Minnesota Employment Labor and Training Grants

This grant provides financial support to enrolled tribal members and descendants who are artists residing in select Minnesota counties, helping them with costs related to creating and showcasing their artistic work.

This funding opportunity is designed to support organizations in Beltrami County that provide housing solutions, including construction, rehabilitation, and supportive services, to improve the availability and affordability of safe housing for low to moderate-income families and individuals.

This grant provides funding to organizations and initiatives focused on improving access to newborn hearing screening and services in Minnesota.

This funding opportunity is designed for non-profit organizations in Minnesota to implement lead hazard mitigation services, including education, blood lead testing, and environmental interventions, particularly in communities at high risk for lead exposure.

The Office of Adult Career Pathways, part of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, is offering grants to eligible small businesses in Minnesota to support Diversity and Inclusion training. This initiative aims to enhance these businesses' abilities to attract, hire, and retain people of color across various roles. The program emphasizes equity, innovation, and performance in its awarding criteria, focusing on training participants facing significant employment barriers, fostering an inclusive skilled workforce, and implementing innovative solutions to workforce challenges. Grants are available up to $1,425,000 each state fiscal year, with a maximum of $30,000 available per business for the biennium, limited to one award per biennium. Applications are accepted on a continual basis until funds are depleted, with no awards exceeding $1,425,000 before July 1, 2024.

This grant provides financial support to artists in specific Minnesota counties to help them advance their careers through various artistic projects and professional development opportunities.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for projects that conserve and improve natural resources, targeting municipalities, nonprofits, schools, and private property owners in Hennepin County.

The **Mardag Foundation** is now accepting applications for its **2024 Grant Program**, supporting organizations that promote equity, strengthen communities, and improve quality of life for Minnesotans. Rooted in collaboration and racial equity, the foundation’s approach emphasizes community-informed work that empowers marginalized populations and fosters lasting, inclusive change. Grant funding is available to organizations serving residents in **Greater Minnesota** and the **East Metro counties of Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington**. The foundation’s giving focuses on three primary areas. The first is **improving the lives of low-income children, youth, and families** who face barriers to opportunity. Priority is given to organizations serving marginalized communities—especially Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC)—and addressing intersections of education, mental health, basic needs, employment pathways, healthcare access, and housing stability. Projects that eliminate inequities and expand equitable opportunities for youth and families are especially encouraged to apply. The second focus area supports **older adults who face isolation, financial hardship, or barriers to full participation in community life**. Funding will prioritize organizations serving low-income older Minnesotans, particularly those who are also members of marginalized groups such as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ individuals, or people with disabilities. Grants may support efforts to meet basic needs, improve caregiving quality, promote mental health, reduce isolation, and enable aging in place through stable and safe housing. The foundation also welcomes programs fostering **intergenerational connections**, which enrich both older adults and younger participants through shared experiences. The third priority is **strengthening community vitality through arts and culture**. The Mardag Foundation believes that the arts play a vital role in honoring diverse cultures and fostering shared understanding. Funding will support arts and culture organizations that elevate underrepresented voices and amplify the creative contributions of BIPOC, low-income, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ communities. Through these efforts, the foundation aims to build stronger, more connected, and culturally vibrant communities across Minnesota. The foundation offers two types of grants: **General Operating Support** and **Capital Project grants**. General operating grants provide flexible funding to nonprofits that serve at least 50% of their beneficiaries in the East Metro or Greater Minnesota. Capital grants support facility improvements or equipment purchases for projects based in these same regions, typically distributed over multiple years. Eligible applicants include **501(c)(3) nonprofits, educational institutions, government agencies, and religious organizations**. Preference is given to entities whose work is led or informed by the people most affected by the issues they address. The Mardag Foundation does not fund organizations using fiscal sponsors, those exclusively serving Minneapolis or the West Metro, scholarships, sectarian programs, or large-scale capital campaigns for private schools or universities. By focusing its support on community-led efforts that address inequality and strengthen social infrastructure, the foundation continues its mission of advancing opportunity, dignity, and well-being for all Minnesotans—especially those facing the greatest barriers to success.

This grant provides financial assistance to local governments and authorities in Minnesota for investigating and cleaning up contaminated sites to promote redevelopment and increase property tax revenue.

