Grantmaking Priorities
At its December 15, 2008, meeting, the Rochester Area Foundation Board of Trustees adopted the following grantmaking priorities, which apply to all competitive grant requests:
- Focus on basic needs services and organizations.
- Concentrate on existing programs. Requests for new programs would be subject to rigorous investigation and would have to address critical unmet community need.
- Suspend any new capital campaign funding.
For more information, please click here to read a December 27, 2008, editorial by Rochester Area Foundation Board Chair Michael McNeil and Executive Director Steve Thornton.
Who are grants made to?
The Rochester Area Foundation makes grants in the fields of arts and culture, community development, education, human services and recreation in the greater Rochester area. Your organization must be one of the following to be eligible to receive grant funding: a tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) organization, a government unit (city, township, county), or a government-created organization such as a public agency.
How do I apply for a grant?
Your organization may apply for a grant from the Rochester Area Foundation by clicking below and downloading and printing out the pre-application for grants. You may also request the form by calling the Foundation or via email. When you submit your pre-application, be sure to submit eight copies to the foundation's offices. Our distribution committee will review your pre-application and ask our Board of Trustees to vote on it at an upcoming meeting.
To download the pre-application grant guidelines and form, click below:
Pre-application guidelines and procedures
You will need Adobe® Reader® 7 or higher to view/print this form 
What do I do if the pre-application is approved?
If the Board of Trustees approves your pre-application for a grant, you will be notified and asked to submit a full application to the foundation.
To download the full application form, please click below:
Full application guidelines and procedures
You will need Adobe® Reader® 7 or higher to view/print this form
What are the deadlines for grant applications?
The Rochester Area Foundation has three grant cycles each year. Below is a list of the cycles and important dates you will need to know:
Cycle 1: Pre-application (eight copies) is due in our offices by January 2. You will be notified by the foundation whether or not your pre-application is approved by late January. If your pre-application is approved, you will need to submit a full application by March 1. Our distribution committee will review your full application and a decision will be made by the foundation's Board of Trustees by late April.
Cycle 2: Pre-application (eight copies) is due in our offices by May 1. You will be notified by the foundation whether or not your pre-application is approved by late May. If your pre-application is approved, you will need to submit a full application by July 1. Our distribution committee will review your full application and a decision will be made by the foundation's Board of Trustees by late August.
Cycle 3: Pre-application (eight copies) is due in our offices by September 1. You will be notified by the foundation whether or not your pre-application is approved by late September. If your pre-application is approved, you will need to submit a full application by November 1. Our distribution committee will review your full application and a decision will be made by the foundation's Board of Trustees by late December.
Who do I contact if I have questions?
If you have questions about the Rochester Area Foundation's grant process, please contact Steve Thornton by email or call him at 507.424.2400.
Recent Competitive Grants
CYCLE 1, 2010 AWARDS:
Boys & Girls Club of Rochester - $10,000 for continued Club programming at the Northwest Rochester site.
Camp Victory - $5,000 for Urban Leadership Education and Development Program scholarships for one week of camp for needy children.
Legal Assistance of Olmsted County - $3,000 for free legal clinics, open to the public, on a variety of topics.
NAMI Southeast Minnesota - $4,000 for the suicide awareness and prevention program, Be a Friend. ASK. LISTEN. HELP., which is offered at area high schools.
Quarry Hill Nature Center - $10,000 to assist with the repair and replacement of the Quarry Hill Pond liner.
Rochester Juneteenth Celebration - $8,000 to provide mentoring, academic support, and access to clothing, adequate nutrition, and personal safety to children of gang-affiliated families.
Salvation Army - $5,000 for folding tables and chairs for the main meeting and eating area for the Caring Partners Adult Day Care program.
TEAM Rochester - $10,000 to develop new avenues for impacting those in need through prayer, service, outreach, and tangible assistance..
CYCLE 3, 2009 AWARDS:
Children's Defense Fund of Minnesota - $10,000 to support Bridge to Benefits in Olmsted County, a project to improve the well-being of low-income families and individuals by linking them to public work support programs and tax credits.
Emergency, Community and Health Outreach (ECHO) - $7,500 for development of "Obesity Prevention" program, a health educational television broadcast reaching Limited English Proficiency populations and produced in seven languages.
History Center of Olmsted County - $9,400 to expand the History Center's current K-12 historic garden programs and teach historic agricultural, gardening and cooking practices to a broader audience of the community.
Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans - $5,000 to serve homeless and in-crisis veterans in the Rochester area with support services.
CYCLE 2, 2009 AWARDS:
American Red Cross, SE Minnesota Chapter - $5,000 matching grant to improve emergency communication via 800 MHz radios.
Child Care Resource & Referral - $5,300 for a new van for transporting participants of income-eligible services.
Children's Dental Health Services - $8,000 for dental equipment required to meet growing demand for services.
FamilyMeans - $10,000 for credit and budget counseling at no cost to families and individuals experiencing financial difficulty.
Family Service Rochester - $10,000 to provide financial relief to Meals on Wheels recipients by continuing operations without a significant fee increase.
Hawthorne Education Center - $4,300 for office supplies for a Career Services Center at Hawthorne.
Rochester Public Library - $7,500 matching grant for an online tutoring program available to all students with a library card.
SE Minnesota Voluntary Multi-County Service Delivery Partnership - $10,000 for consulting to move toward a consolidated model for community services in the 12-county region.