Boreal Waters Community Foundation gives out more than $1,000,000

Boreal Waters Community Foundation Logo

DULUTH, Min. – The Boreal Waters Community Foundation (formerly Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation) has awarded $1.34 million in Community Opportunity Fund grants to 32 nonprofits.

That’s the largest grant cycle in its 40+ year history.

“We are stewards of these resources, and the best way to honor our donors’ vision is to make sure their generosity is engaged today, in this time of great need, in the communities across our region,” said Kerstyn Hendricks, Chair of the Boreal Waters Board of Trustees.

This year also marked a change in how nonprofits apply.

Instead of requiring a full proposal from every applicant, Boreal Waters introduced a Letter of Interest (LOI) stage to respect organizations’ time and energy.

RELATED: Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation Changes Name

2025 Community Opportunity Fund Grant Awards:

Belongings:
Aitkin Youth Center: Aitkin Youth Center Operations $25,000.00
Duluth Folk School: Increasing Program Capacity and Technology at Duluth Folk School $50,000.00
Duluth Library Foundation: Foundations to Learn, Play, & Grow: Transforming the Children’s Section at the Downtown Library $25,000.00
Grand Marais Arts, Inc.: Art Colony General Operating Support $45,000.00
ISD #99 – Esko Public Schools: World on Water for Emotional Behavioral Disorder (EBD) Students $25,000.00
Mentor North: Grounded in Mentorship, Growing in Community $40,000.00
Neighborhood Youth Services, Inc.: Conditions for Growth $50,000.00
Range Mental Health Center: Perpich Resilience Project $30,000.00
Together for Life Northland, Inc. dba Star of the North Maternity Home: General Operating Stabilization Support Grant $45,000.00
University of Wisconsin – Superior: LiveWell $48,920.00
Volunteers in Education (VinE): Volunteers in Education: Increasing Equitable Opportunities through Community Belonging $25,000.00

Opportunity:
Advocates Against Domestic Abuse: Domestic Violence Advocacy $50,000.00
Advocates for Family Peace: Advocates for Family Peace Advocacy and Emergency Housing Project $45,000.00
American Indian Community Housing Organization: Gimaajii Mino Bimaadizimin Wealth Building Project $50,000.00
Divine Konnections Inc.: DKI General Operating and Capacity Building $45,000.00
Duluth Center for Women and Children: Building a Sustainable Healthy Food Box Model $50,000.00
Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College: Building Tribal College Sustainability Through Tradition & Innovation $50,000.00
Happy Days Preschool Inc.: Nourish Ely: A Healthy Food Initiative for Young Learners $43,875.00
Harbor House Crisis Shelters: Empowering the Homeless: Stopping the Cycle $50,000.00
Life House, Inc.: General Operating Support for Life House’s Comprehensive Services $50,000.00
Polar Cubs Childcare Center: Secure Den, Strong Future – Polar Cubs Childcare Center $40,000.00
Recovery Alliance Duluth: Low Barrier Peer Recovery Support and Recovery Community $45,000.00
Safe Haven Shelter & Resource Center: Safe Haven Shelter & Resource Center General Operations $50,000.00
Servants of Shelter of Koochiching County: Servants of Shelter of Koochiching County $35,000.00
True North Goodwill: True North Goodwill’s Employment & Reentry Services Expansion $50,000.00

Resilience:
Cable Community Farm: Cable Community Farm – General Operations and Programming Support $30,000.00
Community Action Duluth: Resilience through Connection $40,000.00
First Call for Help of Itasca County: Supporting Resilience through Accessibility $50,000.00
Free Wisconsin LLC: Reentry Crisis Assistance $25,000.00
Friends of the Superior National Forest aka Northwoods Volunteer Connection: Shared Forest, Shared Future: Community Resilience in the Superior National Forest $32,500.00
Justice North (fka LASNEM): Legal Support for Survivors in Rural Northern Minnesota $50,000.00
Two Harbors, MN Food Shelf: Two Harbors, MN Food Shelf Super Shelf Recognition $50,000.00