Strengthen ND: Empowering Communities with Nearly $3.5M in Grant Investments

January 1, 2024

Strengthen ND: Empowering Communities with Nearly $3.5M in Grant Investments

In the heart of Minot, North Dakota, an innovative grantmaking program is making waves. Since its inception two years ago, Strengthen ND’s Creative Community Solutions grantmaking program has invested a whopping $3,490,300 into organizations and communities. The goal? To encourage the development, testing, and dissemination of community-driven solutions to tackle some of the state’s most pressing problems.

The third round of grantmaking recently concluded in November, resulting in five new investments totaling $215,300. As Megan Langley, Executive Director of Strengthen ND, observes these investments are a testament to the caliber of proposals received and the relentless commitment of communities to explore innovative solutions and collaborations.

A New Era in Philanthropy

The journey began in early 2022 when the Bush Foundation named Strengthen ND as one of its partners to develop, implement, and evaluate a new funding initiative: Community-Based Grantmaking Programs. Strengthen ND seized this opportunity to challenge the status quo in philanthropy. They aim to increase the accessibility and flexibility of charitable dollars.

Strengthen ND has embodied the spirit of “community innovation,” a trait that shines brightly across North Dakota’s diverse communities. By empowering fellow North Dakotans to design the criteria and make decisions about fund investment, Strengthen ND has truly made this a community-led initiative.

The Community Projects Making a Difference

Among the projects selected for funding include:

  • Rolla JDA (Rolla, ND): Received $100,000 to test a community revolving fund supporting both short-term and long-term economic and community development through property renovations.
  • Native Max (Greater ND): Awarded $40,000 to expand Creatives Indigenous, a six-week start-up program for Native entrepreneurs, into North Dakota.
  • Bismarck Global Neighbors (Bismarck & Mandan, ND): Granted $30,000 to lay the groundwork for an immigrant-led and immigrant-cultivated leadership incubator.
  • The Arts Center (Jamestown, ND): Secured $26,400 to develop and test strategies utilizing the arts as a catalyst for behavioral change in youth.
  • Youthworks (Fargo & Bismarck, ND): Given $18,900 to develop a Youth Participatory Action Model to amplify youth leadership and engagement for LGBTQ+ populations.

Looking to the Future

Eileen Briggs, grantmaking director at the Bush Foundation, commends Strengthen ND’s efforts. She believes that this approach allows for more flexibility and local ownership, which can inspire and support creative problem-solving in North Dakota.

Strengthen ND will accept proposals for the fourth round of the Creative Community Solutions grantmaking program through April 30th, 2024. If you want to make a difference in your community, visit the Strengthen ND website (www.StrengthenND.com) to review the program criteria and schedule an introductory call with their staff.

Together, we can strengthen North Dakota, one community project at a time!

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