Opportunity Overview
The Central Minnesota Community Foundation (CMCF) Boys and Men Competitive Grant Round supports programs and projects that help boys and men thrive at home, in school, at work and in the community. Current focus areas include education and skill-building, fatherhood and family engagement, mental health support, mentorship and leadership development, and positive masculinity promotion.
Funding and Deadline
The current grant page lists four $2,500 grants, for a total of $10,000. Applications opened September 1, 2026 and are due October 31, 2026 by midnight. CommunityGiving states that grant applications must be submitted online by midnight on the deadline. The official pages do not publish a time zone, so applicants should submit early and confirm portal timing if needed.
Eligible Applicants and Geography
Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, schools, and government entities. Projects must serve residents of Benton, Stearns, and/or Sherburne counties in Minnesota. Preference is given to organizations with annual budgets of $500,000 or less.
Allowable Focus and Restrictions
CMCF will consider new or existing programs and projects and other strategic investments with lasting impact. Favorable considerations include collaborative partnerships, innovative approaches, and potential for impact or transformative change.
The public grant guidance generally does not fund individuals, religious activity, political organizations or campaigns, event sponsorship or annual fundraising drives, multi-year requests, endowments, debt retirement, already completed projects, individual postsecondary scholarships, staff travel or conferences, or replacement of government funding that has been reduced or eliminated. The current official page does not state a mandatory matching or cost-share requirement.
Application and Required Materials
Applications are submitted through the CommunityGiving Grant Management System; paper applications are not accepted. The system requires organizational information such as EIN, legal name, address and contact information, and applicants answer the online application questions before reviewing an application packet and submitting. The public grant page does not identify a separate downloadable application template or a pre-application attachment list, so the live portal controls any additional application fields or uploads. Awardees must complete an electronic Grant Agreement and Final Report, and a Progress Report may be required.
Atlas Fit Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 80/100. This is a legitimate Minnesota behavioral-health and education opportunity for eligible local nonprofits, schools and government entities. Its small award size and limited three-county geography constrain scale, but mental health support, school-based programming, mentorship and youth development are directly relevant to Atlas discovery.
N9+ Fit Score: 0/100. The current guidance emphasizes community programs, education, mental health support and mentorship and does not establish a clinical technology, remote-examination, diagnostic or telehealth procurement pathway. QC Healthcare Fit: 0/100. Dr. Miltie direct-applicant fit is 0/100 because eligible applicants are qualifying nonprofit organizations, schools and government entities.
Application Strategy
Confirm applicant class and service geography; define a measurable program or project aligned to one or more current funding priorities; document community partnerships and intended impact; verify any portal-specific fields or uploads after login; and submit through the CommunityGiving Grant Management System before October 31, 2026 by midnight.
Verified sources: Central Minnesota Boys and Men Grants; September 1, 2026 CMCF grant-round announcement; CommunityGiving Grant Management System guidance.