A $100,000 grant from Blandin Foundation will help the city of Taconite improve the Beefy Lawson & Vince Saleture Memorial Rink, preserving a place where generations of children have learned to skate and neighbors have gathered through long Minnesota winters.
A $250,000 investment honors area leaders and expands local giving for generations to come Key points Blandin Foundation awarded $250,000 to grow the Greenway Area Community Fund, bringing its permanent endowment above $1 million and increasing its ability to support local projects. The investment keeps charitable resources and decisions close to home; a separate $50,000 …
Minnesota Council on Foundations honor recognizes sustained, organization-wide commitment to creating space for community voices in shaping rural community futures Key Points The Minnesota Council on Foundations selected Blandin Foundation as one of three organizational recipients of its 2026 Ubuntu Leadership Award. Now in its second year, the award honors leaders and organizations that embody …
Grants strengthen housing systems, community leadership, local capacity and welcoming places across rural Minnesota Key Points Blandin Foundation awarded 46 grants totaling $4.54 million through its 2026 Rural Minnesota competitive grant round. More than 60 percent of funded projects serve communities with fewer than 3,000 residents, and nearly half of all grant dollars support projects …
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. (July 20, 2026) – Blandin Foundation is pleased to celebrate the 355 Itasca-area students who have been awarded a Blandin Foundation Scholarship to support the pursuit of their academic goals. The total amount awarded for 2025-26 is $1.8 million to students from 11 Itasca-area schools or to students who attend school from …
Key Points Blandin Foundation has awarded a $490,000 grant over three years to Department of Public Transformation to expand creative civic engagement programs in rural Minnesota. The grant supports the nonprofit’s Engage Rural initiative, which equips rural leaders with creative strategies to strengthen civic participation and community connection. The effort aligns with Blandin Foundation’s Rural …
Key Points $2.64 million in grants support 33 projects across the Itasca area, 20 of those in small communities, highlighting strong community-driven ideas and demand. Funding supports the Foundation’s focus areas: community wealth building, placemaking, and local capacity building. Additional $990,000 in grants advance community wealth building and rural placemaking in rural Minnesota. Investments are …
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. (Jan 20, 2026) – Applications for Blandin Foundation scholarships are being accepted until March 1, 2026. The scholarships provide Itasca area students with $1,000 to $6,000 or more per student for the 2026-2027 school year. Students may reapply each year, until they are age 25 or have earned a bachelor’s degree. Students …
Grants fuel rural information access, community capacity and long-term financial resilience Key Points Blandin Foundation awards two major grants totaling $1.5 million to strengthen community wealth building, rural information access and organizational capacity in the Itasca Area. $1 million supports the Grand Rapids Area Community Foundation’s efforts to expand local endowment growth and long-term community …
Grant will help impacted residents navigate insurance deductibles, home repair assistance and mental health care through disaster case managers Summary: Blandin Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant to the Northwest Minnesota Foundation (NMF) to support long-term recovery in storm-impacted counties and the White Earth Nation following the June 21 derecho. The grant will help launch a …