tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16279169005699490802012-01-25T14:41:15.674-06:00Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.comBlogger741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-42779325401811577242012-01-25T14:40:00.001-06:002012-01-25T14:41:15.686-06:00

In 2012 Valspar Corporation will once again be offering nonprofits and communities a chance to apply for free paint and coatings through its “Minnesota Beautiful” partnership with the Initiative Foundation. Representatives from the Initiative Foundation and Valspar will select 8-10 restoration or beautification projects to receive paint and coatings based on their visual impact, public

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-68450574655255365612011-12-28T09:57:00.000-06:002011-12-28T09:57:15.369-06:00

As a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), the Initiative Foundation has been given a great opportunity to invest in locally-owned companies - delivering responsible, affordable lending to help low-income, low-wealth, and other disadvantaged people and communities.   Since being certified as a CDFI, we have been awarded nearly $2 million from the CDFI Fund to provide loans and

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-39751335647155195822011-12-13T13:56:00.001-06:002011-12-13T14:49:23.992-06:00

This past summer we commissioned Paramount Theatre and Visual Arts Center to create an original work that would link the Foundation's accomplishments with the generosity of its donors.   What artists Anne Meyer and Melissa Gohman created is an amazing work of art!  The 25th Anniversary Commemorative Wall skillfully translates 25 symbols of regional identity and achievement - one for each

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-42741749293298140362011-12-12T09:36:00.000-06:002011-12-12T09:36:21.940-06:00

In an effort to make it easier and more efficient for grant seekers to apply for Innovation Fund grants, the Initiative Foundation will be transitioning to an online grantmaking system in 2012. This coming year the foundation will award over $1 million in grants.  The majority of these grants require participation in one of our leadership programs and the

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-58879063858157723612011-11-18T11:15:00.000-06:002011-11-18T11:15:01.373-06:00

This past Wednesday was a day for the philanthropy history books as GiveMN.org's Give To The Max Day, a 24 hour online giving campaign, raised a total of $13.4 million dollars!   Records were broken as 47,535 individuals donated to 3,978 organizations - compared to last year, that's 4,939 more donors that gave, and 342 more organizations that benefited, from this annual event.  Here at the

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-28426636300388062012011-11-07T09:21:00.000-06:002011-11-07T09:21:55.103-06:00

We hope all of those who attended our 2011 Initiative Awards event on Friday, October 28 were just as ‘inspired’ as we were! Thanks to our friends at Adventure Advertising, photos from the evening are available online.  To download any of the photos (and then save, email, print, etc.), simply click the disk icon next to the photo.  Thanks to our friends at QuarterTon Productions, the videos

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-4392163007184502812011-09-21T14:35:00.000-05:002011-09-21T14:35:28.964-05:00

We're excited to officially announce our 2011 award winners! Outstanding Community — Wadena The foundation chose Wadena to receive its Outstanding Community Award, sponsored by the Minnesota Power Foundation.  The city was selected because of their community development work and recovery and rebuilding efforts after a June 2010 tornado. Outstanding Enterprise — Larson Boats, Little Falls Larson

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-28339535565522674762011-08-22T13:55:00.000-05:002011-08-22T13:55:56.918-05:00

In 2009 we helped the Smude family with a start-up loan to build a 'seed oil crushing facility' on their farm. Great things have been happening since then!  The following is an excerpt from the Star Tribune’s June 3, 2011 article, “The Taste 50”: On their Pierz, Minn., farm, Tom and Jenni Smude are making a Minnesota-made cooking oil, and a superior one at that. After switching out soybeans for

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-59677402293432374682011-07-01T15:01:00.003-05:002011-07-01T15:08:14.747-05:00

The other day we received word that we were awarded a $175,000 grant from the USDA's Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI).   This brings our total support from this program to almost $1.5 million since 2004!  It's been an incredible resource for us as we work to support our region's rural, low-income communities and nonprofits.   This particular grant will enable three communities to

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-79424716656572905352011-06-21T09:44:00.002-05:002011-06-27T09:13:14.483-05:00

