Mission

The fund supports nonprofit organizations on or serving Madeline Island, with a focus on enhancing quality of life through educational opportunities, environmental conservation, human services, and historical or cultural preservation.

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Funding Priorities

• Priority is given to projects that benefit children and youth in these areas.
• The fund encourages co-sponsorships from corporations, regional foundations, individuals, and other organizations.
• Ongoing program support is considered a low priority.

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Other Considerations

Examples of eligible projects include:

• Educational programs focused on environmental, historical, and cultural awareness
• Initiatives for La Pointe School students and preschoolers
• Projects that improve healthcare access and promote healthy lifestyles
• Safety and well-being training
• Educational materials
• Programs that enhance Madeline Island's cultural life through visual arts, music, and history

‍Mission

To promote economic development and civic pride in the Twin Ports region (Duluth/Superior) through projects that provide direct public benefit.
Established by Richard and Elizabeth Burns in honor of their parents, the fund recognizes their families' lasting contributions to the Twin Ports community.

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Funding Priorities

• ‍‍Projects that serve both Duluth and Superior
• Initiatives that enhance public awareness, pride, and engagement
• Efforts that stimulate economic development or improve public spaces

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Other Considerations

• Capital requests will be considered

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Examples

• ‍‍Documentaries that increase public visibility of Duluth
• Youth–adult partnerships to promote pride in Superior
• Website upgrades for sharing economic development information
• Public art installations in shared community spaces
• Exhibits at local attractions

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Mission

The Red Cliff/Miskwaabikaang Fund supports programs and services that contribute to the traditional Ojibwe way of life in Red Cliff, Wisconsin, focusing on arts, language, medicinal foods, and ceremonies.

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Funding Priorities

• Grants benefit the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa/Gaa-Miskwaabikaang through nonprofit organizations serving the Red Cliff Reservation.
• The fund prioritizes culture or language revitalization, dietary or health programs, artistic services, and environmental protection.

Other Considerations

• The fund encourages co-sponsorship and co-funding of projects.
• Examples of eligible projects include:
  • Educational programs on environmental awareness
  • Ojibwemowin language teaching
  • School programs on traditional food-sustaining activities
  • Arts such as beading and birch bark basketry
  • Ceremonies for community well-being
  • Social services addressing issues like substance use disorder, mental illness, and elder abuse

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‍Mission

To support projects that help low-income or disadvantaged individuals meet basic needs—such as food, clothing, shelter, and healthcare—as well as projects that promote animal welfare.

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Funding Priorities

• ‍‍Projects serving individuals or families experiencing extreme financial hardship
• Initiatives that address both human and animal welfare
• Demonstrated financial need and community impact

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Other Considerations
Grants may support:

• Special projects or pilot initiatives
• Equipment purchases for human or animal services
• General operating support for eligible organizations

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Examples

• ‍‍‍‍‍‍Animal training to assist individuals with physical disabilities
• Instructor training for adaptive riding lessons for the disabled
• Emergency food or shelter services for extremely low-income individuals
• Purchase of animals or related equipment to support care and welfare

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‍Mission

To strengthen science, engineering, and business programs and faculty at:

• Lake Superior College
• The College of St. Scholastica
• University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD)

This fund is inspired by Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert D. Putnam, and supports efforts to close the Opportunity Gap, especially in the Duluth–Superior region.

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Funding Priorities

• ‍‍Link education and work through internships or apprenticeships
• Make higher education more accessible and navigable for all students
• Create family-like cultures of support on campus
• Improve transitions from high school to higher education
• Redesign academic programs to serve underprepared or under-resourced students

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Not Eligible for Funding

• ‍‍Major capital projects (e.g., construction, major facilities upgrades)
• Athletic programs

Mission

The fund supports initiatives addressing the needs of low-income communities in the areas of arts, community and economic development, education, and human services.

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Funding Priorities

• Priority is given to projects that involve new collaborations, address underlying community problems, or provide preventive solutions.
• The fund favors efforts that build organizational capacity, resolve crises, or address well-documented community needs with a moderate grant amount that produces significant results.
• Certain types of projects are typically low priority, including capital and equipment requests and ongoing program support.

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Other Considerations

• Grant awards are not intended to provide permanent support, so organizations must have the financial potential to sustain their programs.
• In some cases, the fund may offer multi-year support for new organizations or exemplary existing services to ensure long-term stability.
• Examples of funded projects include:
  ◦ Community arts programs for low-income participants
  ◦ Low-income housing
  ◦ Money management programs
  ◦ Parenting education
  ◦ Job development
  ◦ Transportation access for services
  ◦ Youth prevention programs
• Projects that are not eligible for funding include:
  ◦ Endowments
  ◦ Religious activities
  ◦ Medical research
  ◦ Debt retirement
  ◦ Fundraising drives
  ◦ Political campaigns
  ◦ Activities focused on influencing legislation

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Mission

The Two Harbors Area Fund supports projects that address evolving community needs in the areas of:

• arts

• civic projects

• education

• the environment

• human services

Focus may shift depending on emerging priorities.    

