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Blandin Foundation is all about Minnesotans imagining, leading, and growing resourceful, inclusive communities.

Foundation News

Tuleah and R.T. Rybak talk rural/urban interdependence in U of M podcast

In this conversation on Side by Side, Ellen Wolter moderates a discussion between Blandin Foundation CEO Tuleah Palmer and R.T. Rybak about the intricate interdependence between rural and urban Minnesota.

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Mino Gizhigad: A Good Day in Fond du Lac and Cloquet

After two years of collaborative work, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the City of Cloquet unveiled new riverfront signage reflecting the deep-rooted history and traditions of the land, funded by a grant from Blandin Foundation.

Read More & View Signs

Tuleah Palmer Talks Rural Media Landscapes with Report For America Panel

Tuleah joined a conversation about trends in philanthropy’s support for media, audience interests and information needs, and shifting skills sets for journalists.

Listen to the Conversation

In the News: Small-Town Philanthropies Use the Great Wealth Transfer to Fund Rural Communities

Blandin Foundation’s work to strengthen community foundations and fund rural communities is included in this Daily Yonder article.

Read at the Daily Yonder

Blandin Foundation Names Kyle Erickson Director of Rural Grantmaking

Erickson will guide the Foundation’s grants team in their work to award grants that bring to life the Foundation’s mission to connect, fund and advocate for ideas and people to inspire resourcefulness and move rural places forward.

Read the News Release

North Star Promise is an assist for attending college, but navigate carefully

“The program is a step in the right direction but comes with some implications,” writes Blandin Foundation’s Jen Alger in an op-ed published in the Star Tribune.

Read the Op-Ed

Blandin Foundation grant to CommunityGiving helps rural MN create community-driven development strategies and tap millions in future wealth transfer

$500,000 grant aims to transform rural development by strengthening community foundations.

Read the News Release

Kootasca Community Action Building Resilience with $400,000 Blandin Foundation Grant

Funding will help fight poverty and build community through long-term planning, program evaluation and organizational development.

Read the News Release

The urgent need for affordable housing in rural communities

MPR’s Rural Voice series hosted a town hall discussion in Two Harbors about how to creatively solve the affordable housing bottleneck for rural communities.

Listen or Watch

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Where do you imagine your community tomorrow?

Google map of Blandin Foundation grantees, leadership program particpants, and broadband work across Minnesota

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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.

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Blandin Foundation Names Kyle Erickson Director of Rural Grantmaking

June 6, 2024

Key points: Following a 10-year tenure as a grants officer with Blandin Foundation, Kyle Erickson was named Blandin Foundation director of rural grantmaking. As a grants officer, Erickson oversaw a multi-million-dollar grant portfolio addressing some of rural Minnesota’s most pressing needs, including affordable housing, support for first-generation college students, and expansion of legal services for…

GroundWork Blog

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Mino Gizhigad: A Good Day in Fond du Lac and Cloquet

August 28, 2024

It was a verdant, overcast July day along the shores of Chigami-Ziibiing, the St. Louis River, when community members gathered at the Dunlap Island Park Shelter in Cloquet for a special celebration. After two years of collaborative work, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the City of Cloquet unveiled new riverfront…

Blandin Foundation is located in the Grand Rapids area to which it has a perpetual and primary responsibility.

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