The picture frames are on his desk, his laptop is fired up and his business cards have arrived.... It is our pleasure to announce that Dan Bullert has joined our team as the new Business Finance Officer!  Dan comes to us with over 20 years of commercial lending experience with both national and community banks and is eager to work with local businesses, lenders and economic development

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-17395208946981890202011-06-10T08:40:00.000-05:002011-06-10T08:40:29.873-05:00

The other day we received a update from Jane Ellison, project manager for the Greater St. Cloud Area Thrive group.  (If you haven't heard about Thrive, you can either read about it on our website or browse through the Winter 2008 issue of IQ to learn more. Since she describes everything so well, I thought I'd just share a clip directly from her email... "As you know the Access project,

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-60388726639651912972011-01-11T10:26:00.000-06:002011-01-11T10:26:24.956-06:00

In 2011 Valspar Corporation will once again be offering nonprofits and communities a chance to apply for free paint and coatings through its “Minnesota Beautiful” partnership with the Initiative Foundation. Representatives from the Initiative Foundation and Valspar will select 8-10 restoration or beautification projects to receive paint and coatings based on their visual impact, public benefit,

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-38287916921141429722011-01-03T10:44:00.012-06:002011-01-04T14:15:29.825-06:00

Just wanted to share some new changes with our 2011 grant review process... As of January 1, 2011, the Initiative Foundation will be reviewing grant inquiries - for our Innovation Fund - on a quarterly basis. We have decided to adopt this process due to an increased number of funding requests and our desire to be more transparent and strategic. Our Grant Team will be able to compare

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-14945048292316533842011-01-03T10:35:00.005-06:002011-01-03T10:43:38.076-06:00

How can a VISTA member help your organization better fight poverty?Got an idea for a new program or for improving services but no one with the time to dig in and get the job done?Wanna improve your fund development efforts? Generate community “buzz” about your work?Need more volunteers? Want them to be better trained?Need an enthusiastic someone with a singular focus on helping your agency

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-30286019278139609852010-11-19T09:34:00.004-06:002010-11-19T11:15:57.721-06:00

This past Tuesday, November 16th was like most any other early winter day in Minnesota. Crisp temps, a little sunshine and some snow-covered pumpkins on porch steps... But inside our office and thousands of other nonprofits across the state, we weren't too focused on what was going on outside. I was obsessed with clicking that little blue round arrow at the top of my internet browser. And the

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-76947430296286441042010-10-27T14:27:00.006-05:002010-10-27T14:39:15.232-05:00

The Initiative Foundation is requesting proposals for the design and creation of an artistic piece to recognize donors and 100 commemorative gifts. The deadline for proposal submission is November 24, 2010.> download the Request for ProposalFeel free to share this with others who might be interested in this type of project! If you have any questions, feel free to contact Mary Bauer, CommonWealth

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-79104600254409218462010-10-06T14:27:00.005-05:002010-10-06T15:05:47.609-05:00

A sweet natural gem of 30,700 acres sits just 50 miles northwest of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. The Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge welcomes some 110,000 visitors every year and now we recently welcomed them into the Initiative Foundation "family"!Representatives from the Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge (FSNWR) came to visit with our staff a few weeks ago and completed

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-22051506995725551002010-08-31T10:07:00.002-05:002010-08-31T11:22:56.349-05:00

Two weeks ago Kathy received an email with the subject: "CDFI award notification email". We had been anticipating that email for quite some time. (273 days to be exact - not that I was counting or anything.)Last fall we applied for a grant from the U.S. Treasury Department's Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund. If awarded, the funding would allow us to expand our Technology

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-37724147498991741402010-08-17T14:57:00.000-05:002010-08-17T14:57:46.430-05:00

As you might know... Linda Kaufmann, who joined the foundation in 2000, was recently accepted into the Bush Foundation's Fellowship program. She left just a couple weeks ago and I wanted to share a little bit about all of the amazing work that she did for the foundation in the last 10 years. (which is going to be hard to sum up in just one, little blog post!)At the core of Linda's work was

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-70674700264182099072010-08-12T15:02:00.005-05:002010-08-12T15:21:29.955-05:00

