West Central Initiative Awards Grants to 55 Regional Organizations

FERGUS FALLS, MINN — West Central Initiative awarded grants totaling $570,000 to 55 organizations working across the region to address sustainability, equity, and civic engagement. 

“These grants represent more than just funding—they’re a collective investment in a stronger region,” said Director of Development Rebecca Lynn Petersen. “We’re honored to support organizations whose work uplifts our communities and sets ripples of good in motion.” 

West Central Initiative Grant Recipients 

• A Place For Hope: Recovery and Wellness Center for a refurbished walk-in freezer for the food shelf. 
• Artistree Community Inc. for the Facilitating Racial Equity Collaborative (FREC) Greater Minnesota Racial Equity Conference. 
• Bagosendaan for promoting learning and emotional growth to low-income youth ages 11 to 18 who are at-risk or are previous offenders within a court or school system. 
• Bam’idizowigamig Creator’s Place for providing employment, skills training, and education to those who have been historically marginalized, including individuals who have experienced long-term unemployment, past incarceration, or lack formal education. 
• Baraza La Afrika for the Congolese Community Garden. 
• Boys & Girls Club of Detroit Lakes, Inc. for the Hydroponic Farm Education Program, which provides agricultural education and healthy food access. 
• City of Henning for the Trinity Center cellular shade project, which will reduce heat loss and improve the center’s energy efficiency. 
• City of Pelican Rapids for EcoRide Equity: Pedaling Towards Inclusivity, which will establish an equitable e-bike program at the Pelican Rapids Public Library. 
• Civic Bridgers for local facilitation coordinators for Beyond Civics: Youth Civic Engagement that Bridges Divides. 
• Clay County Social Services for the Clay County Family Resource Center to provide welcoming spaces for connection, access, support, and community building for all Clay County families. 
• Clifford J. Benson Center for Community Partnerships, University of Minnesota Morris, for the Rural Intercultural Education Initiative and the Rural Food Systems Initiative. 
• Community Connect Center (formerly the South Sudanese Foundation) for expanding community-based equity conversations, enhancing the Healthy Connections program, mobilizing civic engagement and leadership, and strengthening organizational capacity. 
• Concordia College for Amplifying Indigenous Voices: Education for Mutual Respect in West Central Minnesota, which will convene local Indigenous leaders and healthcare providers to enhance providers’ cultural competency, strengthen trust, improve health outcomes, and amplify Indigenous voices. 
• Conexiones for ongoing activities and resources for the growing immigrant population, and to support strategic planning to meet emerging needs. 
• Cornerstone Community and Youth Center for Cultural Fusion to offer culturally relevant programs in collaboration with White Earth Nation and cultural groups. 
• Cultural Diversity Resources for the Family Engagement for Healthy, Social and Financial Well-Being Project to provide nutritional and financial education to low-income individuals, marginalized and underserved New Americans, and those who identify as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color.  
• Dilworth Glyndon Felton Public School #2164 for Native Voices and culturally responsive professional development to create a school where all students feel like they belong, are valued, seen, and heard. 
• Douglas County Car Care Program for the expansion of the Car Care Program to Fergus Falls. The program provides vital transportation support through vehicle donations, affordable repairs, and mechanical training for historically marginalized populations, including low-income households, individuals with disabilities, and single-parent families. 
• Empowering Kids Perham for the establishment and facilitation of a parent and caregiver support group for families of neurodivergent children.  
• Ethnic Self-Help Alliance for Refugee Assistance (ESHARA) for reducing barriers and expanding access to critical resources, including employment, housing, healthcare, and education for refugees, immigrants, and New Americans. 
• Fergus Falls Community Food Shelf for a new cooler for the fruit and vegetable recovery program to utilize discarded fresh produce. 
• Fergus Falls Public Schools #544 for the Rooted in History, Growing Our Future prairie restoration initiative. 
• First Congregational United Church of Christ for Youth Stewards Internship program to provide youth with hands-on experience in sustainable farming practices and natural resource protection. 
• Friends of the Alexandria Nature Trail for the protection and enhancement of the Alexandria Nature Trail. 
• Ganawenindidaaa (We Take Care of Each Other) for water quality monitoring of the Otter Tail River, Buffalo River, Wild Rice River, and the Red Lake River. 
• Grant County Collaborative for hosting seven Grant County Changemakers in the Community 2.0 activities focused on sustainability, equity, and civic engagement. 
• Harvest Hope Farm for hands-on farm experiences and education for youth regarding sustainable food resources and environmental stewardship. 
• Henning Public School District #545 for improving library programming access for students and community members. 
• History Arts & Cultural Organization for the creation of the Where Did They Go? The Story of the Indigenous People of East Otter Tail County exhibit at the History Museum of East Otter Tail County. 
• Hope Blooms for Flower Empower to enhance well-being and social connectedness for older adults and those with disabilities, in recovery, in mental health facilities, and many others. 
• Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota for educational presentations about immigration law and rights for immigrants in west central Minnesota. 
