Apply for a Grant

Grant guidelines

The Mardag Foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations and public entities located within and serving residents of Minnesota. The geographic focus of our grantmaking is the East Metro area of Dakota, Ramsey and Washington counties, as well as Greater Minnesota. 

We have established four priority focus areas and will consider proposals that address one or more of these areas.

Primary areas of interest:

• Improving the lives of at-risk families, children, youth and young adults, with an emphasis on early childhood development
• Supporting seniors to live independently
• Building the capacity of arts and humanities organizations to benefit their communities
• Supporting community development throughout Saint Paul

If you are representing an arts or cultural organization, Mardag Foundation recommends, but does not require, that you complete a Cultural Data Project data profile for your organization. For more information, visit mnculturaldata.org.

Applications considered for:

• Capital projects, program expansion and special projects of a time-limited nature
• Start-up costs for promising new programs that demonstrate sound management and clear goals relevant to community needs
• Support for established agencies that have temporary or transitional needs
• Funds to match contributions received from other sources or to provide a challenge to raise new contributions

Applications not considered for:

• Programs exclusively serving Minneapolis and the surrounding West Metro area
• Scholarships and grants to individuals
• Ongoing annual operating expenses
• Sectarian religious programs
• Federated campaigns
• Conservation or environmental programs
• Events and conferences
• Programs serving the physically, developmentally or mentally disabled
• Health care programs
• Legal programs
• Capital campaigns of private secondary schools.*
• Capital and endowment campaigns of private colleges and universities.*

*The Foundation will review, on their own merits, grant applications received from private secondary schools and private colleges and universities for purposes not excluded above.