There's just 24 hours left in our first ever online giving challenge. So far, the results have been fantastic! 252 unique donors and $48,990 in funds raised for five Brainerd Lakes area nonprofits.Now we have just one request... The Salvation Army, one of the five charities, has until tomorrow (Friday, Aug 13) at 4 p.m. to raise another $1,255 to receive an anonymous donor’s matching grant of

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-69148476742622102492010-08-02T08:00:00.000-05:002010-08-02T08:00:01.691-05:00

Here's you're chance to help out Brainerd area individuals and families in need!Starting Monday, August 2nd at 8 a.m. (& concluding on August 13th at 4 p.m.) an anonymous donor will be matching all online donation to five Brainerd Lakes Area nonprofits. Every donation, up $5,000 per organization, will be matched! The nonprofits included in this challenge are:Bridges of HopeKinship PartnersLakes

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-90917075365120899522010-07-14T15:32:00.003-05:002010-07-14T15:37:09.814-05:00

Today we announced a special, emergency loan fund for businesses affected by the recent storm damage in Wadena. For more information about the fund you can read the news release about it or download one of the following:> Wadena Fund Fact SheetFund Application:- fillable Word version- printable PDF versionQuestions about the fund can be directed to Dean Uselman, the Wadena Development

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-12226987226524213962010-06-25T13:20:00.008-05:002010-07-28T10:33:46.158-05:00

The response to our online Wadena Relief Fund has been truly amazing! Because of this and an additional $5,000 in matching funds from the Minnesota Power Foundation we've decided to increase the goal to $25,000. (The original goal of $12,500, set by matching funds from us and West Central Initiative, was completely smashed within just 24 hours of announcing the online challenge.) I think it's

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-77873918792411232062010-06-22T10:56:00.018-05:002010-06-23T11:24:58.069-05:00

On Thursday, June 17th a devastating F4 tornado struck the city of Wadena, a city of 4,300 about 50 miles northwest of Little Falls.According to Wadena County sources, the 1-mile by 10-mile tornado touched down at 5:10 p.m. and cut through both residential and commercial areas.Thankfully (and amazingly), only minor injuries were reported but the city suffered extensive damage. Wadena-Deer Creek

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-81134954966760045882010-06-10T09:59:00.006-05:002010-06-10T10:25:26.896-05:00

Inside-Out Connections coalition members (including our own Jolene Howard) were featured on the Lakeland Currents show hosted by Ray Gildow on Thursday, May 27. Lakeland Currents is Lakeland Public Television's public affairs program based out of the Brainerd studio.On the show they discussed our Inside-Out Connections project and the impact of parental incarceration on the lives of children.

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-44428906577478156782010-06-04T15:00:00.001-05:002010-06-04T15:07:28.970-05:00

Our very own Kathy Gaalswyk was recently featured on a new website! Mymn.org is a new, local website that zooms in on our Minnesota communities and celebrates the reasons why we love living and working here.The site is packed with resources and opportunities to share your story by allowing us to comment on hot topics, submit photos, videos and even get our voices heard by our elected leaders!

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-57009380060963729062010-05-28T10:54:00.005-05:002010-05-28T10:57:10.071-05:00

THRIVE-verb {thriv};1. To prosper; be fortunate or successful.2. To grow or develop vigorously; to flourish.To thrive in life is probably a goal for many of us; to be the best we can be.But what about the young children in our communities who have little or no support? What help is out there for them?Statewide surveys revealed that an alarming number of greater Minnesota children are struggling

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-53242486071232720482010-05-10T12:10:00.000-05:002010-05-10T12:11:11.376-05:00

Some of our staff received an email from Dave Peters, at Minnesota Public Radio, last week. Part of it read: "Sitting in your offices last summer and fall as we planned this out, I would have been tickled to think it would go as well as it did."We couldn't agree more.Nearly 200 people joined MPR and Initiative Foundation staff in Long Prairie last Thursday night as they held a community forum

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-82095324457607536412010-05-07T11:50:00.001-05:002010-05-07T12:00:17.295-05:00

According to the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits there are an estimated 4,000 nonprofits in Minnesota that will lose their 501(c)(3) tax exempt status unless they go online and file form 990-N. The nonprofits are small organizations that operate on the calendar year with financial activity under $25,000. They will have their tax deductible status revoked (and will need to pay $750 to be

