I sometimes joke that I’m SWIF’s staff driver. Most months I put on a ton of miles meeting with affiliate foundations and other groups across the region. This past year I’ve also spent a fair amount of time both personally and Continue Reading
May 24, 2017
Digging In
I recently had the amazing opportunity to join Heron Lake-Okabena Community Foundation advisory board members Collette Diemers and Jackie Baumgard in reading to kindergarten and first grade students. My own daughter, Hazel, is just Continue Reading
May 24, 2017
Fund Partner Training: Save the Date!
In November of 2015 I had just started working for Southwest Initiative Foundation. One of my first tasks was to participate in a fund partner training event at Prairies Edge Casino in Granite Falls. It was my second day of work and my Continue Reading
March 22, 2017
Community Foundation Opportunity Grants Awarded
Grants totaling up to $60,000 were recently awarded to 12 local affiliates as part of our new Grow Our Own efforts. Each of these affiliates will receive $2,500 for a local organization they have chosen to partner with. The grants are the Continue Reading
March 21, 2017
What’s Your Brand?
I have had the opportunity to work with the Clara City Area Community Foundation (CCACF) since they became a SWIF affiliate foundation in the spring of 2016. We’ve talked about any number of best practices related to how a foundation Continue Reading
March 21, 2017
It’s No Secret
You know that line, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?" Well, the same thing could be said for some of what takes place at community and education foundation board meetings. Though the phrase “What happens in the board meeting stays in Continue Reading
January 26, 2017
Technology Update
Last month I took my car in for some repairs and the dealer gave me a loaner to drive while the work was being done. Now, I don’t know about you, but I seem to remember that loaners used to be the clunkers they had parked in some grassy Continue Reading
January 26, 2017
What’s Your Plan?
Abraham Lincoln is often credited with saying, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” The new year is a great time to get your house in order and “create the future” for your foundation. Having an annual plan allows you to Continue Reading
January 26, 2017
Opportunity Grant Deadline Approaching: Jan 31
Thanks to all of you who attended the Grow Our Own Summit in December. It was a great day and I was so pleased to see so many of our foundation advisory board members in attendance. At the summit Dr. Putnam spoke of a “shriveled sense of Continue Reading
November 18, 2016
SPOTLIGHT: WORTHINGTON AREA FOUNDATION
I recently had the opportunity to attend the Worthington Area Foundation’s annual community mixer. The WAF advisory board hosts this event to award grants to community organizations and to recognizes those who contribute to the foundation’s Continue Reading
