West Central Initiative Awards Grants to 72 Regional Organizations

West Central Initiative awarded $600,000 in grants to 72 organizations across the region. This year marked both the largest number of organizations funded in West Central Initiative’s 40-year grantmaking history and the highest number of grant applications ever received.

Grants support organizations advancing civic engagement, environmental sustainability, social change, and cross-sector community initiatives across the region.

“We’re inspired by the work nonprofits and community-led groups are doing to strengthen communities and create positive change,” said West Central Initiative Grants Officer Amanda Quam. “The record number of applications highlights both the creativity of local organizations and the growing need for community investment across the region in the priority areas.” 

West Central Initiative Grant Recipients 

• A Place to Belong for member-driven, peer-led community building for adults living with mental illness. 

• Alexandria Technical and Community College for civic education and intergenerational engagement. 

• Art of the Lakes for engaging and informing the public about the causes and effects of microplastics through art. 

• ArtisTree Community Inc. for Racial Equity Learning Communities, which are community groups in the region focused on racial equity.

• Bagosendaan for promoting learning and emotional growth to low-income youth ages 11 to 18 who are at-risk or are previous offenders within a court or school system. 

• Baraza La Afrika Inc. for the Baraza La Afrika Community Garden to help families build health, wealth, connection, and capacity. 

• Becker County Food Pantry, Inc. for well water testing for food pantry clients in rural Becker County, and to provide education about water safety to ensure healthy drinking water is accessible and affordable. 

• Beyond Brink for Peer Recovery Support Services in Alexandria, providing individualized recovery support, system navigation, advocacy, and connection to community resources. 

• City of Chokio for the installation of public Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at Chokio City Hall and Community Center. 

• City of Moorhead for the Citizens Government Academy, where participants have the opportunity to better understand how the municipal government operates and become more civically engaged 

• City of Morris for the Sustainability Project Coordinator position to complete several projects and events.  

• Clifford J. Benson Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Minnesota Morris for the Rural Intercultural Education Initiative to improve lifelong education and community engagement for immigrants. 

• CLIMB Theatre Inc. for environmental responsibility plays for area youth. 

• Community Connect Center for advancing equity and civic engagement for New Americans in Clay County. 

• Conexiones for connecting immigrants with the community through relocation services, local schools, health services, and community activities. 

• CornerStone for Empowering Leadership, a community-based initiative to expand civic engagement and strengthen local leadership among youth, parents, and community members. 

• Creator’s Place LLC for providing consistent paid work, skills training, and culturally grounded economic opportunities for local residents in the Pine Point area. 

• Cultural Diversity Resources for Developing Essential Skills for Family Independence to help low-income Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) families gain long-term social and financial sustainability. 

• Dilworth Glyndon Felton (DGF) Public School #2164 for the student-led Conservation Crew to transform carbon-heavy lawns into high-functioning pocket prairies for public entities and residents. 

• Enrichment Operation for partnering with Moorhead Area Public Schools’ English Language Learners, Unified and Adaptive Classes, and Indian Education Department, and the West Central Juvenile Detention Center to celebrate and share in positive experiences across cultures and lived experiences. 

• Ethnic Self-Help Alliance for Refugee Assistance (ESHARA) for reducing barriers and expanding access to critical resources, including employment, housing, healthcare, and education for refugees, immigrants, and New Americans. 

• Farm in the Dell of the Red River Valley for transforming disabilities into abilities through purposeful work, a supportive community, and life experiences on the farm. 

• Frazee Community Development Corporation for implementing the Wannigan Park Climate Action Plan. 

• Friends of the Alexandria Nature Trail for developing interconnected trails and to protect the Long Prairie Watershed for present and future generations. 

• Giving Grayce MN for removing barriers, expanding opportunity, and creating lasting systems-change for youth and families. 

• Glacial Hills Elementary School for developing and sustaining gardens and outdoor learning spaces to provide hands-on environmental education rooted in sustainability, conservation, and land stewardship. 

