Fall 2026 Grant Cycle: Timeline, Funds & Application Details

2026 Fall Grant Cycle Timeline

August 10 at 8 AM| Applicant Zoom Information Session → REGISTER HERE

August 10 | Applications open → APPLY HERE‍

September 15 at 5 PM | Applications close

November 19 | Recommendations presented to Community Foundation board

‍November 19 | Notifications to applicants  

November 30 | Payments issued

‍January 1, 2027 (or later) to 12 months of start date | Grant period

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Opportunities available in the Fall Grant Cycle:

Aaron Thomas Gelineau Fund for Educational Opportunity

Central Mesabi Fund for Human Services

Douglas County Disaster & Welfare Fund

John T. & Elizabeth C. Adams Arts Fund

Morgan Fund 

Samuel F. Atkins and Barbara H. Atkins Memorial Fund

Sandbulte Family Higher Education Endowment Fund (eligible organizations will be sent an access code)

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Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to apply for funding, an organization must meet both of the following criteria:

1. IRS Classification

The organization must be classified by the IRS as one of the following:

• A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

• A Section 170(c)(1) public entity (e.g., governmental agencies, public schools)

• A Section 7871 Tribal government

• A church

• An organization with a fiscal sponsor that is classified under one of the above categories

2. Geographic Area

The organization must serve communities within the Boreal Waters Community Foundation’s service area.

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What We Fund

We support a wide range of community-driven, equity-centered work. Generally funding can be used for the following; (Please note that specific funds may have certain criteria that differ from these)  

• Program or Project Support: To launch, expand, or sustain work in alignment with the mission of the grant

• General Operating Support: To build strength and stability

• Capacity Building: To grow organizational effectiveness or leadership

• Community-Led Solutions: Especially those involving lived experience and cross-sector collaboration

• Systems Change and Upstream Impact: Projects that address root causes—not just symptoms
  

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What We Don’t Fund

To stay aligned with our mission, we do not fund:

• Individuals or direct personal aid

• Capital campaigns or major construction projects

• One-time equipment purchases without strategic context

• Fundraising events or sponsorships

• Political or lobbying efforts

• Religious activities (non-religious programming by faith-based organizations is eligible)

• Medical research

• Debt retirement

• Regranting to other groups (funds must be used directly by the applicant to carry out the proposed work)

• Endowments

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Fall 2026 Application Questions

You can view the application questions and related criteria here:

👉 Fall 2026 Grant Application Questions

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We're Here to Support You

We know that applying for grant funding takes time and effort, and we're here to support you throughout the process. If this is your first time applying during this grant round, we encourage you to CLICK HERE TO REGISTER for our Zoom information session on August 10 at 8:00 a.m. CT. If you're unable to attend, no worries. We'll post the recording here following the session.

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If you have any questions about eligibility, the application process, or need technical assistance, please contact:

Kursula Harris

Senior Community Impact Associate

✉️ kursula@borealwaters.org

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For questions regarding fund fit, please contact:

Amber Burns

Director of Community Impact and Partnerships

✉️ amber@borealwaters.org

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