The Blandin Foundation in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, has announced $3.4 million in new grants, including more than $1 million in scholarships and financial aid for area students.

Eighty-eight percent of the total was allocated to nonprofits in Grand Rapids and Itasca County, including $1.3 million to twenty-six organizations that respond to critical social and cultural needs and help sustain high-performing organizations. The foundation also awarded $858,000 in area economic opportunity grants, including a two-year, $465,000 grant to the Itasca Economic Development Corporation for community and regional initiatives, and $460,000 in rural Minnesota economic opportunity grants to support statewide efforts to identify and mobilize economic assets that strengthen rural communities.

"The foundation's dedication to higher education is part of our commitment to increasing educational opportunities for Itasca County residents, particularly those in lower income categories," said Wade Fauth, the foundation's director of grants. "Postsecondary education, be it a one-year technical degree or a four-year bachelor's degree, is becoming increasingly important in securing a family-supporting income."