St. Cloud, Minn. – The Bernick Family Foundation in partnership with the Central Minnesota Community Foundation is granting $300,000 to 16 organizations. All grants go toward supporting youth, education, fitness and well-being programs primarily in greater Minnesota. Eligible organizations were required to be a 501(c)3 organization, school or governmental entity and serve one of the seven regions that Bernick’s services.
Melissa McDonnell, Bernick’s HR Program Manager stated, “We are honored to support programs and projects that strengthen our communities. At Bernick’s, giving back has always been part of who we are, and we are proud to carry forward our legacy of community service that began in 1916.”
The latest round of grants supported the following community projects:
- $20,000 was awarded to 3D Robotics Duluth for program support.
- $10,000 was awarded to Aslan Health, PC for its Mobile Youth Sports Physical/Health Cart.
- $20,000 was awarded to the Bemidji Indoor Sports Commission for its renovation of the Neilson Fieldhouse that serves area youth groups.
- $20,000 was awarded to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Bemidji Area for the Blackduck Boys & Girls Club 2026 Summer Program.
- $27,000 was awarded to the City of Hackensack, MN for its 2026 Hackensack Lakeside Park project.
- $20,000 was awarded to Friends of Career Solutions for its 2026 CareerONE: Build Your Tomorrow program.
- $30,000 was awarded to Hubbard County Soil & Water Conservation District for its career development program.
- $15,000 was awarded to Junior Achievement North for its Junior Achievement North Finance Park Mobile.
- $15,000 was awarded to Lakes Area Youth Soccer Association for its soccer field project.
- $4,500 was awarded to Little Falls Community Schools for its Strong Bodies, Strong Minds: Preparing Students for Lifelong Success program.
- $25,000 was awarded to the Montgomery Sports Foundation for its Youth Sports Scholarship program.
- $20,000 was awarded to the National Inventors Hall of Fame, Inc. for its 2025 Camp Invention program.
- $15,000 was awarded to North House Folk School for its youth programming.
- $20,000 was awarded to Park Moms for the second phase for its North Park Project.
- $20,000 was awarded to Saints-Hilltoppers Arena, Inc. for its Mars Lakeview Arena Improvement project.
- $18,500 was awarded to St. Croix County, WI for playground equipment for St. Croix County Pine Lake.
Tailor Doeden, Director of Community Engagement for the Central Minnesota Community Foundation says, “Each grant recipient is doing incredible work to strengthen their communities. At CMCF, we are grateful to continue our partnership with the Bernick Family Foundation as they empower us to engage people, connect resources and build communities.”
The Bernick Family Foundation established their first fund with the Central Minnesota Community Foundation in 1989. The Bernick’s company and the Bernick family uses their funds to 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 $177.7 million in assets and awarded $178.6 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 1,300 funds totaling over $283 million in assets. Learn more at communitygiving.org/cmcf