NMF Helps Communities Plan for the Future

The Northwest Minnesota Foundation continues to help communities across the region plan for their future.  Over the last two years, the foundation’s Community Planning Grant Program has awarded seventeen grants totaling $164,835 to address housing, economic development, recreation, and growth issues. 

Cities like Ada, Crookston, Red Lake Falls, Bemidji, and Badger have accessed funding to help with comprehensive planning.  Much of the funding supports community input through surveys, townhall style meetings, informational interviews, and other methods.  

The key is to collect as much information from a diverse set of community members (e.g. age, ethnicity, gender, income, business type) as possible.  Lessons are learned from the community on how to share information, what recreational amenities are desired, and how they want their community to look and feel. 

Zoning and ordinance reviews also help communities plan for future housing needs, industrial parcels, and other local issues effecting their quality of life. 

The Community Planning Grant Program also supports housing centered activities.  Housing studies and plans were carried out in Mahnomen, Baudette, Kelliher and Kittson County, in the last two years.  Minnesota Housing Partnership was also awarded a grant to pilot a Native Community Development Institute, with a focus on housing with Red Lake Nation, White Earth Nation, and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe community members.  Many of the housing grants are also matched with funding and expertise from the Minnesota Housing Partnership.

Other activities supported by the program can be site specific: downtown revitalization planning in Baudette; pedestrian bridge planning tied to the Mississippi River Trail system in Beltrami County; long range planning for Norris Camp near Roosevelt; feasibility planning for a multi-generational community center in Warren; economic development planning in White Earth; and recreational planning for South Riverview Park in Roseau are all prime examples of how diverse the planning needs are in the region. 

So why does NMF get involved in planning for public agencies that should be doing this on their own?  The truth is, many communities do not have enough staff or expertise to carry out all phases of a quality planning process.  

In many ways, a comprehensive plan also acts as a political buffer between city councils, mayors, staff, and the community because participants provide input in a non-political setting.  Each community and NMF cannot do this work on our own.  

Our partnerships with Northwest Regional Development Commission, Northwest Community Action, Headwaters Regional Development Commission, Minnesota Housing Partnership, and private firms are invaluable in accomplishing this collaborative work.  

To learn more about the Community Planning Grant Program, visit our grants page at www.nwmf.org.