Photo: Boreal Waters Community Foundation

By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - April 27, 2026

Boreal Waters Community Foundation (BWCF) and the Cook County Community Fund are partnering to host a nonprofit social in Grand Marais on May 6, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Up Yonder, providing an in-person opportunity for local organizations and community members to connect.

According to Carly Viegut, communications manager for Boreal Waters Community Foundation, the idea for the event came from a perceived need for supportive spaces within the nonprofit sector, where people can share and support one another, specifically as funding opportunities shift and demands on organizations increase. Viegut added that while much communication happens digitally, this event is designed to "strengthen relationships through face-to-face interaction in a low-pressure environment."

The primary objective of the social is to foster meaningful connections among those involved in nonprofit work throughout Cook County. Organizers intend for the event to provide attendees with a stronger sense of community and an understanding that they are not working in isolation. Additionally, the social offers an opportunity for the public to meet Boreal Waters staff and the local advisory members of the Cook County Community Fund.

The event is open to everyone, including nonprofit staff, board members, and volunteers. Community members who are interested in learning more about local nonprofit work are also encouraged to attend.

The event is free, with RSVPs requested. 

For more information about the event or to RSVP, visit: borealwaters.org/stories/youre-invited-nonprofit-social-in-grand-marais

Established in 2003, the Cook County Community Fund, a regional affiliate of BWCF, focuses on impacting lives by supporting projects in six key areas: arts, education, community development, the environment, human services, and youth. Boreal Waters handles financial, administrative, and grantmaking support. Meanwhile, the Cook County Community Fund Advisory Committee, which consists of community members, uses local knowledge to guide funding decisions.

According to Viegut,  the fund is a reflection of community members who have a desire to give back to the area where they live.

Other regional affiliates of the BWCF include Evelth, MN; the Two Harbors, MN area; and South Shore, WI.

In 2025, the Cook County Community Fund distributed $54,200 among 15 nonprofit organizations, and $50,235 to 19 organizations for the first quarter of 2026.