NORTHWEST MINNESOTA FOUNDATION
201 3RD ST NW, BEMIDJI, MN 56601 nwmf.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE NORTHWEST MINNESOTA FOUNDATION INVESTS RESOURCES, FACILITATES COLLABORATION, AND PROMOTES PHILANTHROPY TO MAKE THE REGION A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK.

A) GRANTS AWARDEDGRANT PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLIC AGENCIES AS THEY ADDRESS ORGANIZATIONAL, COMMUNITY, AND REGIONAL ISSUES. EACH PROGRAM HAS ITS OWN SET OF PRIORITIES AND ELIGIBILITY, AND REVIEW PROCESSES. A TOTAL OF $3,298,158 WAS AWARDED FOR GRANT PROGRAMS IN FY 2020 AND INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING:COMPONENT FUNDSAS PART OF THE FOUNDATIONS COMMITMENT TO STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITIES TO SHAPE THEIR FUTURE, WE ADMINISTER 388 COMPONENT FUNDS TO ASSIST COMMUNITIES AND NONPROFIT AGENCIES IN BUILDING THEIR RESOURCES. FROM THESE, 687 GRANTS WERE AWARDED AND GRANT-RELATED ACTIVITIES TOTALED $2,129,802 IN FY 2020. AN ADDITIONAL $278,380 WAS GIVEN FOR 237 SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE REGION. CHILD CARE PROGRAMFOURTEEN GRANTS TOTALING $71,500 WERE AWARDED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, NONPROFIT AGENCIES, AND CHILD CARE SERVICE PROVIDERS IN RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC TO PROMOTE AN INCREASE IN CHILD CARE SERVICES AND AVAILABILITY. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, AND THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF OUR FORGIVABLE LOAN AND LOW-INTEREST LOAN PROGRAMS, WHICH WILL BE DISCUSSED IN GREATER DETAIL IN PART (B) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE WERE ABLE TO HELP IMPROVE CHILD CARE AVAILABILITY BY TOTAL OF 1,554 NEW CHILD CARE SLOTS IN OUR REGION.CHILDREN & FAMILIES PROGRAMTWO GRANTS TOTALING $60,000 WERE AWARDED TO TWO TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS IN AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE FAMILY STRUCTURE THROUGH COMMUNITY-LED, COMMUNITY-DRIVEN SHARED VISION AND ACTIONS, DEVELOPING PARENT SUPPORTS AND PARENT-LED COMMUNITY PROJECTS.HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS PROGRAMSFOUR GRANTS TOTALING $20,000 WERE AWARDED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND NONPROFIT AGENCIES TO WORK TOWARD ADDRESSING HOUSING INADEQUACIES AND AVAILABILITY IN OUR REGION. FOUR GRANTS TOTALING $50,000 WERE AWARDED TO ONE TRIBAL GOVERNMENT AND THREE NONPROFIT AGENCIES IN AN EFFORT TO OBTAIN INCREASED ACCESS TO HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR YOUTH AGES 16 TO 24. WE HAVE ALSO WORKED TO SET UP A WEB APPLICATION FOR YOUTH TO USE SO THEY CAN QUICKLY FIND ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HOUSING RESOURCES AND AVAILABILITY IN OUR REGION.COMMUNITIES THRIVE PROGRAMIN FY 2019, THE COMMUNITIES OF WARROAD, MN AND HALSTAD, MN WERE SELECTED TO RECEIVE GRANTS AS PART OF AN EFFORT TO MAKE A MORE FOCUSED IMPACT WITHIN THESE TWO COMMUNITIES IN THE AREAS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY EDUCATION, WELLNESS, AND ARTS AND CULTURE. A TOTAL OF $150,000 WAS GRANTED BETWEEN THESE TWO COMMUNITIES IN FY 2020. AS A RESULT OF THESE GRANTS AND SOME LOANS ISSUED WHICH WILL BE DISCUSSED IN PART (B) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HELP FINANCE A NEW GROCERY STORE, MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO SOFTBALL FIELDS, ATV TRAILS, PARKS, SCULPTURES, BENCHES, PLAY SPACES FOR CHILDREN, SIGNAGE, AMERICAN INDIAN EDUCATION PROGRAMMING, AND OTHER COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENTS. INGENUITY DRIVES ENTREPRENEUR ACCELERATION (IDEA) PROGRAMFOUR GRANTS TOTALING $25,000 WERE AWARDED UNDER THE IDEA (INGENUITY DRIVES ENTREPRENEUR ACCELERATION) PROGRAM, WHICH ASSISTS PROMISING LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS IN THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS, PROCESSES, AND DELIVERIES BY CONNECTING THEM TO THE BEST RESOURCES AVAILABLE. IN ADDITION TO THESE CASH AWARDS, $10,000 OF IN-KIND AWARDS WERE ALSO PROVIDED.INNOVATION GRANT PROGRAMFIVE GRANTS TOTALING $42,500 WERE AWARDED UNDER THE INNOVATION GRANT PROGRAM TO HELP ORGANIZATIONS DEVELOP NEW NETWORKS, FOSTER COALITION BUILDING, AND PROMOTE COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN HUMAN SERVICE PROVIDERS, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, AND/OR PUBLIC AGENCIES. TRAINING GRANTSTHREE GRANTS TOTALING $2,976 WERE AWARDED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND NONPROFIT AGENCIES