The Two Harbors Area Community Fund (THACF), a locally led regional affiliate of the x in Duluth, announces that it has awarded $93,000 in competitive grants to projects in the Two Harbors Area.
According to Boreal Waters Communications Manager Carly Viegut, “THACF is powered by generous community members who love the area and have chosen to invest in its future.”
Boreal Waters manages the paperwork and investment strategy from Duluth. Established in 1982 as the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation, it was officially rebranded to Boreal Waters in 2025 to reflect its expanding reach across the North Shore and the Arrowhead region. The THACF is governed by a board of local Two Harbors-area residents who decide exactly where the money goes within their own city limits and the surrounding area. It was the first affiliate fund of Boreal Waters and serves as a resource for enhancing the quality of life for the people of Two Harbors and the surrounding area.
The fund operates as a permanent endowment. The “principal” is invested, and the interest earned is distributed each year as grants. This ensures that even in lean years, there is a consistent source of funding for local projects.
THACF generally focuses on projects that enhance the quality of life, specifically in the Two Harbors area. This often includes supporting after-school programs, local library initiatives, and the Two Harbors High School. It has awarded grants to improve local parks, historical sites, and public spaces. They often provide grants to local non-profits that assist seniors or low-income families.
Viegut wrote, “These [grant] decisions weren’t made from afar; they were made by people who live and work in the community, reviewing applications, weighing priorities, and making thoughtful choices about where these resources can have the most impact.”
This year’s grant recipients include:
Two Harbors Area Fund
• Brimson Strong Community Support & Recovery — Brimson Strong Community Support & Recovery ($10,000)
• Head of the Lakes United Way — Babysitter Training ($4,000)
• ISD #381 – Lake Superior Public Schools — THHS Pool Starting Blocks ($6,850)
• Justice North (fka LASNEM) — Two Harbors Civil Legal Services ($2,500)
• Let’s Plant Trees — Funding for Native Tree Seedlings ($3,000)
• Maji ya Chai Land Sanctuary — Accessible Health Station: Safety Infrastructure for Phase 2 Launch ($5,000)
• Minnesota Public Radio — Class Notes Residency ($5,000)
• North Shore Area Partners — No One Forgotten: Reaching Silver Bay’s Isolated Seniors ($10,000)
• Paddle It Forward (Fiscal Sponsor: Fiscal Sponsorship Allies) — Outdoor Leadership Series for Regional Teens ($2,500)
• Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank — Equitable and Dignified Food Access in the Two Harbors Area ($2,500)
• Two Harbors Community Radio – KTHW — Youth Radio: Generations Connecting ($4,750)
• Two Harbors Public Library — Two Harbors Public Library Artist in Residence ($4,500)
• United Church of Two Harbors — Community Support Programming ($1,000)
• Wildwoods — Injured and Orphaned Wildlife in Two Harbors ($2,000)
LaBounty Family Fund
• Friends of the Finland Community — Nourish the North equipment library and butchery training ($13,225)
• Knife River Heritage & Cultural Center — Site landscaping in preparation for international event ($5,000)
• North Shore Area Partners — Generations Connected: Building Community Through Shared Purpose ($11,141)
Boreal Waters and its affiliates act as a permanent civic endowment. Instead of just spending money, they manage hundreds of individual funds— often set up as memorials or by families—to ensure long-term support for the region. THACF serves as a reminder that it takes more than government to get real work done. The real work is often done by our neighbors on the THACF board who quietly fund the local food shelf or the community garden.
Boreal Waters has a footprint that includes 12 counties, seven in Minnesota, five in Wisconsin, and seven Tribal Nations.