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-49011653001452268322010-04-30T14:27:00.006-05:002010-04-30T15:13:58.401-05:00

If you didn't know... Braham, Minnesota is proudly hailed as the Homemade Pie Capital of Minnesota (declared such by former Governor Rudy Perpich in 1990). But you know what else is special about Braham? ...and no, it's not that they're a participant in our HCP program!Not only does Minnesota's first woman lieutenant governor, Marlene Johnson, hail from this small town of 1,600 but so too does

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-29390950646775631542010-04-27T10:22:00.000-05:002010-04-27T10:23:02.479-05:00

Our IQ Magazine recently won a Gold Award from the Council on Foundation's Wilmer Shields Rich Awards for Excellence in Communications! We were named the best magazine/periodical in North America among foundations with up to $100 million in assets. Our nomination included the following issues:• Winter '08 (early childhood mental health)• Spring '09 (Initiative Award winners/

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-26815286929024165422010-04-23T10:22:00.000-05:002010-04-27T10:12:56.224-05:00

Big Fish Lake, located near Cold Spring, MN is one of the largest lakes in the state. It’s popular for boating, fishing and other recreation (like bird-watching as these photos from Big Fish show!).Recently, their lake association joined our Healthy Lakes and Rivers Partnership (HLRP) program.Big Fish Lake Association isn’t a stranger to the program though; it was also a participant back in 2002.

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-90206190624333470002010-04-06T09:36:00.000-05:002010-04-06T09:36:32.336-05:00

Have you always had ideas on how to make your community better, but never knew where to go with them? Now you can do something with those great ideas!All you have to do is visit Minnesota Idea Open's website at www.MNIdeaOpen.org to suggest solutions to important community issues.Idea Open’s goal is to sponsor idea challenges that will get Minnesotans thinking and talking about issues, and more

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-66817461776455159512010-03-26T14:57:00.000-05:002010-04-06T09:17:28.095-05:00

Touted as a merger of academic horsepower and business horse-sense, the 2010 Winter Institute proved to be just that.The 48th annual academic and business event, held March 4 in St. Cloud, drew nearly 500 people throughout the day.This was the first time the foundation joined with St. Cloud State University, the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce and Times Media to sponsor and organize the

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-65491483227631844572010-03-02T13:45:00.013-06:002010-03-15T12:32:09.756-05:00

Many people get time off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but for VISTA and AmeriCorps members, it’s a day on; a day for a community service project. At the MLK National Day of Service Event (this past January 18) nearly 60 people helped pack food for the Kids Against Hunger (KAH) program at their warehouse in Sauk Rapids. This was the first time the VISTAs and AmeriCorps members worked with KAH.

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-73456516698294649972010-02-25T09:57:00.014-06:002010-03-02T09:59:36.781-06:00

Vietnam may be over 8,000 miles away from Minnesota, but a group of 80 people are soon going to make the long trek.Our own Don Hickman, along with his wife and two kids are among those in the group planning to go - their daughter, Ellen, was adopted from Vietnam almost ten years ago. Hickman’s family will be helping to build houses as part of their six-day venture.The Catalyst Foundation (the

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-26097824598729830532010-02-23T13:45:00.006-06:002010-02-23T14:03:33.607-06:00

Kathy recently received a new chair for the office from the Anderson Center of St. Cloud.She received the chair as a “Thank You” for participating in the Anderson Center’s Roundtable Forum - a gathering of Minnesota business leaders who are committed to excellence and business development.The chair is eye-catching and fits in quite nicely with its wood frame, blue cushion and engraving of the

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-74446001326101678612010-02-10T10:45:00.004-06:002010-02-11T08:53:23.739-06:00

We are incredibly excited to share news about a loan that we just closed on a few hours ago...Larson Boat Company has been a key business in Little Falls since the early 1900's. At it's peak a few years ago, the facility employed nearly 900 people. Because of the economic crisis though, boat sales plummeted, jobs were cut and the whole company was at risk.With the help of four other

