St. Cloud, Minn. – The Bernick Family Foundation will be offering up to $300,000 in grant funding to eligible programs in their territories in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Organizations that support youth in building their career skills or support activities that address active lifestyles, are encouraged to apply for a Bernick Family Foundation grant.
Applications are now being accepted through September 30, 2025. The Bernick Family Foundation supports two key focus areas through their grant round; youth and education which includes activities to help prepare students for future success in education and the workplace, as well as supporting health & fitness that promote active lifestyles.
The Bernick Family Foundation will accept applications for grants ranging from $5,000 to $40,000 in its focus areas. Applicants must be 501(c) (3) nonprofit organizations, schools or government entities serving communities where Bernick’s operates. This includes Bemidji, Brainerd, Duluth, Waite Park, and Willmar, Minnesota and Superior and Dresser, Wisconsin, and the surrounding areas.
Complete grant guidelines and electronic applications are available online by visiting: communitygiving.org/grants
Last year, the following programs received grants from the Bernick Family Foundation:
- $10,000 was awarded to the Bemidji First Lego League for its robotics program.
- $15,000 was awarded to the Central Minnesota Council, Boy Scouts of America to expand its Youth Career Exploring Program.
- $25,000 was awarded to Community Action Duluth for its Farmers Markets program.
- $10,000 was awarded to Deep Portage Learning Center for new canoes and a storage shed.
- $15,000 was awarded to the Duluth Children’s Museum for its Mobile Museum.
- $5,000 was awarded to the Holdingford FFA Alumni for its greenhouse expansion project at Holdingford High School.
- $20,000 was awarded to the City of Longville for playground accessibility enhancements.
- $17,000 was awarded to Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center for its Outdoor Playscape.
- $25,000 was awarded to Superior Soccer Association, Inc. for its KickSafe Project.
- $30,000 was awarded to the Turtle Lake School District for its track revitalization project.
- $8,000 was awarded to the United Way of West Central Minnesota for the Village Children’s Museum “Bodies in Motion” exhibit.
- $20,000 was awarded to The Yes Network for its Ready 2 Play program.
The Bernick Family Foundation established their first fund with the Central Minnesota Community Foundation in 1989. The Bernick’s company and the Bernick family support organizations that reflect the family’s core values, while providing leadership in responding to emerging community needs.
Founded in 1916, Bernick’s is a fourth-generation family-owned business, providing beverage, vending and food service solutions. The Waite Park-based company has a long tradition of investing in its local communities to improve quality of life. In addition to their support through the Foundation, Bernick’s continues as a longtime philanthropic leader through direct financial and in-kind donations to over 100 causes each year.
The Central Minnesota Community Foundation (CMCF) attracts and administers charitable funds for the benefit of the local community. Since 1985, CMCF has grown to $143.5 million in assets and awarded $155.3 million in grants to non-profits. The CMCF is governed by a local board of directors and is a partner of CommunityGiving, which is a network of community foundations united under a single framework to create efficiencies that maximize the impact of our donors. Collectively, CommunityGiving administers over 1,100 funds totaling over $225 million in assets. Learn more at communitygiving.org/cmcf