• Grant County Collaborative for Strengthening Grant County, a community-driven initiative to support personal growth and civic participation.  

• Henning Public School District #545 for increasing public access to the library to expand equitable community access to knowledge, technology, and community connection. 

• Hope Blooms for Flower Empower to enhance well-being and social connectedness for older adults and those with disabilities, in recovery, in mental health facilities, and many others. 

• Horizon Public Health for Amplifying Youth Voice: Mapping & Co-Creating Solutions for Thriving Communities, a youth-led community mapping initiative in Stevens County schools designed to elevate student voice and advance mental well-being. 

• Immigrant Development Center for expanding Economic Pathways for New Americans in Clay County, an economic empowerment program for immigrants and refugees. 

• Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota for informational presentations about immigration law and immigrant rights. 

• Inclusive Moorhead for strengthening long-term systems-change by addressing gaps in representation, civic access, and trust between historically marginalized communities and public institutions. 

• Justice North for outreach about immigration legal services, and to provide training and resources to businesses about the laws and regulations for employing New Americans. 

• Kondial Kel International for Women’s Empowerment, Cultural Preservation, Financial Literacy, Mental Health & Youth Leadership, and Community Outreach programs. 

• Kurdish American Development Organization for Bridging Generations: Kurdish Civic & Cultural Leadership Project, a community-centered civic engagement and social change initiative serving second-generation Kurdish youth, elders, and Middle Eastern families in west central Minnesota. 

• Lakes & Prairies Community Action Partnership for Emerging Leaders Academy, Consumer Action Board Participation, and Advocacy Training to support opportunities for advancement and civic engagement for people with low incomes or experiencing poverty or housing instability. 

• Lakes Area Yes Network for summer programming that improves both physical and mental health and social-emotional well-being for youth in and around White Earth Nation.. 

• League of Women Voters- Detroit Lakes Area for removing barriers to voting, countering voting and election misinformation, and providing programming on policy and local government processes to communities in Becker County and White Earth Nation.  

• Minnesota Chippewa Tribe – White Earth Band for hiring a Civic Engagement Coordinator to engage with community members, coordinate volunteer activities, promote public awareness campaigns, and foster community relationships. 

• Minnesota Flyers Gymnastics Inc. (pictured) for the Detroit Lakes High School Unified Physical Education class to attend FlyTime, which provides adaptive fitness opportunities for athletes with special needs, ensuring access to equitable physical fitness for all. 

• Minnesotans for Consumer Financial Protection for expanding community listening sessions, issue education, civic engagement training, and advocacy coordination to west central Minnesota. 

• New Roots Midwest for the design and implementation of the Community-Led Belonging and Civic Connection Initiative, a community-driven effort to strengthen relationships, trust, and participation across the broader community. 

• New York Mills Regional Cultural Center for supporting the Cultural Center, a trusted rural hub for creativity, connection, and civic engagement. 

• Onyx Collective for developing a strategic plan and culturally grounded curriculum for the Onyx Collective Learning Co‑Op, a community-designed education ecosystem. 

• Pelican Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce for Community Conversations, a dynamic speaking event series designed to foster meaningful dialogue, strengthen civic understanding, and inspire collective action. 

• Perham Health Elevate for Elevate’s Mobility Market, a rural equipment reuse and redistribution program that increases access to mobility and safety equipment while reducing environmental waste. 

• Pioneer Home, Inc. for Rivers Area Memory Café to restore belonging and amplify the voices of individuals and families impacted by memory loss through welcoming, community-led spaces rooted in dignity and connection. 

• Pioneer PBS for producing an episode of Prairie Yard & Garden about Morris Area School’s Farm to Kids program to document its vital role in connecting students with the origins of their food. 

• Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota for expanding access to community-driven, age-appropriate, and medically accurate sex education. 

• Prairie Rose Agricultural Institute for Research, Innovation, and Education for New Roots Farm Incubator to increase farmer participation in composting, help emerging farmers work more efficiently, and improve soil heath through testing and observation. 

