The Bush Foundation awarded more than $5 million in Community Innovation grants to 32 organizations across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and 23 Native nations that share the same geography.

Community Innovation grants support organizations, working in collaboration with others, to use problem-solving processes that lead to more effective, equitable and sustainable solutions. The Foundation provides grants between $10,000 and $200,000.

“These grants support collaborative efforts to develop and test breakthrough solutions to a wide range of complex community challenges,” said Molly Matheson Gruen, Bush Foundation Community Innovation Director. “The organizations we invest in are doing the hard work of creating community innovation and we hope their success will inspire others across the region to do the same.”

The next opportunity to apply for Community Innovation grants will be in the fall of 2016. Community Innovation grants of $500 to $10,000 are available from our intermediary partner organizations: Headwaters Foundation for Justice (MN), The Consensus Council (ND) and the South Dakota Community Foundation (SD).

Meet the 2016 Community Innovation Grantees

Appetite for Change – Minneapolis, MN

Artspace Projects, Inc – Minneapolis, MN

Cedar Riverside NRP – Minneapolis, MN

Community Action Duluth (Fiscal Sponsor Propel Nonprofits) – Duluth, MN

Community Violence Intervention Center, Inc – Grand Forks, ND

Cultural Diversity Resources – Fargo, ND

Face It TOGETHER – Sioux Falls, SD

First Children’s Finance – Minneapolis, MN

Frogtown Neighborhood Association – St. Paul, MN

Grassroots Indigenous Multimedia

Hennepin Health Foundation – Minneapolis, MN

Latino Economic Development Center – St. Paul, MN

Literacy Volunteers of Southwest Minnesota – Marshall, MN

The Matthews Opera House and Arts Center – Spearfish, SD

Mental Health America of North Dakota – Bismarck, ND

Metropolitan Economic Development Association – Minneapolis, MN

Minnesota Education Equity Partnership – St. Paul, MN

Northern Lights.mn – Minneapolis, MN

Northland Foundation – Duluth, MN

Northside Funders Group (Fiscal sponsor Minneapolis Foundation) – Minneapolis, MN

Oceti Sakowin Power Authority

OutFront Minnesota Community Services – Minneapolis, MN

PACT for Families Collaborative – Willmar, MN

Pillsbury United Communities – Minneapolis, MN

Sacred Pipe Resource Center – Mandan, ND

Northeast South Dakota Area Health Education Center – Aberdeen, SD

Lakota Funds – Kyle, SD

The Barbara Schneider Foundation – Minneapolis, MN

Vision West ND (Fiscal sponsor Dunn County) – Manning, ND

Voices for Racial Justice – Minneapolis, MN

Woodland Hills – Duluth, MN

World Wildlife Fund Northern Great Plains initiative