The St. Paul, Minnesota-based Northwest Area Foundation recently announced second-quarter grants totaling $5.3 million. Funds will be dispersed among organizations serving rural, urban, Native American and African American communities through job training, public policy improvements, financial education and leadership development.

To help low-income families, the foundation allocated $200,000 to AccountAbility of Minnesota; $150,000 to Express Advantage of Seattle, Washington; $150,000 to First Children's Finance of Minneapolis, Minnesota and $268,000 to Opportunity Link of Havre, Montana.

Organizations working to build wealth among Native American communities living in urban areas include the Chief Seattle Club of Seattle, Washington, which will receive $250,000, Migizi Communications of Minneapolis with $277,000, the Native American Community Development Corporation of Billings, Montana, which received a $250,000 investment and the Native American Youth and Family Center of Portland, Oregon with $500,000.

More than $500,000 was also granted to groups that are working in grassroots leadership development, $2.1 million was invested in organizations focusing on improving Native American public policies, while additional funds were dispersed among tax, policy and community organization nonprofits.

Foundations that award grants more than once a year might benefit from a fund accounting solution that will make it easier to measure available funds and ensure they are allocated correctly across their primary areas of focus.