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...]

By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), our tagline is “Collaborating for Regional Vitality.” Whether we are working with partners in early childhood, economic development or community vitality, we do our best to complement what others are doing in those arenas so that collectively we can have … [Read more...]

President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation One of my proudest moments as a congressman was voting to support the creation of the national AmeriCorps program 27 years ago. Little did I know at the time how central this program would become to our culture of volunteerism and giving back to our communities. Even more surprising, and delightful, to me is the fact … [Read more...]

By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation On the heels of celebrating National Entrepreneurship Week, I am taking some time to reflect on what it means to be welcoming to entrepreneurs in our local economies. Entrepreneurship comes in many forms – from tech companies to home-based businesses. The spark of entrepreneurship also comes from many … [Read more...]

President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation It is no secret that our child care system is strained. Even before the pandemic, rural Minnesota was struggling with a child care shortage. For parents, this has made it challenging to enter or stay in the workforce. For communities, the challenge is attracting and retaining residents if they do not have enough care … [Read more...]

President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation With the new year just days away, I have been taking some time to reflect on this past year. It was a year that, although challenging for many, filled me with hope and inspiration for the future of southern Minnesota. It was also a year during which we celebrated an important milestone here at Southern Minnesota … [Read more...]

By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation ‘Tis the season of giving, which I find to be one of the most inspirational times of year. I am always overwhelmed by the generous contributions that donors make to Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) or to SMIF’s 30 Community Foundations. To me, this sends a clear message that keeping dollars … [Read more...]

By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), one of the three program areas we focus on is Economic Development. Since our founding in 1986, we have worked to catalyze entrepreneurial activity in our 20-county region by providing early-stage investments, traditional loans, microloans, technical … [Read more...]

Many of us who grew up in, or currently live in, rural Minnesota know that there is something about our communities that fosters a sense of belonging. It might be that the nature of small towns makes it easier to get to know people, or that festivals, historic downtowns and beautiful natural landscape provide a way to feel connected to a place. However, everyone has had moments … [Read more...]

At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), one of our central tenets is a commitment to the future of rural Minnesota. While we continue to make our programming and resources accessible to communities of all sizes in our 20-county region, we know that many of our smaller towns can benefit from additional financial resources to help them grow and address challenges. … [Read more...]

Many of the farmers that I know in southern Minnesota work on the same land that their parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents farmed. Because of this, the farm is more than a parcel of land to grow crops or raise animals – it is a living piece of family history. At the same time, we are faced with the reality that the average farmer is close to retirement age, and … [Read more...]

President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation Anyone who knows me well knows that I regularly champion the benefits of living in rural Minnesota. Not only was I born and raised here, but I have served Greater Minnesota for many years, first during my time in the U.S. Congress and now as the president and CEO of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF). Now … [Read more...]

President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation This past year has shown all of us what it means to serve others. Southern Minnesotans have stepped up to stock food shelves, provide support for children during distance learning and find creative ways to support businesses and nonprofits that are struggling. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) we work … [Read more...]

President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation National Entrepreneurship Week takes place each year in late February. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the entrepreneurs that are such a vital part of our economy and communities here in southern Minnesota. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), we are excited to celebrate the well-deserved … [Read more...]

By Tim Penny President/CEO Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation With the new year just days away, I have been taking some time to reflect on this past year. While 2020 has been incredibly challenging, I have found myself focusing on the bright spots. It was a year filled with incredible stories of people doing amazing things to help those hit hardest by the pandemic. I … [Read more...]