The Bush Foundation has launched the Community Innovation grants program to fund the most promising ideas to change communities and systems.

Community Innovation grants invest in great ideas and the people who power them. The grants support organizations coming together to solve community challenges.

The grants are flexible in a lot of ways. They can be used to develop new ideas, test ones you’ve already imagined, or spread proven ideas for more impact.

Funding Information

The Bush Foundation provides Community Innovation grants of $10,000 to $200,000. Grants under $20,000 are available from the intermediary partner organizations.

Eligibility Criteria

• Community Innovation grants may be awarded to 501(c)(3) public charities or government entities (including schools). Coalitions or collaboratives are eligible to apply, but only one organization may receive the grant.
• For organizations that do not have 501(c)(3) status, the Foundation accepts Community Innovation grant applications from organizations working with a fiscal sponsor. If you become a finalist in the grant selection process, they will learn more about your fiscal sponsor and collect a fiscal sponsorship agreement.
• Grants must be used for projects located in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota or the 23 Native nations that share the same geography.
• Grants must be used for a charitable purpose.

Selection Criteria

Community Innovation grant applications will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

• Could the idea have transformative impact? They are looking for ideas with the greatest potential to make the region better for everyone. This could mean ideas that are big in scale or ideas that start small with the potential to grow and spread. They will favor ideas that will change systems to make the region more equitable in opportunities and outcomes, especially for Black people, Indigenous people, people of color and/or people from rural communities.
• Is the plan strong? They will consider whether the plan is doable and whether it thoughtfully uses resources in a way that is likely to lead to success. They are looking for thoughtful consideration of how change can happen. Who is affected? Who has power? How will key stakeholders be engaged along the way? They will favor proposals that are truly inclusive and collaborative.
• Are the people leading the effort positioned to be successful? They will consider whether the people leading the effort have the support, relationships, experience and capacity to be successful. They want to support people who are learning and growing in their ability to advance equity, in particular racial equity, and work effectively across differences. They also consider whether they are committed to learning, improving and sharing what they learn with others.
• How does it fit with the other investments? They aim to have a diverse group of investments over time (a variety of issues, communities and organizations). At times, they invest in things that will complement or amplify investments they have already made, including those that align with the strategic initiatives. They are particularly interested in funding community-led organizations, especially those led by and for Black people, Indigenous people, people of color and/or people from rural communities.

For more information, visit Bush Foundation.