8 survey respondents
Location: 2801 21st Ave S Ste 132-b, Minneapolis, 55407 MN
EIN: 36-3359386
100%
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12 hours
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2017 Deadlines:
Types of Grants Awarded:
Geographic Focus:
For Fiscal Year
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Total Grants:
Change in Assets FY :
Amount of Grants to Minnesota Nonprofits:
Largest Grant:
Smallest Grant:
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Reviewer 415 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2018
Check out Headwaters website. They offer webinars and in person grant info sessions. Take advantage of those. You get a chance at better understanding what they want to fund, who they have funded in the past, and other important info. And when you think you are a good fit, call them! They will meet with you and talk through your project. They are all very helpful and want to see you succeed.
Positive leader in the field, Culturally sensitive, Friendly, Builds relationships, Likes site visits, "Gets" nonprofits and issues, Responsive
Minnesota
Current or former grantee
Funded for amount requested
2018
Good
Very accessible. I can get a hold of program staff very quickly either by email or phone. They appreciate potential grantees reaching out and are very open to helping guide you in the process. I once couldn't understand the difference between two questions they were asking on the app. Allison called me and explained it, gave me some examples and I was better able to articulate our answer. That is a true partner.
Good
Headwaters is a responsive philanthropist. When something happens, they mobilize their donor base to pool money together and help orgs that need it. It's amazing.
I wish you had billions of dollars to invest in your grantees!
The grants are reviewed by community members, which is so awesome because it fosters building relationships, allies, and in solidarity for all our social justice work. So, if you are doing really good work, your community members know it, and that goes a long way during the review process.
They are allies. They aren't just funding us, but really highlighting our work and sharing that impact with others.
15
Reviewer 3637 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2018
Headwaters is very intentional in the last their application process, and they are more genuinely open to feedback than any other foundation I've worked with.
Positive leader in the field, Risk taker, Culturally sensitive, Friendly, Likes site visits, "Gets" nonprofits and issues
(Unknown)
Current or former grantee
Funded for amount requested
2018
Good
Good
The applications for the different funding streams are very similar. It would be helpful to have some of this info housed in an organization profile to avoid having to fill it out again every time -- and it works save me wondering if I should be drafting a unique answer for each.
10
Grant Applicant - applied in 2017
The Community Innovation Grant is exactly that--an opportunity to try out something new. So go ahead: think outside the box.
Positive leader in the field, Gives more than money, Risk taker, Culturally sensitive, Insightful, Friendly, Builds relationships, "Gets" nonprofits and issues, Openminded, Responsive
Minnesota
Current or former grantee
Funded for amount requested
2017
Good
Very accessible. We received one CIG grant, applied for a second round, were turned down, had a detailed conversation with the awesome grant officer who explained exactly what the community reviewers found problematic, rewrote the grant application to address those concerns, and then got the grant!!
Good
I love the Giving Project, which I believe has helped Headwaters mature and truly grow into its mission as a social change organization. In the past, the lauding of donors sometimes obscured the spotlight on the actual work. Things feel more balanced now.
Headwaters needs to think BIGGER. The scale of need is astronomical. They need to figure out how to act on a much larger scale. Also, consider compensating community reviewers.
Headwaters is an exception to the rule: they don't just say they're accessible and give feedback, they actually do.
It's incredibly affirming to receive a grant from Headwaters and know the decision was made by activist peers/community reviewers--in many cases people of color.
15
Reviewer 9273 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2017
The staff and program directors at Headwaters are all extremely accessible and helpful with all questions you might have. Absolutely go to their website and give them a call. They have very helpful in-person and webinar info sessions for all of their grant opportunities, and they really take the time for Q&A periods to be certain all grant seekers understand the application process. Even if you have attended a session and still have a question, they are very receptive to follow-up questions and they bend over backwards to help.
Positive leader in the field, Gives more than money, Risk taker, Culturally sensitive, Insightful, Friendly, Builds relationships, Likes site visits, "Gets" nonprofits and issues, Openminded, Responsive
Minnesota
Current or former grantee
Funded for amount requested
2017
Good
Good
Just keep on doing what you do; and keep seeking new sources for larger opportunities for funding. You are so important to many communities!
Headwaters goes out of their way to understand your mission and vision, how your organization affects the social justice landscape and your community. They are hyper-focused on creating change for good and equity for under-represented and marginalized people and communities.
20
Reviewer 793 - Grant Applicant - applied before 2014
What a great resource for community-based organizations doing social change work! Do not bother applying if you do not fit into this description. They are laser-focused on helping smaller organizations.
Positive leader in the field, Gives more than money, Risk taker, Culturally sensitive, Friendly, Builds relationships, "Gets" nonprofits and issues, Openminded, Responsive
Minnesota
Current or former grantee
Funded for amount requested
Before 2014
Good
Very helpful and responsive staff.
Good
Giving is going up - what a nice change from what you hear everywhere else.
Utilize this resource. Get involved in their giving circles...
Support you in creating a strong application
10 to 15 hours
Professional in the field
I have not applied for funding from Headwaters but have had the opportunity to talk with their staff and others who have received funding and I would highly recommend them. They do great work and are genuinely concerned with equity.
Positive leader in the field, Risk taker, Culturally sensitive, Insightful, "Gets" nonprofits and issues, Openminded, Responsive
Minnesota
Professional in the field
2017
Good
Very well! Headwaters is a leader in the field, especially in terms of equity in their operations and funding.
Good
Includes the community throughout the process.
0
Reviewer 970 - Grant Applicant
Call in advance and have a meeting with one of the program officers to discuss your idea and see if it is a good fit.
Positive leader in the field, Risk taker, Culturally sensitive, Insightful, Friendly, Builds relationships, Likes site visits, "Gets" nonprofits and issues, Openminded, Responsive
Current or former grantee
5 to 10 hours
Reviewer 318 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2017
When applying for a grant through the Headwaters Fdn for Justice, they do a great job of offering up their time to chat with you about your idea beforehand. I attended a conference call where they spoke about the grant priorities first and then offered time for people applying to ask questions and discuss their ideas. This was super helpful and got them to start thinking about your organization and proposal, as well as offer you advice.
Culturally sensitive, Friendly, "Gets" nonprofits and issues, Openminded, Responsive
Minnesota
Applied and not funded
2017
Good
Note that they like to schedule meeting times even to speak over the phone.
Good
It would be nice to know beforehand that Headwaters prefers scheduling calls to discuss grants one on one, so folks shouldn't always expect to get their questions answered the same day.
Headwaters offers amazing feedback. The agency's project I applied for didn't get funded in a previous cycle so I set up a meeting time to discuss my proposal in the hopes of improving it and being funded through the next grant cycle. They keep all the notes that the community grant panel makes on each grant! The feedback was super helpful and I feel confident about applying again.