This grant provides financial support to non-profit organizations in Richfield, Minnesota, to help community members recover from the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on issues like housing stability, food insecurity, and economic support for low-income households.

The New American in the Long-Term Care Workforce grant, administered by the Department of Human Services (DHS) in Minnesota through its Grants, Equity, Access, and Research (GEAR) Division, aims to support New Americans in obtaining, maintaining, and growing within the long-term care (LTC) workforce. This initiative directly aligns with the broader mission of strengthening the LTC sector by addressing workforce shortages and promoting diversity and inclusion. The grant is designed to provide specialized services and supports to New Americans, fostering their professional development and contributing to the stability and quality of LTC organizations across all counties in Minnesota. The primary target beneficiaries of this grant are New Americans seeking to enter or advance in the LTC workforce. The program's impact goals include increasing the number of New Americans in LTC, enhancing their skills and career pathways, and ultimately improving the capacity and cultural competency of LTC organizations. By focusing on this specific demographic, the grant seeks to create a more inclusive and robust workforce, which is a critical component of ensuring high-quality care for residents. The grant prioritizes several key areas to achieve its objectives. These include offering onsite Occupational English classes and training, establishing in-house mentorship programs, providing cultural competency and humility training for LTC employers and staff, and offering hiring bonuses and incentives. Furthermore, the program emphasizes digital skills training, developing mentorship and career-pathways programs for employee retention, career navigation and education, financial literacy coaching, and training stipends or tuition reimbursement. Crucially, it also provides wraparound support services such as mental health assistance, medical career education, childcare, and transportation, recognizing the holistic needs of New American workers. Expected outcomes and measurable results include an increase in the number of New Americans successfully placed and retained in LTC positions, improved career progression and skill development among participants, and enhanced cultural competence within LTC facilities. The grant anticipates awarding up to $12 million in the first round of applicants, indicating a significant investment in these outcomes. The grant period from August 1, 2024, through July 31, 2026, allows for a two-year window to implement and measure the effectiveness of these programs, with an emphasis on creating sustainable pathways for New Americans in the LTC sector. Eligible applicants for this grant include nonprofit organizations, community-based agencies, educational institutions, LTC employers, and government entities that demonstrate a strong commitment to serving New Americans. This broad eligibility ensures that a diverse range of organizations can contribute to the grant's goals. The strategic priorities of DHS, as evidenced by this grant, include fostering equity and access within critical sectors like long-term care, leveraging grant contracts to achieve workforce development goals, and supporting underserved populations. The theory of change behind this program is that by providing targeted support, training, and resources to New Americans, the state can simultaneously empower individuals, strengthen the LTC workforce, and enhance the quality of care provided to its residents.

The McKnight Fellowship for Ceramic Artists, administered by the Northern Clay Center, is designed to support outstanding mid-career ceramic artists in Minnesota. This fellowship aligns with the broader mission of recognizing and fostering artistic excellence and sustained accomplishment within the state's vibrant arts community. The program aims to empower artists, regardless of their specific methodology—be it functional, sculptural, or relational—by providing resources that enable growth and innovation in their craft. The primary beneficiaries of this program are mid-career Minnesota ceramic artists who demonstrate a consistent level of commitment and artistic excellence. The program's impact goals include providing significant financial support, encouraging experimentation with new techniques and materials, facilitating collaborations, and offering opportunities for education, exhibition, or travel. By investing in these artists, the fellowship seeks to strengthen the ceramic arts landscape in Minnesota and contribute to the artists' long-term career development. The fellowship prioritizes artists who have maintained Minnesota residency for at least one year prior to application and for the duration of the fellowship year. It focuses on supporting those who have not received a McKnight Artist & Culture Bearer Fellowship in any artistic discipline within the last five years, ensuring equitable distribution of support. Furthermore, the program looks for artists who can demonstrate ongoing artistic growth and development since any previous McKnight fellowship. Expected outcomes include the creation of new works, the acquisition of new skills or materials, successful collaborations, and participation in educational or exhibition opportunities, all contributing to the artists' continued artistic advancement. The measurable results are the two $25,000 grants awarded annually, directly supporting the selected artists in achieving these outcomes. This investment reflects a strategic priority to cultivate a thriving artistic community in Minnesota by directly supporting the careers of accomplished artists and fostering innovation within the ceramic arts.

