Our communities have the power to create a place where everyone is included and thriving.
We help by providing tools and resources, like grants. Grantmaking is at the heart of our role as a community foundation. We accept grant ideas on an ongoing basis as well as providing defined grant rounds throughout the year. Our grants are open to nonprofit organizations, schools, government agencies and projects that use one of these entities as a fiscal partner.
Grants generally range from $1,000 to $20,000.
We will consider funding for up to 50 percent of a project. The remaining 50 percent must be provided through other sources including in-kind and a cash contribution.
We don’t award grants to individuals or to start a business. Instead, entrepreneurs can talk to our loan team. If the business plan seems like it could be a fit for Southwest Initiative Foundation, our loan team will help you apply for financing.
Read our grant guidelines to get more details about our funding focus and policies.
Open Grant Rounds
Fostering Social Connection in Later Life, Paul and Alma Schwan Aging Trust Endowment Fund
Fostering Social Connection in Later Life grants will support projects that provide southwest Minnesota-serving organizations with funding to reduce and prevent social isolation and loneliness among older adults in our region. These grants will invest in coordination of activities and/or direct interventions to improve people’s connections through social supports, enhanced interactions, or adaptive cognition. Examples could include connection to opportunities, meaning making and volunteer programs, online and physical program coordination or caregiver support. The foundation has allocated a total of $250,000 for individual grant awards ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 (one-year term). The grant application deadline is 5 p.m. on October 31, 2023.
These grants are made possible by the Paul and Alma Schwan Aging Trust Endowment Fund at Southwest Initiative Foundation.
For more details, including eligibility and guidelines, download the grant request for proposals (RFP) document.
If you’re seeking funding for work that doesn’t fit one of our open grant rounds, or there is not a grant round open currently, you can fill out our grant request form to tell us more about the project.
Before completing the form, please review our grant guidelines to be sure your project fits within our guidelines and criteria.
Questions can be directed to Nancy Fasching at (320) 484-9104 or by email.
