Fourth Quarter Grants 2021

During the fourth quarter of 2021, the Northwest Area Foundation approved 68 grants worth $3,164,306—including 3 grants totaling $250,000 designated as crisis response emergency grants.

This quarter’s grant funding focuses on work being done in three of our four interlocking portfolios—Access to Capital, Enterprise Development, and Work Opportunity—as well as work related to general projects that are not designated to a specific portfolio.

Our crisis response emergency grants acknowledge the extent of the crises many of our grantees are facing—from COVID-19 relief to addressing challenges brought on by additional 2020 and 2021 crises such as racial unrest—and provide our grantees with essential support. The grants also strengthen financial efforts by foundations providing critical emergency assistance to community-based nonprofits helping underserved communities in our region.

Overall, our grants support organizations anchored in the culture of the people they serve across our region of eight states and 76 Native nations. Our grantees are dedicated to expanding economic opportunity in under-resourced communities by advancing good jobs and financial capability. They build on the untapped potential within our priority communities: Native Americans, communities of color, immigrants and refugees, and people in rural areas.

We include grants of $10,000 or more below. For information on grants of less than $10,000, please visit our grants database.

*Indicates crisis response emergency grants.

Grants to Provide Access to Capital

Northside Economic Opportunity Network of Minneapolis will receive $750,000 over three years to increase staff capacity, improve its headquarters, and build an incubator for Northside food businesses.
Grant term: Sept. 1, 2021 – Aug. 30, 2024

Oregon Native American Chamber of Portland, OR, will receive $200,000 over two years to support its efforts to expand its internal capacity as it grows its operations and explores new services in support of Native American business communities.
Grant term: Nov. 1, 2021 – Oct. 31, 2023

Grants to Support Enterprise Development

Unite Oregon of Portland, OR, will receive $250,000 over two years to support its efforts to deepen and expand its impact of building wealth for immigrants, refugees, and Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC) communities in urban and rural communities.
Grant term: Dec. 1, 2021 – Nov. 30, 2023

Grants to Expand Work Opportunity

Nakoda-Aaniiih Credit Agency of Harlem, MT, will receive $160,000 over two years for the Fort Belknap Economic Development Plan—supporting the Agency’s operations, including coordination of activities as part of the Northwest Area Foundation’s Vibrant Tribal Economies initiative.
Grant term: Oct. 1, 2021 – Sept. 30, 2023

General Grants

When we fund projects that help organizations and communities in ways that aren’t specifically associated with one of our four interlocking portfolios, we include those grants in the “General” category.

*Boys & Girls Clubs of America of Atlanta received $250,000 (*$100,000 of which was funded by our crisis response initiative) to support its Native Services Unit, regranting some funds directly to Native Clubs and the remaining funds supporting technical assistance to Native Clubs.
Grant term: Nov. 1, 2021 – Oct. 31, 2022

*Byrd Barr Place of Seattle will receive $125,000 over three years in support of the BIPOC Executive Directors Coalition of Washington State. Grant funds will support the Coalition’s efforts to equip nonprofit leaders and organizations with the skills and resources they need to respond to crises, and to promote unity, reparation, and restoration for BIPOC communities.
Grant term: Oct. 1, 2021 – Sept. 30, 2024

CAPI USA of Brooklyn Center, MN, will receive $150,000 over two years to support its efforts to deliver services through its three integrated units (basic needs, economic empowerment, and civic engagement).
Grant term: Nov. 1, 2021 – Oct. 31, 2023

Jobs Foundation of St. Paul, MN, received $100,000 to support its capacity-building campaign, which aims to increase staff capacity and double its revenues for electronics recycling and reuse.
Grant term: Dec. 1, 2021 – Nov. 30, 2022

Juma Ventures of San Francisco received $50,000 to support its Seattle YouthConnect Program.
Grant term: Oct. 1, 2021 – Sept. 30, 2022

National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD) of Oakland, CA, received $250,000 to support efforts to advance racial healing and anti-racism work within National CAPACD and community-based organizations in the Foundation’s region.
Grant term: Nov. 1, 2021 – Oct. 31, 2022

New Venture Fund of New York, as fiscal sponsor for AAPI Civic Engagement Fund, received $250,000 to support efforts to foster a culture of civic participation within Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities by providing sub-grants and technical assistance to AAPI groups in the Foundation’s region.
Grant term: Nov. 1, 2021 – Oct. 31, 2022

Philanthrofund (PFund) Foundation of Minneapolis will receive $250,000 over two years to support the PRISM Program for rural queer organizations in the upper Midwest. Grant funds will be regranted to LGBTQ organizations and community groups working in rural areas in ND, SD, IA, and MN, and will also support increasing the capacity of each grant recipient and strengthening the network of rural LGBTQ organizations.
Grant term: Dec. 1, 2021 – Nov. 30, 2023

*Potlatch Fund of Seattle received $100,000 (*$25,000 of which was funded by our crisis response initiative) to support its efforts to provide capacity-building and leadership development services to tribes and Native nonprofits.
Grant term: Nov. 1, 2021 – Oct. 31, 2022

Rosebud Economic Development Corporation of Mission, SD, will receive $250,000 over two years to support its efforts to improve its organizational effectiveness in three specific areas: financial management, communications, and fundraising.
Grant term: Nov. 1, 2021 – Oct. 31, 2023

Sponsorships

Sponsorships support opportunities for grantees to participate in activities that advance their learning, build relationships, exchange ideas and resources, and collaborate in unexpected ways. When sponsorships of $10,000 or more are awarded, we list them here. No sponsorships of this size were awarded in Q4 2021. For information on sponsorships of less than $10,000, please visit our grants database.