March 24, 2006 - The Northwest Minnesota Women's Fund is calling for funding proposals for programs and services that benefit women and girls within the twelve county Northwest Minnesota Foundation service area. Organizations with 501(c)(3) status as determined by the Internal Revenue Service are eligible to apply.

The Northwest Minnesota Women's Fund (Women's Fund) believes that women are an essential resource in our communities; they are vital partners in the social and economic stability of the region. Formed in 1997 as a tax exempt charitable component of the Northwest Minnesota Foundation (NMF), the Women's Fund serves as a catalyst for improving the quality of life for women and girls…promoting ideas and supporting programs for the strengthening and empowerment of all women.

Counties served by NMF are Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, and Roseau

The Women's Fund will consider grant requests of up to $1,000 addressing one or more of the following areas meeting the needs of females: cultural interactions, economic development, education, healthcare, or housing. Manner of presentation can include: forums, speakers, workshops, individual career counseling, or scholarships for state and national conferences.

Selection criteria will focus on how the project/program meets the Women's Fund mission, the scope of the project/program focusing beyond traditional opportunities, how the project/program is inclusive to all types of diversity, the geographic area served; and, the number of participants served, number of communities served and number of organizations served.

The deadline for submission of proposals is May 2, 2006. The grants will be awarded by June 30. The grant application and guidelines are available on the Northwest Minnesota Foundation web site www.nwmf.org, or contact Lisa Peterson, Women’s Fund coordinator at 218-759-2057 or 800-659-7859, e-mail lisap@nwmf.org.

The Northwest Minnesota Foundation invests resources, creates opportunities and promotes philanthropy to make the region a better place to live and work.