President/CEO
Southern Minnesota
Initiative Foundation
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 more results than we would have separately. This spirit of collaboration will be brought to life at our regional Sprout events this June.
These free networking events, which will be hosted in New Ulm, Dundas and Winona, are an effort to connect directly to more people in our region, while celebrating the partnerships that have had an impact on the place we call home. Each event will allow people to connect with some of our partners about the important work they are doing in the region, and how partnering with SMIF has enhanced that work.
If you are someone who does not know much about SMIF, I encourage you to attend one of these Sprout events. It will especially be beneficial for entrepreneurs, Early Childhood professionals, community leaders and community volunteers to attend in order to learn more about the services and support we can provide.
If you are someone who already has a connection to SMIF, I encourage you to attend as well. You may have something to share with others that could ignite a spark for a community project. You may even learn something new about SMIF, or forge new relationships that could help you in your own endeavors.
Make sure to register for the Sprout event of your choice by June 1 by visiting smifoundation.org/sprout. We look forward to seeing old friends and developing new relationships this June.
As always, I welcome your comments and questions. You can reach me at timp@smifoundation.org or (507) 455-3215.
About Tim Penny
Tim Penny is the President and CEO of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation. Tim represented Minnesota’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1982– 1994.
About Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation
Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), a donor-supported foundation, invests for economic growth in the 20 counties of south central and southeastern Minnesota. The Foundation has provided more than $121 million in grants, loans and programming within the region during the past 35 years. SMIF’s key interests include economic and early childhood development and community vitality. To learn more about our work and mission, visit www.smifoundation.org.