We all have one, and woven into it are the reasons we came, or stayed, or left — but still hold this place close in our hearts. My story, like many, started with a job offer. I grew up in western South Dakota, and after pursuing higher education, I came to Minnesota for my career, spending time at a community newspaper and in healthcare. I’ve always loved the spirit of innovation and collaboration that defines small towns, and I felt at home almost instantly. Each of us has that power to help others—regardless of their background—to be seen, embraced, welcomed and included in our community.

How we experience our communities is part of a bigger story. For the last 35 years, Southwest Initiative Foundation has been helping write southwest Minnesota’s success story. As we celebrate and look back, one thing that strikes me is the impact we’ve made together. Since our founding in 1986, we have distributed more than $97.8 million through our grantmaking and business finance programs. Our pandemic response was a big part of that bold investment, with our COVID-19 response and recovery efforts alone exceeding $15 million. Despite a trying year, there is so much good that has happened here. Thank you for lending a hand to neighbors and looking out for one another in hard times. Your support makes the difference.

It’s an honor to be part of the incredible network of people working daily to keep southwest Minnesota strong and vibrant. This is a special place to belong.

Diana Anderson,
President/CEO

Thanks to support from our donors and friends, this year alone we …

• Awarded 1,181 grants totaling $7,479,496 from all our funds to nonprofits and communities in our region
• Closed 44 new loans totaling $1,421,884 to support businesses in southwest Minnesota
• In partnership with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), distributed $4.9 in Small Business Relief Grants, helping 476 small businesses primarily located in southwest Minnesota. See a map of these businesses

Read stories of impact from southwest Minnesota

Fiscal Year 2021 Grants and Loans

Grants from All Funds
Investing in what our kids need to succeed

Amount	Category
$1,037,010	Vibrant and Welcoming Communities
$212,540	Early Care and Education
$988,437	K-12 Engagement
$388,309	Basic Needs
$4,765,000.00	Pandemic Business Recovery
$44,600.00	Pathways to Meaningful Work
$43,600.00	Stable Families
$7,479,496	TOTAL

Loans Closed, By Industry
Supporting economic growth and vibrant communities

$294,390              Agriculture

$16,650                 Finance

$251,000              Healthcare

$36,500                 Hospitality

$260,000              Manufacturing

$54,214                 Nonprofit

$75,000                 Real Estate

$111,500              Retail

$322,630              Service

$1,421,884           TOTAL

Review our financial statements

The notes to these statements are an integral part of the financials. Please email us or call us at 800-594-9480 to request our complete audited financials. Note: Our fiscal year 2021 runs from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021.

Download Fiscal Year 2020 – Audited Financials PDF

Download Fiscal Year 2020 – 990 PDF

Download Fiscal Year 2019 – Audited Financials PDF

Download Fiscal Year 2019 – 990 PDF

The post 2021 Annual Impact Report appeared first on Southwest Initiative Foundation.

With help from their estate planning attorney, Neil and his wife, Jenna, created a plan that will keep the family farm’s 145 acres in production after they’re gone through Southwest Initiative Foundation’s Keep It Growing ℠ farmland giving program. Rental income from the farmland will support nonprofits that have been important in Neil’s life, including a program that supports agriculture education in Minnesota public schools. How fitting.

A lifelong career as a teacher and coach started with lessons on the farm where Neil grew up in Verdi Township. His parents originally moved to Minnesota from Iowa and bought the farm that Neil now owns. They raised hogs, chickens, dairy cattle and crops to feed the livestock. There were always chores to do, and days spent baling hay in the hot summer sun.

Sharing the farm with two older brothers and a younger sister – plus the neighbors – meant plenty of kids for Neil to bike with and play football, basketball, softball and croquet. And wherever there are kids, there’s mischief: “We had no horses, so older brothers taught us to ride calves and cows. I remember getting my nose smashed into a barn door frame when a wild calf decided the barn was a safe haven when I was on her back,” Neil said with a chuckle.

