Grants Impact

Uniting ideas and resources through grants.

Driven by our strategic priorities and connected to the Sustainable Development Goals, grants are just one of many resources we offer to support our region’s families, communities, organizations, and businesses. Since 1986, we’ve distributed approximately $93 million in grants in our region.

Together, we can create ripples that change our communities for the better.

Recent Grants

West Central Initiative Grants

In 2025, we awarded grants totaling $570,000 to 55 organizations working across the region to address sustainability, equity, and civic engagement. 

  • 2025 Grant Recipients

    In 2025, we awarded grants totaling $570,000 to 55 organizations working across the region to address sustainability, equity, and civic engagement.

    • Artistree Community Inc. for the Facilitating Racial Equity Collaborative (FREC) Greater Minnesota Racial Equity Conference.
    • Bagosendaan for promoting learning and emotional growth to low-income youth ages 11 to 18 who are at-risk or are previous offenders within a court or school system.
    • Bam’idizowigamig Creator’s Place for providing employment, skills training, and education to those who have been historically marginalized, including individuals who have experienced long-term unemployment, past incarceration, or lack formal education.
    • City of Henning for the Trinity Center cellular shade project, which will reduce heat loss and improve the center’s energy efficiency.
    • City of Pelican Rapids for EcoRide Equity: Pedaling Towards Inclusivity, which will establish an equitable e-bike program at the Pelican Rapids Public Library.
    • Civic Bridgers for local facilitation coordinators for Beyond Civics: Youth Civic Engagement that Bridges Divides.
    • Clay County Social Services for the Clay County Family Resource Center to provide welcoming spaces for connection, access, support, and community building for all Clay County families.
    • Community Connect Center (formerly the South Sudanese Foundation) for expanding community-based equity conversations, enhancing the Healthy Connections program, mobilizing civic engagement and leadership, and strengthening organizational capacity.
    • Concordia College for Amplifying Indigenous Voices: Education for Mutual Respect in West Central Minnesota, which will convene local Indigenous leaders and healthcare providers to enhance providers’ cultural competency, strengthen trust, improve health outcomes, and amplify Indigenous voices.
    • Conexiones for ongoing activities and resources for the growing immigrant population, and to support strategic planning to meet emerging needs.
    • Cultural Diversity Resources for the Family Engagement for Healthy, Social and Financial Well-Being Project to provide nutritional and financial education to low-income individuals, marginalized and underserved New Americans, and those who identify as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color.
    • Douglas County Car Care Program for the expansion of the Car Care Program to Fergus Falls. The program provides vital transportation support through vehicle donations, affordable repairs, and mechanical training for historically marginalized populations, including low-income households, individuals with disabilities, and single-parent families.
    • Empowering Kids Perham for the establishment and facilitation of a parent and caregiver support group for families of neurodivergent children.
    • Grant County Collaborative for hosting seven Grant County Changemakers in the Community 2.0 activities focused on sustainability, equity, and civic engagement.
    • Harvest Hope Farm for hands-on farm experiences and education for youth regarding sustainable food resources and environmental stewardship.
    • History Arts & Cultural Organization for the creation of the Where Did They Go? The Story of the Indigenous People of East Otter Tail Countyexhibit at the History Museum of East Otter Tail County.
    • Hope Blooms (pictured) for Flower Empower to enhance well-being and social connectedness for older adults and those with disabilities, in recovery, in mental health facilities, and many others.
    • Inclusive Moorhead for facilitating events, programs, and services that empower marginalized groups, including New Americans, Indigenous people, those with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ communities.
    • Izaak Walton League Prairie Woods Chapter for creating an outdoor pollinator and environmental science classroom at the Detroit Lakes Boys & Girls Club in collaboration with a Boy Scout Troop 674 Eagle Scout.
    • Kondial Kel International for the MoneySmart Program to address the critical gap in financial literacy among youth and women from low-income families.
    • Lakes Country Service Cooperative for the Youth in Leadership Launchpad project, which is designed to strengthen civic engagement and leadership development among high school students.
    • Minnesota Council of Churches for building local leadership, encouraging civic participation, enhancing community education, and expanding the Respectful Conversations series.
    • Minnesota Flyers Gymnastics for FlyTime, which offers fitness equality for individuals who have physical or emotional limitations that require extra assistance and specialized equipment.
    • Monarch Joint Venture for The Habitat Reciprocity Project to provide public education about the loss of native grassland habitats and the decline of bird and pollinator species.
    • New Roots Midwest for the African Immigrant Mentorship Program to teach practical skills, such as financial literacy, housing options, healthcare access, and transportation systems, to ensure newcomers can settle comfortably into their new homes.
    • Otter Tail County for the Empowering Workers Program, which provides training and services to individuals and families to overcome barriers to employment and obtain high-demand jobs that pay a household-sustaining wage.
    • P’s & Q’s Etiquette for expanding hands-on, skills-based, youth-informed programming to help disadvantaged youth become effective leaders.
    • Project 412 for the HOTdish: Turning Ideas into Action & Community into Changemakers annual grassroots event designed to inspire and fund community-driven projects in Detroit Lakes.
    • Regional Native Public Defense for addressing systemic inequities by ensuring culturally competent legal representation, advocating for fair outcomes, and reducing barriers to justice for individuals in White Earth Nation and the surrounding area.
    • Resource Connect for Pathways to Opportunity: Equitable Transportation for Marginalized Workers to address critical transportation barriers facing historically marginalized populations in the Fargo-Moorhead region.
    • Richland-Wilkin Kinship to provide opportunities and support for youth with adverse childhood experiences through the power of mentoring.
    • RUSC Kinship Mentoring for fostering equity in the community by ensuring that all youth, regardless of background or circumstance, have access to positive mentorship, literacy resources, and developmental support, and to increase public awareness of NEAR (Neuroscience, Epigenetics, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Resilience).
    • Seed Coalition for the Civic Action Academy and Engaged Faculty Institute to support the long-term development of civic engagement in Stevens and Clay Counties and the surrounding region.
    • The Gifted Learning Project for the Seeds of Heritage: Indigenous Youth Growing Traditions to reconnect Indigenous youth with traditional agriculture to learn how Indigenous food systems support community health, environmental resilience, and cultural preservation.
  • 2024 Grant Recipients