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Funding Priorities

Preference is given to new initiatives that fill service gaps, address root causes of issues, require start-up funds, conduct studies related to civic matters, resolve community crises, or strengthen organizational capacity—all while demonstrating the potential for significant impact.

• fill service gaps

• address root causes of issues

• require start-up funds

• conduct studies related to civic matters

• resolve community crises

• strengthen organizational capacity

• demonstrate the potential for significant impact

• While funding may be recommended for more than one year to stabilize new programs, long-term or permanent support is not available.

• Organizations must show the ability to sustain programs after funding ends.

• Requests for the following are generally low priorities and are unlikely to be funded:

• capital purchases
• equipment
• ongoing support

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Other Considerations

The fund does not support:

• endowments

• religious activities

• medical research

• debt retirement

• fundraising

• political campaigns

• projects by re-granting organizations for their own grant-making

• Individual requests, benefit ticket purchases, and legislative advocacy efforts also fall outside the scope of eligible funding.

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Mission

This fund serves as a catalyst for advancing equity andjustice for people of African Heritage in our community. It invests ininitiatives that expand access to opportunity, strengthen systems, and ensure African Heritage individuals can fully participate in and benefit fromcommunity life.

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Funding Priorities

The fund supports initiatives that:

• Advance racial equity and dismantle systemic racism
• Increase health, wealth, resiliency, and long-term sustainability
• Engage community members in efforts to end racism
• Address inequities within systems (e.g., housing, education, health, policing, transportation, wealth-building)
• Create physically, emotionally, and culturally safe spaces for people of African Heritage
• Raise awareness of systemic racial inequities through education, outreach, and cultural sharing
• Support leadership development for African American and African Heritage individuals of all ages
• Build relationships across diverse backgrounds to foster understanding and connectedness

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Other Considerations

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Alignment with the fund’s mission
• Demonstrated community engagement and need
• Potential for measurable impact
• Contribution to long-term or systems-level change
• Collaboration where appropriate

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The fund prioritizes efforts that create meaningful and lasting progress toward racial equity.

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Applications will be available starting February 23, 2026 and will be accepted on a rolling basis. This means applications may be submitted at any time after the opening date and will be reviewed as they are received.

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Application Process

• Contact Kursula at kursula@borealwaters.org to request the access code, then complete a brief application in the grant portal.

• Provide organizational information and a short description of how funds will be used.

• Indicate interest in meeting with the Unity Fund Committee.

• Selected applicants meet with the Unity Fund Committee, which is comprised of African American and African Heritage leaders

• During the meeting, applicants share the opportunity or need, intended impact, and who will benefit. Timeline expectations and payment timing (if awarded) are also discussed.

• The Unity Fund Committee submits a funding recommendation to the Boreal Waters Community Foundation Board of Trustees for final approval.

• Upon project completion, grantees must submit a Grant Story form through the Foundation’s grant portal.

Mission

The fund supports preservation efforts in Bayfield by providing grants for projects focused on preserving, restoring, or reimagining historic sites and protecting public land landmarks.

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Funding Priorities

The fund encourages co-sponsorship or co-funding for projects involving individuals, corporations, and regional foundations.

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Other Considerations

• Examples of eligible projects include:
  ◦ Hiring preservation architects or consultants for guidance on historic interiors
  ◦ Obtaining professional expertise in areas like architecture and planning
  ◦ Conducting feasibility studies
  ◦ Covering costs for research related to historic destinations
  ◦ Capital investment
  ◦ Infrastructure repairs
  ◦ Garden or park restoration
  ◦ Archaeology
  ◦ Creating exhibits or publications on Bayfield’s historical buildings

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Mission

The Wetherby Fund supports projects that address the educational needs, basic material needs, and nature appreciation of underprivileged children.

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Funding Priorities

The fund considers both special projects and general operating support for initiatives that strengthen the community and provide for children’s well-being.

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Other Considerations

• Examples of eligible projects include:
  ◦ Educational programs focused on preschool and elementary children
  ◦ Nature appreciation programs
  ◦ Summer camps like those from the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, YMCA, and YWCA
  ◦ Projects that help children access food, clothing, shelter, energy, and health care
  ◦ Programs co-sponsored by organizations like Hartley Nature Center, YWCA, and YMCA
  ◦ Programs that assist children with physical disabilities or visual impairments

Mission

The Wirtanen Family Fund supports initiatives aimed at raising community awareness of global interdependence, encouraging social change, and promoting democratic participation.

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Funding Priorities

• Focus on fighting racism, sexism, and all forms of discrimination, while advocating for justice, freedom of expression, and universal health care access.
• The fund encourages collaboration and co-funding on projects that align with these values.
• Additional objectives include increasing understanding of world cultures, political and social systems, and international trade.
• The fund also addresses issues like population control, challenges faced by less-developed countries, environmental preservation, military expenditures, and human rights.
• Projects that have a broad regional impact and tackle contemporary issues are given priority.

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Other Considerations

• Examples of eligible projects include:
  ◦ Peace and justice lectures
  ◦ Sister city relationships
  ◦ Foreign exchanges
  ◦ Awards for studies related to peace and justice
  ◦ Efforts to address hunger, homelessness, and emergency aid in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin