Nine Organizations to Receive Inaugural Bush Prize for Community Innovation

(Saint Paul, MN – Dec. 19, 2013) – The Bush Foundation has awarded its first annual Bush Prize for Community Innovation to nine organizations across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share the same geography.

The Bush Prize honors and supports organizations with a proven record of creating innovative solutions to address community challenges and opportunities. Their innovations must be developed through inclusive, collaborative processes focused on making the most of community assets and must be more effective, equitable or sustainable than existing approaches.

The 2013 Bush Prize winners are:

Minnesota

North Dakota South Dakota

• Cloquet Area Fire District

• Anu Family Services

• Juxtaposition Arts • Community Violence Intervention Center

• Great Plains Food Bank, a program of Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota

• Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Stewardship Fund • Behavior Management Systems

• Four Bands Community Fund

• Project PRIME: Promoting Reflective Inquiry in Mathematics Education

More information about each Bush Prize winner is available at BushFoundation.org.

Each Bush Prize winner will receive a flexible grant equal to 25 percent of their program’s current fiscal year budget, up to $500,000. The Foundation will also provide grants in the amount of $10,000 to 21 organizations that made it to the final round of the selection process, but did not receive a Bush Prize. In all, the Bush Foundation will award more than $3.5 million through the Bush Prize program.

“The collective record of accomplishment of the Bush Prize winners is a testament to what can be achieved by intentionally, thoughtfully and continuously engaging the community in the problem-solving process. Each organization has established a culture of innovation that has led to positive impact in their community,” said Bush Foundation President Jennifer Ford Reedy. “The Bush Prize not only provides the winners with resources to support their work, our hope is that it also inspires others to think differently about how to approach problem-solving in their community.”

“When it comes to community innovation, we believe process matters. The best way to achieve innovation is by involving the community every step of the way,” said Molly Matheson Gruen, the Bush Foundation’s community innovation manager. “It was heartening to see so many organizations and communities across the region that are working to improve quality of life for their citizens in a way that ensures all voices are heard and that the solutions will endure.”

The Bush Foundation received nearly 300 applications for the inaugural Bush Prize. Winners were selected by advisory committees made up of community representatives from Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. The Bush Prize, together with the Community Innovation Grant Program, is part of the Bush Foundation’s effort to enable, inspire and reward community innovation. Community Innovation Grants support organizations working to create or implement an innovative solution to address a community need or opportunity. The Bush Prize and Community Innovation Grant program are open to all 501(c)3s and government agencies operating within the region served by the Bush Foundation. The Community Innovation Grant program will open a new application period in January 2014. The Foundation will begin accepting applications for the 2014 Bush Prize in April.

About the Bush Foundation

The Bush Foundation invests in great ideas and the people who power them. The Foundation was established in 1953 by 3M executive Archibald Bush and his wife, Edyth, and today works in communities across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share the same geographic area. Learn more at BushFoundation.org.