In Alphabetical Order

Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber’s core purpose is to advocate for the business community by providing leadership, communication and act as a referral resource. Your Connection. Your Voice. Your Success.

Governed by a board of directors, the Chamber is comprised of a number of volunteer councils and committees that are guided by the program of work. There are many partnerships and collaborations that the Chamber has created over the years. Unity and working together has become a strategy the board feels strongly about.

Bemidji Community Food Shelf

By far the people most important to the Bemidji Community Food Shelf (BCFS) are volunteers. Volunteers from churches and from the community receive food donations, unpack freight, work on the farm, stock shelves and pick up goods from local merchants.

Volunteers in the food shelf typically work four-hour shifts on Monday, Wednesday or Friday. If these times do not work for you, it may be possible to make other arrangements.

Bemidji Senior Center

We are not letting any grass grow under our feet at the Bemidji Senior Center! Presentations, exercise, music and trips will keep us busy all year long. Please check out our regular activities and volunteer opportunities. We try to have something for everyone at the Center.

The Bemidji Senior Center is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation. The mission of the Bemidji Senior Center is to provide a welcoming environment encompassing activities and programs primarily for senior citizens of the Bemidji area. The Bemidji Senior Center is dedicated to meeting the needs of seniors and enhancing social, recreational and informational opportunities while working with other agencies.

Michelle Crow is the Center Manager and Lynn Johnson is the Finance Manager.

Bi-County Community Action Programs

BI-CAP is a non-profit community action program that assists low-income disadvantaged families and individuals in Cass and Beltrami Counties. BI-CAP services enhance lives through a variety of programs that increase self-sufficiency by offering financial and counseling support. The programs address housing, homelessness, weatherization, energy assistance, pre-school education, youth on-site training and education and others. BI-CAP’s mission is to help people achieve self-sufficiency.

Boys and Girls Club

Volunteers are welcome to get involved in a variety of areas to help us serve youth better. Please consider sharing your time and talents!

• Youth programs – Volunteer one-on-one as a tutor; assist in the computer lab, art room, special programs or with groups in the gym or game room.
• Special events – Volunteer with Annual Gala in February, Annual Golf Tournament in August or smaller events.
• Office – Answer phones, file or prepare mailings.
• Facility maintenance – Assist custodial staff with general maintenance.
• Gardens and grounds – Help with gardens and greenhouse or general grounds keeping.
• Board or committees – Form policies, be a Club ambassador, plan strategies or lead special projects.

Community Resource Connections

Community Resource Connections, Inc. (CRC) began as an informal networking group of nonprofit agencies in the early 1980’s. The formation was, in large part, a response to a trend in the competitive bidding process for community services. Competing for short-term service contracts began to swallow up the limited resources of the area nonprofits, pitting them against one another and ultimately eliminating any agency from building up experience as a means of improving service delivery.

BACN worked to bring nonprofits together to identify who could most efficiently and effectively take on growing community needs; replacing competition with collaboration. This level of networking enabled nonprofits to support one another, lessen service gaps and develop experienced professionals.

Evergreen Youth and Family Services

Evergreen Youth & Family Services is a community-based organization committed to strengthening youth and preserving families with an emphasis on those living in Northern Minnesota. Evergreen believes that communities are strongest when every individual is treated with dignity and respect and has support to achieve his/her full human potential. Evergreen chooses to remain client-centered with an emphasis on being responsive to each individual and families’ needs while maintaining a high level of professionalism, compassion, and empathy.

Family Advocacy Center of Northern Minnesota

The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, North Country Health Services, MeritCare Clinic of Bemidji, Midwest Children’s Resource Center of Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of MN – St. Paul, MN and others joined to form a non-profit organization to develop and operate a medical-model family violence center to serve the needs of Northern Minnesota.

FACNM is the only medical-model assessment center that currently exists in this region of the state. Moreover, it is one of the only centers in America to serve the needs of child sexual and physical abuse, adult sexual assault and domestic violence under one roof.

