The Northwest Minnesota Foundation provides the structure by which individuals, businesses and organizations help create the asset base of their community - contributing financially to the care of its people and the quality of its services.

Investing Resources, Creating Opportunities, Promoting Philanthropy

The Northwest Minnesota's natural resources, community bonds and caring people have made those who live here very fortunate. Yet the region is changing and growing, presenting challenges as well as opportunities.

For longtime residents and newcomers alike, northwest Minnesota is a place of connection and commitments that keep us grounded and working for positive change. Together we can create new ones and provide benefits for future generations.

NMF provides a convenient, flexible, and effective vehicle to help charitable individuals ensure that the region remains a healthy and supportive place for all of its people well into the future.

NMF Helps Communities By:

• Supporting long-term benefits for communities in northwest Minnesota by creating and generating community capital, and charitable endowments that will benefit our region now and for generations to come. We establish, develop and maintain endowments - the lasting investment for future generations.
• Supporting the leadership, ideas and creativity of our local communities with field of interest and donor advised funds.
• Protecting and enhancing the region's unique human and natural resources.

NMF Benefits Donors By:

• Promoting the right of every person in Northwest Minnesota to participate in philanthropy.
• Matching the philanthropic interest of donors with new and existing community needs that require support.
• Mobilizing individuals to become active partners in building better community places.
• Providing a permanent entity for receiving and managing charitable gifts and bequests.
• Exercising and promoting leadership in meeting the changing needs in the region.
• Being responsive to donors' interests by providing a flexible and prudently managed vehicle for directing their charitable assets to their community's greatest benefit.

Community foundations are flexible vehicles for donors' varied interests. We listen in order to understand your goals and interests. We inform and educate you about your giving options and funding opportunities. Once your gift is made, we exercise prudent stewardship to ensure that your charitable assets are soundly managed for the benefit of both current and future generations. NMF is a steward through which private assets entrusted to us by generations of donors are wisely invested to meet the challenges of contemporary life.

NMF Supports Nonprofit Organizations

Benefiting a specific nonprofit organization, NMF organizational (agency) funds are established to assist regional nonprofits with the important work of building their assets bases. Working with NMF, nonprofit organizations can build endowment funds, organize specific capital project funding efforts and provide gift opportunities for their donors. NMF serves as an active participant, helping community organizations further their missions and ensuring continued operating success.

Ways to Give

Gifts of all sizes are encouraged. You can make a contribution in support of any NMF fund (donation form, see below) or create a new fund through:

• Outright Gifts: this is the simplest and most convenient way of sharing the work of the NMF. All such gifts qualify for maximum deductibility for income tax purposes.
• Bequests: There are several ways the NMF or its component funds may be remembered in a will -- by being named as the residuary beneficiary of donor's estate, or as the recipient of a stated sum, among others.
• Planned Gifts: Please contact Ritchie Houge, Vice President for Philanthropic Services, for more information about how charitable giving can help you and your family realize many of personal and financial goals.

Download the Northwest Minnesota Foundation Giving Resource Donation Form (pdf)

Need Assistance?

Contact Ritchie Houge, Vice President for Philanthropic Services