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Vibrant. Rural. Community.
Blandin Foundation is all about Minnesotans imagining, leading, and growing healthy, inclusive – vibrant – communities.
Living Vibrant
Where do you imagine your community tomorrow? At Blandin Foundation, we see a world of possibilities within your answers. Discover how vibrant rural Minnesota is.
Itasca Area
Your partner in building healthy rural communities in the place we call home. Meeting spaces, grants, and more.
Opportunities
We meet communities where they’re at with: Leadership training, Broadband information and support Grants.
What are the possibilities?
You have resources. We have resources. Put them together, and you have a powerful approach your community can use to design and claim its future.
We Have Resources
Our programs train community leaders, support communities as they include and create opportunities for all people, and support work at home in the Itasca Area.
Learn MoreYou Have Resources
Information to support you in building your community. Whether you need research to prove a need, information on evaluation, or want to learn more about topics rural Minnesota cares about – you’ll find it here.
Learn More
Spot Us
Blandin Foundation stands with communities as they design and claim their futures. That’s thousands of partnerships in hundreds of communities over more than 75 years.
Take a LookLatest News
Itasca-area communities selected for Blandin Foundation initiative
July 18, 2019
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – Blandin Foundation announced today that it has accepted applications from the communities of Bovey and Northome to participate in Growing Communities, an intensive, 18-month visioning and action planning initiative through University of Minnesota Extension. “These communities each have demonstrated high levels of engagement and a commitment to work across sectors and… Read More
GroundWork Blog
Introducing GroundWork: tools to grow vibrant rural communities
May 23, 2019
Nothing truly worthwhile is ever easy. This is especially true if you’re a rural community leader. Community issues are complex. Sometimes it’s hard to see the “whole” or what it all adds up to. Great leaders know that change starts small and builds from the ground up. It takes local leaders digging in, planting seeds… Read More
Current and Upcoming Leadership Training
LEDC - St. Peter
LEDC September 11 - May 20
Faribault Area
BCLP September 23 - 27
Fairmont Area
BCLP October 21 - 25
Bois Forte, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage
BRCLP November 4 - 8
LPEP - Rockville, Cold Spring, and Richmond
LPEP January 23 - July 16
Learn About LeadershipUpcoming Grant Deadlines
$10,001 - $50,000
January 1 - December 31
$1,001 - $10,000
January 1 - December 31
Blandin Leadership Program Grants
January 1 - December 31
Itasca Area Donations ($100 - $1,000)
January 1 - December 31
Over $50,000
September 15
Learn About Grants