Q: My organization is based outside the 12-country area of the Northwest Minnesota Foundation. Am I still eligible to apply for a grant?

A: Organizations receiving grant funding from NMF must be located and/or conducting activities in Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake and Roseau Counties.

Q: When should I send in my application?

A: The first step in our application process is the submission of a brief project description, call a Pre-Proposal for Funding. Pre-Proposals may be submitted at any time. Those received by the last Friday of each month will be reviewed for eligibility at the next meeting of the NMF board of directors.

Q: Do I need to contact the Northwest Minnesota Foundation before I send in my pre-proposal application?

A: Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Foundation’s grant staff before sending in a pre-proposal. This simple step may save you time and help you determine if your project idea meets the Foundation’s eligibility guidelines.

Q: What happens after I send in my pre-proposal?

A: The Foundation board of directors reviews all project ideas at a pre-proposal stage before inviting eligible applicants to submit a full proposal. If the board does invite you to send in a full application, you will generally have 90 days to submit your full application.

Q: Do you accept the Minnesota Common Grant application form?

A: Yes. NMF will accept the Minnesota Common Grant form for full applications. However, applicants should use the NMF Pre-Proposal for Funding application for initial project submissions.