News Items

  Local grants focus on expanding opportunities through education, water quality investments   GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. (July 5, 2011) – Trustees of Blandin Foundation issued $5.33 million in grants at its June board meeting. Area communities will be strengthened through several grants focused on early childhood support and education, most notably the Invest Early™ initiative.  …

Need-based scholarships available to Itasca County area students   GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – Blandin Foundation will provide up to $975,000 in need-based scholarships for Itasca County area students pursuing higher education in 2011-2012.  This is the highest level of funding ever offered by the Foundation through its Education Awards program.  The application deadline for 2011-2012 academic …

Grand Rapids, Minn.  — In late March, 26 local residents from the Aitkin and Palisade area completed a five-day leadership retreat, the first segment of an intense eight-day training that comprises the Blandin Community Leadership Program (BCLP). The team also will participate in follow-up workshops in June and August 2011. Since 1985, BCLP has provided …

Grand Rapids, Minn. — In late February, 22 local residents from the Hancock and Morris area completed a five-day leadership retreat, the first segment of an intense eight-day training that comprises the Blandin Community Leadership Program (BCLP). The team also will participate in follow-up workshops in May and July 2011. Since 1985, BCLP has provided …

This article can now be found on the Blandin Foundation Blog.

Blandin Foundation Rural Pulse sees spike in concerns, resilient optimism GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – Providing quality employment opportunities has emerged as the overwhelming priority within rural Minnesota communities, according to a statewide survey commissioned by the Blandin Foundation. Rural PulseTM 2010 finds that among residents of non-metropolitan communities, demand for living-wage jobs is more than …