    We awarded $700,000 in grants to 46 organizations working across west central Minnesota to address sustainability, equity, rural social isolation, and rural democracy. 

    • Art of the Lakes Association for Cabin Fever Reliever events designed to engage area residents and strengthen community bonds to combat mid-winter social isolation.
    • Bagosendaan to promote learning and emotional growth for at-risk youth using talking circles, counselors, guest speakers, and horseback riding.
    • Bam’idizowigamig Creator’s Place for Living the Dream: Bam’idizowigamig Creator’s Place, Pine Point, which provides employment and on-the-job training for Native American adults.
    • Baraza La Afrika for the Congolese Community Garden Moorhead to bring Congolese families together to grow food from their homeland.
    • City of Browns Valley for outdoor library furniture to allow patrons to access the internet after library hours.
    • Conexiones to strengthen efforts in connecting and empowering the immigrant community.
    • Cultural Diversity Resources for the Financial Empowerment program that provides financial education to New Americans and the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) population to achieve financial literacy.
    • Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church for The Bridge Center to provide spaces for community building and entrepreneurship for young, old, newly arrived, and lifelong residents of Pelican Rapids.
    • Fergus Falls Public Library for Neighbors Together: Connecting Families with Community Resources & Each Other to help create community connections, foster community engagement, and reduce feelings of isolation for new parents.
    • First Congregational United Church of Christ Moorhead for Urban Multicultural Food & Ecology Changemakers to build the capacity of underserved Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) urban gardeners, farmers, and youth to access land, equipment, and side-by-side technical assistance needed to feed their families, gain marketable skills, and build culturally valued food enterprises.
    • Grant County for Changemakers in the Community to host monthly activities to strengthen community bonds and combat social isolation while promoting mental-health initiatives in rural communities with a focus on sustainability, equity, and democracy.
    • Harvest Hope Farm for Farm Camp on Wheels to teach elementary age children in Moorhead about sustainable food resources and environmental stewardship while connecting with nature.
    • Hope Blooms for Flower Empower to enhance well-being and social connectedness by bringing people together through wellness workshops.
    • Inclusive Moorhead to empower culturally diverse community members by offering them a voice in leadership and fostering stronger connections and a sense of belonging in their neighborhoods.
    • Lakes Area Yes Network for the Lakes Area Yes Network Summer Programming to meet the needs of the children and youth on the White Earth Reservation and in under-resourced neighborhoods in rural northwestern Minnesota.
    • League of Women Voters, Detroit Lakes for Celebrating Women Through the Ages: Shattering the Glass Ceiling in the Lakes Area to educate the public regarding the history of women’s rights over the century and lift up women leaders in the area who have been instrumental in achieving and extending the progress of these rights.
    • Matthew House for Building a Community of Support to help provide residents with the support they need to help fulfill their goals of long-term sobriety, self-sufficiency, and happiness.
    • Net Zero Nations for Sustainable Community on White Earth Reservation to dismantle structural poverty for Native Americans by weaving together cultural values, eco-friendly home ownership, community solar gardens, and local food production to create sustainable communities.
    • New York Mills Community Senior Center to provide a space for elderly people to engage in activities and for resources for the homebound senior community.
    • Organization 4 Full Participation for the Welcoming Communities Action Project to explore, discover, and understand how the presence or lack of safety in all its forms contributes to a sense of belonging for people with marginalized identities living in rural communities.
    • Perham Health – Elevate for Elevate Connections to improve the long-term wellness of older adults by addressing their social determinants of health.
    • Project Optimist to host four events to create an open dialogue about isolation, connection, and belonging in college.
    • P’s & Q’s Etiquette for the BeRare BeYou social media channel to help young girls in our communities and around the world navigate their preteen and teen years and usher them into high school successfully.
    • Resilient Indigenous Sisters Engaging Coalition for Growing Community: Cultivating Ojibwe Sovereignty to empower the next seven generations through Ojibwe food sovereignty and self-sustainable survival practices that honor the land and ancestors.
    • Someplace Safe to conduct an assessment and create a strategic plan to identify areas of strength, weakness, and opportunity around cultural diversity, inclusiveness, and equity.
    • South Sudanese Foundation for building a resilient New American community in Clay County by offering programming to close the equity gap experienced by New Americans and increase social connections within and among the New American community.
    • Vets R Us, Inc. for the Vietnam Veterans Getaway to promote healing, self-care, and supportive and healthy relationships for Vietnam Veterans.
    • West Central Minnesota Communities Action to provide a safe, secure, and neutral environment for children to visit with their parent(s) when a court order is in place or Child Protection Services are involved.

