By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation Creating a sense of belonging in rural Minnesota can enhance the overall quality of life for everyone who lives there. By embracing different perspectives, cultures and ideas, rural Minnesota can build stronger, more thriving communities. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), we offer several … [Read more...]

By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation No matter what line of work you are in, chances are that when you look for professional development opportunities, you often have to travel to the Twin Cities area or even out of state to advance your education. It may also be the case that you end up paying quite a bit for these opportunities – especially … [Read more...]

President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation July marks one of my favorite months at Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF). It is the time of year when we get to distribute more than 20,000 books to organizations that work with young children in our 20-county region. The importance of early literacy cannot be overstated. Not only does it build a strong … [Read more...]

By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation Imagine being a kid in a small town in Minnesota who, more than anything, wants to dive into the city pool with their friends to escape the summer heat – but their family cannot afford the pool pass. This very situation is what prompted the Wabasha Kellogg Area Community Foundation (WKACF) to start … [Read more...]

President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation Summer is a wonderful time to take a drive through our state. In southern Minnesota you can enjoy beautiful lakes, bluffs and small towns. Chances are, you may already live in one of those small towns. Of the 173 communities in south central and southeastern Minnesota that comprise our region, only 13 have populations … [Read more...]

President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation As president of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) I travel across our region nearly every day visiting people and places in the 20 counties that we serve. Over the 16 years that I have worked at SMIF, I have watched farming practices change and adapt. As someone who comes from a farming family, I know … [Read more...]

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...]