Together we can do so much!     218.254.1101

Be a part of the fun, unique and energetic events sponsored by the CCF! It’s a great way to support your community and get to know people! Mark your calendar for upcoming events now!

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Whether you’re a local business, a family, or a resident, we have a number of options that allow you to donate specifically to the areas of community service that you care most deeply about!

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Named donations and planned gifts are a great way to support the Chisholm community. Honor your friends, family members or neighbors while investing in your hometown in specific and meaningful ways ways!

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We are proud to offer grants for innovative and important Chisholm community projects as well as scholarships to invest in the lives of our youth!

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Chisholm Community Foundation: Together We Can Do So Much!

The Chisholm Community Foundation (CCF), an affiliate of the St. Paul and Minnesota Community Foundation, is a permanent, philanthropic endowment for the enduring benefit of our community. It secures, manages and allocates investors’ gifts for charitable purposes in the Chisholm area, working to improve the quality of life for local residents.

To date, the CCF has awarded over $1.8 million in grants to various organizations in and around our community. Our foundation stands as a beacon among small community foundations in our state. We are extremely proud of our accomplishments and truly grateful to all those who have contributed to the success of the CCF.

If you have any questions or need additional information. Please contact the CCF office at 218-254-1101 or call 218-966-3223. Thank you.

Chisholm Community Foundation Accepting Grant Applications

The CCF is accepting grant applications for 2024.  Deadline is March 31, 2024.  If funding allows, a second grant cycle will be offered.  The deadline for those applications is September 30, 2024.  Applicants must be a 501c3 public charity or government agency.  To obtain a grant application, go to our website at chisholmcommunityfoundation.com or call the office at 218-254-1101 or Mary Jo at 218-966-3223.  Please mail grant applications and required information to:  Chisholm Community Foundation, 4 S.W. 3rd Avenue, Chisholm, MN  55719.

The CCF Mission

Our mission is to serve the Chisholm and Balkan communities by stewarding funds for innovative and creative projects, which are responsive to community and economic development in the areas of social service, education, arts and culture, conservation, and historic and environmental preservation.

How the Chisholm Community Foundation Works

The Chisholm Community Foundation ensures that all donations go directly into community projects. All operating expenses of the CCF come from corporate partnerships and fundraisers. The CCF only spends the interest and dividend income earned on its trust. That Interest can be invested back into the community for a variety of projects that will make Chisholm a better place to live.

The foundation also may be able to leverage other money into the community for worthwhile projects. A board of local residents will choose the projects that can benefit the community the most. Learn more about how the CCF works here.

These projects are focused on improving:

  • Educational opportunities
  • Life for senior citizens
  • The area’s environmental quality
  • The ability of young people to attend college
  • The beauty of the community
  • Support for the arts
  • The ability for local people to create projects

Corporate Partnerships

Chisholm Veterans Memorial Fund

Our Association with the Chisholm Community Foundation has been a good working relationship. Our member Veterans are very supportive of our fund and the Chisholm Community Foundation.

The Minnesota Discovery Center is so grateful to partner with the Chisholm Community Foundation to develop new, innovative programs and experiences that foster healthy communities, preserve our rich history, and provide opportunities for our youth.  The Foundation has helped the Discovery Center replace critical research center equipment, restore an antiquated trolley sound system, and helped double the recreational opportunities at the world-class Redhead Mountain Bike Park by providing funding for a community dock.  These investments will help us continue our nonprofit mission to preserve and promote Iron Range history for decades to come.

As a Chisholm school board director and past Chisholm Community Foundation (CCF) board member, I have seen first-hand the importance of the CCF’s involvement with the schools and our community.  The grants and scholarships the Foundation awards are so important to the success of the Chisholm School District and the viability of our town.  Our community is very fortunate to have an awesome organization in its midst that is always working to make Chisholm a better place to live, work and raise families.

Philanthropy doesn’t need to be complicated nor does it require great wealth. We found a way to participate in giving back to the community we love that’s convenient, financially comfortable and personally rewarding. We chose to use life insurance as our way to give back for the education and community services that were provided to us over our life time. We took out a $100,000 life insurance policy and named the CCF as the beneficiary and the irrevocable owner of the policy. By working with the Minnesota Community Foundation and our financial advisor, we were able to find a way that will create future unrestricted funds for the foundation and leave a legacy.

Both of us graduated with the Class of 1968 and personally received 26 years (K-12 X 2) of education that currently is valued at about $12,000 per year. So, it seemed right for us to try to repay a part of what our parents, grandparents, and citizens of Chisholm had invested in us. The community of Chisholm provided a great place to raise our two children. Chisholm is a special place with a bright future. We liked the fact that we are contributing to sustain the community by providing resources to make it even better!