Boreal Waters Community Foundation

06/04/2026

Thanks to Luke at The North 103.3 FM for having Shaun on the Community Connection segment!

They talked affordable housing, putting local resources to work, bringing people together to move ideas forward, and how every investment has the potential to shape our region.

📻Listen in: https://www.thenorth1033.org/arts-culture/2026-06-04/community-connection-boreal-waters-community-foundation-update-with-shaun-floerke

And while we’re talking about bringing people together… our next Nonprofit Social is coming up Wednesday, June 10 from 4–6 p.m. at Blacklist Brewing Co. in Duluth! RSVP here: https://dsacf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/ticket?edt_id=2947&fbclid=IwY2xjawSOenFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFqTDFGRWppNWIwUHVJN016c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHjaV8uwQ2I0BNVoGQ326R0aY2PXsHf4stt1ewOCagINPapk1wv_x6p7v9n7__aem_1Ia5ci9D1-kOA7gqSeRsVw

Shaun Floerke, President and CEO of Boreal Waters Community Foundation, talks about current projects and finding meaning in philanthropic actions

06/03/2026

Nonprofit folks, this one’s for you! 🍻

No agenda. No panel. No PowerPoint. Just a casual chance to gather with other people doing good work in our region.

Join us for our next Nonprofit Social in Duluth!
📍 Blacklist Brewing Co.
📅 Wednesday, June 10
⏰ 4:00–6:00 PM

Whether you stay for ten minutes or the whole time, we’d love to see you there!

RSVP here: https://dsacf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/ticket?edt_id=2947

06/01/2026

What a night at the UNRL Celebrity Softball Game! 🥎💜

The game brought together Minnesota Vikings players, fans, families and community members for a fun night on the field.

A portion of the funds raised benefit the Ham Family Scholarship Fund presented by Essentia Health, which supports BIPOC students from the Twin Ports as they pursue higher education.

Boreal Waters is proud to administer this scholarship and help carry forward the Ham Family’s commitment to supporting students in our region.

One of the most meaningful moments of the evening was seeing scholarship recipients invited onto the field to meet CJ Ham and be celebrated by the crowd.

Scholarship recipients pictured:
🔹Landin Eidum - Proctor Public Schools - 2026 Recipient
🔹Ileini Hirt - Denfeld High School - 2026 Recipient
🔹Olivia Allen - Marshall School - 2025 Recipient
🔹 Amaia Mayberry - Harbor City International School - 2024 Recipient

We’re grateful to CJ and Stephanie Ham for continuing to invest in students and show up for this region in such a generous way.

Learn more about the Ham Family Scholarship Fund: https://www.borealwaters.org/grants-scholarships/our-scholarships?fund=ham-family-scholarship-fund-presented-by-essentia-health

05/28/2026

What a great conversation at Nonprofits at Noon!

This session featured a discussion around long-term sustainability, organizational endowments and making legacy giving feel more accessible in everyday donor conversations.

A big thank you to our moderator, Kelly LaCore (MCN), and panelists Jessica Lind Peterson (Boreal Waters), Erin Kreeger (Duluth Library Foundation), Saprina Matheny (North Shore Community School) and Patrick Kincade (Stonebridge Capital Advisors) for sharing their insight and experience.

And thank you to Minnesota Council of Nonprofits for partnering with us on this event!

More events are coming up!
📬 Stay in the loop by subscribing to our monthly newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/borealwaters.org/subscribe

05/27/2026

This summer, we hosting nonprofit socials across the region, and up next is Duluth!

We'd love to see you at Blacklist Brewing Co. on Wednesday, June 10 anytime between 4-6pm.

Your first drink is on us! 🍻

Please RSVP in advance: https://dsacf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/ticket?edt_id=2947

This is a relaxed, come-as-you-are gathering for nonprofit staff, board members, volunteers and community partners. Whether you drop in for ten minutes or stay the whole time, it’s a chance to see familiar faces, make new connections and meet Boreal Waters staff members.

We hope to see you there!

05/26/2026

TOMORROW AT ANIMAL ALLIES!
Event will not begin until 1pm. No need to arrive early or line up, everyone will be taken care of! :)
Boreal Waters Community Foundation

05/26/2026

A fuller story of the Gunflint Trail is coming to life at Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center.

With support from many funders, partners and community members, including a $5,000 grant from our regional affiliate Cook County Community Fund, the Gunflint Trail Historical Society is helping bring a new Anishinaabe history exhibit to life.

Developed through an Anishinaabe-led planning process, the exhibit will share history through oral stories, video, interpretive panels, art, artifacts and family stories. Visitors will learn more about Anishinaabe life, culture, resilience and ongoing connection to the Gunflint Trail and Saganaga Lake area.

The exhibit will be celebrated with a Grand Opening ceremony on June 27.

This project reflects what local support can help make possible: deeper learning, more complete storytelling and a fuller understanding of the place we call home.

Read more from Boreal Community Media:

The Gunflint Trail Historical Society and Chik-Wauk Museum were recently awarded $30,000 from the Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation (IRRR), among numerous other grant awards and donations, to develop an Anishinaabe exhibit - Bo...

05/21/2026

One year ago, we became Boreal Waters Community Foundation! 🌲🌊

Boreal speaks to an ecosystem that thrives at northern latitudes.
Waters speaks to what connects us.

Together, Boreal Waters reflects our region across northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin that is resilient, distinct, interconnected and full of possibility.

How lucky are we to call it home?

Thank you for your support and continued partnership throughout our first year under our new name.

Watch the story behind our name:

For over 40 years, we’ve worked hand in hand with communities across northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin—creating opportunity, building connect...

05/20/2026

Community organization serving northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin are invited to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) by Monday, June 1 at 5 P.M. to be considered for funding.

The Community Opportunity Fund supports bold ideas, local leadership and long-term solutions across three focus areas: Opportunity, Resilience and Belonging.

Grants typically range from $25,000 to $50,000, helping organizations move meaningful work forward across the Boreal Waters region.

To learn more, click the link below ⬇️

Community organizations are invited to submit LOIs between May 4 and June 1 for 2026 Community Opportunity Fund grants. This fund helps tackle critical challenges, strengthen communities, and ensure that everyone in our region can thrive.

05/19/2026

Endowments, legacy giving, planned giving, operating reserves, it can be hard to know where to start.

That’s exactly why we’re co-hosting Nonprofits at Noon: Securing the Future — Simplifying Endowments & Legacy Giving with Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.

This interactive lunch and panel discussion is designed for nonprofit leaders, board members and staff who want to better understand long-term financial tools without getting lost in jargon.

Together, we’ll explore questions like:

🔹How do you know when it’s time to think beyond a savings account?
🔹What’s the difference between legacy giving, planned giving and an endowment?
🔹Who needs to be involved in the decision-making process?
🔹How can nonprofits make legacy giving approachable for donors?
🔹What does it look like to work with a community foundation or financial partner?

Join us Wednesday, May 27, for a 90-minute lunch conversation with nonprofit, development and investment perspectives.

👉 Learn more and register: https://dsacf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/ticket?edt_id=2916