After state and federal cuts, KAXE receives major boost from Bush Foundation

GRAND RAPIDS (April 28, 2026) — KAXE is proud to announce that the Bush Foundation has awarded the station a grant of $4.2 million over five years to support the organization in continuing to expand its local news coverage.

This investment comes at a pivotal time for KAXE and for rural newsrooms across the country.

Last year, during a historic disruption to public media, KAXE faced abrupt state and federal funding cuts. Listener donations, support from local businesses and backing from statewide foundations did more than fill a gap — they ensured KAXE could continue to serve Northern Minnesota. That wave of support was the catalyst to new funding sources from regional and national organizations.

“The outpouring of support we received from people across Northern Minnesota showed the strength of this station and the deep trust people have in our work,” said Sarah Bignall, CEO and General Manager of KAXE. “That support played a big role in helping us secure this grant from the Bush Foundation. It showed that our community believes in us and that belief helped open the door for this kind of transformational investment.”

With the Bush Foundation’s generous support, KAXE can make more of an impact in rural Northern Minnesota, expanding its coverage area and launching new community-powered reporting efforts that connect rural residents to vital information about their towns, schools, local governments and the environment.

“Through our Community Innovation program, we look for ideas to develop, test and spread, and the work of KAXE is a great example,” said Mattie Harper DeCarlo, grantmaking officer at the Bush Foundation. “This effort could become a model for others to replicate and help build trusted information infrastructures in rural and Indigenous communities.”

The grant will support efforts already underway:

• Expanding KAXE’s reporting team to cover the Iron Range, tribal communities and other underreported communities
• Launching a Community Ambassador Program that trains residents to gather stories and perspectives from their own towns
• Strengthening partnerships with local newsrooms and regional nonprofits to tell stories that matter

Over the last three years, KAXE has built a newsroom model rooted in trust, transparency, and community connection. Dramatic increases in traffic to our paywall-free website — featuring all the best original stories, conversations, podcasts and music we have to offer — shows more people turning to KAXE to be informed and entertained.

“This support from Bush Foundation helps us build a sustainable news system for Northern Minnesota,” Bignall said. “Rural communities deserve reliable reporting and real storytelling about their lives, produced by people who live and work in the places they cover. This grant, along with the incredible support of our listeners, allows us to continue that work with confidence.”

KAXE News is part of the organization’s broader effort to ensure that people across Northern Minnesota have free access to timely, factual information that reflects the diversity, challenges and strengths of the region.

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KAXE is an independent community-owned public media organization serving Northern Minnesota with local news, music, conversation and events that reflect the people and land of the region. As the first rural public radio station, KAXE brings people together on air, online and in person through reporting, live events and partnerships across Northern Minnesota. Learn more at kaxe.org.