Consensus Council Awards More Than $200,000 in Grants

Bismarck, ND – Consensus Council awarded $214,633.73 in the final round of its 2021 Community Innovation grant program, a partnership with the Bush Foundation. Sixteen organizations within North Dakota and Native nations sharing the same geography received funding for projects ranging from developing Shariacompliant lending to inclusion-based dance programs for people with disabilities, to creating a dictionary to preserve an endangered Dakȟóta dialect.

“All of these projects prioritize collaboration and inclusion, demonstrating how partnerships and diversity make our communities stronger,” said Ann Crews Melton, Consensus Council Executive Director. “We celebrate the creative and instrumental systemic change these grants have enabled in our state over the past eight years.”

Community Innovation (CI) grants fund community-based problem-solving, enabling people to determine and develop solutions unique to issues impacting them, leading to more effective, equitable, and sustainable change. Nonprofit organizations and government entities are eligible for CI grants up to $15,000. At least 50% of the grants are awarded to projects seeking to actively reduce structural and/or systemic gaps in access, outcomes, opportunities or treatment based on race/ethnicity or economic standing.

Since 2014, Consensus Council has awarded up to $400,000 annually in its CI grant program in partnership with the Bush Foundation. In 2022, the Bush Foundation will be launching a new, expanded community-based grant program with regional partners. More details will be made available in the new year.

The 2021 Round 3 Community Innovation grant recipients are:

All Parks Alliance for Change: $10,000

St Paul, MN Statewide Manufactured Housing Association: Establish ND Manufactured Home Owners Association through outreach in Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, and Minot to protect affordable housing for lowand moderate-income residents, with goals of strengthening resident rights, maintaining affordability, and preserving park communities.

Alzheimer’s Association: $7,000

Edina, MN

New Americans Alzheimer’s Awareness: Work with partners to reach populations of older New Americans in North Dakota and to identify linguistic and cultural barriers preventing early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Cass Clay Community Land Trust: $15,000 Fargo, ND Sharia-Compliant Lending: Research Sharia-compliant lending, determine demand/ unmet needs in our area, and potentially establish a Sharia-compliant lending vehicle to aid Muslim families in becoming homeowners.

Cultural Diversity Resources: $15,000 Fargo, ND Financial Literacy Project: Assist poor and lowincome individuals and families with improving money management by building knowledge of key financial concepts and developing skills in budgeting, savings, debt management, and investing for retirement.

Domestic Violence Crisis Center: $15,000 Minot, ND Domestic Violence High-Risk Team Expansion: Implement a victim-centered offender intervention program and develop a trauma-informed soft interview room to promote victim safety in Ward County.

Essentia Health Foundation: $15,000 Fargo, ND Improving Racial Economic Equity: Remove systemic and structural barriers that limit healthcare employment opportunities for immigrant and refugee people in Cass County (ND) and Clay County (MN) by testing and implementing solutions identified by the New American community.

Growing Together Community Gardens: $12,400 Fargo, ND Growing Community Connections: Strengthen relationships with New American gardeners, including diversity training for organization leadership; recruiting board members, interns, and volunteers with diverse backgrounds; researching and purchasing seeds/plants of cultural relevance to community members; and creating multi-lingual marketing materials.

Jeremiah Program Fargo-Moorhead: $15,000 Fargo, ND Non-Residential Expansion: Develop robust community partnerships and programmatic infrastructure to support non-residential families beyond the JP campus, providing resources and support for low-income single moms to achieve economic mobility.

Mental Health Advocacy Network: $15,000 Fiscal Sponsor: ND Protection & Advocacy Project Bismarck, ND Mental Health Advocacy Network Podcast: Develop a podcast to create awareness of the prevalence and challenges of mental illness, showcase local topics, explore best practices identified by experts, and introduce the public to North Dakota’s mental health programs and services.

North Dakota Human Rights Coalition: $15,000

Fargo, ND Intercultural Development Training: Research, develop, and implement a training program for law enforcement, K-12 and higher education, health and human services, and public and private organizations to address the unique needs within North Dakota’s LGBTQ+, Black/Indigenous/People of Color (BIPOC), and refugee/ immigrant communities.

Northern Plains Dance: $11,000 Bismarck, ND Community Need for Adaptive Dance: Gauge the community need for and identify long-term partners in the development of inclusion-based dance programs to support youth with a wide range of cognitive abilities, learning disabilities, neurodiverse backgrounds, and behavior challenges.

Northern Plains Heritage Foundation: $15,000 Mandan, ND Community Design for Heritage Murals: Engage communities in Burleigh, McLean, Mercer, Oliver, and Morton Counties in the design and creation of public art murals that draw inspiration from regional historic, cultural, and natural themes.

Standing Rock Community Development Corporation: $15,000 Fort Yates, ND Dakod Wokagniga Wowapi/Dakȟóta Dictionary of the Ancestral Dialect: Revitalize and preserve the threatened Yanktonai “D” dialect by creating a dictionary with fluent/semi-fluent Dakȟóta speakers of the Cannon Ball area, enhancing existing language programs that convey cultural and traditional teachings. USpireND: $15,000 Richardton, ND Supporting Incarcerated Parents: Work directly with incarcerated parents and their children, partnering with institutions within the correctional system, to ensure optimal growth and development for the children of incarcerated parents. Vision West: $15,000 Dickinson, ND Creating Inclusion in Southwest ND: Provide education and training for manufacturers and large employers in southwest North Dakota on how to help new immigrant, foreign-born, and Hispanic American workers in their industries feel more included in the workplace.

Western Wellness Foundation: $9,233.73 Dickinson, ND Kids' Mental Health Assessment: Address inequities in the diagnosis, referral, and treatment of mental health issues occurring among low-income and minority children by implementing a screening tool to assist in behavioral health outreach for families without access to mainstream health channels.