BEMIDJI – The Medica Foundation has awarded $1.6 million in early childhood health grants to 16 nonprofits in Minnesota, including three in the Bemidji area. Each organization received $100,000 to expand services for local children and families.
These grants aim to strengthen community-led programs that improve access to care and promote health equity, with this year’s focus on maternal health equity, children’s oral health, parenting support, and violence prevention.
“These grants are more than just financial support; they are investments in trust, relationships, and long-term health outcomes,” said JoAnn Birkholz, Director of the Medica Foundation. “We are proud to partner with organizations in Bemidji and beyond to create culturally relevant, community-led solutions for families.”
The recipients in the Bemidji area include:
Northern Dental Clinic: A nonprofit community dental clinic serving patients of all insurance statuses. This grant will help expand dental care for children in rural Minnesota.
Mewinzha Ondaadiziike Wiigaming: The organization will expand its “Gaa-giigishkaakaawasowaad” program, a group-based prenatal and postpartum care program.
The funding will support Anishinaabe families in northwestern Minnesota, providing them with culturally rooted breastfeeding support and training.
Red Lake Boys & Girls Club: The club will expand its “Bimaadiziwin Circle” program, which promotes healthy relationships, parenting skills, and violence prevention through cultural education and youth workshops.
These three groups are part of a two-year initiative by the Medica Foundation to support 16 nonprofit organizations across the state dedicated to early childhood health needs. Six of the funded groups are located in Greater Minnesota, and nine others received multi-year grants in 2024 and 2025.
The Medica Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Medica, a Minnetonka-based nonprofit health plan, and its grantmaking focuses on early childhood health, behavioral health, and rural health programs in Minnesota.