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-66531200088885104862010-01-29T09:49:00.004-06:002010-01-29T09:56:43.797-06:00

Want to work at the Initiative Foundation? Here's your opportunity...We are now seeking a Children, Youth & Families Specialist to support citizen-driven early childhood community coalitions, early childhood mental health coalitions, youth engagement teams and other regional and community-based early care and education initiatives. Bachelor’s degree in community development, human services,

Matt Kilianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03811689283043572569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-1370306928363398842010-01-28T08:05:00.008-06:002010-01-28T08:37:14.577-06:00

Looking for LOCAL statistics on any of these topics?early childhoodeducational attainmentemploymentcrimeenvironmental qualitycivic engagementhousingMinnesota Compass (www.mncompass.org) might be your answer! The new website, which launched this past Tuesday and was created by the Wilder Foundation, is an expansion of their Twin Cities Compass but provides information on critical trends for the

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-1498321127964553162010-01-27T09:28:00.007-06:002010-01-27T09:41:29.982-06:00

Although April is National Volunteer Month I thought this would be a nice piece to share now. Getting out of the house and helping others might be just the thing for beating those mid-winter blues!The Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration (MAVA) recently released results from their November 2009 survey: The Status of Minnesota’s Volunteer Programs in a Shifting Environment. The

Cathy Hartlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00810238462047020636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-34237138977528345352010-01-22T08:53:00.005-06:002010-01-22T09:26:45.047-06:00

Pepsi-Cola will be awarding more than $20 million in 2010 for your fresh ideas!Their Pepsi Refresh Project invites people, businesses and nonprofits to submit their creative ideas for "moving the world forward" by improving their local communities and neighborhoods. Ideas can be submitted in one of six different categories:HealthArts & CultureFood & ShelterThe PlanetNeighborhoodsEducationIdeas

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-50302145587326367912010-01-20T09:46:00.008-06:002010-01-20T13:18:15.226-06:00

We recently said "goodbye" to a few special people...MaryAnn Schefers started working at the foundation in September 2002, and worked in both our donor services and finance departments throughout the past seven years.Today she starts a new adventure in Pine City working in the accounting department at Pine Technical College. Curt Hanson, who probably worked the most with MaryAnn, had this to

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-88840504408900132392010-01-08T14:41:00.007-06:002010-01-08T15:30:12.469-06:00

Valspar Corporation (headquartered in Minneapolis) has helped us out for the last 12 years by supplying area nonprofits and communities with FREE paint and coatings. Some of last year's projects included:Audubon Center of the North Woods, Sandstone: Interior and exterior paint for wildlife barn, office, dining hall and outdoor structures used for activities and classes.City of Big Lake: Interior

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-73350767410523833232009-12-28T13:34:00.007-06:002009-12-28T15:39:43.525-06:00

Ever thought about becoming a mentor? You should. Kinship Partners in Brainerd is looking to match 47 kids with area adults. Understandably, your first thoughts might be: “What would we do, and how much does it cost?" I'd answer with this: In my 6 years as a Kinship mentor I have simply involved my partner in doing things that I like to do anyway. And Kinship Partners is very good at

Dan Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282474347251023809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-10580173983667533412009-12-18T12:15:00.006-06:002009-12-18T12:56:20.432-06:00

Today at the Foundation office, members of the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery Memorial Association along with internationally-recognized artist, Charles Kapsner, revealed five original sketches to area media and the public. The Association commissioned Kapsner to design and paint 8x10-foot oil canvases that will be hung in the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery (7 miles north of Little Falls

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-48879542410369462092009-12-15T14:56:00.004-06:002009-12-15T15:48:36.551-06:00

“I feel like I just left church – so refreshing and encouraging!”“I realize I am in the driver’s seat (of my life).”“I will try to be more self aware of my frustrations or ignorance in conversation and how I can make changes to get more out of those conversations.”These are just a few comments from the evaluations of a recent AmeriCorps*VISTA training session on communication. I think they

Chris Fastnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15573827281633102870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-66339475413707742112009-12-10T10:35:00.008-06:002009-12-14T09:18:56.694-06:00

