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Our Response to COVID-19
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
Blandin Foundation names Bahr director of leadership
March 30, 2020
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – Dr. Malissa Bahr has been selected by Blandin Foundation as its Director of Leadership, effective immediately, following the retirement of Dr. Valerie Shangreaux. A resident of Grand Rapids, Minn., Dr. Bahr has been part of the Foundation’s community leadership training team for the past 20 years, most recently as its senior… Read More
GroundWork Blog
Indigenizing the Census: Minnesota tribal communities collaborate for a strong Census 2020 count
March 10, 2020
The idea started small. Anjeni del Real, a young person of the Ojibwe, Santee Sioux and Blackfeet tribal nations, imagined a coordinated pow wow among tribes celebrating Census 2020. “I wanted to indigenize Census 2020 because it’s so important to our Native communities,” said Anjeni, currently a college student at Haskell Indian Nations University in… Read More
Current and Upcoming Leadership Training
(Postponed) LEDC - St. Peter
LEDC September 11 - May 20
(Postponed) LPEP Grand Rapids
LPEP February 20 - August 20
(Postponed) 2020 West Central Regional Alumni Gathering
BCLP, BRCLP, LEDC, LPEP April 16 Bigwood Event Center
BCLP Detroit Lakes Area
BCLP September 28 - October 2
BRCLP Leech Lake, Red Lake, White Earth
BRCLP November 16 - 20
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
Broadband Grants
January 1 - December 31
Learn About Grants