• Project 412 for HOTdish: Building Community One Plate at a Time, an event in Detroit Lakes that allows residents to pitch their community-building ideas and helps turn residents into community leaders. 

• Rebel Shed for Sanctuary Murals & Healing Circles to co-create large-scale public murals that visibly mark safe spaces through bilingual workshops for local youth in Otter Tail and Becker Counties and White Earth Nation. 

• Richland-Wilkin Kinship for providing opportunities and support for youth in Wilkin County through the power of mentoring. 

• RUSC Kinship Mentoring for advancing equity in Stevens County by ensuring that all youth—regardless of background or circumstance—have access to mentorship, literacy resources, and developmental support. 

• Seed Coalition for Civic Action Academy, a gathering for college students to explore how their unique skills can address community needs. 

• Soweto NFH for establishing a Unity & Advocacy Hub, a sustained monthly gathering space for the African American community and their allies to dismantle systemic barriers in Clay County. 

• Special Olympics Minnesota for inclusive regional events in west central Minnesota. 

• Spread Your Sunshine for Sunshine Gatherings, events created for children and families facing financial, health, or social challenges to have moments of fun, connection, and celebration. 

• Springboard for the Arts for Artists Respond: Roots of Democracy to support artist-organizers in west central Minnesota to design and lead creative engagement projects that address urgent regional challenges related to civic participation, leadership, social justice, and community polarization. 

• Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota for a four-part seasonal chef dinner series through MANNA Food Co-op featuring local food and a variety of cultural culinary traditions. 

• The Bridge Center for fostering a space where youth, families, and neighbors of all ages find connection, a sense of belonging, and possibilities. 

• Theatre B for removing barriers to participation in the arts for historically marginalized communities through the Adaptive Theatre program, the artist mentorship program, and need-based scholarships for the Summer Education Series. 

• Umoja incorporated for Moorhead High School Student Leadership Day, a full-day, youth-centered educational summit that elevates student voice, builds leadership capacity, and strengthens civic and cultural belonging for historically marginalized students. 

• United Prairie Foundation, Inc. for supporting native plantings, educational materials, outreach supplies, and monarch butterfly tagging events in Fergus Falls, Moorhead, and Glyndon. 

• United Way of Cass-Clay for United to End Homelessness, a coordinated community strategy to ensure homelessness in Cass and Clay Counties is rare, brief, and one-time. 

• The University of Minnesota Extension Clay County Master Gardeners for FM Flutterfest, a family-friendly community event celebrating pollinators and supporting ecosystem health. 

• The University of Minnesota Extension Youth Development 4-H for launching a community-driven mental wellbeing program for marginalized residents in Moorhead. 

• Viking Library System for creating Civic Hubs in the Viking Library System public libraries and Bookmobile to highlight civic topics and provide resources and civic engagement programming. 

• White Earth Land Recovery Project for the Aking izhe Miijim: Land is the Place of Food – Land Stewardship & Food Security project that educates community members on growing and preserving food, teaches Indigenous farming techniques, supports elders’ access to nutritious food, engages youth in language and cultural learning, and creates opportunities for the community to gather and practice traditional ways. 

• Women Initiative Network of Liberia for the We Care program to expand career pathways, youth mentorship, and financial literacy for historically marginalized communities. 

• YMCA of the Northern Sky for Youth in Government, a hands-on civic education program for youth in grades 8–12 in Otter Tail and Clay Counties. 

Supporting Community Grant Opportunities

“As we see growth in the nonprofit field, we also see an increased need for support,” said Rebecca Lynn Petersen, Director of Development and Philanthropic Services at West Central Initiative. “Alone, we can only do so much. But together we can make great things happen. We encourage our local businesses, churches, and individuals to support our region’s nonprofit organizations. This private-public partnership helps create healthy, engaged communities.” 

Most of the grants were funded through the West Central Initiative Endowment. Several social change grants were supported by an anonymous donor committed to fostering a sense of belonging in rural communities. To support local and regional initiatives, visit wcif.org/donate.