Resilient Communities

In 2023, we awarded more than $283,000 in Resilient Communities Grants to 26 organizations working to create a more sustainable and equitable region.

  • Promoting Sustainability

    We awarded more than $145,000 in grants to the organizations below that are working to create a more sustainable region.  

    • First Congregational UCC Moorhead | for the Youth Stewards Food Ecology Initiative 
    • Doubting Thomas Farms | for Meet Me at the Farm 
    • Friends of the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center | for Climate-Wise Prairie Learning 
    • City of Moorhead Parks & Recreation | for Get Fresh & Go Local 
    • City of Morris | for a five-year update to the Morris Strategic Plan 
    • Otter Tail County Solid Waste | to expand access to the Organics Recycling Program 
    • Springboard for the Arts | for the mobile version of Sustainability Studios 
    • Ecumen Bethel Manor and Winona Shores Apartments | for restoration and nature trail creation 
    • Clay County Public Health – PartnerSHIP 4 Health | for the Regional Food Council 
    • Henning Public School | for the Climate Action Library 
    • Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Elementary | for the School Pollinator Garden 
    • Tyler Shipman Memorial Car Show | for the Community Service Shed donation 
    • Glacial Hills Elementary | for the Outdoor Learning Center 
    • PRAIRIE as fiscal sponsor of the New Roots Farm Incubator Cooperative | for the New Roots Farm Incubator Cooperative 
  • Promoting Racial Equity

    We awarded over $140,000 in grants to the organizations below that serve and/or are led by people who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC).  

    • Inclusive Moorhead | for Inclusive Moorhead Implementation 
    • YMCA of Cass and Clay Counties | for Comfort & Confidence Swim Class 
    • Regional Native Public Defense Corporation | for expanding Holistic Defense in White Earth Nation 
    • Conexiones | for operating support 
    • Cultural Diversity Resources | for organizational capacity-building for New Americans and Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) nonprofits and leaders. 
    • The Bridge Community Pantry | for culturally specific food bags 
    • Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota | for the Northwest Immigration Project 
    • Bagosendaan | for youth activities 
    • Someplace Safe | for agency-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts 
    • Pelican Rapids Multicultural Committee | for the Pelican Rapids International Friendship Festival 
    • Browns Valley School District 801 | for Tier 2 Mental Health Programming 
    • Bam’idizowigamig Creator’s Place | for the Workforce Program 

Resiliency Fund

From early 2020 through June 2022, we granted approximately $970,000 to 98 organizations to respond to the immediate pandemic needs of our region and the long-term recovery of west central Minnesota.