Neil inherited a love of teaching from his mother. After swimming lessons as a boy, he helped in her Head Start classroom and realized how much he liked education. Neil went on to study at Southwest Minnesota State in Marshall, majoring in elementary education, social studies and physical education. He taught in Winnebago and Clarkfield before spending 31 years at Centennial School District in the North Metro. Neil retired from teaching in 2016.

An athlete since his days shooting hoops behind the garage and running around the township section, he coached at every school where he taught. In 2015, Neil was inducted into the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame after leading Centennials’ boys and girls cross country squads to eight state meets. He retired from coaching in 2021, with 10 total state meet teams.

Jenna also grew up in a small town. As a kid, she had worked as a lifeguard at the pool and in the grocery store in her hometown of Winnebago. She started college at Minnesota State University – Mankato, married, raised four kids and went back to school to earn degrees in nursing.

Neil and Jenna first met when Jenna’s parents hosted a social gathering for young teachers in Winnebago. Neil stayed in touch with her family, but their paths went in different directions. Then they crossed again later in life after Jenna had divorced and her nursing career brought her to the Twin Cities. The couple married in 2014.

Neil bought the farm from his parents, who have since passed away. He’s been renting the land to the same neighbor who’s farmed it since the elder Kruse retired. When Neil started thinking about estate planning 10 years ago, the farm kid in him wasn’t troubled by looking so far into the future.

“I get I have a limited time on the earth. For me, it’s a life cycle. When I’m gone, I’m gone,” Neil said.

But he did have trouble finding a way to donate his farmland so that it could stay in production, until he connected with SWIF’s farmland giving program and found a way to keep his farmland growing – and giving back. During his time teaching and coaching, Neil got involved with Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom, American Legion Boys’ State and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, volunteering countless hours. Rental revenue from the Kruses’ estate gift of farmland will support these nonprofits for years to come. Their estate plan also has a provision to support Neil’s alma mater, Southwest Minnesota State University.

“What a gift that Neil and Jenna found each other and that they eventually found their way to Southwest Initiative Foundation. Helping them create a gift plan to honor the land that grounded Neil’s family is what we’re called to do with our Keep It Growing program. Through their future gift, Neil and Jenna are writing a new chapter for this farm’s story, one that offers meaning and purpose for that special land.”

While they were dating, Neil and Jenna visited the farm near Verdi, and she felt that same sense of connection and caring for neighbors that she’d known as a kid. Small towns are like that. The couple plans to move back to the home place soon.

“Putting together an estate plan was just one of those big things you know as a couple you want to have done. I’m very thankful Neil found a fit for his vision when he’s gone,” Jenna said. “We took a roundabout journey to get to each other, and now I want to have as much time as we can at the farm.”

The post Estate gift means farmland can keep growing and giving back appeared first on Southwest Initiative Foundation.

Aging well is having time for a card game with friends, visiting over coffee and babysitting grandkids. It’s mowing the lawn, experimenting in the kitchen, practicing faith, weathering losses, helping others.

“For me it’s being able to do the things I want to do and still be able to weave my way through a life that’s in some ways becoming less complicated and, in some ways, becoming more complicated,” said John Davidson of Canby.

John was part of coffee and conversation in the Canby Community Center in August at an Age Well Live Wisely gathering hosted by Laura Thomas, Prairie Five Community Action Council’s Director of Aging Well.

Happy to be back together at the group’s first in-person social since the pandemic, John was visiting at a table with Barb and Virgil Vanstrom, who live outside Canby on the farm where both Barb and her father were born. They talked about how hard it’s been to be apart and not being able to lean on relationships in the same way during the last year. Barb joined one Zoom group Laura hosted and has appreciated the other ways the Director of Aging Well fills the gaps.

“She is wonderful and so knowledgeable and willing to help,” Barb said.

When John had trouble understanding his Medicare coverage, Laura was there to search for answers. Last year alone, Laura met with 250 people to answer Medicare questions. She also helped John find specialized glasses for a vision problem that makes it hard to drive at night.

“If people don’t know where to turn with a question, they’ll give a call and we’ll help them get connected,” said Laura, who started at Prairie Five in 2018 and has focused on building relationships. “It’s someone from the area, a voice you know and recognize to walk you through to get what you need.”

