The Ely Area Community Foundation is an IRS-approved 501(C)(3), non-profit foundation that provides an opportunity for people who know and love the Ely Area to join their charitable dollars for the common good of the community, thus enhancing the community development and quality of life.
The Ely Area Community Foundation receives donations from individuals, families, businesses, and charitable organizations. These funds are invested and managed by The Ely Area Community Foundation and the investment income is made available through a grant application process that responds to community needs and aspirations.
Ely Rotary Club is a 501(c)(3) charitable service organization located in Ely, Minnesota
We meet every Wednesday at the Grand Ely Lodge and welcome guests and visiting Rotarians to join us at noon for lunch. For weekly program information, please visit our Facebook page.
Noon Wednesdays
Buffet Lunch
Grand Ely Lodge
400 N Pioneer Rd
Ely, MN 55731
The purpose of the Trust shall be for the enhancement, growth and improvement of:
The Ely Public Library
The arts and artisans of Ely and surrounding area, to include the
performing arts, the visual arts and literature
The creating and funding of scholarships, educational and artistic grants
The cultural and aesthetic environment of the City of Ely and its surrounding area
To date the Trust has awarded more than $625,000 back to the community artists and art organizations to enrich life in Ely.
Boundary Waters Connect fosters sustainable wilderness edge communities where you can live, work, and play; a program of Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness.
Boundary Waters Connect sponsors Tuesday Group, a gathering that takes place on Tuesdays at noon at the Grand Ely Lodge in Ely, Minnesota. We provide a space for people to be in the community and learn something new, featuring speakers and topics relevant to northeastern Minnesota. Presentations are available to view live via Zoom, and recordings will be posted on our YouTube channel.
Story Portage is a non-profit, centered in Ely, Minnesota, created to foster the art of personal narrative and to promote literacy and reading here in the Northwoods. Current and future projects include:
Ely, Minnesota Chapter of the League of Minnesota Poets
The Maud Hart Lovelace and Star of the North Children’s Choice Book Award Program
Random Acts of Poetry
VCC Visiting Writers Program
Visit our website and take a look at our current projects to learn more, and contact us if you’d like to be part of Story Portage’s future!
Story Portage
P.O. Box 286
Ely, MN 55731
Since 1976, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness has been the voice for clean water and wilderness.
Our vision for the future of this national treasure lies at the intersection of people, communities and wilderness.
Visit our website to discover more about this national treasure, from how to plan your next (or first) visit to how you can help preserve the wilderness for future generations.
We engage young people ages 18-40 through project management and social entrepreneurship. We meet the second Tuesday of every month, 7pm Grand Ely Lodge.
The mission of the Ely Area Food Shelf is to provide a resource for people living in Ely, Minnesota, and the surrounding communities who have run out of options to alleviate hunger.
The food shelf is located at 15 West Conan Street and is open on the third Wednesday of each month from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
People who need assistance can shop between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Home delivery is available for people who are homebound and have no other options for receiving food, such as having a friend or relative shop for them. A volunteer will call to help you “shop by phone” and your food will be delivered. Call (218) 235-8527 to register for this program.
Emergency assistance is available during the month by calling (218) 235-8527.
The Ely Community Care Team (CCT) was created to identify and address gaps in care in Minnesota’s Northeast Iron Range communities. The partnership of community members and 20 organizations that represent health care, behavioral health, education, social service and non-profit organizations serves the entire population of this remote, rural geographic region with special emphasis on individuals and families in poverty or experiencing mental illness.
The Community Care Team provides collaborative care and targeted care coordination to insure adequate resources are available for physical health, mental health and psychosocial challenges; professionals are trained in recognizing such challenges and are prepared respond to the full spectrum of a person’s needs; and patients have the tools and resources to be a partner in their wellness, treatment and recovery goals. A robust process and outcome evaluation is already showing significant benefits to patients and professionals, in addition to reduced healthcare costs.
At Voyageur Outward Bound School we believe in the potential of every individual. We believe when people discover strength of character, an aptitude for leadership and a desire to serve, it has a positive impact on their lives and the lives of those around them. And that discovery has the power to make the world a better place. Outward Bound changes lives through challenge and discovery. We offer life-changing expeditions for everyone, regardless of social or economic status, race or gender, from struggling teens, to first generation urban youth, adults in transition or veterans integrating back into life outside of active duty.
For over 50 years, we have been changing lives by using the wilderness as a classroom to provide unparalleled opportunities for personal growth, self-reliance, confidence, teamwork and compassion.
Our full portfolio of programs ranges from part-day programming to wilderness programs lasting a full semester. Canoeing, camping, rock climbing, backpacking, skiing, snowshoeing, dog-sledding and urban adventure programs serve as the educational vehicle for social and emotional learning and character development. In all of VOBS programs, tight-knit groups are led through sequenced challenges designed to discover and improve skills such as emotion management, teamwork, initiative, problem solving, responsibility and empathy. This learning occurs for both the individual and the group. Voyageur Outward Bound School students experience the benefit of personal challenge and the positive effects of nature as they build critical life skills.