Anni O'Neill at the Southern Minnesota Foundation is a good friend of mine who recently forwarded me a great resource for nonprofits and community groups. Every year Sierra Bravo, a website company in Bloomington, holds an overnight website development challenge. Programmers from around the midwest team up to provide selected nonprofits with 24 hours of free design, development and programming

Linda Kaufmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13969744571873182893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-88496176338855589372009-12-07T09:41:00.004-06:002009-12-07T09:53:20.853-06:00

This Friday we'll be adding four new members to our board of trustees. We are excited to welcome:Ismail Ali (St. Cloud)John E. Babcock (Elk River)Mayuli Bales (Big Lake)Larry Korf (Genola)Recruited from all over central Minnesota, our trustees provide volunteer leadership that represents an wide range of experience, expertise and personal perspectives. Learn more about our newest members, each

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-59639170593753242432009-12-01T09:35:00.006-06:002009-12-01T10:15:14.367-06:00

Kathy Gaalswyk, Initiative Foundation president, just told us about a website that shows how unemployment rates have evolved over the last few years. As you'll see, it's gotten darker and darker - not only in Minnesota, but nationwide. Will the future be brighter? We sure hope so. Our latest issue of IQ focuses on this exact topic - sharing the latest employment trends as well as

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-88755748677423759492009-11-25T13:46:00.009-06:002010-01-04T16:01:13.520-06:00

Ever since I started working at the Foundation I've been asked that question by family and friends. We do lots of things and since we're not a direct service organization (like a food shelf or a youth program) it can be pretty hard to explain sometimes. Now I can show them! We put together this 3 minute video for the GiveMN.org website but it's a great piece that I can share with people -

Linda Kaufmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13969744571873182893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-32181593376445684412009-11-24T08:23:00.006-06:002009-11-24T08:46:30.694-06:00

I was so happy to see the total amount on GiveMN.org's Give to the Max Day keep climbing as the day went on. As I kept checking back it went from $3 million to $9 to $13 and after 24 hours finally stopped at $14,000,406. That's a lot of money to a lot of worthy causes. One of the top three organizations is in our neck of the woods too. The College of St. Benedict came in 2nd with 719 total

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-13000903153956947202009-11-10T09:16:00.021-06:002009-11-10T10:13:04.571-06:00

Have you heard the buzz? There's a new website in town and it just might change the face of online giving in Minnesota. It's www.GiveMN.org and it went live last week. According to my coworker, Matt (who's also on GiveMN's Strategy Cabinet), "It's a visionary & exciting project!" Here's the deal... GiveMN.org has been pre-loaded with basic information on Minnesota 501(c)3s and gives

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-31328854822474054382009-10-30T13:01:00.021-05:002009-10-30T15:20:49.871-05:00

Since 2001 all six of the Minnesota Initiative Foundations have ranked in the Top 25 Minnesota Community and Public Foundations. And 2008 was no different! The Minnesota Council on Foundations just released their results for last year and all of the MIFs were listed again. Ranked by the total amount of grants awarded, here's where we all ended up: 9: West Central Initiative ($3.6M)13: Southern

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-87643257635440179892009-10-29T08:51:00.005-05:002009-10-29T14:51:25.076-05:00

Leah Posterick has been working at the Foundation since 1998. As a Development Assistant and Program Assistant she has helped thousands of people in their quest to make their communities better places to live, work and play. My first contact with Leah was when I was on the other side of the phone as a community leader in Pequot Lakes and we were going through the Healthy Communities

Dan Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282474347251023809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-84965876416832893102009-10-27T14:41:00.006-05:002009-10-27T15:37:25.324-05:00

This afternoon we just graduated our 14th group of nonprofits from the Healthy Organizations Partnership program. And this round of HOP was special because all of the groups were area Community Action Programs - aka. CAP/CAA agencies. It was great to have a round of training and capacity-building where everyone had similar goals, challenges and interests! Best of luck to our recent grads:

Cathy Hartlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00810238462047020636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-63511212939413784482009-10-23T10:28:00.005-05:002009-10-23T10:56:49.821-05:00

