Northland Foundation awards $675,000 in grants
Northland Foundation awards $675,000 in quarterly grants supporting northeast Minnesota communities The Northland Foundation awarded 22 grants through its Quarterly Grant program to nonprofit organizations and community partners in northeast Minnesota in the third quarter of 2026. Building on $130,000 in similar grants awarded last quarter, three more targeted grants went toward American Indian Education and Indigenous youth development programs in the region. The $70,000 in special grants were made to these programs to help them create new learning opportunities and better engage the school body, community, and tribal elders. Five other grants last quarter were awarded to child care businesses in Chisholm, Duluth, Taconite, and Virginia. The $60,000 in grants support child care creation, expansion, and retention, with funding support from the State of Minnesota. The latest data show that the seven-county region is short by about 4,300 child care slots. “Here’s a startling statistic: our region today has only half as many family child care businesses than it had in 2017. This is especially devastating to rural areas where families may live an hour or more from the nearest child care center, which might not have infant or toddler openings anyway,” stated Northland Foundation President Tony Sertich. “Grant
