Blandin Foundation Educational Awards Program
$700,000

Statewide Economic Advantage Grants
- For statewide efforts to identify and mobilize economic assets that strengthen rural communities.

Organization
Grant Award
Minnesota Project
$150,000/3 yrs
Minnesota Technology, Inc.
-- Value Chain Mgmt. Program
-- Technology Awareness Forums
100,000

15,000
Arrowhead Regional Development Commission
40,000/2 yrs
Bemidji State University
39,000/2 yrs
 
Total    $344,000

Miscellaneous Statewide Grants

Organization
Grant Award
Charities Review Council of MN
$3,000
Council on Foundations
6,555
Duluth-Superior Educational TV Corp.
15,000
Foundation Center
2,500
MN Council on Foundations
21,900
Northern Minnesota Public Television
15,000
 
Total   $63,955
 
Total Awards  $3,741,955

∫ According to a December 10, 2003 Foundation Board of Trustees resolution, the Foundation will dedicate at least 55 percent of its grants paid to the Grand Rapids area. That resolution was agreed to and ratified by the Ramsey County District Court, which has probate jurisdiction of the Blandin Trust. Compliance with the resolution is determined on the basis of a six-year rolling average starting with and including grants paid in 2003. To assure compliance, the Foundation will review its distributions annually with the Minnesota Office of the Attorney General. In addition, the Court appointed a special master to also review the Foundation’s distributions annually for court review. ∫