In 1987, the foundation established the Small Business Education Fund with a grant from the Employers Council, formed in 1950 to promote better relations between business and labor. Scholarships from the fund are open to those in the foundation’s service territory (Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake and St. Louis Counties in Minnesota and Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas, Iron and Price Counties in Wisconsin). The Small Business Education Fund encourages job creation and retention in the service territory of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation through a tuition-assistance program that strengthens management skills of those in small business.

The Steve Rolland Youth Peacemaker Award Fund honors youth who undertake community peacemaking activities in the Duluth area. The award honors Steve Rolland, a 34-year veteran of the Duluth Police Department. During his last 14 years as an officer, he walked the beat on First Street in downtown Duluth. Steve had a calm demeanor and attitude which earned him a great deal of respect with those he came in contact with. This trait allowed him the remarkable ability to de-escalate very tense situations and to resolve conflicts with a safe and fair outcome. Steve’s ability to transform, teach, and make friends while doing a difficult job made him a wonderful peacemaker, which is a much-needed trait in today’s world.

The Superior Shores Resort Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance to graduates from the Lake Superior School School District (Two Harbors and Silver Bay High Schools) pursuing careers in the hospitality industry.

The THRIVE Scholarship is an unrestricted fund designed to address the community’s most pressing needs by prioritizing opportunity, resilience, and belonging. It supports students facing emergency expenses throughout the year, ensuring financial hardships do not become insurmountable obstacles to completing their degree or required education.

The Tim Russell Kind Spirit Award makes awards to students with a developmental disability who have demonstrated kindness and inclusion in their actions with others. Tim Russell attended Duluth East High School and exemplified these traits and more during his short life, and passed away in 2008. His family would like to honor Tim and students that inspire joy, kindness, and fun for all by offering scholarships to one student from Duluth East and one student from Denfeld to support the recipients’ future dreams and achievements.

Established in honor of the company’s 100th anniversary, the fund reflects the values of founders Oscar and Palmer Ulland, who built the business on hard work, integrity, and a commitment to quality. From humble beginnings in 1920 to becoming one of Minnesota’s largest excavating and paving contractors, Ulland Brothers created this scholarship to honor its legacy and invest in the future of its extended family.

The Walter and Anna Soneson Scholarship Fund provides a scholarship to recognize the academic accomplishments of Protestant graduates of Duluth public high schools who will attend an accredited college or university in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota or Wisconsin. The will of Anna Soneson Rahn created the scholarship fund in 1961.

William E. Barto was born in 1911 in Pennsylvania. Following service in the U.S. Navy, he worked for Fruehauf Co. In retirement, he enjoyed painting, a skill he learned from his first wife who was an accomplished watercolor artist. This scholarship was established in 1995 to honor his memory and to provide financial assistance for art students.