Each accomplishment listed below is like a single droplet on the surface of northeastern Minnesota. On its own, it makes a relatively small impact. But when it meets our region’s deep well of dedicated nonprofits, businesses, and individuals, it gains the momentum to ripple out and touch many lives. We thank the hardworking, innovative people who create that ripple effect in their communities and beyond.

• Welcomed the first residents to Northland Village – McGregor’s Assisted Living Community in April. This mission-driven initiative was created to bring high-quality, affordable senior living options to rural communities in the region. It aligns with the Foundation’s longstanding commitment to help older adults remain independent and be contributing members of their communities.
• Awarded more than 200 grants totaling over $1.2 million to nonprofit organizations serving the seven-county Arrowhead Region.
• Provided nearly $423,000 in grants to programs that encourage self-reliance for individuals and families such as job training, affordable housing, services for people with disabilities, poverty alleviation, and others.
• Granted more than $575,000 to programs and nonprofit organizations serving the region’s children, youth, and families.
• Awarded $112,740 in grants to support programs helping older adults remain independent and active in their communities.
• Continued a 21-year relationship with The McKnight Foundation, completing the first year of McKnight’s most recent five-year commitment totaling up to $7.2 million to support Northland Foundation’s programs and initiatives throughout the region.
• Received a generous recommitment from St. Mary’s/Duluth Clinic Health System for $25,000 in Grant Program and KIDS PLUS Program funding, continuing a fruitful 16-year partnership in support of the region’s children, youth, and older adults.
• Received a $25,000 grant from the Community Experience Partnership, an aging initiative of The Atlantic Philanthropies, to study the civic engagement of people age 55 and older. The Northland Foundation was one of just 30 foundations nationwide to be awarded this grant. Foundation staff gathered a wealth of information from a total of 325 participants in the seven-county area by conducting 120 face-to-face interviews and 11 focus groups.
• Launched a Social Enterprise pilot program to help entrepreneurial nonprofits advance their social missions through earned-income strategies. Through professional business consulting and technical assistance, as well as grant and loan support, eight participating organizations were able to evaluate new business opportunities or work to stabilize and grow existing social enterprise ventures.
• Invested in family-sustaining jobs and the economic vitality of northeastern Minnesota by providing nearly $1.7 million in financing to a dozen businesses in the region.
• Increased capitalization of the Business Finance Program portfolio to $18.5 million, thereby growing our capacity to provide more and larger business loans in the future. Capital secured included a $1 million program-related investment from the Northwest Area Foundation, a $500,000 low-interest loan from Republic Bank, and a $100,000 USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant.
• Received a $1.5 million grant from the Bush Foundation to launch the Minnesota Thrive Initiative in partnership with the five other Initiative Foundations. The Duluth-Hermantown-Proctor Thrive Action Team, one of six pilot sites in the state, is off to a promising start toward promoting the healthy social and emotional development of our youngest children, age birth to five years.
• Continued or began new funding partnerships with the following foundations in support of the Minnesota Thrive Initiative:  The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation; Medica Foundation; The Sheltering Arms Foundation; Mardag Foundation; and Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, L.L.P. Foundation for Education, Public Health and Social Justice.
• Established two new Minnesota Early Childhood Initiative coalitions in the communities of Silver Bay and Two Harbors. They join Aitkin County, Carlton County, Hermantown/Proctor, Hibbing, Itasca Area, Koochiching County, Mesabi East School District, and the Quad Cities Area in a campaign to support a healthy life of learning, achieving, and succeeding for all of Minnesota’s young children.
• Hosted 200 educators from 31 communities at the Regional Kindergarten Transition Summit, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Sam Meisels, his colleague Dr. Patricia Horsch, and a panel from the Proctor/Hermantown Early Childhood Coalition’s “Bridges to Kindergarten” program. Sponsors included Blandin Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, SMDC Health System, and WDIO/WIRT-TV/Hubbard Broadcasting Foundation.
• Provided planning grants totaling $11,900 to 18 schools and school districts in the region in support of kindergarten transition programming.
• Produced a Spanish-language edition of the Getting School Ready in Minnesota Guide and reprinted the English version. Aimed at helping parents prepare their children to successfully enter kindergarten, more than 200,000 guides have now been distributed throughout the state.
• Graduated 80 ninth graders from the Duluth and Superior KIDS PLUS Youth Leadership Academies. Twenty dedicated adult mentors volunteered their time to help instill teamwork and lifelong leadership skills in Academy participants, and 25 area businesses and individuals provided local funding support.
• Encouraged young people’s involvement in philanthropy and civic engagement through the KIDS PLUS Youth in Philanthropy Board. In partnership with the Minnesota Power Foundation, this grant-making board of 16 young people and three adults awarded 23 grants totaling nearly $22,000 to youth-developed projects.
• Offered Youth in Philanthropy grantwriting training to help young people learn how to prepare a grant proposal and move their youth-led projects forward from the idea stage to implementation.
• Revisited four KIDS PLUS Communities: Hill City, International Falls, Barnum, and Cook, to help generate renewed enthusiasm toward creating opportunities for youth to connect with caring adults and participate in positive out-of-school-time activities. Funding was provided by the Emma B. Howe Memorial Foundation, a supporting organization of the Minneapolis Foundation.
• Created the KIDS PLUS Institute, building on a long history of training and convening, as a central vehicle for presenting conferences, seminars, and other learning opportunities focused on children and youth-related topics.
• Delivered education and professional development opportunities to more than 800 educators, youth development specialists, business people, parents, and youth at various KIDS PLUS Institute events held over the course of the year. Nationally known presenters included David Walsh (adolescent brain development), Barbara Coloroso (youth violence and bullying prevention), and Arthur Rolnick (investment in early childhood development).
• Provided 26 KIDS PLUS and 10 Early Childhood Initiative Communities with ongoing opportunities to share information and network with one another during regional coordinator meetings held throughout the year.
• Delivered CLIMB Theatre’s “Shattered: A Meth Prevention Program” at a dozen schools located in KIDS PLUS Communities, to educate 7th-12th grade students about the dangers of methamphetamine. Funding was provided by SMDC Health System, First Plan of Minnesota, and the Initiative Foundation.
• Celebrated ten years of collaboration on the Valspar Foundation’s Minnesota Beautiful Program by presenting a “Valued Partner Award” to Valspar. The program has awarded more than 4,000 gallons of free paint and coating products to beautification projects in northeastern Minnesota since 1998. This past year, 495 gallons were granted to 16 regional projects.