Blandin Foundation Supports Long-Term Storm Recovery in Northern Minnesota with $100,000 Grant

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 Long-Term Recovery Group, fund disaster case managers and support frontline organizations providing insurance navigation, home repair assistance, medical costs and mental health care.
• Recovery efforts will focus on regional coordination, community-driven rebuilding and ensuring vulnerable residents aren’t left behind.
• The grant aligns with Blandin’s Community Wealth Building strategy, reinforcing its ongoing commitment to rural Minnesota and Native Nations during times of crisis and over the long-term.

Grand Rapids, Minn. – Aug. 4, 2025

In the aftermath of the violent June storm that tore through northern Minnesota, the Blandin Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant to the Northwest Minnesota Foundation (NMF) to support long-term recovery efforts across Norman, Mahnomen, Clearwater, Beltrami and Hubbard counties, as well as the White Earth Nation.

The June 21, 2025 derecho brought 106 mph winds, leaving thousands without power, uprooting trees, damaging homes and disrupting essential services. In the immediate aftermath, residents across the region came together, sharing generators and clearing debris. Organizations like United Way of Bemidji Area and Community Resource Connections played pivotal roles in delivering rapid aid.

“In times of crisis, Northern Minnesota neighbors show up for each other,” said Tuleah Palmer, President and CEO of the Blandin Foundation. “We pick up the pieces together. That’s one reason we are proud to partner with Northwest Minnesota Foundation and other local organizations to help communities recover and rebuild.”

In that same spirit of community care, Blandin Foundation’s support will help fund:

• The launch of a Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG),
• Grants to frontline organizations,
• Disaster case managers, and
• Flexible support for the recovery as community needs evolve.

These efforts will regionally coordinate essential services and identify unmet needs, such as roof repairs, medical costs, insurance deductibles and access to mental health services, especially for the most vulnerable.

The grant is aligned with the Blandin’s Foundation’s Community Wealth Building priority area, which supports rural communities and Native Nations in tapping their courage, ingenuity and resourcefulness to move rural places forward.

“As recovery moves to long-term rebuilding, the needs of individuals and families will evolve,” said Kyle Erickson, Director of Rural Grantmaking at the Blandin Foundation. “Our approach is to listen, learn and respond by staying connected to local leaders and making sure resources get to where they’re needed most.”

The grant also reflects Blandin Foundation’s commitment to both immediate and sustained support for rural communities. In collaboration with NMF and other local partners, the Foundation is helping ensure that recovery plans are community-driven and built for long-term resilience.

“One of the strengths of rural Minnesota is in the way we care for each other,” said Erickson. “Moments like these remind us of what binds communities together.”

Image credit: Lakeland PBS

—END—

Blandin Foundation is a private foundation based in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. One of a handful of rural-based, rural-serving foundations in the country, Blandin Foundation serves rural Minnesota, focusing resources in north-central Minnesota. Our grants, opportunities that connect rural leaders, and policy work build up financial and human capital, so rural Minnesota places can welcome diversity, address injustice, and embrace change to create a sustainable and equitable future.