Grand Forks, N.D.-based Alerus partnered with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines to award $50,000 to the Grand Forks Children’s Museum.
The grant is from the FHLB Des Moines Member Impact Fund, which provides $3 for every $1 of an eligible member’s grant to strengthen the ability of nonprofits and government entities to serve community development or affordable housing needs.
The Grand Forks Children’s Museum capital campaign committee expects to raise $50 million to construct a new building and playground. The building is expected to feature science, technology, engineering, art and math-based exhibits, while the playground will offer an inclusive year-round play experience.
Member Impact Fund awards are given to member financial institutions to make their communities more vibrant places to work and live, according to a press release. Recipient organizations were named based on the needs for grant funding to support working capital or capacity-building to strengthen their ability to service affordable housing or community development needs.
The Children’s Museum will use the grant dollars for programming which celebrates local cultures and assists the underserved population, and provides history through interactive learning. Some programming could occur before the building’s expected groundbreaking in the spring of 2025.
“Alerus has a long history of supporting our communities and projects that improve the quality of life for the region’s residents,” said Market President Chris Wolf. “The Grand Forks Children’s Museum will provide year-round amenities for families and educational opportunities for children from throughout the region, making it a great fit for our community development focus. We’re proud to provide our support in partnership with FHLB Des Moines, and we’re excited to watch this project come to fruition, which will have a long-term positive impact on our community.”
The matching program is available for organizations in Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands. Member institutions submitted applications in February and March.