FOR TRAINING IN LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. EMERGENCY DISASTER RECOVERY GRANT PROGRAMSWE STARTED TWO NEW GRANT PROGRAMS IN FY 2020 IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE AN EMERGENCY DISASTER RECOVERY EFFORT THAT FOCUSES ON CHILD CARE PROVIDERS AND ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT IS MORE BROAD-BASED TO ASSIST OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND NONPROFIT AGENCIES THROUGHOUT OUR REGION. UNDER THESE PROGRAMS WE AWARDED A GRAND TOTAL OF $468,000 WHICH CAN BE BROKEN DOWN FURTHER INTO 252 GRANTS TO CHILD CARE PROVIDERS AND CHILD CARE CENTERS FOR A TOTAL OF $273,500, AND 47 GRANTS TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND NONPROFIT AGENCIES FOR A TOTAL OF $194,500 TO ASSIST WITH THE IMPACTS FELT DURING THE ONGOING PANDEMIC.B) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTTHE FOUNDATION IS COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. AS A PART OF THAT MISSION, SEVERAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE TO PROMOTE A HIGH LEVEL OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY THROUGHOUT THE REGION. IN FY 2020, 190 LOANS WERE FUNDED UNDER THE ENTREPRENEUR AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING:ENTREPRENEUR DEVELOPMENT LOAN PROGRAMTHE ENTREPRENEUR DEVELOPMENT LOAN PROGRAM PROVIDES SMALL BUSINESS LOANS TO ENTREPRENEURS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE, EXPERTISE AND A WELL-DEVELOPED BUSINESS PLAN. 110 LOANS TOTALING $1.5 MILLION WERE FUNDED UNDER THIS PROGRAM. OF THESE LOANS ISSUED, $68,000 WERE FORGIVABLE LOANS TO CHILD CARE PROVIDERS AND $30,000 WERE LOW-INTEREST LOANS AS PART OF OUR CHILD CARE FINANCING PROGRAMS, RESULTING IN 133 NEW SLOTS AND 75 SLOTS RETAINED. FORGIVABLE LOANS WILL BE WRITTEN OFF ANNUALLY FOR A PROPORTIONATE AMOUNT AS BORROWERS CONTINUE TO MEET THE CRITERIA SET FORTH IN THE LOAN AGREEMENTS. IN ADDITION, 18 BUSINESSES ALSO RECEIVED $17,300 IN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM SPECIALIZED SERVICES PROVIDED THROUGHOUT THE REGION. IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, 35 SMALL BUSINESS EMERGENCY LOANS PROVIDED $768,500 OF ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL BORROWERS; WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROVIDED THE SOURCE OF THESE EMERGENCY FUNDS. WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO ISSUE $182,815 IN OTHER FORGIVABLE LOANS AS PROVIDED THROUGH THE WARROAD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LOAN PROGRAM. FOR EXISTING LOANS, THE FOUNDATION ALSO WAS ABLE TO GRANT 23 LOAN DEFERRALS WHERE $29,800 WAS THE TOTAL AMOUNT DEFERRED TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL RELIEF TO BORROWERS IMPACTED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.BUSINESS FINANCE PROGRAMTHE BUSINESS FINANCE PROGRAM (BFP) IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LOAN PROGRAM TYPICALLY ENGAGED IN MAKING GAP LOANS. THE BFP PARTNERS WITH COMMERCIAL BANKS THAT ARE UNWILLING TO ASSUME THE RISK OF GRANTING AN ENTIRE LOAN REQUEST. THE BFP WAS ESTABLISHED WITH THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF ENCOURAGING PRIVATE INVESTMENT, INCREASING EMPLOYMENT, AND PROMOTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHWEST MINNESOTA. LOANS ARE MADE FOR PROJECTS THAT CREATE JOBS THAT HAVE LONG-TERM COMMUNITY BENEFIT, FURTHER DIVERSIFY THE AREAS ECONOMY, AND LEVERAGE OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDS TO INCREASE TOTAL CAPITAL INTO THE REGION. THREE LOANS TOTALING $145,000 WERE FUNDED UNDER THIS PROGRAM. THESE LOANS WERE PART OF OUR HOUSING AND COMMUNITIES THRIVE PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO BRING RESOURCES FOR HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TO THE REGIONS IDENTIFIED ABOVE IN COMMUNITIES THRIVE.C) ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAM EXPENSESTHE FOUNDATION INCURRED $2,255,123 IN PROGRAM OPERATING COSTS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION AND DELIVERY OF PROGRAM SERVICES. OUR LOAN LOSS PROVISION OF $654,814 IS CONTAINED WITHIN THESE OPERATING COSTS OF WHICH ALSO INCLUDE THE 100% LOAN LOSS PROVISIONS FOR THE $250,815 OF FORGIVABLE LOANS ISSUED DURING THE YEAR. THE REMAINDER OF THESE OPERATING COSTS INCLUDED SALARIES, FRINGE BENEFITS, PURCHASED SERVICES, OFFICE SUPPLIES, TELEPHONE, SUBSCRIPTIONS, POSTAGE, PRINTING, EDUCATION, TRAVEL, LOAN LOSSES, LOAN INTEREST, PROMOTION, AND OVERHEAD.

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