Laura’s role is funded by a multi-year grant from the Paul and Alma Schwan Aging Trust Endowment Fund at Southwest Initiative Foundation. Older adults are the foundation of vibrant and welcoming communities in our region, and the Aging Trust Fund maximizes the social and economic contributions of elders throughout southwest Minnesota by keeping them well and engaged in community life.

“This permanent resource helps communities actively involve, value and support older adults. Partners like Prairie Five Community Action Council are key to this work in southwest Minnesota,” said Nancy Fasching, SWIF Vice President for Community Impact.

Southwest Minnesota leads the state in percentage of population age 85 or better, according to data from Minnesota Compass. Prairie Five Community Action Council serves a rural five-county region that has the oldest population in the state. It includes Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift and Yellow Medicine counties. Prairie Five works with communities here to address local needs and gaps, enabling older adults to age in place.

“Having this age friendly grant from SWIF has allowed us to have a large-scale impact as well as an individual impact on people,” Laura said. “I think we are so lucky to have this grant, these funds available to be able to serve our older adults this way.”

A leader in rural aging services delivery, Prairie Five has created a strong network of collaborators within communities, developed meaningful connections and trust with older residents and expanded aging and adult services offered in the region.

One thing that makes Prairie Five unique is that staff take services right to the doorsteps or communities of older adults. Whether it’s the mobile community center, the tablet lending library, meal delivery or an in-person appointment to answer questions – the resources come to them.

“Everything is relationship-based and we understand the importance of being present in the communities that we provide services to,” said Laura, who makes her home in Benson.

When the pandemic hit, the community action agency was able move quickly when everything felt “upside down.” Laura offered the reassurance of a friendly voice to field questions over the phone. She also has a newspaper column that runs in nine area papers every other week, and she used that to get information about resources and opportunities out to the communities. As daily life moved online, Laura looked for ways to implement a tablet lending program. Another grant from SWIF helped fund Wi-Fi enabled tablets and training.

“Not only do we offer the tablets, but we also offer tablet services. What I found was a lot of people who were calling actually had their own device … but they had so many questions on how to use it. I saw that there was a need just for general education,” Laura said.

Through the uncertainty of COVID-19, Laura stayed connected with the Age Well Live Wisely groups online and put together care packages for members who used to attend in person. The gatherings are a place for fellowship, entertainment and education.  With a background in education, Laura has enjoyed searching for subjects that will inspire great conversations and appeal to everyone, especially as social groups begin to gather in person again. She’s a certified community educator for the Alzheimer’s Association and recently completed training to join the AARP Speakers Bureau.

“We talk about older folks as being other than we are. I always think about, ‘What do I want to learn? What do I want to know about this topic?’ I don’t want to be bored with what I’m teaching. I want to do this because it’s relevant and timely and interesting – that engages everyone. It’s not an ‘us-them’ approach. It’s a ‘we’ approach,” Laura said. “That’s how Community Action looks at things too. We believe the community is the expert. We’re all headed in the same direction. We all have something invested in aging well.”

Mike Baer was at the recent Age Well Live Wisely group in Canby. He had a hard year after losing his wife, Joyce, in January 2020 at the age of 70. He’s spent time with his hobby of experimenting with cooking and baking; he mows lawns once in awhile and meets friends Wanda and Bob Eilers for Saturday breakfast as well as the Age Well Live Wisely gatherings.

“I’m happy God got me to this age, this far. I hope I can keep going,” Mike said.

“Nobody ever feels like they’re old,” Laura said. “Sometimes your body will remind you that you’re aging, but inside people say, ‘Well, I don’t feel like I’m old.’”

The post Vibrant Communities: Aging well in rural appeared first on Southwest Initiative Foundation.

