Mount Sinai Community Foundation Grant

Mount Sinai Community Foundation Grant is sponsored by Mount Sinai Community Foundation (MSCF). This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.

Mount Sinai Community Foundation | MSCF — Minnesota Jewish Community Foundation Carrying on Mount Sinai Community Foundation’s Legacy for the Next Generation MEMBERSHIP & GRANTING OPPORTUNITIES The Mount Sinai Community Foundation is a collective giving circle whose members come together to support initiatives that improve health, enhance well-being, or otherwise advance medical care in the Jewish and larger communities, honoring the history and legacy of the Mount Sinai Hospital.

To enhance and deepen the commitment to Jewish values and community through the power of collective, directed giving to fulfill unmet health and wellness needs. As part of the Giving Circle, MSCF members pool financial contributions and collaborate to decide how to fund innovative local initiatives that improve health, enhance well-being, or otherwise advance medical care in the Twin Cities community.

The Giving Circle provides a unique opportunity for members to determine how their dollars are spent through an engaging and democratic selection process. MSCF invites nonprofits to submit grant proposals annually. MSCF voting members then convene to allocate grant funding to as many as eight organizations for up to $10,000 each.

To date, MSCF has given more than $1 million to Minnesota organizations.

The work of the Mount Sinai Community Foundation is guided by the following values and principles: Tikkun olam —repairing the world Gemilut hasadim —performing acts of loving-kindness Tzedakah —helping those in need Helping people to live healthy lives In 1951, at a time of heightened anti-Semitism and discrimination, most Twin Cities hospitals excluded Jewish medical students from residency programs and Jewish doctors from employment.

In response, Jewish philanthropists and medical professionals joined forces to launch Mount Sinai Hospital (at 22nd Street and Chicago Avenue South), opening opportunities to doctors of all ethnicities and religions to practice medicine. In short order, Mount Sinai Hospital developed a reputation that was less about who it employed than how it served.

It set a standard among all Twin Cities health care organizations for patient care, medical education, and research. Like many male-dominated organizations of the 1950s, Mount Sinai Hospital had a women’s auxiliary.

Growing to more than 2,000 strong—eventually to include men—the Mount Sinai Hospital Auxiliary volunteers hosted successful fund-raisers for facilities and equipment and provided the hospital, its patients, and the community with services for 40 years.

When Mount Sinai Hospital closed in 1991, the Auxiliary’s core members committed to continue their service to the community as Mount Sinai Community Foundation, meeting as a small panel and annually allocating grants from its $350,000 endowment to area nonprofits. But membership dwindled. Wanting to remain vital, members set out to attract and engage the next generation of Jewish philanthropists.

Together, they imagined a new approach to giving together, in community. In 2012, the group approved a plan that restructured the Foundation, transforming it into a giving circle, reinvigorating the organization with an exciting new way to support health and wellness initiatives in the Twin Cities.

Instead of a small, nominated board, the Mount Sinai Community Foundation Giving Circle was now open to the entire community, with its members convening annually in a live grant allocation process. A newly appointed Executive Committee set out to grow the organization’s membership, endowment, and grant distribution—increasing awareness and its impact in our community.

The following year, the Giving Circle established the Mount Sinai Community Foundation Teen Giving Circle, fulfilling its vision of an intergenerational model of giving and to carry on the legacy. The MSCF Giving Circle is ideal for those who seek to give collectively, informed by research, in-person presentations, and a thoughtful process to understand the outcomes and measure the impact of their giving.

Our giving circle model enables members to engage more deeply in addressing our communities’ health and wellness needs, often uncovering new and innovative initiatives/organizations that would otherwise be difficult for an individual donor to access. MSCF offers the following types of membership: Voting Membership ($200 annual dues) : Voting members participate in the annual grant selection process that takes place every spring.

They may also choose to serve on a committee. Lifetime Membership (one-time minimum gift of $5,000) : Lifetime members participate in the MSCF grant process that takes place every spring and may also choose to serve on a committee. Friend of MSCF ($100 minimum per year) : Friends of MSCF will stay up-to-date on MSCF activities, but do not participate in the annual grant process or serve on committees.

MSCF seeks to fund innovative grant proposals from 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations for one-time grants up to $10,000 that fulfill MSCF’s mission to improve health, enhance well-being, or otherwise advance medical care for Minnesota residents .

Through the generosity of the Frances & Samuel Finkelstein/Janice Finkelstein Mattison Memorial Fund , one of the grantees may receive funding in the area of: cancer research and education; mental health or cancer treatment; medical ethics and quality assurance; or patient advocacy programs.

Applying organizations must be located in one of seven counties of the metro area: Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington Counties. MSCF gives equal consideration to proposals that impact Jewish and non-Jewish communities. Questions about the grant process should be directed to our Program Officer, Jenifer Robins.

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Jenifer Robins who will connect you with the MSCF Grant Allocation Chair, to discuss their projects prior to submitting an application. Please click on the link below to access the online grant system where you will find directions on how to log on.

Once you log on, you will be able to select the Mount Sinai Community Foundation, where you will be able to determine if your organization is eligible for a MSCF grant. If so, you will be invited to submit an online Letter of Inquiry, which is the first step for prospective applicants. Below are the MSCF guidelines required to apply.

2025 Mount Sinai Community Foundation Grant Awards Asian Women United of Minnesota (AWUM) for updated shelter appliances. Can Do Canines for facility dog placements at Twin Cities’ Children’s Hospitals. Chabad Student Center at the UofM for their student support and wellness initiative.

Cleaning Up For Cancer for cancer patient support through the APP clinical trial. Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ) for their family fitness & wellness program for North Minneapolis parents and caregivers. Reach for Resources, Inc. for their adaptive health & wellness pilot program.

Ronald McDonald House Charities, Upper Midwest to support caregivers’ physical and mental health.

2026 Grant Cycle Timeline LOI Release – Monday, January 19, 2026 Deadline for organizations to submit LOI – Thursday, February 12, 2026 Invitations to organizations from LOI pool to submit full grant applications – Monday, February 23, 2026 Deadline for invitees to submit full grant applications – Friday, March 27, 2026 Grant Finalists notified – Wednesday, April 22, 2026 MSCF Annual Giving Circle Meeting –Monday, May 18, 2026 Grant Recipients’ Letter of Agreement Due – Tuesday, June 2, 2026 Funds Released – Approximately 4 weeks after grant agreement received