Eligibility & Criteria

The application period for the Good Relatives Collaborative Grants begins on Friday, May 16, 2025 at 8 am MT / 9 am CT, and closes on Monday, June 16, 2025  at 5 pm MT/ 6 pm CT.

The application process includes two parts: sharing documentation demonstrating your qualification for this grant and a letter of application.

We invite you to reflect on:

• The depth of your relationships and the ripple effect your work creates.
• The clarity and readiness of your plans. Can you carry them forward with integrity?
• The systems and support you have in place to manage the funding.
• What feels right for your work, your community, and your capacity. Consider not just what’s possible, but what is sustainable and meaningful.

The following are eligible for grant funding:

• You are eligible to apply if your organization or community collaboration has a 501(C)(3) non-profit designation, a fiscal sponsor, or are a tribal program incorporated under Section 7871 of the Internal Revenue Code.
• If you are not a nonprofit organization, you are required to have a current fiscal sponsorship agreement.
• Organizations must be located in and serve Native communities in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, or one of the Native Nations that share the same geography. We will use your physical address and your Letter of Determination / Incorporation to determine the geography of your work. 
• Our definition of a Native-led organization is that at least 60% of its board members are Native, and its senior leadership, Executive Director or CEO must be Native American.

The following are ineligible for grant funding:

• Individuals.
• Pow-wows.
• Tribal enterprises.
• Requests for projects that support beneficiaries outside of our three-State region.
• Religious programs for religious education or proselytizing.
• Sporting teams and events.
• Servicing or paying off previously incurred debt or expenses.
• Bringing programs and/or buildings in government compliance.
• Organization has less than 60% board members who are Native and senior leadership is not Native American.
• Organizations with operating budgets over $2.5 Million.
• Repeat Grantees are not allowed if they have received more than $49,999.

Additional Information

• Organizations may apply for either funding request of $50,000 or $100,000. 
• Organizations may apply for one of the award amounts.
• The Organizational operating budget must be under $2.5 million.
• Organizations that have received past Good Relatives Collaborative Grants are allowed to reapply if they have received less than $49,999 cumulatively. Please reach out to the Collaborative if you have questions about your previous award amounts.
• Applicant must be located in the state in which they are doing the work, in Minnesota, North Dakota, or South Dakota, and the Native Nations that share the same geography.

• Brief Organizational Information.
• EIN Federal Tax Number.
• Board approved Operating Budget showing expenses.
• Last Year’s Filed 990.
• Fiscal Sponsorship or 501c3 Certificate.
• Letter of Determination/ Incorporation.
• Number of years in operation, enter date of incorporation or determination as listed on the letter uploaded.

The application process includes two parts: sharing documentation demonstrating your qualification for this grant and a letter of application.

We offer guiding questions and application guidance here to help shape your response. Your letter does not need to answer every question, but it should provide a clear picture of your work, your community, and how this funding will support your efforts.

We suggest that you collect your documents and draft your answers prior to entering your information into the portal. We also encourage you to use the “save” button in the bottom right hand corner for the portal. An email with your saved work will come from [email protected].