St. Cloud, Minnesota — The Central Minnesota Community Foundation and the Initiative Foundation are awarding $21,600 to five area organizations, through their jointly held Rural Poverty Grant Round.
The following organizations have received Rural Poverty Fund grants:
- Family Pathways in North Branch received $5,000 for its Enhancing Access to Healthy Food in Central MN program.
- Hands of Hope Resource Center in Little Falls received $5,000 to help with direct client support.
- Pillager Family Council in Pillager received $5,000 to support its food shelf.
- Pine Technical & Community College in Pine City received $5,000 to support required credentialing fees for high financial need students in the Nursing and EMT Programs.
- The Brainerd Baxter Youth Center in Brainerd received $1,600 to expand its bicycle recycling program.
The Rural Poverty Fund serves rural populations in 14 central Minnesota area counties including Benton, Cass, Chisago, Crow Wing, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd, Wadena and Wright counties and the Native nations of the Leech Lake and Mille Lacs Bands of Ojibwe that share our geography.
The next Rural Poverty Fund Grant Round application period will open April 1, 2026. For more grant information visit: communitygiving.org/cmcfgrants
The Central Minnesota Community Foundation (CMCF) attracts and administers charitable funds for the benefit of the local community. Since 1985, CMCF has grown to $160.7 million in assets and awarded $166.7 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 1,200 funds totaling over $239 million in assets. Learn more at communitygiving.org/cmcf
The Initiative Foundation serves the 14 counties and two Native nations of Central Minnesota: Benton, Cass, Chisago, Crow Wing, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd, Wadena and Wright counties and the Leech Lake and Mille Lacs Bands of Ojibwe. Based in Little Falls, the Foundation exists to improve the quality of life and to build stronger communities in Central Minnesota by offering business loans, nonprofit grants, leadership training and donor services through its Partner Funds programs. Since 1986, the Initiative Foundation and its Partner Funds have invested multiple millions in the region through targeted grants and business financing investments. Learn more at ifound.org.