|
Greetings!
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who celebrated Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF)'s 40 years of impact with us. It is through the connections and compassion of the people around us that we can continue to uplift our region!
I would like to give a special thank you to everyone who spoke at the event to share the importance of investing in our communities and seeking strength in connections. Check out our 40th video for highlights from our region and words from myself and Tim Penny, former SMIF president.
| | |
Benya Kraus
President and CEO
| | Celebrating staff anniversaries | | |
Speaking of anniversaries, SMIF is excited to celebrate the years of dedication from the following staff members (pictured left to right):
- Tom Gebur, 22 years
- Marcia Haley, 21 years
- Brian Conzemius, 27 years
- Jennifer Heien, 21 years
- Melissa Langer, 22 years
Collectively, these staff members have served our region at SMIF for 113 years. Thank you for your steadfast commitment to our mission and the wisdom you bring to your work!
| | |
We want to thank our outgoing board members, Jamila Ibrahim and Heather Millard (current board member at large) for their combined 12 years of service to the region. Jamila is the school and community outreach liaison at Mankato Area Public Schools and Heather is the Early Childhood special education (ECSE) instructional coach at Rochester Public Schools.
We are grateful for their dedicated service and invaluable contributions to southern Minnesota.
| | Goodview makes beach welcoming with grant | | Photo courtesy of the Klinger family | | |
In 2024, the City of Goodview was awarded a $25,000 Taylor Rural Improvements Grant to make the beach area more welcoming for swimmers by replacing murky sand with dredged river sand.
"As a long-time Goodview resident, I have always appreciated our local parks — especially LaCanne Park. With two energetic boys, it's the perfect place for us to spend time together. In recent years, however, we found ourselves visiting the beach less often as it gradually filled in. That's why we were beyond excited when we learned it would be dredged.
"After the dredging was completed, we returned to the beach — and ended up swimming more this past summer than ever before. We also noticed many more families and neighbors enjoying the beach again. Thank you for supporting projects that make such a meaningful difference in the lives of local families like ours." -The Klinger family
Read the full story.
| | Books encourage early literacy in Rochester | | Photo courtesy of Children's Museum of Rochester | | |
In 2024, SMIF awarded 500 children’s books to the Children’s Museum of Rochester for its SPARK Summer Reading Program.
"Literacy at SPARK goes far beyond museum walls and classroom settings, it becomes a shared experience for families. During a recent Community Access Event at SPARK, a mother approached one of our team members while holding a children’s book she had discovered in the Quiet Room. It was a book about Ramadan, one of several generously provided by SMIF to share with our community.
"She asked if she could take the book home to help teach her young children about the holiday. Since the books were gifted for exactly this purpose, the answer was a joyful yes. Beaming, she brought the book over to her husband and children and said, 'This is going to be a fun new book we get to read tonight!' Throughout the evening, she kept looking down at the book, smiling, an unforgettable reminder of how small moments of access can spark meaningful family connections and cultural learning." -Julia Moffit, philanthropy manager at Children’s Museum of Rochester
Read the full story.
| | Grant supports Henderson Main Street Marketing strategy | | |
In 2025, the City of Henderson was awarded a $6,000 Economic Development Grant to develop Main Street Marketing, a community-wide strategy to encourage more visitors after road closures forced businesses to shut down.
"Overall goals of the strategy include: develop a consistent, community-wide message, emphasize the historic downtown district as a great place to open new entrepreneurial efforts and fill vacant downtown buildings with new specialty shops and service-oriented businesses.
"As the road improvement and flood mitigation projects begin to reopen traffic into Henderson, there's a growing hope and optimism that new entrepreneurial efforts will reconsider the historic Main Street business district." -Keith Swenson, mayor of Henderson
| | Root River Current shares impact in southeastern MN | | |
Root River Current shared an article celebrating work supported by SMIF in southeastern Minnesota.
"From family daycare needs to main street business development to community-painted murals brightening our towns’ parks and buildings, Southeast Minnesota’s Driftless area has benefited from nearly four decades of financial investment by the Owatonna-based Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF)." -John Gaddo
Read the article.
| | |
The following entrepreneurs are growing their businesses in southern Minnesota and have recently received loans from SMIF:
| | Stronger together: an Early Childhood event | |
BridgED: partners powering economic growth
Save the date!
| | |
Oct. 6
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Social hour to follow
Wells, Minn.
| | Save the date for a gathering that connects economic developers, lenders and community partners to turn ideas, capital and partnerships into action that helps businesses grow across the region. | | |
As we continue to celebrate 40 years of impact, we invite you to help us invest in the future of entrepreneurs, children and communities.
Thanks to investment earnings, your gift will continue to grow and have an even greater impact on the region in years to come.
| | |
Leave a lasting legacy with FreeWill, a free online tool to write your legal will at no personal cost to you.
This resource helps protect your family and friends, plan beneficiaries for your assets and support the causes and communities you love.
| | | | |
