MicroGrants

What MicroGrants does

MicroGrants is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2006 by Joe Selvaggio in Minneapolis, Minnesota, providing small grants of up to $2,500 to low-income individuals in the Twin Cities seeking economic self-sufficiency. Unlike microfinance, MicroGrants issues grants rather than loans, focusing on opportunities to get work, keep work, or create work rather than addressing needs or emergencies. The organization operates through a Partner Agency Model, where 10+ approved 501(c)(3) nonprofits—including Daily Work, HIRED, Hmong American Partnership, Jeremiah Program, MCCD, NDC, PPL, Twin Cities RISE!, UJAMAA PLACE, and Wilder Foundation—nominate recipients, provide mentorship, and complete follow-up reporting.

The organization's other major program, Lights On!, is a national initiative launched in 2014 that replaces equipment violation tickets with vouchers for free vehicle repairs, now operating in 22 states through partnerships with 175+ law enforcement agencies. MicroGrants is funded entirely through donations and reports that 85% of all dollars spent go to program services. The organization is led by CEO Clarence D. Castile with a board chaired by Fire Chief Bryan Tyner, following 2024 leadership transitions after the passings of founder Joe Selvaggio and chairman Tom Welch. Technology infrastructure is minimal, limited to online grant applications and partner agency coordination tools.

Name

MicroGrants

Legal name

MicroGrants

Website

https://microgrants.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MicroGrants is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 that provides grants of up to $2,500 to low-income Twin Cities individuals for economic self-sufficiency, and operates the Lights On! national program in 22 states with 175+ law enforcement agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Grant-Making Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADAOAB

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Donor Coordination, Grantmaking & Development Finance Programs

SECONDARYHLAJALAM

Workforce Development & Training Grants (Public Health)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Public Health Funding, Grants & Program Administration

SECONDARYBPAGABAH

Refugee, Migration & Displacement Support

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

Keywords

• Nonprofit grant making
• Micro grants
• Workforce development
• Economic self-sufficiency
• Charitable giving

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: MicroGrants is funded entirely through donations. Donations enter a pooled fund from which grants are distributed to recipients nominated by partner agencies. Last year, 85% of all dollars spent were used for program services, indicating a lean operational model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MicroGrants provides cash grants of up to $2,500 to low-income individuals in the greater Twin Cities for opportunities to get work, keep work, or create work, covering expenses such as training (CNA, CDL, Phlebotomy), education supplies, small business startup costs, equipment, and transportation. Grants are awarded exclusively through approved 501(c)(3) Partner Agencies that nominate recipients, mentor them on spending, and complete follow-up reports. The organization also runs the Lights On! program, a national initiative replacing equipment violation tickets with free vehicle repair vouchers in partnership with law enforcement.

Product overview

MicroGrants is a nonprofit organization offering a grant program providing up to $2,500 to low-income individuals in the Twin Cities area for education, small business, and transportation purposes. The organization operates through Partner Agencies and also runs the Lights On! national program that provides vehicle repair vouchers in partnership with law enforcement agencies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lights On!: National program that replaces equipment violation tickets with vouchers for free repairs to help low-income drivers and enhance police-community relationships. Operating in 22 states and over 175 law enforcement agencies.

