LATEST NEWS | Grants Targeted to Northwest Minnesota Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NOVEMBER 26, 2008

Women's Foundation Awards $30,008 in Grants to Northwest Minnesota Nonprofits
Funding to programs focusing on economic justice and safety and security for women and girls

MINNEAPOLIS - The Women’s Foundation of Minnesota has awarded $30,008 in grants to four nonprofits in Northwest Minnesota focused on creating economic justice and advancing safety and security for women and girls. To increase its investment in this region of the state, the Women’s Foundation established the grant program in June specifically for nonprofit groups, programs and projects that serve women and girls in 12 counties in Northwest Minnesota, including Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, and Roseau.

Grantees:

Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota | $10,000 (Roseau County), to expand access to affordable, safe, secure, sanitary and habitable housing for poor women and victims of domestic violence; to expand awareness of the adverse economic, security and legal impacts of inadequate housing, and housing discrimination and denial practices; and to expand access to justice for low-income, disabled and elderly women who are without safe, secure, sanitary and affordable housing.

Naytahwaush Community Foundation | $10,000 (Mahnomen County), to create a learning center for women and girls in poverty in the Naytahwaush community (White Earth Indian Reservation), integrating education, wellness, and economic opportunity services to break the cycle of poverty; it will serve as a model program to be replicated in other rural reservation communities that face similar inequities and challenges.

Northland Community and Technical College | $7,840 (Pennington, Polk and Roseau counties), to expand the college’s Women Entrepreneur training series to Roseau County to provide training for women entrepreneurs and small-business owners.

Warroad Women of Today | $2,168 (Warroad), for 12 girls (grades 9-12) to participate in the University of Minnesota’s Center for Democracy and Citizenship’s leadership camp, Public Achievement (summer 2009), to develop leadership skills, learn about civic engagement and responsibility, and increase participation in their community.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Press Inquiries:

Mary Beth Hanson

Communications Director

612-236-1811