The Community Wealth Building Grants, offered by the Blandin Foundation, aim to strengthen rural Minnesota communities, particularly Itasca County, by fostering sustainable local economic growth and reducing disparities related to place, race, and class. The Blandin Foundation is one of the few philanthropic organizations in the U.S. solely dedicated to rural needs. Recognizing the accelerating economic and social challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and racial turmoil, the foundation is taking strategic steps to address systemic inequalities in rural communities and Native Nations.

The Community Wealth Building Grants focus on promoting equitable access to economic opportunities by supporting initiatives in affordable housing, community-based economic development, workforce and talent development, and equitable access to capital. The grant program also seeks to integrate financial, intellectual, environmental, cultural, and social assets in rural communities to create a foundation for long-term, shared economic growth. An additional objective of the grant is to gather data from funded projects to better inform future rural wealth-building practices.

The grant program follows a structured application process, beginning with a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) phase that opens on March 7, 2025, and closes on March 21, 2025. Organizations invited to submit full proposals can do so between March 31, 2025, and April 21, 2025. The application review period runs from April 22 to May 23, 2025, and successful applicants will be notified between May 23 and May 26, 2025. Grant agreements will be issued on May 30, 2025. These dates are subject to change depending on the volume of applications received.

Currently, the grant program is open to nonprofit organizations operating in Itasca County, Minnesota. The application process includes submitting a Letter of Inquiry, followed by a full proposal if selected. Specific eligibility requirements and proposal evaluation criteria are not detailed in the available information, but prospective applicants are encouraged to reach out to the grant administrators for guidance.

For inquiries, applicants can contact LuAnn Robinson, Grants Program Officer, at 218-327-8724; Kyle Erickson, Director of Rural Grantmaking; or Zach Johnson, Grants Manager, at 218-327-8739 (main) or 320-287-3970 (mobile). The Blandin Foundation’s headquarters are located at 100 North Pokegama Avenue, Grand Rapids, MN 55744, and they can be reached by phone at 218-326-0523 or toll-free at 877-882-2257.