"We have had a relationship with Blandin since May 2018. We were turned down from a grant but given access to much needed consultation. Since that ti"
"The Pohlad Family Foundation is a rare jewel among funders. They seek to find out your true needs and trust their grantees. The grants and reporting p"
"My relationship with the program officer is nothing but exceptional. I cannot compare the relationship that BCBS MN Foundation program officers have w"
"Check out Headwaters website. They offer webinars and in person grant info sessions. Take advantage of those. You get a chance at better understanding"
"Reach out to staff before beginning your request. I have had success with capital requests and general operating requests for Duluth organizations, bo"
"Program staff is great, they provide good guidance for what they'll fund, and they take time to learn from their grantees. Plus they show up at ev"
"HRK Foundation is one of our organization's favorite funders. They take the time to understand the needs of our organization. They have a simplifi"
"For their New Haven grantmaking - Make sure you meet the guidelines and focus populations. Try to have organization staff develop a relationship with"
"After having very little information to go on (a 2015 990) and several unanswered phone calls, I sent a 4-page overview to the foundation. I ended up"
"This foundation is accessible and very generous to our organization, but I know it can be challenging to apply if you don't have an existing relat"
"It took us a couple tries to get funded, but we kept at it stubbornly (when we might normally give up) because we were truly a perfect fit for their v"
"The staff at NMF get it. They take the time to talk about your work, think about your impact, and support you with the funds they have available. They"
"Like to fund programs that provide the skills and opportunities for individuals to be successfully employed. Online application is a little more time"
"Annual deadline in early spring. They accept MN Common Grant application, but have specific instructions on additional attachments, page limits, etc."
"If you can build a relationship here they are the best partner you will have. Very dedicated, treat nonprofit staff like intelligent people, committed"
"Our program officer is very responsive. They like to do site visits and want to see information about how you are serving East Metro, low income resid"
"The John & Denise Graves Foundation is very conscientious about their role as a funder. While they have a specific point of view about improving educa"
"The foundation is great to work with. They are flexible and the staff is easy to approach and to talk to. It is best to call before you submit an app"
"The funder is very easy to work with and seeks to educate the grantseeker. They have online webinars available to assist with applications and also to"
"I sent an email inquiring about the possibility of funding. I received a kind reply back stating that they don't take unsolicited grant requests."
"It's best to contact directly to discuss idea before submitting 1 to 2 page grant proposal. Serves mostly in Winona, Minnesota - great to work wit"
"I personally have not had experience applying with Hubbard Broadcasting, but I have had a few interactions with their Executive Director over the year"
"The Administrator and Grants Manager is very kind and accessible. I got in touch with them easily and was able to have an in-depth conversation about"
"The application is a lot of work with lengthy guidelines to agree to. Agreements feel bureaucratic and not tailored to the funder. They seem to requ"
"We are very grateful for our relationship with Catholic Community Foundation. They have supported some very significant projects for us including impr"
"In 2021, there were many unique questions just to move to the second phase - which is full proposal. Then, four more full questions were introduced,"
"I love working with St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation. They are very in tune with the nonprofits they fund and continually work to make a positive impac"
"It is fairly easy to have a first contact with the Minneapolis Foundation (contact information is accessible on the website). I've spoken to multi"
"The Director of Grantmaking makes snap judgments about potential grantee organizations based on assumptions that are inaccurate, without nuance and ig"
"We were encouraged to apply and our initial conversation with the foundation was positive. The site visit was brutal - the officer laughed at an item"
3m Foundation-
Saint Paul, MN -
20 Survey Respondents
"3M Foundation favors supporting organizations across different giving streams. We have a board member who works at 3M, and engage more employees in gr"
"This funder funds a large geographic area and a broad array of projects so I would suggest reaching out to their grant advisor to discuss your project"
"You will not be able to receive funding without having a conversation with the grant officer in the Foundation beforehand. During our conversations th"
"Best Buy is no longer giving community grants. This is a disappointment. I do appreciate all they are doing nationally, especially for underserved you"
"It took a long time to get an introductory meeting with them, but the meeting was great and really focused on their priority areas, our priority areas"
"The application was not too difficult, however the lack of feedback received for why the application was not accepted was non-existent. Our organizati"
"Invite only, but they will surprise you with things like a mid-year update out of the blue (with no history of this an no warning in the award letter)"
"My perception about how Bush is approaching the community innovation grants is that they only want to fund innovation work AFTER you've done the e"
"Must be invited to apply but any CLA employee can nominate. We applied unsuccessfully in 2017. They provided oral and detailed written feedback includ"
"They have made some changes - significantly streamlined the pre-proposal, which is appreciated, but I was disappointed to learn that they require not"
"Read and believe the guidelines. These folks are tech people and they are quite clear what they like and don't like. Using tech to drive institut"
"A collective groan went up when this foundation was mentioned in a Dec. 2018 gathering of several hundred Twin Cities grantseekers. And given their l"
"Grateful to see their quick mobilization of funds during COVID-19 relief. Application was very simple and we quickly heard back. However, in follow-up"
"Each Edina Realty office has a very different process. Your best bet is to call the office, find out the appropriate representative, and their process"
"For decades the foundation was led by an amazing individual who invested time and energy into developing relationships with nonprofits in the foundati"
"About 95% of the information they have on their website is PR/Strategic Communications about them (but very little helpful information for a nonprofit"
"Apply with caution. We received a phone call and were invited to apply for funding. After reviewing the website, it didn't seem like our organizat"
"We have tried inviting them to our events, but they only have a general email, and we have received no response. Visit their website for the contents"
"MRAC purports to support innovation, equity, community-led projects, and collaborations between artists and non-arts orgs, but their process is incred"
"They are unable to walk and chew gum at the same time. Incapable of demonstrating the attention to detail required to apply and abide by a standard co"
"Very bureaucratic organization. You need to call the foundation the first time you apply. Must be in Parent Aware and staff need to be registered in t"
"You really have to consider whether working with this funder will ultimately be worth it for your agency. Their application, reporting requirements, a"