It is with tremendous gratitude that we announce Wilson Foundation has awarded Missions Inc. Programs with a six-figure, multi-year general operating grant for 2026 and 2027.

Foundation funding in Minnesota – most especially general operating grants – has become increasingly more difficult to acquire in the last five years. Multiple local funders have changed priorities, processes, and systems, making it difficult to apply for and receive grant funds. In our experience at Missions Inc. Progams, this includes funders who have been reliable partners for multiple years.

In 2025, Missions Inc. Programs was invited to apply for a Wilson Foundation grant to support the work wherever it was needed most. These funds, called general operating, allow organization leaders to determine where the infusion of cash is needed most. General operating funds are critical to the survival of nonprofits across the country – it is through these funds that we are able to pay our insurance and utilities, increase wages, or make repairs to our infrastructure.

As Wilson Foundation put a Herculean effort into rent relief in the Twin Cities during the first half of the year, they also prepared for their 2026 grant round. Wilson has prioritized an easier application process for funding partners by communicating with transparency and utilizing the Minnesota Common Grant Form – a form that makes the grant writing process simpler and more efficient. This year, to make it easier for organization partners, they moved to a two-year funding process through which the nonprofit partner receives two years of funding with the submission of just one proposal. Multi-year funding is no longer common, but is especially desirable because it frees up time and energy for overburdened fundraising teams and comes with the relief of guaranteed funding for more than one budget year. The two-year nature of this grant, when foundation funding has become increasingly uncertain, felt like a true gift.

Additionally, after learning more about the difficulties being faced by their funding partners in 2026, Wilson notified our team that they would be significantly increasing the dollar amount for which we could apply.

Last week, Missions Inc. Programs was notified of our award – the largest private foundation grant in our organization’s history and our first private multi-year award.

While the funding is critical – and even history-making at Missions Inc. Programs – the respect shown throughout the process to our team and other organizations like Missions is the most meaningful part of the story. Wilson Foundation makes it easy for organizations to request the funding they so desperately need to continue the critical work that keeps our community functioning through the darkest of times.

THANK YOU to Wilson Foundation for their leadership in demonstrating community care and true trust-based community investment in 2026.