George W. Neilson Foundation

George W. Neilson was an entrepreneur who spent most of his summers in northern Minnesota at Spearhead Lake, south of Bemidji. Mr. Neilson wanted to leave a legacy that would carry out his philosophy and those of his daughter, Katharine Neilson Cram, and so he established a trust. Katharine Neilson Cram managed her father’s Trust. In keeping with her legacy, the foundation keeps overhead as low as possible and grants funds that have the most impact in the community. Recognizing Bemidji as having a strong community spirit with an active group of volunteers, the Trustees’ primary direction has been to support good programs rather than to create their own.

Goodwill

When you donate your new and gently used items, Bemidji Goodwill sells them in-store and uses the revenue generated to provide valuable employment training and job placement services for people in the community.

Great River Rescue

Great River Rescue is a private, non-profit, companion animal shelter located in Bemidji, Minnesota. We make every effort to save, care for and find homes for each animal that comes through our doors. We provide high-quality care and enrichment for shelter pets, and get them into homes with loving and responsible pet owners.

Visit their site for more information about the shelter and volunteer opportunities!

Northwoods Habitat for Humanity

Everyone deserves a decent place to live. Northwoods Habitat for Humanity was established in 1990. We are an ecumenical, Christian ministry determined to end poverty housing in our community.

Since 1990, 57 homes have been sold to families who needed nothing more than a hand-up to break the bonds of poverty. Contact us for more information and to volunteer!

Northwest Indian Community Development Center

Northwest Indian Community Development Center’s mission is to identify, coordinate and deliver resources that promote wellness and equity for American Indian families. We are informed by the guiding vision when Anishinaabe and American Indian families are connected to culturally rich environments and relationships, as well as appropriate contemporary resources, they realize and ensure well-being for themselves, their families and their communities.
NWICDC is a native-controlled nonprofit organization founded in response to American Indian economic disparities in the region, delivering training and education opportunities to American Indian and low-income families. NWICDC offers a wide range of Anishinaabe informed services to more effectively meet the needs of Indigenous people, families and communities.

Northwest Minnesota Foundation

Our purpose, building better lives, shows through in all that we do – starting with the principles we act by. These guiding principles are our commitments to how we will conduct our work and are the standard for our actions.

Northwoods Caregivers

Northwoods Caregivers are made up of people from all walks of life working closely with clients and their families providing crucial services such as respite care, transportation and shopping assistance, to name only a few.

Volunteers provide services such as transportation to medical appointments, grocery shopping assistance and friendly visiting to seniors and people living with a disability. Transportation Fees apply to the Carereceiver and are based on a sliding fee scale, according to their household income. All volunteers receive Mileage Reimbursement, recognition and are covered under the program’s liability insurance.

Peacemaker Resources

Peacemaker Resources is a non-profit organization based in Bemidji, MN. For the last 20 years, we have supported building peace skills throughout Minnesota and beyond. Our intention is to offer universal prevention tools to groups leading to systemic changes that benefit individuals and communities.

We work with youth and adults in programming related to three focused areas:

• Social and Emotional Learning
• Cultural Responsiveness
• Trauma-informed Practices

If you are interested in participating in a class, retreat, workshop, volunteer opportunity or just simply learning more about Peacemaker Resources email us or call!  We’d love to hear from you!

United Way

Volunteers are the backbone of the United Way organization. As a potential volunteer, you are encouraged to visit VolunteerBemidji.org to see what opportunities exist within the Bemidji area and to set up your own account to claim volunteer needs and track your community involvement. To volunteer specifically with United Way, you are welcome to complete our volunteer form.

Village of Hope

We promote self-worth and independence through the provision of temporary shelter and supportive services for families experiencing homelessness. We will strengthen our community by assisting families in breaking the cycle of homelessness.

Please fill out our individual or group volunteer applications for volunteer opportunities, or check out our donation wish list.

Watermark Arts Center

Volunteers come to the Watermark Art Center with all sorts of skills and interests. Our volunteers assist with various projects as well as the daily tasks central to keeping Watermark running smoothly. All committee work and organizational business are supported by individuals like you. You can be a board member, committee member or “worker bee” who likes to help in your area of interest or at a special event. If you are interested in being a volunteer, please tell us more about yourself by submitting our volunteer form.