ADVANCING REGIONAL ISSUES

Funded Programs
In early 2022, the Bush Foundation announced Strengthen ND as one of its four partners to develop, implement, and evaluate a new funding initiative: Community-Based Grantmaking Programs. Strengthen ND’s approach has been to deconstruct current inequitable and ineffective systems involved in philanthropy by increasing the accessibility and flexibility of available charitable dollars, leaning into the spirit of “community innovation” as demonstrated in North Dakota’s many diverse communities, and elevating fellow North Dakotans to design the criteria and make decisions about how the funds will be invested. Organizations were able to apply for up to $300,000 over a six-year period.
Through its inaugural grantmaking round for the Creative Community Solutions grantmaking program, which is funded by the Bush Foundation, Strengthen ND has selected 10 organizations to receive $2,275,000 to develop, test, and spread community-driven solutions to some of the state’s most critical needs.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the quality and volume of proposals submitted as a part of our first Creative Community Solutions grant round,” remarked Megan Langley Laudenschlager, Executive Director of Strengthen ND. “We hope the good work that the Creative Community Solutions grantmaking panel chose to elevate through investments in the selected organizations will further inspire North Dakotans to engage in projects that improve their communities and the lives of their friends and neighbors.”
The following are the inaugural projects selected:
  • Carrington Rainbow Gardens (Carrington, ND): $300,000 to re-establish a historic Japanese garden, associated cultural programming, and landmarks.

Project: Developing and testing strategies and spaces where past instances of systemic racism can be acknowledged and discussed in a way that is non-polarizing in a rural, primarily white, community.

Developing and testing community engagement processes to celebrate diversity and build economic opportunity.

 

  • Communities Acting Together for Change & Hope (CATCH; Anamoose, ND): $300,000 to develop a program of advocacy and facilitation to pilot communities to demonstrate rural places can grow their communities by recruiting newcomers to live and work there.

Project: Developing and testing strategies to discuss immigration, highlight shared immigration experiences, and create welcoming communities. Developing and testing strategies to counter often incorrect stereotypes involving New Americans.

Developing and testing strategies to change the narrative of North Dakota with regard to immigration.

 

  • Forest River Hutterite Colony (Near Fordville, ND): $33,125 to develop a pictorial database of Hutterite ancestry and appropriately copy sacred texts.

Project: Developing strategies for the creation of a recognized, widely available history curriculum for the Hutterite colonies of the Midwest.

Developing strategies for the dissemination of historical texts to Hutterite colonies in the Midwest, making sacred texts available to all.

  • Kirat Cultural Society (Fargo, ND): $151,370 to perform and conduct cultural programs to promote social harmony, peace, and healthy relationships among all communities in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

Project: Developing and testing integration strategies for New Americans from Nepal to maintain their cultural identity, share with non-Nepalese Americans, and create cultural understanding and acceptance.

  • Long X Arts Foundation (Watford City, ND): $300,000 to establish, research, connect, and execute the “Cultural Connections” as an incubator for community building and the creative sector.

Project: Developing and testing a cross cultural arts and creativity incubator to build community amongst long-term McKenzie County residents, new residents, and immigrants.

 

  • Nyeri Ma’di Cultural Dance Group (Grand Forks, ND): $85,968 to teach financial literacy through cultural dance and programming.

Project: Developing and testing strategies to teach financial literacy in a meaningful way, through storytelling and cultural dance, to New Americans.

 

  • North Dakota Full-Service Community Schools Consortium (Minot, ND): $300,000 to strengthen and scale the full-service community schools model across rural North Dakota.

Project: Scaling and deepening the impact of full service community schools in rural and urban communities across the state.

 

Project: Developing and testing a shared services model/consortium for child care providers and programs in rural North Dakota.

 

Project: Developing and testing the integration of cultural language, education, and cultural foods as a strategy to increase community health.

 

  • Upper Missouri Ministries (Epping, ND): $300,000 to leverage hydroponic technology with the Camp Umm community to provide fresh food for northwest North Dakota and test a diversified financial model.

Project: Developing and testing a social enterprise and emerging agricultural learning opportunity within northwest North Dakota.

  • Ka Joog – Spreading a culturally attuned 4-H program into the Fargo area for New American families.Testing whether the model may work across the state with Native American populations.
  • Newburg Public School – Developing and testing work-based learning opportunities for youth in an underserved, low-population school based on regional industry with high levels of community participation.

  • Community of Sheyenne – Testing a community-owned financing tool within a rural community to catalyze community agency.

  • South Sudanese Foundation – Developing and testing narrative change strategies to support New American women to enter the workforce and remain in the workforce.Testing wraparound support tools to support New American women to enter the workforce and remain in the workforce.

  • The Journal – Spreading a youth literacy strategy and supplemental tool across North Dakota to increase literacy rates among youth, which may lead to greater long-term community news literacy and greater support for Democracy.

Strengthen ND will accept proposals for the second round of the Creative Community Solutions grantmaking program through September 30th, 2022. Individuals and organizations interested in learning more are encouraged to review the program criteria on the Strengthen ND website (www.StrengthenND.com) and to then schedule an introductory call with Strengthen ND’s staff.

Our Partners

Together we are committed to strengthening North Dakotan’s in their professional development.

Our Grantmaking Committee

  • Steven Zimmer – Munich (Voting Member)
  • Mindi Schmitz – Jamestown (Voting Member)
  • Jill Denning-Gackle – Garrison (Voting Member)
  • Mary Greene Trottier – Fort Totten (Voting Member)
  • Matuor Alier – Fargo (Voting Member)
  • Kenneth Rogers – Maxbass (Voting Member)
  • Jenny Schlecht – Medina (Voting Member)
  • Tim Baumann – Minot (Voting Member)
  • Cesar Alvarez – New Town (Voting Member)
  • Tara Brandner – Ashley (Voting Member)
  • Jasmin Fosheim – Realizing Rural (Non-Voting Member; Attends Meetings for Evaluation Purposes)
  • Cassidy Blade – Realizing Rural (Non-Voting Member; Attends Meetings for Evaluation Purposes)
  • Megan Langley – Strengthen ND (Non-Voting Member; Attends Meetings in a Program Officer Role)
  • Troyd Geist – Strengthen ND (Non-Voting Member; Attends Meetings in a Program Officer Role)
  • Cher Hersrud – Strengthen ND (Non-Voting Member; Attends Meetings in a Program Officer Role)
  • Beth Odahlen – Strengthen ND (Non-Voting Member; Attends Meetings to Provide Note-Taking and Other Administrative Support)
  • Barb Carley – Strengthen ND (Non-Voting Member; Attends Meetings to Provide Note-Taking and Other Administrative Support)