Brainerd, Minn. – The Brainerd Lakes Area Women's Fund is pleased to announce Kaytlin Hart as the 2022 recipient of the Ripple Maker Award. The Ripple Maker award recognizes a Brainerd Lakes area young woman (under the age of 25) who is giving back to our community in a positive way – making ripples of change. Hart will be recognized on April 13 at the Women Making Waves event and is the first person to ever receive this award. This event will be held at the Norway Center at Grandview from 5:00-8:00pm. To register to attend the event, visit www.communitygiving.org/events.

Brainerd, Minn. – The Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation (BLACF), in conjunction with CommunityGiving, is pleased to announce that seven students from the region received academic scholarships for the 2021-2022 school year, totaling $11,000.

Brainerd, Minn. – The Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation (BLACF), in conjunction with CommunityGiving, is pleased to announce that six students from the region received academic scholarships for the 2020-2021 school year, totaling $10,000.

Brainerd, Minn. – The Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation (BLACF) Board of Directors is pleased to announce that they, in partnership with CommunityGiving, have recently approved the "Commitment to Our Community" resolution. The "Commitment to Our Community" resolution was a collaborative effort between CommunityGiving and its partner foundations' boards of directors and will be used as an organization-wide guiding principle as the situation continues to evolve with the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery.

Brainerd, Minn. – The Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation’s (BLACF’s) 2020 grant round was underway when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The BLACF Board of Directors quickly suspended the current grant round and allocated all grant funding to the newly established Brainerd Lakes Area Response Fund (BLARF) The Fund is used to make grants for organizations to primarily address needs around daycare for essential workers, mental health support, food insecurity, and emergency financial assistance for individuals and families.

Brainerd, Minn. – The Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation (BLACF) is pleased to announce that they, in partnership with CommunityGiving, have recently received a grant of $22,900 through the Minnesota Disaster Recovery Fund (MDRF) for coronavirus relief. This funding, along with contributions to the Brainerd Lakes Area Response Fund, will be used to support local relief efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic which will include wide-scale initiatives to help meet critical basic needs as well as sustaining local organizations providing critical services through recovery. The Brainerd Lakes Area Response Fund has over $77,000 to date, including the MDRF grant.

Brainerd, Minn. – The Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation (BLACF) announced today the establishment of the Brainerd Lakes Area Response Fund. The purpose of the fund is to support the local community in times of crisis, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. To make a contribution to the fund, visit https://www.communitygiving.org/donate/brainerd-lakes-area-response-fund.

Brainerd, Minn. – The Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation’s (BLACF) Board of Directors announced this year's Award in Philanthropy recipients are Virginia and the late Kenneth Merrill of Crosslake, MN. The Merrills have displayed a passion for helping others and bettering our communities. They have assisted with the growth and development of Crosslake and the surrounding areas through supporting nonprofit organizations and the City of Crosslake operations.

Brainerd, Minn. – The Brainerd Lakes Area Women’s Fund (BLAWF) has selected Becky Twamley as this year’s recipient of the Women Making Waves award. The award recognizes a woman who has significantly impacted the lives of women and children locally through their work, philanthropy or volunteerism. BLAWF has given this award since 2012 as a way to honor those working to build a better community and inspire the next generation of engaged community members.

Brainerd, Minn. – The Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation (BLACF) is seeking nominations for its annual Award in Philanthropy, which will be presented at the foundation's annual dinner on July 9, 2020 at Grand View Lodge. The Award in Philanthropy recognizes an individual or a couple who have significantly contributed to the field of philanthropy in the region either through their personal philanthropy, their work as a volunteer or their work as a professional advising their clients about philanthropy. The BLACF has given this award since 2005 as a way to honor those working to build a better community and inspire the next generation of philanthropic leaders.