The roots of the FM Coalition are in collaboration. Thirty years ago when area shelters were facing a crisis of overwhelming numbers of people experiencing homelessness in the metro area, they came to gather to better work together to meet the human need on their doorsteps. Out of that collaboration a Coaltion was born that years later still brings people together to solve problems great and small.

Born out of the collaborative table of the Coalition are success stories such as the medial respite program, housing navigation program, an annual State of Homelessness Report, and the design of a local and regional coordinated entry system (CARES).

The Coalition has been recognized for its dedication to collaboration and innovation both by the North Dakota Association of Nonprofit Organizations with the Partnership Building Award and the Bush Foundation with the prestigious Bush Prize for Commuinty Innovation.

We are committed to continuing as a unique and dynamic platform for partners to come around a table and achieve permanent solution to prevent and end homelessness. It is our past, present, and future.

Bush Prize for Community Innovation
FM Coalition to End Homelessness

The Bush Prize for Community Innovation celebrates organizations with a track record of successful community problem solving. Bush Prize winners are extraordinary not in what they do, but in how they do it. They work inclusively, in partnership with others, to make our region better for everyone. Each year the bush Foundations awards the Bush Prize in each of the three states they serve: Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, including the 23 Native nations that share the same geography.

 For winning the prize, the FM Coalition received numerous acknowledgements including a cash prize and a sculpture. The link chain symbolizes the numerous interrelated connections the winning organizations create and maintain throughout their communities.