Grant Seeking Resources

Grant opportunities are available to nonprofits, businesses, individuals, cities, and counties from the State of Minnesota, federal government, private foundations, businesses, and other entities. Each of these funders has different ways of managing grant funds. Grants supported by public funds through government entities are subject to laws and policies that shape the process. Requirements related to risk assessment, monitoring, reporting, evaluation, and documentation are in place to ensure that public funds are used as intended.

State grant funds are assigned (appropriated) by the legislature to agencies and state entities to support a public purpose authorized by law. State agencies also receive federal funds to support projects and programs in Minnesota. Funding may be awarded to nonprofits, businesses, individuals, cities, and counties as legislatively named, formula, single source, or competitive grants. There are a number of factors that shape the type of grant, eligible applicants, timeframes, and award amounts.

Individuals and organizations interested in seeking grant funding from any source should:

Align their proposed project or effort with the goals of the funding and/or funder.
Ensure they have the capacity required to complete the proposed work, maintain records, provide reports, track and process financial information, and otherwise manage grant funds.

The following resources may help those considering an application for a grant from the State of Minnesota.

Searching for State of Minnesota Grant Opportunities

Competitive state grant opportunities are posted on agency websites, promoted through email lists, and shared in the Minnesota Register. Grant seekers can also use the Find a Grant feature on this website to sort potential grant making agencies by funding topic.

Grant making agencies post request for proposals or RFPs that contain information about the goals of the funding, eligible applicants, award ranges and time frames. Potential applicants are encouraged to read the RFP carefully, submit questions to the agency and/or attend an information session before applying.

Minnesota Statutes require funding agencies, applicants, and grantees to complete specific steps during stages of the grant making process. For more information about the grant making process (or lifecycle), visit the grant making terms section of this website.
Applying for a State of Minnesota Grant

The process for applying for a grant will depend on the agency and grant program. Applicants may submit application materials via email or through a web based system that requires a user name and password. There will be a due date when all materials must be submitted and the application completed. Reference the RFP and agency's website for instructions on submitting an application and for details regarding information sessions or webinars, as applicable.

Allow enough time for asking questions, writing a proposal, gathering required documents, and submitting materials by the due date. The amount of time required to complete an application will depend on the complexity of the grant application, the work needed to plan a project, budget, and write a proposal, and the experience of the individuals completing the application.

State of Minnesota agencies may offer technical assistance to applicants in using the technology or navigating the application process. They may also post answers to questions submitted by applicants on their website. Agencies generally cannot offer feedback on the quality of the proposal or application materials submitted.
Risk Assessments

State of Minnesota agencies are required by law and policy to conduct preaward risk assessments for any grant award of more than $50,000. This risk assessment includes a review of an applicant's financial health and organizational capacity. It is intended to ensure that any public funds awarded are used for the intended purpose and result in the intended outcomes.

Applicants will be asked to submit financial statements, records, and answer questions that assist agency staff in assessing the risk of awarding public funds to the applicant. If the agency determines that a risk exists, they can choose to add conditions to the grant contract agreement, such as frequent monitoring or the requirement to submit certain documentation for all payment requests. The agency can also decide to not award a grant if the risk is determined to be too great.

Curious about what this might look like? Check out the templates for preaward risk assessments. Keep in mind that these are templates and agencies may have different questionaries or materials.
Grant Contract Agreements

All state grantees must sign a grant contract agreement with the funding agency in order to begin work and receive payment. Grant contract agreements serve as the foundation for the grant and include details about the scope of work, requirements, payment details, and what happens if things do not go as planned. It is a legally binding document.

Templates for State of Minnesota grant contract agreements can be found here. Some elements may be adapted by state agencies to fit the particular grant program while others are rooted in law or statute and cannot be changed.

Grant contract agreements between the state and tribal nations are negotiated on a case by case basis.
External Grant Seeking Resources

There are a number of organizations that support grant applicants and grant funded organizations across the State of Minnesota.

The following Minnesota-based organizations provide resources, trainings, and other support for their stakeholder groups. These organizations also host links to grant databases and funding opportunities on their websites.

Minnesota Council of Nonprofits

Minnesota Council of Foundations

Association of Minnesota Counties

League of Minnesota Cities

Federal Grant Seeking Information

State of Minnesota Federal Funds Implementation Team (Resources and Technical Assistance)

(Simpler) Grants.gov (Federal Grant Funding)

SAM.gov (Federal Contracting Website)