Apply for a Grant

Grant guidelines

A note from the Foundation:

We have continued to adapt our grantmaking to be flexible and responsive and will offer general operating, program, and capital support throughout 2021.

Geography

The Mardag Foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations and public entities located within and serving residents of Minnesota. The geographic focus of our grantmaking is the East Metro area of Dakota, Ramsey and Washington counties, as well as Greater Minnesota.

Priorities

The Mardag Foundation has three focus areas and will consider proposals that address one or more of the following.

• Improving the lives of low-income Children, Youth and Families that lack access to critical opportunities and resources that they need
• Supporting older adults across Minnesota who lack access or have barriers to critical opportunities to thrive and create community connections
• Building capacity to improve community vitality through Arts and Culture

Eligibility

Grants can be made to 501(c)3 organizations, education or governmental units and religious institutions.

Current & Past Grant Status

Current grantees are eligible to apply for funding that would begin after the end of their current grant period. Nonprofits that have received three years of consecutive funding are eligible to apply for a grant. Questions? Please contact a member of our Grant Team.

Types of Grants Available

The Foundation WILL consider grant applications for:

• General operating – these one-year grants provide flexible funding for nonprofits in which at least 50% of the organization’s services benefit residents in the East Metro and/or Greater Minnesota.
• Capital projects – These grants are designed to support your organization’s investment in buildings, facilities and equipment. Foundation investments are typically limited to buildings owned by nonprofits or held by long-term lease agreement. These grants are generally paid over multiple years.
• Program grants – these grants are designed to provide support to a program or project serving residents of the East Metro or Greater Minnesota. The Foundation will consider proposals for established and/or new programs/projects.

Grant Requests Not Accepted

The Foundation WILL NOT consider grant applications for:

• Programs exclusively serving Minneapolis and the surrounding West Metro area
• Scholarships and grants to individuals
• Sectarian religious programs or organizations
• Federated campaigns
• Events and conferences
• Capital campaigns of private secondary schools
• Capital and endowment campaigns of private colleges and universities

Important Dates

Grant applications for this cycle open on Dec. 15, 2020, and close at 3 p.m. on Jan. 12, 2021. Applicants will be notified if they are being considered for full review by late February. The board meets to make to funding decisions in mid-to-late May.

Contact Us

Before applying, all interested applicants are encouraged to contact a member of our Grant Team to ensure that your grant fits the requested need.