Java & Jobs

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 assistance to technology-based and green business ventures in central Minnesota.  The Foundation is also proud to be a member of the Opportunity Finance Network, a national network of CDFIs.  


And now we have another great opportunity...


Starbucks and the Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) teamed up to launch the Create Jobs for USA Fund on Nov. 1, 2011. Seeded with a $5 million donation from The Starbucks Foundation, Create Jobs for USA allows concerned citizens to help create and sustain jobs in America. OFN, a nationwide network of 180 CDFIs, oversees the fund which provides financing to community businesses in underserved markets. One hundred percent of contributions are pooled and awarded as loans for community businesses including small businesses, microenterprises, nonprofit organizations, commercial real estate, and affordable housing groups who are committed to creating and sustaining jobs all across the country. Donations are accepted online at www.CreateJobsforUSA.org and at nearly 7,000 U.S. company-operated Starbucks stores. Donors who contribute $5 or more receive a red, white, and blue wristband with the message “Indivisible,” designed to serve as a symbol of Americans uniting to help create jobs.


So next time you're in a Starbucks, we hope you'll consider a donation.  Not only will you be getting a delicious beverage but you'll be helping to create jobs!


To learn more about Create Jobs for USA, download the fact sheet or visit www.CreateJobsforUSA.org. 

25th Anniversary Commemorative Wall

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 year of the Foundation's existence.  The 70-piece clay wall was unveiled and dedicated to our donors at a special event on July 13, 2011.  It's now installed at our office and is awaiting one essential element...  the river.

Any donor who has given or pledged $1,000 or more between July 1, 2007 and December 31, 2011 will ensure that their name is forever displayed at the Foundation.  Displayed names, the size of which will correspond to the level of gift, will be installed on tiles that will fill the river portion of the wall in early 2012. 

If you're a donor, please contact Katie to learn more about ensuring that your name will be displayed.  Or to learn more about our wall and its 25 symbols, download and read the "Viewer Interpretation Guide".

(click to view full-size photo)

2012 Grant Making Changes

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 remainder will be awarded through our Innovation Fund.  Through this discretionary fund, the average grant size will be $5,000 and projects must address at least one of seven different criteria.

As with 2011, we will be reviewing and awarding Innovation Fund grants four times throughout the year, according to the following schedule.

Inquiries and full proposals will be accepted and processed through this new online system. More detailed instructions and the link to our new online system can be found on our website at www.ifound.org. As always, thank you for your continued partnership, and please don't hesitate to contact us with questions or concerns!