Several scams are taking place with scammers falsely claiming to work for the Bush Foundation and offering money or grants. They are reaching out to people on Facebook and Instagram, as well as over email, phone and text message. There are different scams, but many promise grant money if the user pays a shipping or processing fee, sends money or a gift card, or shares personal information. In some cases, scammers create fake accounts to pose as a staff member, even using names and photos of our staff. They may also hack into accounts of a friend or relative to send messages claiming they received grant money from the Bush Foundation. Many of the targets live outside the region we serve.
Things you should know about the Bush Foundation:
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We will never ask you to pay a fee or send money or a gift card to be considered for one of our grants or fellowships, or to receive payment.
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We do not use agents. Anyone claiming to be an agent for the Bush Foundation is not associated with us.
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We do not reach out or communicate over social media, Messenger or text to notify people of grant awards, collect personal information, or ask for payment.
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We only offer grants/fellowships to people and organizations that applied through our website. If you haven't applied for a grant or a fellowship from us, we will not reach out to tell you that you’ve been awarded one or may qualify for one.
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If you apply for a grant, the contact information you provide in your application is what we will use to notify you.
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All of our grantmaking is designed to benefit people and organizations in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share the same geography. If you live outside of this area, you are not eligible for a grant from us.
Feel free to contact us if you have questions about a specific grant program. Each of our grant program pages lists the appropriate contact information.
If someone reaches out to you saying they work for us and want to send you money in exchange for a fee and your personal information, please
- Report fake accounts to Facebook or Instagram.
- Block fake accounts and phone numbers.
- Report them to the Federal Trade Commission, which investigates this kind of fraud. You can do so by calling the FTC’s Consumer Response Center at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or by filing your complaint online.
If you believe a friend or family member’s account was hacked, please notify them.