  • Resiliency Fund
    • Access of the Red River Valley, Inc. | $3,500
    • Afro American Development Association | $15,000
    • Akiing Eighth Fire | $35,000
    • Alexandria Technical and Community College Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Team | $4,631
    • Apple Tree Dental | $10,000
    • Bam’idizowigamig Creator’s Place | $10,000
    • Barnesville Area HELPERS | $2,117
    • Becker County | $6,000
    • Becker County Historical Society | $10,000
    • Boys & Girls Club of Detroit Lakes, Inc. | $10,000
    • Boys & Girls Club of the Perham Area | $10,000
    • Browns Valley Public School District 801 | $3,375
    • Campbell Tintah Public School | $5,000
    • Cass-Clay United Way | $10,000
    • Children’s Dental Services | $10,000
    • Churches United for the Homeless | $10,000
    • City of Morris | $7,000
    • Clay County Collaborative | $5,000
    • Conexiones | $10,000
    • Cultural Diversity Resources | $20,000
    • Detroit Lakes Community & Cultural Center | $5,000
    • Detroit Lakes High School | $15,000
    • Ecumen Detroit Lakes | $5,000
    • Empowering Kids Perham | $5,000
    • Enrichment Operations | $2,000
    • Fergus Falls Area Family YMCA | $3,000
    • Fergus Falls Downtown Council, Inc. | $1,000
    • Fergus Falls Public School District #544 | $16,000
    • Fergus Falls Salvation Army | $10,000
    • Fergus Falls Senior Center, Inc. | $5,755
    • First Congregational UCC Moorhead | $10,000
    • Friends of Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge | $5,000
    • Habitat for Humanity for Douglas County | $5,000
    • Habitat for Humanity of Prairie Lakes, Inc. | $5,000
    • Habitat for Humanity Douglas County MN | $9,730
    • Health Resources Lifecare Center | $3,433
    • Hoffman Economic Development Authority | $3,550
    • Hornets Hiver dba CornerStone | $20,000
    • Humane Society of the Lakes | $5,000
    • Immigrant Development Center | $17,375
    • Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota | $5,000
    • Independent School District 544 | $8,840
    • Indigenous Trades/Warriors Path | $10,000
    • Jeremiah Program Fargo-Moorhead | $3,000
    • Kaddatz Galleries Ltd | $5,000
    • Knute Nelson Foundation | $5,000
    • Lakeland Mental Health Center, Inc. | $5,000
    • Lakes & Prairies Community Action Partnership | $19,440
    • Lakes Crisis & Resource Center | $10,000
    • Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota | $5,000
    • MAHUBE-OTWA Community Action Partnership Inc. | $10,000
    • Moorhead Adult Basic Education | $3,000
    • Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans | $8,000
    • Moorhead Legacy Education Foundation | $3,000
    • Multicultural Resource Center | $10,000
    • New American Development Agency | $9,000
    • New York Mills Regional Cultural Center | $6,000
    • North Country Food Bank, Inc. | $35,000
    • Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society | $35,000
    • Ogema Organics | $20,000
    • Otter Tail County | $5,000
    • Partnership4Health CHB | $24,304
    • Pedal Fergus Falls | $10,000
    • Pelican Rapids Community Food Shelf, Inc. | $1,500
    • Pelican Rapids Multi-Cultural Committee | $5,000
    • Prairie Renaissance Cultural Alliance | $2,000
    • Prairie Rose Agricultural Institute for Research, Innovation & Education (PRAIRIE) | $25,000
    • Productive Alternatives, Inc. | $10,000
    • P’s & Q’s | $8,000
    • REACH Rural Enrichment and Counseling Headquarters | $5,000
    • Richland Wilkin Food Pantry | $25,000
    • Runestone Area Education District | $10,000
    • Safe Families for Children | $19,000
    • Someplace Safe | $34,000
    • South Sudanese Foundation | $20,000
    • Springboard for the Arts | $10,000
    • St Henry’s Area School | $5,000
    • St Mary’s School | $5,000
    • Sustainable Farming Association of MN (SFA of MN) | $9,947
    • The Birthing of a Diamond | $5,000
    • The Village Family Service Center | $3,000
    • The Welcome Place | $14,000
    • The Written Gift | $3,375
    • Time for Change | $3,375
    • Traverse County Food Shelf | $10,000
    • Traverse County Social Services | $10,000
    • Ulen Hitterdal Public School | $5,000
    • Underwood Public School | $2,950
    • United Way of Douglas & Pope Counties | $20,000
    • United Way of Otter Tail and Wadena Counties | $10,000
    • Wellness in the Woods | $7,000
    • West Central Area Schools | $6,000
    • West Central Minnesota Communities Action, Inc. | $30,000
    • White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians | $10,000
    • White Earth Food Distribution Center  | $5,000
    • Wilkin County Family Service Agency | $5,500
    • Women’s Initiative Network of Liberia in Cass and Clay County | $16,500
    • YMCA of Cass and Clay Counties | $5,300

