TEAM Foundation awarded a $2,500 grant to Headwaters Intervention Center's Sojourners Home in Park Rapids. The home provides transitional housing to battered women who would otherwise be homeless. According to the Homeless in Minnesota study from 2003, nearly one in three homeless women are homeless because of domestic abuse, and nearly half of homeless women have stayed in an abusive relationship because they had nowhere else to live. "The statistics are alarming, but every day, the people and programs at Headwaters Intervention Center are offering hope and refuge to victims of domestic abuse and are helping to break the cycle of violence," said Tricia Young, the foundation's assistant director.

Northwest Minnesota Foundation awarded its first Community Philanthropy Award to the Laporte Education Endowment Fund. The award, a $1,000 donation to the fund's endowment, recognizes one of NMF's component or community funds that has helped build and strengthen the culture of philanthropy in the region. LEEF was established in 1998 to benefit Laporte School students, staff and educational programs; nearly $200,000 has been raised.

The Center for Rural Policy and Development received a $265,000 contribution from the Otto Bremer Foundation to help launch a new initiative designed to elevate the level of civic engagement across Minnesota. The funds, which will be provided over three years with a dollar-for-dollar matching requirement, will support the center's efforts to develop a series of statewide policy forums and develop a new interactive online atlas of Minnesota.

Mayo Clinic contributed $25,000 to Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation to support its work in shaping policies and practices to strengthen the 20-county region. "We chose to direct this contribution to the foundation's grassroots initiatives and long-range planning work to support building a solid foundation for economic development, infrastructure support, and social well-being," said Karen Weigel, Mayo's administrator of community relations. Mayo has been an annual supporter since 1995, contributing a total of $245,000 to the foundation.

The Apostle Islands Area Community Fund, an affiliate fund of the Duluth-Superior Area Community Foundation, awarded grant support to two projects through the Human Rights Fund. ARC of the Northwoods will use $500 for a People First conference in October. A grant of $2,500 will support a day-long training on recognizing and addressing elder abuse. The Human Rights Fund was created with a $100,000 gift from the Otto Bremer Foundation.

The Comcast Foundation awarded 1,728 students a total of $1.72 million through its 2006 Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program. Students are recognized for community service, leadership skills, positive attitude and academic achievement; each will receive a one-time grant of $1,000 for educational expenses.

The Minnesota Environmental Initiative gave its Partnership of the Year Award to the Clean Energy Resource Teams project, which comprises six regional teams with a tailored plan for a clean energy future matched to the region's needs. The Blandin Foundation helps fund the project.

The Minnesota Twins Community Fund will donate more than 90,000 game tickets during the 2006 season to economically disadvantaged youth and families throughout the Upper Midwest through the TwinsCare Tickets for Kids program, which is funded by Twins players, corporate partners and foundation partners. Twins fans are also encouraged to support the program by making a contribution to the Twins Community Fund.