In the virtual audience were Hsa Mu, Parent Student Connector at Marshall Public Schools, and Marie Atkinson-Smeins, Luverne Elementary School Counselor. They are helping our kids write their success stories, which will become the next chapter for our region. Marie has developed an award-winning counseling program recognized at a national level. Hsa has channeled his experience of immigrating to Minnesota from a Thai refugee camp into the work he does welcoming and connecting new families. Both have been part of the work of Grow Our Own, a cradle-to-career approach to ensure southwest Minnesota kids have what they need to succeed.

We checked in with them at the start of the school year to find out more about their experiences in the last year and how their work makes a difference for kids and families.

Marie Atkinson-Smeins, Luverne Elementary School Counselor

When Marie arrived at Luverne Elementary School 33 years ago, having an elementary school counselor was uncommon. With help from teachers, staff and an advisory committee, she’s built the school’s counseling program based on data about what kind of support kids need year-to-year. Last year during the pandemic, when Luverne Elementary was in hybrid learning mode, its 500 students had higher needs.

“When it’s not a consistent learning environment, and sometimes the home situation isn’t a good situation, all of those things can affect learning. The stress of the pandemic, of COVID, that’s scary for adults. If it’s scary for adults, it’s got to be scary and stressful for kids too,” Marie said.

Each classroom – kindergarten through grade 5 – gets visits from Marie twice a month. She uses the Second Step curriculum, a holistic approach to social-emotional learning that explores feelings, emotion management and skills for learning, like listening. She also does small group counseling around friendship, study skills and stress. And Marie helps students with individual counseling when they need it.

During her career, Marie has connected with SWIF for professional development and grants. She’s attended both Grow Our Own summits and taken away new ideas for helping our kids reach their full potential.

“As an elementary school counselor, you become aware of all these resources that are going to help you in your position. I know different places that can help kids and parents, like SWIF. SWIF offers grants, and I’ve really enjoyed some of the speakers they’ve had over the years,” Marie said.

This year, Marie achieved a career milestone when her counseling program was honored by the American School Counselors Association (ASCA) with a “Recognized ASCA Model Program” (RAMP) designation. Eleven schools in Minnesota earned the RAMP distinction this year.

RAMP recognizes schools committed to delivering a comprehensive data informed school counseling program that exemplifies school counseling at its best. The recognition is based on an exhaustive application; Marie has been working toward a RAMP designation for 10 years, with help the last two years from a school counselor in Oklahoma serving as a sounding board.

“This happened because of the wonderful people that I work with and because of all the support that I had. I’m a really spiritual person, so I just believe I don’t accomplish any of this stuff on my own,” Marie said.

Being data-informed means Marie starts the school year looking at attendance, standardized test scores and behavioral slips to see where students are facing challenges in each grade. She builds her goals from what the numbers tell her.

“There’s a lot of factors that go into a year of growth. That’s why you have to narrow it down. It helps you as a starting point. I’m going to look at data and it’s going to help me decide my groups and my classes,” Marie said.

At the end of the year, she checks the numbers to see how much progress was made and what worked to help students succeed.

“The kids that I meet with one-on-one, sometimes I get close to them. And you feel like you’ve helped them. You can just tell with them smiling at you,” Marie said. “Elementary kids love you. They hug you and they appreciate you.”

At the start of the new school year, Marie is hoping to be able to see kids face-to-face and put into action ideas from the ASCA Conference she attended this year to receive the RAMP award.

Hsa Mu, Parent Student Connector at Marshall Public Schools

As a refugee who didn’t speak English at first, the help of caring adults was a big part of Hsa’s journey. He tries to provide that for students and families he’s worked with the last five years as the Karen Parent Student Connector. He first connected with SWIF when we launched Grow Our Own in 2016 and attended both Grow Our Own Summits.

“I feel I have learned a lot by following SWIF personally and professionally,” said Hsa, who is married and a parent to two young boys. “Sharing how much I’ve learned from Southwest Initiative, it’s important for me. … We are blessed that we have such an organization like SWIF in the southwest Minnesota region.”

At Marshall Public Schools, Hsa is a bridge between families and school, a communicator and interpreter who helps parents understand how the school system works and how they can be engaged in their students’ learning. He uses his native Karen language to assist families with busing and enrollments for school, free and reduced lunch applications, interpreting at parent teacher conferences, special education or IEP meetings, and registering for extracurricular activities.