The North Central Region SARE (NCR-SARE) Research and Education (R&E) Grant Program is a competitive funding opportunity offering $100,000 to $500,000 for up to 3 years to researchers, educators, and organizations exploring sustainable agriculture, with the aim of improving economic viability, environmental quality, and quality of life in the North Central Region's agricultural sector.

This grant provides funding for organizations in Minnesota and Wisconsin to implement impactful water quality improvement projects and promote environmental stewardship within their communities.

This funding is designed to support non-profit organizations in Hubbard County, Minnesota, that implement community-based programs and outreach initiatives aimed at preventing child abuse and promoting family well-being.

This funding program provides financial support to community-based organizations that empower youth aged 12 to 20 through established, youth-led urban greening initiatives focused on social and environmental justice in select states.

The Rural and Underserved Clinical Rotations grant, authorized by Minnesota Statutes Sec 144.1505, aims to enhance health professional training sites, including those for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, dental therapists, and mental health professionals. This program supports the expansion of existing clinical training programs to include rural and underserved rotations or specialized training tracks, focusing on primary care settings in rural communities. This expansion is intended to strengthen the healthcare workforce and improve access to healthcare in these communities.

This program provides financial support to licensed childcare providers to improve the quality of their services through equipment upgrades, technology investments, and facility enhancements.

This funding opportunity supports Minnesota-based organizations and individuals conducting applied crop research to improve agricultural practices and outcomes for local farmers and rural communities.

The 2024 Good Relatives Collaborative Grant Program is designed to support Native-led and Native-serving groups, collaboratives, and organizations. The program aims to foster the growth and development of these entities across various stages, from those exploring non-profit status to established 501(c)(3) organizations. This initiative aligns with the Good Relatives Collaborative's mission to empower Native communities by providing essential funding and guidance, strengthening their capacity to address community needs and achieve their goals. The grant amounts are tiered to reflect the different stages of organizational development, ranging from up to $20,000 for "Exploring" groups to up to $60,000 for "Maturing" organizations, with a total grant size between $10,000 and $100,000. The primary beneficiaries of this grant program are Native-led, Native-serving organizations with operating budgets under $500,000, and community collaborators or nonprofits with a 501(c)(3) public charity status or fiscal sponsor. These organizations must be serving Native communities in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, or one of the 23 Native nations that share the same geography. The program specifically targets groups that are 60% Native-led at the board level and have Native senior leadership/ED, ensuring that the initiatives are driven by and truly reflective of the communities they serve. The impact goals are to strengthen new and emerging organizations, help growing organizations manage larger grants, and support mature organizations in providing guidance to younger groups, thereby creating a robust and self-sustaining ecosystem within Native communities. The program prioritizes organizations at different stages of development through its "Exploring," "Emerging," "Growing," and "Maturing" grant stages. "Exploring" grants focus on new organizations considering non-profit status or those with limited grant experience and annual budgets from $0-$25,000. "Emerging" grants support new or currently-applying 501(c)(3) organizations with budgets between $25,000-$75,000, helping them gain more grant management experience. "Growing" grants are for established 501(c)(3) organizations with budgets from $75,000-$200,000, aiming to enhance their capacity to manage larger grants. Finally, "Maturing" grants are for experienced 501(c)(3) organizations with budgets from $200,000-$500,000, encouraging them to provide mentorship to younger organizations. These focused priorities ensure tailored support that meets organizations where they are in their development journey. Expected outcomes include an increase in the number of formally established Native-led non-profits, enhanced grant writing and management capabilities across all stages of organizations, and the development of a supportive network where experienced organizations can mentor newer ones. Measurable results will include the number of organizations transitioning to 501(c)(3) status, the successful management of grants, and the growth in operating budgets for participating organizations. The Good Relatives Collaborative’s strategic priorities are deeply rooted in a theory of change that posits that by investing in and strengthening Native-led and Native-serving organizations, there will be a direct and positive impact on the well-being and self-determination of Native communities in the designated three-state region and within the 23 Native nations. This comprehensive approach aims to build lasting capacity and foster community-driven solutions.