St. Cloud, Minn. – The Central Minnesota Community Foundation (CMCF) is now accepting applications for its Central Minnesota Boys and Men Competitive Grant Round, which supports programs and projects that uplift and empower boys and men throughout Central Minnesota.
Through this grant round, CMCF seeks to support efforts that address challenges facing boys and men and create opportunities for them to thrive at home, in school, at work and in the community. Funding priorities include:
- Education and skill-building
- Fatherhood and family engagement
- Mental health support
- Mentorship and leadership development
- Positive masculinity promotion
Applications for the Central Minnesota Boys and Men Competitive Grant Round are due October 31, 2026.
Last year, CMCF awarded $10,000 through the Boys and Men Competitive Grant Round to support local organizations working to make a difference in the lives of boys and men. Grant recipients included:
- $2,500 was awarded to Rivers of Hope for its Men Moving Forward program.
- $2,500 was awarded to The Yes Network to created a workshop series to help men promote mental health and education for teen boys.
- $2,500 was awarded to the United Way of Central Minnesota for its Community Mentorship: Fostering Resilience in Young Black Men program.
- $2,500 was awarded to What Would Bri Do dba Bri’s Lodge for its Healing Through Loss: Grief & Postvention Support for Boys and Men program.
For the grant round, programs or projects must be a 501(c)3 nonprofit, school or government entity and serve residents in Benton, Stearns and/or Sherburne counties. Preference will be given to organizations with an annual budget of $500,000 or less. Online applications can be found at: communitygiving.org/grants
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