Your United Way

Venture Grant Information

Funds are set aside annually to be used for grants to local organizations to try new approaches to solving community issues or to provide community or volunteer education programs.  Some examples of venture grants follow:

• Develop and print a 2010 family resource calendar for Lincoln County families.  Parenting tips and messages for healthy parent/child interaction were incorporated into the calendar pages.
• Provide start-up funds for a Therapeutic Riding Program at the Lee-Mar Ranch in Granite Falls.  Plans include having riding therapy programs for at-risk youth and for clients with physical disabilities.
• Help young girls deal with relational aggression and prevent them from becoming victims of cyberbullying.
• Create and offer webinar training sessions for medical and law enforcement professionals related to sexual violence and forensic evidence collection.

Venture Grant Applications

The purpose of the United Way of Southwest Minnesota Venture Grant program is to provide support to networks or projects of non-profit and/or charitable organizations that meet one of the following:  1) Strengthen our commitment to new activities or programs that are directed at development and support for area residents; or 2) Support programs that provide non-profit organizations' board and staff development of leadership skills, management skills; technical assistance; and/or training of volunteers.

To get more information regarding the eligibility requirements, operating guidelines and the application/funding procedure, please click here.  If you have additional questions on the Venture Grant application or process, please contact us at 507-929-2273.

If you have been awarded a Venture Grant, please make certain to turn in your Final Report Form (available by clicking here).  This report form is due within 30 days after the completion of the project for which funds were awarded. 

This year, there are two deadlines to apply for Venture Grant funds.  Please note that funds are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so it is possible that there would be only one Venture Grant cycle if all funds are awarded in the first round.

Venture Grant application deadlines for the 2010-11 fiscal year are at 5:00 p.m. on August 31, 2010 and 5:00 p.m. on January 31, 2011.

A venture grant helps House of Hope Minnesota build resistance to relational aggression

and bullying among young girls. 

Music and dance opportunities expand cultural experiences of young children

at the Cyril Paul residency at an ECFE program.

The venture grant program provided support for the pilot 9th grade academy

of Marshall High School.