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Northwest Area Foundation

Annual Giving
$20.7M
Grant Range
$10K - $2.0M
Decision Time
7mo

Northwest Area Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $20,744,954 (FY 2024, doubling in 2025)
  • Total Assets: Approximately $528.5 million
  • Decision Time: 6 months (invitation to grant payment)
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $2,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Eight states (MN, IA, ND, SD, MT, ID, WA, OR) and 76 Native nations
  • Application Type: Invitation only

Contact Details

Website: www.nwaf.org
Phone: (651) 224-9635
General Inquiries: grantseekers@nwaf.org
Program Coordinator: (651) 225-3888
Address: 60 Plato Blvd. E., Suite 400, St. Paul, MN 55107

Overview

Founded in 1934 as the Lexington Foundation (renamed Northwest Area Foundation in 1975), NWAF is a private foundation with approximately $528.5 million in total assets and an endowment of approximately $500 million. The foundation originated from the Louis W. and Maud Hill family, whose Great Northern Railway shaped the geographic region NWAF serves today. In FY 2024, NWAF distributed 153 grants totaling $20,744,954, and announced plans to double funding in 2025 in response to the current political climate. The foundation stands "alongside changemakers in our region of eight states and 76 Native nations and fund work that leads to racial, social, and economic justice," focusing specifically on Native Americans, communities of color, immigrants, refugees, and people in rural areas.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Core Grantmaking (Invitation Only)

  • Range: $10,000 - $2,000,000
  • Most grants: $50,000 - $600,000
  • Types: General operating support and project-specific grants
  • Distribution: Quarterly grant cycles
  • 2025 Q1: 20 grants totaling $1,311,785
  • 2025 Q2: 40 grants totaling $12,184,545

Program-Related Investments (PRIs)

  • Current deployment: Approximately $13 million
  • Below-market-rate loans to community development financial institutions (CDFIs)
  • Goal: Increase to $60-80 million by 2030

Mission-Related Investments (MRIs)

  • Current deployment: More than $30 million
  • Market-rate returns advancing social goals
  • Goal: Increase to $60-80 million by 2030

Priority Areas

NWAF funds organizations working toward racial, social, and economic justice through:

  • Indigenous-led initiatives: Cultural preservation, wellness programs, economic development, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) initiatives
  • Economic inclusion: Living-wage jobs, worker rights advocacy, small business support, Native CDFIs
  • Community development: Housing solutions, capacity building, rural development
  • Immigrant and refugee support: Rights education, advocacy, emergency response services, Spanish and Indigenous-language media
  • Food systems: Community-based food programs connecting health, wealth, and social change
  • Youth leadership: Developing next-generation changemakers
  • Environmental sustainability: Renewable energy, ecosystem health within Indigenous frameworks

The foundation prioritizes organizations with "a track record of success or promising approaches" that "advance long-overdue change in deep connection with the land they inhabit and the communities they serve."

What They Don't Fund

While NWAF does not publish explicit exclusions, their invitation-only model and focus on systemic change suggests they prioritize:

  • Organizations aligned with racial, social, and economic justice
  • Groups serving priority communities (Native Americans, communities of color, immigrants, refugees, rural populations)
  • Work in their eight-state geographic region and 76 Native nations

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors (2025)

Leadership

  • Joyce Lee, Chair
  • Joe Eltobgi, Vice Chair
  • Duane Carter, EdD, Chair Emeritus

Board Members

  • Laura Alvarez Schrag
  • Elisabeth C. Buck
  • Juel Burnette
  • Wayne Ducheneaux
  • Libby Hlavka
  • Salome Mwangi
  • Amy Sings In The Timber
  • Georgie Slade
  • Charles Wilhoite
  • Jennifer C. Williams

The 13-member board reflects diversity across race, gender, and geography within NWAF's eight-state region, providing "insights from their region and strong governance that supports the Foundation and its funding for grantees that pursue racial, social, and economic justice."

Senior Leadership

Kevin Walker, President and CEO
Walker has stated: "We are confident that grants to these proven organizations will make an impact on efforts to help low-income families that are struggling to get ahead. Public policy is one of our nation's most effective tools to get to the root of poverty and increase prosperity. Building leadership equips people with the tools to make deep and lasting change that will transform communities." He has also led the foundation through a years-long mission evolution to better match priority communities' needs.

Pakou Hang, Vice President, Program

Ramya Rauf, Vice President of Finance and Administration/Chief Financial Officer

Program Staff

  • Sadikshya Aryal, Program Officer
  • Carson Faust, Program Officer
  • John Fetzer, Program Officer
  • Nikki Foster, Program Officer
  • Deanna Arce, Program Operations Manager
  • Patrick Ciernia, Program Coordinator
  • Cody Stalker, Program Coordinator

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Foundation currently makes grants by invitation only. NWAF does not accept unsolicited proposals.