• Inclusive Moorhead for facilitating events, programs, and services that empower marginalized groups, including New Americans, Indigenous people, those with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ communities. 
• Izaak Walton League Prairie Woods Chapter for creating an outdoor pollinator and environmental science classroom at the Detroit Lakes Boys & Girls Club in collaboration with a Boy Scout Troop 674 Eagle Scout. 
• Kondial Kel International for the MoneySmart Program to address the critical gap in financial literacy among youth and women from low-income families. 
• Lake Region Healthcare Foundation for the Lake Region Takes Root Community Garden expansion. 
• Lakes Country Service Cooperative for the Youth in Leadership Launchpad project to strengthen civic engagement and leadership development among high school students. 
• League of Women Voters, Detroit Lakes Area for Democracy in Action to educate, energize, and engage community members about local government, democracy, and voting. 
• Minnesota Council of Churches for building local leadership, encouraging civic participation, enhancing community education, and expanding the Respectful Conversations series. 
• Minnesota Flyers Gymnastics for FlyTime, which offers fitness equality for individuals who have physical or emotional limitations that require extra assistance and specialized equipment. 
• Monarch Joint Venture for The Habitat Reciprocity Project to provide public education about the loss of native grassland habitats and the decline of bird and pollinator species. 
• New Roots Midwest for the African Immigrant Mentorship Program to teach practical skills, such as financial literacy, housing options, healthcare access, and transportation systems, to ensure newcomers can settle comfortably into their new homes.  
• Otter Tail County for the Empowering Workers Program, which provides training and services to individuals and families to overcome barriers to employment and obtain high-demand jobs that pay a household-sustaining wage. 
• P’s & Q’s Etiquette for expanding hands-on, skills-based, youth-informed programming to help disadvantaged youth become effective leaders. 
• Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota for Sexual and Reproductive Health Peer Education to provide culturally specific, age-appropriate, and medically accurate education to increase equitable access to health resources and empower young people. 
• Prairie Rose Agricultural Institute for Research, Innovation & Education for the New Roots Farm Incubator. 
• Project 412 for the HOTdish: Turning Ideas into Action & Community into Changemakers annual grassroots event designed to inspire and fund community-driven projects in Detroit Lakes. 
• Regional Native Public Defense for addressing systemic inequities by ensuring culturally competent legal representation, advocating for fair outcomes, and reducing barriers to justice for individuals in White Earth Nation and the surrounding area. 
• Renewing the Countryside for culinary events serving local foods from local farms. 
• Resource Connect for Pathways to Opportunity: Equitable Transportation for Marginalized Workers to address critical transportation barriers facing historically marginalized populations in the Fargo-Moorhead region. 
• Richland-Wilkin Kinship to provide opportunities and support for youth with adverse childhood experiences through the power of mentoring. 
• RUSC Kinship Mentoring for fostering equity in the community by ensuring that all youth, regardless of background or circumstance, have access to positive mentorship, literacy resources, and developmental support, and to increase public awareness of NEAR (Neuroscience, Epigenetics, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Resilience). 
• Seed Coalition for the Civic Action Academy and Engaged Faculty Institute to support the long-term development of civic engagement in Stevens and Clay Counties and the surrounding region. 
• The Gifted Learning Project for the Seeds of Heritage: Indigenous Youth Growing Traditions to reconnect Indigenous youth with traditional agriculture to learn how Indigenous food systems support community health, environmental resilience, and cultural preservation. 
• Women Initiative Network of Liberia in Cass and Clay Counties for furthering its mission of creating a place with activities and support services for single moms, youth, children, and vulnerable adults. 
• YMCA of the Northern Sky – Fercho for YMCA Youth in Government, which provides students in grades 8 through 12 with a hands-on opportunity to engage in civic education. 

“The remarkable volume of high-quality applications we received this year speaks to the extraordinary energy, bold ideas, and deep commitment driving change in our communities,” said Grants Officer Amanda Quam. “While we couldn’t fund every project, we were inspired by the vision and dedication shared in each application. We look forward to continuing to support and uplift the good work happening throughout our region.”  

These grants were made possible through the West Central Initiative Endowment. If you’d like to make an impact and help regional and local initiatives, consider donating to the Start a Ripple Campaign at wcif.org/donate. Your generosity can help make ripples of good in the communities you love.  

About West Central Initiative 

West Central Initiative is a place-based nonprofit, community foundation, and regional development organization dedicated to fostering a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable future for White Earth Nation and Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse, and Wilkin Counties.  Since its founding in 1986, West Central Initiative has provided funding, technical assistance, planning resources, and philanthropic services to strengthen the economic and social fabric of the region. The organization has provided more than $59 million in loans and approximately $82 million in grants to businesses and organizations. Learn more at wcif.org.