Back on September 28th our economic development staff attending the grand opening of an amazingly cutting edge business... Ever Cat Fuels in Isanti produces biodiesel. But they don't use any ordinary way of making the renewable fuel... they patented a revolutionary way of producing it, calling it the "Mcgyan Process". Through this technology the fuel is made in seconds, costs about half the

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-67930590171957022432009-10-20T15:22:00.006-05:002009-10-20T15:55:21.382-05:00

Right at this moment, there's a VISTA - not too far from you - working to fight poverty. The VISTAs that we help place with central Minnesota nonprofits are doing some really amazing work. Just ask Chris Fastner, our VISTA coordinator - here are some stats he recently shared with us.Last year VISTA members:assisted 43,544 householdsrecruited 1,172 new volunteerslogged 28,630 volunteer service

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-79122803866959743572009-10-15T11:45:00.007-05:002009-10-15T14:50:18.186-05:00

A friend of the foundation recently passed away.Sam Nelson, a Delano native, was key to the town's involvement in our community and youth programs. He was instrumental in the original creation of both Delano Dream teams and 'day-to-day' efforts of the projects developed by the teams - working on youth issues, downtown revitalization, river clean up and local libraries. His most recent

Dan Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08282474347251023809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-11617128667884540302009-10-08T13:15:00.006-05:002009-10-08T13:26:41.889-05:00

My coworker and "office neighbor", Chris Fastner, just shared a great resource with me - the Northwest Area Foundation just released the findings of their 2009 National Poll: Struggling to Make Ends Meet. I ordered the report that summarizes Minnesota's results (it's free through their website) and here are the things I found most surprising:63% say they've cut back on spending,44% have lent

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-36369203251359114672009-10-05T12:17:00.006-05:002009-10-05T14:16:50.724-05:00

If so, you're in luck! The Holy Myrrhbearers Orthodox Church in St. Cloud is hosting a Tibetan Dinner this Sunday, October 11th from 6-8p.m. Not only will you be able to enjoy organically raised roast yak but they'll also be serving chura (goat cheese), gong tuk (egg soup), tangtse (cabbage salad), snap peas and potato curry.Feeling extra adventurous? On the menu for dessert is shortbread,

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-57300431880955479072009-10-02T12:01:00.000-05:002009-10-02T16:23:20.316-05:00

As their website describes, Paul's Fireplace Wood is a far cry from a couple of local guys with a pickup truck. The thriving business has nine full time employees and commercial restaurant clients like Famous Dave's Barbeque & Red Stone American Grill and the best part... they're ready to grow.A loan from the foundation and Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union has helped the Little Falls-based

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-78176303011935524442009-09-29T10:25:00.002-05:002009-09-29T10:28:24.322-05:00

Located in the southeast corner of Wright County, Montrose (pop. 2,800) has become a city poised for action. Since a core group of twelve citizens participated in the foundation's Healthy Communities Partnership (HCP) Program, they've been in "go mode". "There is a turning of the tides in Montrose," commented Mary McCarty, co-chair of the Highway 12 redevelopment task force. "Volunteerism is

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-86551200823531595142009-09-25T12:29:00.010-05:002009-09-25T12:50:35.654-05:00

November 1, 2005 was supposed to be the day for a nice, "little" conference. Matt, our director of communications, was hoping that a couple hundred people would show up. Nearly 2,000 did.It was our wake-up call that methamphetamine - a highly-addictive, highly-destructive drug - was making its way through central Minnesota and that communities were ready to put a stop to it. The foundation

Linda Kaufmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13969744571873182893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-35118810938335540012009-09-15T16:27:00.005-05:002009-09-15T16:43:00.773-05:00

A few months back we closed on a loan to a expanding company in North Branch. Olympic Granola makes gourmet granola bars - touting them as companions to your workouts or as a healthy meal replacement. So we just got a sample of the bars and it looks like they're made with things like rice bran, rolled oats and flax seeds. Sounds a little bland, right? Well throw in some chocolate, honey and

Anita Hollenhorstnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-22200335768155154422009-09-14T15:28:00.005-05:002009-09-14T15:46:46.817-05:00

