Top Takeaway: The Minnesota Office of Grants Management releases new grant RFP template, saving nonprofits valuable time and resources. A new approach to state grant RFPs has arrived to help… Continue reading Making State Grants Easier to Navigate, One Cover Sheet at a Time
Category: Advocacy & Public Policy
Is state grant oversight creating unnecessary burdens?
Top takeaway: Share your experience; MCN is collecting examples of state grant oversight that has caused significant administrative work, costs, or delays. Minnesota nonprofits want state agencies to protect public… Continue reading Is state grant oversight creating unnecessary burdens?
Action alert: Oppose sweeping changes to federal grantmaking
Top takeaway: A new OMB proposal would create significant financial risk and instability for federal grantees, including nonprofits, making it more difficult to provide vital services to communities. On May… Continue reading Action alert: Oppose sweeping changes to federal grantmaking
A Session of Scrutiny: Fraud, Funding, and the Future of Nonprofit Policy in Minnesota
Top Takeaway: MCN tracked 100+ bills during the course of the 2026 Legislative Session, and we’re here to share the results of proposals that could affect nonprofits, in areas including… Continue reading A Session of Scrutiny: Fraud, Funding, and the Future of Nonprofit Policy in Minnesota
Survey: State seeks feedback on administrative cost guidance for grant contracts
Top takeaway: By July 23, share your thoughts on the state’s draft guidance on administrative costs with the state’s Office of Grants Management (OGM) through this survey: OGM Reasonable and… Continue reading Survey: State seeks feedback on administrative cost guidance for grant contracts
MCN Elevates Nonprofit Voices in State Grant Policy Review
Top Takeaway: Nonprofits call for increased flexibility in state grant payment methods, and MCN submits feedback to the state. The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) recently submitted nonprofit community feedback… Continue reading MCN Elevates Nonprofit Voices in State Grant Policy Review
Taking back the narrative: proactive nonprofit talking points
This article was written by Laura Dunford, MCN deputy communications director, and originally published in the Fall 2025 issue of Nonprofit News: Nonprofit Volatility. Read the full issue. Top takeaway: Messaging… Continue reading Taking back the narrative: proactive nonprofit talking points
Survey: improve state grantmaking policies
Top takeaway: The Office of Grant’s Management is asking for input by May 8 on three areas – payments, reports, and monitoring. Plus May 4 State Grant Payments Listening Session. Nonprofits… Continue reading Survey: improve state grantmaking policies
Making RFPs user-friendly: advocacy update
Top takeaway: A bill requiring a standardized RFP template has passed a committee in the House last week and can now be taken up on the floor. We are cautiously… Continue reading Making RFPs user-friendly: advocacy update
Court decision preserves nonprofit nonpartisanship
Top Takeaway: The Johnson Amendment, the federal law protecting nonprofit nonpartisanship since 1954, is preserved. On March 31, a federal judge in Texas dismissed the case; on April 22, an… Continue reading Court decision preserves nonprofit nonpartisanship