Products and services

• MicroGrants Program Core grant program providing strategic cash grants of up to $2,500 to low-income individuals in the greater Twin Cities area for opportunities to get work, keep work, or create work. Grants cover training programs (CNA, CDL, Phlebotomy), cosmetology/barber licensing, driving lessons, education supplies, continuing education, small business startup costs, equipment purchases, and infrastructure improvements. Recipients are nominated by approved 501(c)(3) Partner Agencies that also provide mentorship and follow-up reporting.
• Lights On! Program National Lights On! program that replaces equipment violation tickets (notably broken taillights) with vouchers for free vehicle repairs, helping low-income drivers and enhancing police-community relationships. Operates through partnerships with law enforcement agencies across 22 states and over 175 agencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000+ individuals helped since 2006
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Daily WorkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner agency that strengthens families, congregations, and communities by assisting job seekers in preparing for, finding, and maintaining living wage jobs. They nominate and support MicroGrant recipients.
• HIREDcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner agency providing no-fee personalized career counseling, training, and placement for job seekers while providing employers with workforce solutions. They nominate and support MicroGrant recipients.
• Hmong American PartnershipcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner agency and social service nonprofit serving nearly 30,000 individuals annually. Originally founded to serve Minnesota's growing Hmong population, now the largest Hmong-serving organization in the nation. They nominate and support MicroGrant recipients.
• Jeremiah ProgramcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner agency assisting single mothers and children to break the cycle of poverty by providing campus community where they can prosper through programming supporting women in completing postsecondary education with housing, life skills, empowerment training, and early childhood education. They nominate and support MicroGrant recipients.
• Metropolitan Consortium of Community DeveloperscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner agency (MCCD) - an association of community development organizations committed to expanding the wealth and resources of neighborhoods through housing and economic development initiatives. They nominate and support MicroGrant recipients.
• Neighborhood Development CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner agency (NDC) working in low-income communities of St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Greater Minnesota to help emerging entrepreneurs develop successful businesses. They nominate and support MicroGrant recipients.
• Project for Pride in LivingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner agency (PPL) working with lower-income individuals and families throughout the Twin Cities metro area helping them achieve greater self-sufficiency through housing, employment training, education, and support services. They nominate and support MicroGrant recipients.
• Twin Cities RISE!coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner agency assisting individuals in poverty on the path to long-term and stable employment with work skills training. They nominate and support MicroGrant recipients.
• UJAMAA PLACEcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner agency assisting young African American men who are economically disadvantaged and have experienced repeated cycles of failure. They nominate and support MicroGrant recipients.
• Wilder FoundationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner agency (Amherst H. Wilder Foundation) promoting the social welfare of persons in the greater Saint Paul metropolitan area. They nominate and support MicroGrant recipients.
• 175+ Law Enforcement Agencies (Lights On! Program)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerLaw enforcement agencies in 22 states participating in the Lights On! national program that replaces equipment violation tickets with vouchers for free repairs to help low-income drivers and enhance police-community relationships.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Prosperity Now: Prosperity Now is a national nonprofit focused on helping low-income households achieve financial stability and asset-building. Comparable to MicroGrants in targeting economic self-sufficiency through financial tools for vulnerable populations, but operating at policy/advocacy scale rather than direct grantmaking.
• Kiva: Kiva is a crowdfunding platform that channels small-dollar loans to underserved borrowers worldwide. Directly comparable as a Yunus-influenced, small-dollar anti-poverty financial intermediary serving low-income populations, though loans rather than grants.
• DreamSpring: DreamSpring is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) providing small business loans and grants to underserved entrepreneurs in the US. Highly comparable to MicroGrants' focus on small business startup costs and economic self-sufficiency for low-income individuals.
• GiveDirectly: GiveDirectly provides unconditional cash transfers directly to people living in extreme poverty. Most directly comparable to MicroGrants in mission (cash grants to low-income individuals), although operating at global scale and using a direct-to-recipient model rather than a partner agency model.
• Project for Pride in Living: Project for Pride in Living (PPL) is also a Twin Cities nonprofit serving low-income individuals through housing, employment, and education, founded by the same person (Joe Selvaggio) who founded MicroGrants. It is both a MicroGrants partner agency and a direct organizational peer in mission and population served.
• Grameen America: Grameen America is the US arm of Muhammad Yunus's microfinance movement, the same inspiration cited by MicroGrants' founder. It provides small loans to low-income women entrepreneurs, making it a closely related Yunus-inspired anti-poverty financial services organization targeting similar US populations.
• Mission Asset Fund: Mission Asset Fund operates Lending Circles, a zero-interest social loan program for immigrants and low-income families to build credit. Comparable as a small-dollar alternative-finance nonprofit targeting the same economically vulnerable populations MicroGrants serves.

Broad incumbents

• Habitat for Humanity International: Habitat for Humanity is a major international nonprofit focused on affordable housing and economic opportunity for low-income families. A broad incumbent in poverty alleviation with overlapping workforce/self-sufficiency programs but at vastly larger scale.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): LISC is a major national community development nonprofit that invests in affordable housing, economic development, and healthy communities. Broader incumbent in MicroGrants' category, operating with much larger financial scale but addressing overlapping anti-poverty and economic mobility missions.
• Enterprise Community Partners: Enterprise Community Partners is a national nonprofit that invests in affordable housing and community development. Comparable as a broad community development organization focused on breaking cycles of poverty, though at much larger scale and concentrated on housing rather than direct cash grants.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/micrograntsmpls
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZznVmWMIeyxFihWQ1KZN9g
• Facebookfacebook.com/MicroGrantsMpls
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/microgrants

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MicroGrants