Manh Choh Community Fund

A Legacy Gift for Our Communities

Kinross Gold has made a $1 million legacy gift to the Alaska Community Foundation (ACF) to establish the Manh Choh Community Fund (MCCF). This gift fulfills Kinross’ promise to provide lasting support to communities in the Manh Choh mine’s benefit footprint, ensuring resources remain even after the mine closes.

Kinross Alaska Announces $1 Million Legacy Gift and Launches Manh Choh Community Fund

TOK, Alaska — Community members from across the Upper Tanana region gathered recently to celebrate the launch of the Manh Choh Community Fund (MCCF), a new charitable fund established through a $1 million legacy gift from Kinross Alaska. 

Managed in perpetuity by the Alaska Community Foundation, the fund is designed to support community-led priorities in the region and provide long-term, stable financial support to eight communities near the Manh Choh Mine: Delta Junction, Dot Lake,Healy Lake, Mentasta, Northway, Tok, Tetlin, and Tanacross.

“This fund represents our long-term commitment to the region,” said Terence Watungwa,Vice President and General Manager for Kinross Alaska. “We want to ensure that the benefits of the Manh Choh Mine extend well beyond the life of the operation itself. This legacy gift is intended to support community priorities for generations.”

Meadow Riedel of Kinross Alaska, who has led the development of the MCCF over the past year, said the effort has been a meaningful undertaking. “It has been a privilege to help build something that stays right here in the communities,”Riedel said. “As someone who grew up in the region, seeing this fund come to life has been incredibly rewarding.”

The inaugural grant cycle drew significant participation, with 44 applications requesting more than $300,000 in total funding. While not all applications could be approved this round, Riedel encouraged organizations to apply again in future cycles.

“The amount of interest we saw reflects the incredible work happening across our communities,” she said. “If you applied and weren’t selected this time, we truly hope you’ll apply again.”

Seven organizations were selected for the first round of MCCF grants, representing a wide range of local initiatives:

• Delta Community Library Association – Operational Library Improvement 
• Delta Lions Club – Project Christmas and the Delta Lions Angel Tree 
• Helping Hands Food Bank – Eggs for Distribution 
• Tok Chamber of Commerce – Community Gathering Projects 
• Tok Community Library – Summer Reading Program
• Tok Volunteer Fire Department – New Gear and SCBA Devices
• Native Village of Tanacross – Spring Dog Races

“Awarded projects reflect locally identified priorities,” Riedel said. “They include a combination of youth programs, cultural events, library improvements, community gathering spaces, food security, and emergency response activities, focus areas and efforts that strengthen communities.”

A key part of the fund’s design is its Community Advisory Committee (CAC), made up of representatives from across the region who provide insight and guidance to ensure the fund reflects community needs.

“These individuals have invested time working through the structure, purpose, and process of this fund,” Riedel said. “Their leadership ensures the fund remains transparent and community-centered.”

With its first grant cycle complete, the Manh Choh Community Fund is positioned for long-term regional impact.

“This is only the beginning,” Watungwa said. “The fund will continue to grow over time, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have across the region.”

For more information on the Manh Choh Community Fund or upcoming grant cycles, please contact Meadow Riedel, meadow.riedel@kinross.com.

Press release download

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MCCF Committee Members

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Annual Grantmaking Guidelines

The Fund is designed to provide annual funding in the form of grants that strengthen and enhance community well-being. While ACF holds fiscal oversight and final approval authority, the Fund’s direction and grantmaking are guided by the Manh Choh Community Fund Advisory Committee (CAC). The Committee, composed of representatives of the footprint communities, reviews applications, makes funding recommendations, and ensures that grantmaking reflects local priorities and values.

2. Who Can Apply

Eligibility for funding is limited to organizations and entities that can demonstrate charitable purpose and alignment with the Fund’s mission.

Download the application

Eligible applicants include:

• Nonprofit organizations with current 501(c)(3) designation
  • Tribes and Tribal entities
  • Organizations that have a fiscal sponsor with a 501(c)(3) designation
  • K12 schools
  • City governments and boroughs
  • Collaborations of nonprofit and public agencies
  • Organizations with religious affiliations will be considered for funding only if the project for which they seek support addresses the needs of the wider community without regard to religious beliefs
  • 501(c)4, 501(c)6, and 501(c)7 organizations are not eligible for funding

3. Funding Priorities

The Fund invests in six priority areas identified by the Manh Choh footprint communities. These areas represent the shared values and long-term goals of the region and will guide the distribution of resources:

Focus Area	Sub-categories
1) Community Health, Safety, and Well-being	– Mental health – Elder care – Substance abuse prevention – Healthy relationships and families
2) Educational Opportunities	– Student activities – Lifelong learning and skills training
3) Environmental Protection and Conservation	– Stewardship of natural resources
4) Cultural Enhancement and Historical Preservation	– Language – Arts – Cultural practices – Heritage
5) Economic Development and Sustainability	– Strengthening economic and community resilience
6) Infrastructure Improvements	– Modest investments that improve community facilities and services

4. What We Fund

The Fund supports a wide variety of charitable projects and programs, provided they deliver tangible benefits to the Manh Choh communities.

Programs & Initiatives	Multi-year or ongoing efforts that provide lasting community benefit.
Projects	Defined activities with a clear start and end date.
Events	One-time events may be considered, but preference will be given to proposals with long-term community impact.
Capital & Equipment	Modest capital or equipment purchases that directly support program delivery.

5. What We Cannot Fund

Certain types of requests fall outside the Fund’s scope. The Fund does not provide support for general operating expenses or administrative overhead, deficit reduction or debt repayment, reimbursements for expenses already incurred, or partisan political activity.

Religious programming is not eligible for support; however, faith-based organizations may apply for funding to support secular community activities. Additionally, projects that discriminate on the basis of race, gender, orientation, age, disability, or other protected categories will not be considered for funding.

6. Grant Cycle and Process

The Fund will operate a twice-yearly cycle, with the timelines for each cycle included with the application. The total amount of funding available in each cycle is determined by available resources and will be announced at the launch of the cycle.

The CAC will review and score applications individually, then meet to deliberate, discuss, and rank proposals. The Committee may choose to approve a request in full, decline a request, defer it to a future cycle, or modify the request by offering partial funding. All decisions, including recusals and rationales, are recorded to ensure accountability and transparency.

The Committee’s recommendations are then forwarded to ACF, who will verify that applicants and applications meet all compliance requirements. ACF has final approval authority for all grant awards.

7. Grant Size and Terms

While we accept grant requests of all amounts, grant awards typically range between $3,000 and $5,000, with the exact number and size of awards dependent on the funds available in each cycle. Partial funding is possible.

The distribution of awards across footprint communities will be considered annually, with attention given to need, fairness, and equity across the region.

8. Award and Reporting Requests

Organizations selected for funding will receive an award letter and a grant agreement outlining requirements. Funds are disbursed once all required agreements are signed and documentation is complete.

All grantees are asked to submit a brief report within one year of receiving funds. These brief reports will summarize the activity, any outcomes or achievements, and may include a photo that can be used in fund announcements and communications.

9.  Community Engagement and Transparency

The Fund is committed to transparency and open communication with the communities it serves. Community input will be collected on an ongoing basis through a feedback form included in communications. The Committee will share annual grant cycle information regularly through email, local newspapers, and other public announcements.

10. Contact Information

For all questions about the grant cycle and application materials, please contact:

Shelly Wade, Community Fund Team
shelly@agnewbeck.com
907-242-5326