72° and Sunny
MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Coon Rapids Approves Nonprofit Grant Program With Up to $50,000 Available for Community Services
The new program will use charitable gambling proceeds to support eligible organizations serving Coon Rapids residents, with applications anticipated in November.
COON RAPIDS, MN (October 23, 2026). Coon Rapids has approved a Community Support Program that will direct charitable gambling proceeds toward nonprofit services, establishing a funding opportunity for organizations working in food assistance, youth recreation and senior services.
The City Council approved the program October 20, according to the city’s meeting summary released October 22. The action creates a framework for distributing the money through an application and council-review process.
Under the framework presented to council, individual grants would range from $1,000 to $5,000, with total awards capped at $50,000 for 2026. Applicants must be registered, compliant 501(c)(3) organizations, serve Coon Rapids residents and maintain a business address within the city or its defined trade area.
Eligible missions include food shelves and other food-support services, youth recreational programming and senior services. Council-directed initiatives may also qualify when they meet the applicable lawful-purpose requirements.
Staff anticipated opening an online application process in early November. After applications close, staff would present recommended recipients and award amounts for council consideration in December. Those dates represent the implementation schedule outlined in the council materials.
How the funding will be governed
The program’s use of charitable gambling proceeds carries restrictions beyond an organization’s nonprofit status.
Minnesota law establishes standards governing licensed charitable gambling organizations’ administration and their expenditure of gambling profits. It also includes protections against denying reasonable recreation-funding requests for an underrepresented gender when the proposed activity qualifies as a lawful purpose. The city’s application framework incorporates compliance requirements into its eligibility standards.
For prospective applicants, the next step is to watch for the city’s application announcement and review the published eligibility instructions before submitting a request. Organizations should be prepared to demonstrate their qualifying status, local service connection and proposed use of the funds.
Approval of the program establishes the funding process. Selection of individual recipients remains a subsequent council decision.
STAY CONNECTED TO MINNEAPOLIMEDIA
Local stories matter. Subscribe free to MinneapoliMedia and receive independent news, community reporting and important updates from Minneapolis, the North Metro and communities across Minnesota.
SUBSCRIBE FREE: https://minneapolimedia.town.news/subscribe
MinneapoliMedia | Community. Culture. Civic Life
