By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation March is Women’s History Month, which is both a time to look back at the incredible accomplishments of women in the history of our country, but also a time to celebrate women who are doing amazing things today. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), we know that there are countless women who … [Read more...]

President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation This year at Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), we will reach a milestone of investing more than $50 million in our communities through grantmaking since our start in 1986. While these grants support a wide range of projects – from providing books to young children to supporting small town growth – they … [Read more...]

By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) we are starting off the new year by reflecting on how we have worked to strengthen the fabric of our region over time. In part, we do this by celebrating a handful of our partners through stories in our Foundation’s annual Impact Report. In the first … [Read more...]

By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation At the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) our motto is collaborating for regional vitality, and we do our best to live up to that commitment. In each area of our work – early childhood, entrepreneurship, and community vitality – we are mindful of partners in the state and region with whom we … [Read more...]

By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation In this season of giving and gratitude, I am inspired by how generously the people in our region showed up on Give to the Max day, which was November 17 this year. In just five days, over $85k was raised by Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation’s (SMIF) 30 community foundations. As a donor myself, I am … [Read more...]

President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation Over the years of serving as president of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), I have noticed that foundations, of which there are many in our state, are often touted as organizations that do grantmaking. However, I know that grantmaking is often just the tip of the iceberg of what foundations can offer the … [Read more...]

By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation The start of the school year in conjunction with Welcoming Week, a national series of inclusive events, has me thinking about two things: how to ensure children and families’ needs are being addressed this school year, and how to enhance welcoming initiatives in our communities. At Southern Minnesota … [Read more...]

President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation Continuing education in a business or profession is critical for growth, but trainings can be difficult to participate in when classes are held far away or are too costly. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) we take pride in hosting a variety of high-quality, low-cost training opportunities close to home … [Read more...]

By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation As summer days turn into evening, many parents pull out a book or two to read to their kids at bedtime. This is important because studies consistently show that reading at a young age drastically improves a child’s educational trajectory. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) we know it is … [Read more...]

President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation As any farming family can attest, every farm has its own special history. The small farm that I was raised on outside of Kiester is no exception. Our lives were rooted in the connection between land and community. Because of these important ties to the land, it concerns me that the average farmer is close to retirement … [Read more...]