Grant Opportunity
Personally Endowed Fund Grants
We accept proposals for grants from three Personally Endowed Funds each year. These funds were created by philanthropists who wanted to support their favorite causes and organizations in the Fergus Falls, Perham, and Dent communities. Grants range from $500 to $2,500.
Please be sure to review the specifics of each grant below before submitting your application. To simplify that application process, organizations should complete one application per geography served.
Component funds of West Central Initiative that don’t have their own 501(c)(3) status are not eligible to apply, unless partnering with a fiscal agent.
2025-2026 Grant Timeline
- Application Period: October 6 through November 6, 2025, at 5 p.m.
- Application Notifications: Applicants will be notified of the status of their application in January 2026.
- Grant Payments: Recipients will receive the grant payment in mid-January.
- Grant Period: Recipients must use the grant funding between January and December 2026.
- Grant Reporting: Recipients must submit a grant report through our application portal before the end of the grant period.
Connect with Us
Amanda Quam
Grants Officer
Grant Information
Deloris Barnack Kenner Endowment Fund
Deloris Barnack Kenner grew up and went to school in the Perham area. She continued her education to become a nurse, a career that she held for 50 years. Kenner’s mission to support education lives on today through her fund.
Eligibility:
- Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, public or nonprofit school, or unit of government (including Tribal government or division) or be fiscally sponsored by another organization with this status.
- Primarily serves Perham-Dent.
- Primarily serve is defined as 50% or more of participants or individuals served reside in communities with these zip code: 56573 or 56528.
- Support projects benefiting teachers or education.
Floyd and Harriet Miller Endowment Fund
The Millers wished to leave a lasting impact in the Fergus Falls community for all the kindness that they received from community members and organizations during their lifetimes.
Eligibility:
- Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or be fiscally sponsored by another organization with this status.
- Primarily serves Fergus Falls.
Inga M. Johnson Endowment Fund
Inga Johnson was actively involved with her community and was philanthropic throughout her lifetime. It was Inga’s wish that this fund support families in the Fergus Falls area.
Eligibility:
- Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, public or nonprofit school, or unit of government (including Tribal government or division), or be fiscally sponsored by another organization with this status.
- Primarily serves Fergus Falls.
- Primarily serve is defined as 50% or more of participants or individuals served reside in communities with these zip codes: 56537 or 56538.
- Support projects benefiting educational, charitable, scientific, literary, and religious needs.
Application Process
To simplify that application process, organizations should complete one application per geography served.
- Organizations primarily serving Fergus Falls should submit one application and may be considered for either a Floyd and Harriet Miller Endowment Fund grant or an Inga M. Johnson Endowment Fund grant.
- Organizations primarily serving Perham-Dent should submit one application and may be considered for the Deloris Barnack Kenner Endowment Fund grant.
- Organizations serving both the Fergus Falls and Perham-Dent communities will need to submit two applications: one for Fergus Falls and one for Perham-Dent.
Application
The application is closed. Check back in fall 2026 for the 2026-2027 application period.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, we have shifted the annual application period to the fall. There will not be another grant application period for Personally Endowed Fund Grants until fall 2026.
- Organization information, such as contact information, address, and EIN number.
- Project information, such as project name and project dates.
- Funding information, such as total project cost, amount requested, and other funds raised for the project.
- A description of how you will use the funds and how the project relates to your mission.
- The outcomes and goals for the project.
- How the project promotes inclusivity and collaboration.
Yes, once you have started or submitted an application, you can download it as a PDF to view the full application. To do so, find the application you’d like to view under “My Applications,” at the top right of your screen. Then, click the three vertical dots on the application and select download. You may wish to download a copy of your submitted application for your records.
A fiscal agent is an organization that agrees to accept and be responsible for grant funds on an organization’s behalf. A fiscal agent must be a nonprofit organization, school, church, or unit of government. Before listing a fiscal agent on your application, you must discuss entering this partnership with them. The fiscal agent should be a trusted partner, as they will receive the grant check if your organization is selected as a recipient.
Component funds of West Central Initiative that don’t have their own 501(c)(3) status are not eligible to apply, unless partnering with a fiscal agent.
If you are partnering with a fiscal agent, you must add a collaborator to your application. You can also add anyone else you would like to help with the application as a collaborator. To do this, click “add a collaborator” on the left side of the screen before you start the application form, and enter the email addresses of those you would like to invite to collaborate. Please select “view & edit” permissions for the fiscal agent contact.
You can also add a collaborator after you start your application by going “back to application” and adding a collaborator.
Connect with Us
Amanda Quam
Grants Officer