Early Childhood

In fiscal year 2025, we awarded $63,500 in grants to support and strengthen early childhood programs across the region, including the Early Childhood Initiative, Early Childhood Dental Network, and Early Childhood Mental Health Network. 

  • 2025 Early Childhood

    Becker County for the Becker County Early Childhood Initiative 

    Becker County Public Health for the Becker County Early Childhood Dental Network 

    Clay County Social Services for the Clay County Early Childhood Initiative and Early Childhood Dental Network 

    Life Connections for the Douglas County Early Childhood Initiative and Early Childhood Dental Network 

    Otter Tail County for the Otter Tail Early Childhood Initiative 

    Southern Valley Early Childhood Initiative for the Wilkin County Early Childhood Initiative and Early Childhood Dental Network 

    Stevens County Human Services for the Stevens County Early Childhood Initiative and the Early Childhood Dental Network 

    Traverse County Social Services for the Traverse County Early Childhood Initiative and Early Childhood Dental Network 

    Western Prairie Human Services-Grant County for the Grant County Early Childhood Initiative 

    Western Prairie Human Services-Pope County for the Pope Early Childhood Initiative 

    White Earth Tribal Council for White Earth Nation Early Childhood Initiative and Early Childhood Dental Network 

  • 2024 Early Childhood

    Becker County Public Health for Becker County Early Childhood Dental Network 

    Clay County Social Services for the Clay County Early Childhood Initiative, Child-Care Project Manager Position, and Early Childhood Dental Network 

    Life Connections for the Douglas County Early Childhood Initiative and Early Childhood Dental Network 

    Otter Cove Children’s Museum for the Otter Tail County Early Childhood Initiative 

    Otter Tail County for a Child-Care Project Manager Position

    Stevens County Human Services for the Stevens County Early Childhood Initiative and Early Childhood Dental Network 

    Traverse County Social Services for the Traverse County Early Childhood Initiative and Early Childhood Dental Network 

    United Way of Otter Tail & Wadena Counties for the Early Childhood Dental Network 

    West Central Initiative as a fiscal host for the Becker County Early Childhood and Child-Care Project Manager Position

    Western Prairie Human Services – Grant for Early Childhood Initiative and Early Childhood Dental Network 

    Western Prairie Human Services – Pope for the Pope County Early Childhood Thrive Initiative and Child Care Project Manager Position

    White Earth Tribal Council for White Earth Nation Early Childhood Initiative and Early Childhood Dental Network 

    Thank you to the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation for providing us with grant dollars to distribute in our region.

Emergency Preparedness

In December 2023, we awarded $20,000 to 20 fire departments in west central Minnesota.

  • Emergency Preparedness
    • City of Barret
    • City of Herman
    • City of Cyrus
    • City of Villard
    • City of Lowry
    • City of Donnelly
    • City of Kensington
    • City of Deer Creek
    • City of Underwood
    • City of Vergas
    • City of Garfield
    • City of Chokio
    • City of Miltona
    • City of Ashby
    • City of Rothsay
    • City of Ulen
    • City of Carlos
    • City of Brandon
    • City of Audubon
    • City of Browns Valley

    Thank you to The Funders Network’s Community Foundation Disaster Response Fund for providing us with grant dollars to distribute in our region.

Project Support

We granted $2,500 to support regional projects in 2022.

  • Project Support

    Friends of the Pelican Rapids Public Library | for a commercial kitchen feasibility study

    Habitat for Humanity for Douglas County | to support 30 families through the Homeownership and Aging in Place Programs

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Connect with Us

Rebecca Lynn Petersen
Rebecca Lynn Petersen
Director of Development
rebecca@old.wcif.org
218-739-2239 | 218-998-1612
Amanda Quam
Grants Officer
amanda.quam@old.wcif.org
218-739-2239 | 218-998-1610
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