Hello, I’m Linda Kaufmann and I head up the foundation’s Children, Youth and Families programs. Last week I was asked to do the impossible – convince the St. Cloud School Board that dedicating already finite school and community resources to early childhood was the most important decision they could make this year. A tough task indeed. Oh, and I had a grand total of ten minutes to do it. Well

Linda Kaufmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13969744571873182893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-8724158461950094382009-09-10T16:26:00.016-05:002009-09-24T14:21:09.054-05:00

Okay, you're a farmer. Or maybe you just own a sizeable piece of central Minnesota.Either way, you have acres upon acres of windblown land in Stearns, Benton, Morrison or Todd County. One day, a letter arrives in the mailbox from a wind development company. The letter outlines a land-leasing proposal for future wind turbines, promises you a significant ROI, and urges you to act quickly.The

Matt Kilianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03811689283043572569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-43320558690202399612009-09-04T11:24:00.004-05:002009-09-04T11:48:39.928-05:00

I refer to my brother Donn as “my kid brother.” Sure, he’s past fifty, his hair is even grayer than mine, and he’s considerably more wrinkled than just about every other kid I know. But he’s still my kid brother, and brothers are special. Maybe that’s why Dave Wood and I became instant friends. Dave came to our office one day a couple of years back to tell us about his older brother Mark,

Curt Hansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06314625561995694086noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-86397442313130152742009-09-03T09:08:00.014-05:002009-09-04T11:47:27.828-05:00

This fall, we're looking forward to seeing "4" in action. And no, I'm not referring to the grisly, gray-haired gunslinger who retired and unretired for a Metrodome swan song.I'm talking about another prosperous opportunity to join a winning team.(Fine, then. No more cheesy sports metaphors...)Your Initiative Foundation is seeking four communities to participate in a very powerful round of our

Matt Kilianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03811689283043572569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-6571034079965403552009-08-28T14:21:00.000-05:002009-08-28T14:29:59.748-05:00

Hello, blogging world - Curt Hanson here! I’ve only been with the Initiative Foundation a little over five years. Before coming here, I thought the word “philanthropist” referred to Bill Gates or Paul Newman (you know, the kind of folks who get mentioned for sponsoring PBS programs.) Then I met Beverly.Well actually . . . we haven’t met in person. In fact, I had quite a few conversations and

Curt Hansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06314625561995694086noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-65670178167784758262009-08-27T15:37:00.000-05:002009-08-28T09:34:58.519-05:00

Getting a healthy return on your investment is a big thing these days. Recently, we did some recalculations and discovered that last year our donors received a whopping 559% ROI. So basically for every dollar that local individuals, businesses, cities and utilities gave to the foundation, we gave back an average of $5.59 through grants and business loans. What's more, every gift to our general

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-61535671364366827952009-08-26T15:20:00.000-05:002009-08-28T09:36:45.097-05:00

In between important calls on the crimson Batphone, I finally caught up to Chris Fastner regarding VISTA impact. Turns out, as expected, that our poster child for poverty reduction is the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance (RREAL) in Pine River.Since 2000, RREAL has battled fuel-poverty with the power of the sun. With four Initiative Foundation VISTAs rolling up their sleeves, RREAL designed its

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-23376790020842962952009-08-18T14:19:00.000-05:002009-08-28T09:38:41.241-05:00

Just got an “All Staff” e-mail from Chris Fastner, our VISTA program manager who offices across from me and inadvertently eavesdrops on my fascinating phone conversations. (And I, his.) His e-mail, with the simple subject line, “Impact,” was a jaw-dropper.Did you know that the Initiative Foundation is a national service site for Volunteers In Service To America? (Furthermore, did you know that

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1627916900569949080.post-59226277362818232132009-08-18T14:04:00.000-05:002009-08-28T09:39:18.345-05:00

Welcome to KeyNotes, the Initiative Foundation’s new blog. From now until the end of time, our staff will post news clips, foundation updates, links, photos, videos and a veritable plethora of exciting stuff about the people and places we serve.We’ll also invite you to help us get better at what we do by asking where we can make the greatest impact in your community. Heck, we might even change

Initiative Foundationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00951773393553171567noreply@blogger.com0