The Ian Helms Award for Social Entrepreneurship honors organizations whose creative and inspiring projects increase self-sustainability while also providing a strong social return.
Donor Name: The Dakota Foundation
State: Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Awards and Prizes
Deadline: 02/28/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The primary objective of the Ian Helms Award is to help already-active small nonprofits establish or grow a source of regular revenue that will both help secure the sustainability of the organization while also providing employment, education, or support to those in need.
The program consists of two phases, subject to review at each stage, characterized by a reciprocal agreement between the Dakota Foundation and the beneficiary:
- First, the Dakota Foundation will provide an initial grant that the beneficiary will use as upfront capital to help establish or expand a source of revenue.
- If feasible, once the initial phase has been realized, the Dakota Foundation will expect to consider a program-related investment (PRI) to consolidate the long-term stability and success of the new or expanded revenue stream.
Funding Information
The amount of the initial grant and any subsequent PRI will depend on the specific details of the proposal, not to exceed $100,000.
Guidelines
- They prefer engaging in program-related investments (PRIs) and social impact bonds, although they will consider grants on a limited basis.
- A formal PRI or Grant request submission is required of applicants seeking an investment from the Dakota Foundation. The submission forms for both can be found below. The submission should express how the project fits within the Dakota Foundation’s core mission.
- Ideally, those seeking support will have met with a Dakota Foundation representative (Board Member, Senior Advisor, or Executive Director) prior to submitting a request, and that representative has expressed their willingness to advocate for potential partnership.
- There are no submission deadlines (except for the Ian Helms Award). They are intentionally flexible, allowing appropriate due diligence to take course. They favor face-to-face meetings when possible.
- The geographic focus is domestic, primarily in North Dakota, New Mexico, and Colorado, where they have board members living and able to interact directly with investment candidates. However, particularly exciting proposals supporting other regions may be considered, such as Social Impact Bond partnerships.
- Foundation staff will review the material and, should they want to engage in further due diligence, will respond within a reasonable time.
- Typically, a senior member from your organization will be invited to present to board either virtually or in-person when possible before board makes a final decision.
For more information, visit The Dakota Foundation.
