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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Top takeaway: By July 23, share your thoughts on the state’s draft guidance on administrative costs with the state’s Office of Grants Management (OGM) through this survey: OGM Reasonable and Necessary Guidance Feedback Form. Since 2025, Minnesota state law has required grantees to have administrative costs that are “necessary and reasonable,” rather than previous language…
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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 to the Minnesota Office of Grants Management (OGM) as part of the state’s review of several grantmaking policies, including OGM Policies 08-08, 08-09, and 08-10.…
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MCN Member Spotlight: Equul Access
This is part of a series highlighting MCN members across the state, featuring a vast array of nonprofit focus areas, and celebrating the myriad ways nonprofits enrich lives. Marsha Anderson had a love of horses from an early age, growing up as she did in a family that raised quarter and paint horses. She went…
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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 strategies and talking points that tell the value of our sector’s work before it’s defined by others. Trust in nonprofits is being undermined by leaders…
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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 across Minnesota often share how the state’s policies on grantmaking, especially around payments, reporting, and monitoring, can create real challenges to seek or manage state grant partnerships.…
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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 optimistic about this bipartisan bill continuing to move through the process, and possibly becoming law this year. Building on information contributions from nonprofit colleagues all…
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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 appeal of the dismissed case was filed. What is the Johnson Amendment? The Johnson Amendment, a federal law approved by Congress with strong bipartisan support…
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Where fraud has actually occurred + state recommendations
Top takeaway: What actually happened in the most widely reported cases of fraud, plus recommendations that are grounded in evidence. In recent months, MCN has heard from many of you about growing concerns with the public narrative around fraud and nonprofits, and the policy responses that have followed. At the same time, the legislature has…
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MCN Member Spotlight: Happy Dancing Turtle
This is part of a series highlighting MCN members across the state, featuring a vast array of nonprofit focus areas, and celebrating the myriad ways nonprofits enrich lives. With rugged hills, deep river valleys, and large swaths or forest, it’s not surprising that the Driftless Region, the Southeast corner of Minnesota, is home to an…
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Take action: opposing the Gov.’s legislatively named grants ban
Top takeaway: The proposed ban is misguided in its attempt to curb fraud and could be harmful to nonprofits. MCN opposes the ban and we need your help. View the sign on letter and contact your legislator. Earlier this month, Governor Walz announced a number of policy proposals in an effort to curb fraud, including…
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