Mille Lacs Area Community Foundation
A Partner Fund of the Initiative Foundation
About the Fund
The Mille Lacs Area Community Foundation serves as a vehicle for gathering and distributing charitable gifts to make a lasting contribution to local communities. The fund focuses on projects within the Mille Lacs Lake Watershed area that involve environmental stewardship and community beautification; economic vitality; sustainable farming and food programs; and community pride.
The Mille Lacs Area Community Foundation is a Partner Fund of the Initiative Foundation. As a program of the Initiative Foundation, all Mille Lacs Area Community Foundation contributions are professionally managed and stewarded for the benefit of the community now and long into the future.
Grants
The Mille Lacs Area Community Foundation accepts grant applications from June 1 through Sept. 15 for projects in the Mille Lacs Lake Watershed area that focus on:
- Environmental Stewardship and Community Beautification: Protecting and promoting water quality, natural habitats and green spaces.
- Economic Vitality: Conducting outdoor recreational events and opportunities in environmentally conscientious ways.
- Sustainable Farming and Food Programs: Bringing thoughtfully raised, nutrient-rich foods to the hungry in our communities.
- Community Pride: Bringing natural history to life through art, cultural events and storytelling and recognizing volunteers who drive the vitality of our area.
Eligible applicants include organizations within the geographic area defined as the Mille Lacs Lake Watershed area.
501(c)(3) nonprofits, school districts, other local units of government and community groups operating through a mission-related fiscal host with the appropriate tax-exempt status.
The Mille Lacs Lake Watershed area includes: Cities of Isle, Garrison, Onamia, Vineland and Wahkon; Mille Lacs Band of the Ojibwe; Townships of Bay Lake, Eastside, Garrison, Hazelton, Isle Harbor, Kathio, Lakeside, Malmo, Roosevelt, South Harbor and Wealthwood.
Engage With the Fund
Donate Online: When you give to the Mille Lacs Area Community Foundation, your gift establishes an enduring legacy that will benefit the communities surrounding Mille Lacs Lake for years to come. Donate now! We accept credit card donations online. If your employer makes matching donations for their employees, be sure to inquire on the process before making your gift. Gifts of all sizes are appreciated!
Mail a Check: To make donations and payments more secure and to streamline processes, the Initiative Foundation partners with Bremer Bank. Please write the check to Initiative Foundation-MLACF, note the purpose of your contribution on the memo line, and mail to this address:
Initiative Foundation – 446122
Attn: MLACF
P.O. Box 64182
St. Paul, MN 55164-0182
While the mailing address may be in St. Paul, the Initiative Foundation continues to maintain its headquarters in the heart of Central Minnesota at 405 First St. SE, Little Falls, MN 56345.
Give a Planned Gift: If you would like to contribute another type of gift, please contact a member of the Mille Lacs Area Community Foundation or call the Initiative Foundation at (320) 632-9255. An Initiative Foundation staff member will be happy to answer your questions and guide you through the process.
Looking to learn more about the Mille Lacs Area Community Foundation? Want to help us spread the word? Download the brochure.
Making a charitable bequest in your will is often the easiest way to make a significant gift and leave a lasting legacy. Gifts large and small are important. It is simpler than you might think to make a meaningful difference to future generations in the Mille Lacs area!
If you would like to leave Mille Lacs Area Community Foundation in your will, make another type of planned gift, or contribute an appreciated asset, please call the Initiative Foundation at (320) 632-9255 and a staff member will be happy to answer your questions and guide you through the process.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. In partnership with the Mille Lacs Area Community Foundation, the Initiative Foundation owns and manages financial contributions for the Mille Lacs Area Community Foundation.
Engage With the Mille Lacs Area Community Foundation
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Keep It Clean
The Keep It Clean campaign is an initiative started by Lake of the Woods a decade ago and more recently adopted by Upper Red Lake and Mille Lacs Lake to address the growing problem of garbage and human waste left on the ice by anglers and other outdoor recreational users during ice fishing season. Keep It Clean focuses on raising awareness about the importance of leaving no trace.
A healthy lake with clean water, pristine ice and litter-free reefs and shoreline helps create the ideal environment for sustainable fishing and helps ensure that people of all ages — whether rugged outdoor enthusiasts or families — can enjoy the lake at any time of year.
Advisory Team
Local volunteers serve as advisory team members to advance the mission of the Mille Lacs Area Community Foundation. The partnership with the Initiative Foundation combines local knowledge and leadership with additional professional expertise, oversight and guidance to identify community needs, serve donors and manage investments.
Kelly LaBrosse
ChairAnn Brucciani Lyon
Vice ChairBarb Eller
Secretary/TreasurerBrad Harrington
Member at LargeCarol Jacobs
Member at LargeJodi Oines
Member at LargePast Grants
2024
- Aitkin County Soil and Water Conservation District—Keep It Clean: $4,310
2023
- Isle School District (ISD #473)—Inclusive Playground: $500
- Onamia City Council (Parks and Recreation)—City Park Improvement: $500
- Isle Area Pickleball Association—Court Renovation Project: $500
- Wild and Free Wildlife Rehabilitation Program—Privacy Fencing for Fawn and Raccoon Enclosures: $500
- East Central Regional Development Commission—Lake Mille Lacs Scenic Byway Common Loon Artificial Nesting Platform: $500
History of the Fund
Formerly known as the Isle Area Community Foundation (IACF), the Mille Lacs Area Community Foundation was started in 2006 with a single $9,000 gift from VFW Post 2816 (now 2762).
Not long after its creation, the IACF advisory board disbanded and the fund quietly grew under the care of the Initiative Foundation to $20,000, the threshold necessary to begin making grants.
During the summer of 2020, the Initiative Foundation conducted a review of all its Partner Fund agreements. At the same time, an Isle-area-community member participated in an Initiative Foundation training program. This combination of events sparked a conversation that led to the assembly of a new advisory team now known as the Mille Lacs Area Community Foundation.
In 2021, the Mille Lacs Area Community Foundation began awarding grants.
Questions?
Do you want to know how to apply for a grant or how you might leave a lasting legacy to support this fund? Contact a member of the fund’s advisory team (above) or reach out to Community Philanthropy Manager Amy Gray or Carl Newbanks, vice president of philanthropy. We’re here to help Central Minnesotans build a thriving economy, vibrant communities, and a lasting culture of generosity.
Start a Fund
Looking to leave a legacy in Central Minnesota? Start a Partner Fund with the Initiative Foundation and maximize your tax benefits while supporting important causes and organizations.