However, organizations can position themselves for future consideration:

  • Submit a two-page summary to grantseekers@nwaf.org describing your organization's work
  • Respond to occasional RFPs (Requests for Proposals) announced on their website
  • Join the email list at nwaf.org to receive funding opportunity notifications
  • Follow NWAF on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn)

Getting on Their Radar

NWAF emphasizes building genuine, long-term relationships before extending invitation. Their core value states they operate at "the speed of trust which is dependent on long-term, reciprocal relationships."

Specific strategies for this funder:

  • Contact the Program Coordinator directly at (651) 225-3888 to discuss alignment
  • Submit a general inquiry to grantseekers@nwaf.org with a two-page organizational overview
  • Monitor their website for RFPs specific to your work area
  • Review current grantees on their website to understand if your work aligns with their funding patterns
  • Demonstrate track record: NWAF states they typically fund "medium- to large groups with 'a track record of success' in the communities they serve"

Decision Timeline

The complete grantmaking cycle takes approximately 6 months from invitation letter to grant payment.

Reapplication Policy

Information not publicly available. Given the invitation-only model, reapplication likely depends on maintaining relationships with program staff and continuing alignment with funding priorities.

Application Success Factors

Funder-Specific Insights

Alignment with Core Values

NWAF operates according to six guiding principles that should inform all communications:

  1. Social Justice - confronting racism, sexism, colonization, and overlapping oppressions
  2. Courage - disrupting status quo to advance justice
  3. Grantees Come First - prioritizing organizational partners' success
  4. Listen and Learn for Change - actively seeking solutions through dialogue
  5. Trust - operating at the speed of trust through long-term, reciprocal relationships
  6. Heart - driven by empathy, purpose, and hope

Language and Approach

NWAF consistently uses terminology around:

  • "Racial, social, and economic justice" (not just equity or diversity)
  • "Reimagining and restructuring unjust systems" (systems change focus)
  • "Communities thriving on their own terms" (self-determination)
  • Working "alongside changemakers" (partnership, not charity)
  • "Deep connection with the land they inhabit" (place-based, Indigenous knowledge)

Recent Funding Patterns (2024-2025)

NWAF has funded organizations working on:

  • Indigenous wellness models (Chief Seattle Club: $810,000)
  • Native community development (Thunder Valley CDC: $900,000)
  • Immigrant rights organizing (Pineros y Campesinos Unidos: $250,000)
  • Worker justice advocacy (Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa: $200,000)
  • Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons initiatives (Idaho Coalition: $250,000)
  • Food justice (Appetite For Change: $150,000)
  • Native CDFI capacity (Native CDFI Network: $300,000 amendment)

What NWAF Values

According to their stated priorities:

  • Organizations that "advance long-overdue change in deep connection with the land they inhabit and the communities they serve"
  • Groups with "a track record of success or promising approaches"
  • Work led by and accountable to priority communities
  • Multi-year impact (many grants are 2-3 years)
  • Both capacity building (general operating support) and specific initiatives

Strategic Context for 2025

President Kevin Walker stated that facing "several unique challenges" in the current political climate, NWAF decided to "double funding in an act of courage." This suggests:

  • Increased urgency around protecting vulnerable communities
  • Openness to advocacy and organizing work
  • Commitment to bold action during uncertain times
  • Potential for emergency or responsive funding

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Focus on long-term relationship building - NWAF operates at the "speed of trust" and doesn't accept cold proposals. Initiate contact early through two-page summaries to grantseekers@nwaf.org.

  • Demonstrate systems change approach - NWAF funds organizations working to "reimagine and restructure unjust systems," not just service provision. Show how your work addresses root causes of inequality.

  • Emphasize community leadership and self-determination - Successful grantees work in "deep connection with the land they inhabit and the communities they serve," supporting communities to "thrive on their own terms."

  • Align with justice framework - Use NWAF's language of "racial, social, and economic justice" and show understanding of how racism, colonization, and oppression intersect.

  • Show track record while remaining bold - NWAF seeks "proven organizations" but also values "courage" to disrupt the status quo. Balance credibility with innovation.

  • Consider multi-year funding needs - Many NWAF grants span 2-3 years. Think about sustained impact rather than one-time projects.

  • Watch for 2025 opportunities - With doubled funding in response to current political climate, there may be increased capacity for new partnerships, particularly around immigrant rights, Indigenous sovereignty, and worker justice.

References

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