OWATONNA, MN, November 11, 2024 – Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) recently approved 17 grants totaling $300,000 to support rural improvements and child care needs in small towns of 10,000 or less in SMIF’s 20-county region. The Taylor Grants are supported by a generous donation from Glen A. Taylor through the Taylor Family Farms Foundation.
The Taylor Grants are focused on capital projects that can make a big impact in our smallest communities. Glen A. Taylor has a long history of funding philanthropic initiatives related to rural community revitalization. The gift will create a financial framework to support these and other causes for future generations in the area Taylor still calls home.
As 2024 was the pilot year for the grant programs, participation was limited to a small applicant pool.
The 2024 Taylor Rural Child Care Grant awards are:
- $8,000 to Little Blue Jays Daycare in Caledonia to supplement their PreK Breakfast and Lunch program.
The 2024 Taylor Rural Improvements Grant awards are:
- $25,000 to the City of Preston to support elements of the Troute Route, an art-filled pathway through Preston, using themed signage and trout-inspired art installations as visual guides.
- $13,200 to the City of Rushford Village to replace the old, and unsafe, merry-go-round with a new, ADA compliant merry-go-round.
“At SMIF, we are deeply grateful to Glen A. Taylor and the Taylor Family Farms Foundation for their vision and generosity in funding these grants,” said Tim Penny, president and CEO of SMIF. “This remarkable support of $300,000 for rural capital projects has allowed us to address vital improvements and child care needs in our smallest communities. Thanks to the Taylor family’s commitment, we’re creating meaningful, lasting impact in towns across our region. This pilot year has shown just how powerful this kind of focused investment can be for southern Minnesota’s future.”
“We are thrilled to support the Taylor Grants, which represent a transformative opportunity for our small towns,” said Kristin Weeks Duncanson, chair of the Taylor Family Farm Foundation. “With Glen A. Taylor’s unwavering commitment to rural revitalization, these grants will empower communities to enhance their child care resources and improve local infrastructure, ensuring sustainable communities for generations to come.”
For more information about SMIF’s grantmaking visit smifoundation.org/grants.
About Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation
Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), a donor-supported foundation, invests for economic growth in south central and southeastern Minnesota, serving a region that includes 20 counties, 175 communities and one Native nation. The Foundation has provided more than $170 million in grants, loans and programming within the region during the past 38 years. SMIF’s key interests include entrepreneurship, early childhood development and community vitality. To learn more about our work and mission, visit www.smifoundation.org.