Nonprofit Grant Opportunities
The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation invests in community-led solutions by offering a variety of grant opportunities to support nonprofits meeting diverse community needs across the East Metro and statewide.
Building Community Capacity Grant Program
Our application-based Building Community Capacity endowment grant program is responsive to community-identified priorities in the East Metro (Dakota, Ramsey and Washington counties).
Funding in six areas of community vitality:
- Community connectedness
- Economic opportunity and security
- Education
- Health
- Housing and transportation
- Human services and family support
View our grant guidelines, eligibility, types of grants and funding priorities.
Community Sharing Fund
Community Sharing Fund provides emergency grants to individuals and families in crisis in partnership with nonprofit agencies and case workers serving residents of the East Metro (Dakota, Ramsey or Washington counties).
Management Improvement Fund
Management Improvement Fund provides grants of up to $10,000 to small to midsize nonprofit organizations in Minnesota to expand organizational capacity, improve management capabilities and nurture Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) leadership in the nonprofit sector.
Minnesota Community IDEAS Program
This new statewide grant opportunity will offer grants based on an organization’s transformational impact within target communities — Greater Minnesota, the Twin Cities Metro Area and Native-led, Native-serving organizations. The program, a partnership with Bush Foundation, will accept interest form submissions from January 6 through 1 p.m. January 30, 2025.
Bush Prize: Minnesota
The Bush Prize celebrates organizations that are highly valued within their communities and have a track record of successful community problem solving. Applications for the 2025 Bush Prize: Minnesota will be accepted in spring 2025.
J.C. & L.A. Duke Employees' Assistance Fund
The J.C. & L.A. Duke Employees’ Assistance Fund offers grants to current and retired 3M employees and their families who have experienced a financial hardship as a result of a catastrophic illness or accident. The Duke Fund is not currently accepting applications. Acceptance of applications will resume in January 2025.
Partner Foundations
F. R. Bigelow Foundation and Mardag Foundation are partner foundations of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. F. R. Bigelow Foundation and Mardag Foundation each have unique funding priorities, eligibility and geographic focus areas.
Grant round dates for these foundations are the same as the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation Building Community Capacity endowment grants and use the same grant application portal. As partner foundations, their grant programs are administered by Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation staff. Learn more about these partner foundations' grant opportunities.
F. R. Bigelow Foundation seeks to enhance the quality of life for all in the greater Saint Paul area, fostering a vibrant East Metro region.
The Mardag Foundation supports Minnesota nonprofits to remove barriers and create opportunities for low-income or traditionally marginalized children, youth and families; older adults with barriers to living independently; and to build the capacity of organizations supporting the arts and humanities.