“We have an increasing number (of Karen students) every year. The majority of the Karen families, they have a lot of young families with young kids. We have every year like 20 kindergarteners,” Hsa said.

For these families, the pandemic hit hard. Everything had to be online, and a lot of the Karen families Hsa works with have limited experience with technology. Interpreting is tougher through video, and so is not having home visits. Then in spring, the community suffered the loss of first grader Week Day to COVID-19.

“It was a tough time for me doing my job. I know the family as a friend. I have connection with them through school and Karen community.  I tried to be there and support them as a friend, a community member and as a school staff from my work. I helped them with paperwork from the beginning, since preschool,” Hsa said. “It was very, very sad.”

Along with teachers, other staff and community members, Hsa has been there for kids and their families through hardships and frustrations the past year. He looks back at his own path and recognizes how many caring adults helped him along the way. He thinks first of his mother, who was a single parent to five kids. Hsa’s father passed away when Hsa was 4. He thinks of his grandparents, his older brothers and his aunt who helped care for him in their village in Burma, where his mother stayed when Hsa moved to a refugee camp in Thailand at age 12. At the camp and on his journey to the United States, caring adults looked out for him.

“Some adults had to step up and take care of me when I was a kid. I relied on many adults, and I’m grateful I met so many adults in my life. I became who I am right now because of them,” said Hsa, who came to Minnesota at age 19.

“Just like the old adage said, ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ Please look out for children in your community, at schools, church, and neighbors. Josh’s stories and the Power of One have reminded me and set a great example of how caring adults can have positive impact to our children growth and success.”

Arriving in Marshall in 2011 after a few months in St. Paul, Hsa found “a loving community.” He worked while earning his GED, got married and then started his job at Marshall Public Schools in 2016.

“I love what I’m doing right now. It is rewarding. It is my passion to work in public setting, NGOs and nonprofit organizations. I feel like I have an impact on a lot of young children and families who are underrepresented. I try to be there for them, try to advocate for them,” Hsa said. “In Marshall and southwest Minnesota, we are rich in resources. But there’s a barrier if you don’t speak the language. For me, I see there’s a lot of good programs not only for kids but also for families, those in poverty, immigrants, refugees. But sometimes there’s a barrier – language, transportation, cultural difference. People don’t know how to use the services or the program because there’s nobody there to advocate for them.”

As he supports kids and families returning to school this fall, Hsa is pursuing his own learning, taking online classes for a degree in community psychology and health promotions, with a minor in political science.

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Minnesota’s first Employer Resource Network® brings innovative approach to workforce development

HUTCHINSON, Minn. — Five regional employers in Kandiyohi County, Meeker County, Lower Sioux Indian Community and Redwood County have partnered with Southwest Initiative Foundation to launch Minnesota’s first Employer Resource Network® (ERN), an innovative approach to workforce development.  

Southwest Minnesota is experiencing a workforce shortage. Unemployment rates are between 3 and 4 percent for the areas this program serves, and the challenges with recruiting and retaining employees is impacting area businesses as they compete in a global economy. At the same time, employees face barriers to finding career success and providing for themselves and their families. ERNs are a solution to both: they assist companies in supporting working families while driving business growth.  

Southwest Initiative Foundation is using a model developed in Michigan in 2007, the Employer Resource Network® USA. This model combines job retention services, work supports, education and training. It assists employees in navigating work and personal situations and employers in developing and retaining talent. ERNs also work with community service providers like social service agencies, workforce development groups, chambers of commerce, economic development groups and community and technical colleges or other training institutions. 

Employer Resource Network® member companies pay for access to an on-site network Success Coach who works directly with employees as a coach, advocate and connector. Nationwide, member companies average a 500 percent return on their investment based on job turnover rates, the cost of skill building and training and increased productivity.  

Members include Bethesda – with locations in Willmar, Olivia and New London; Minnesota Rubber & Plastics and Towmaster Trailers and Truck Equipment located in Litchfield; Jackpot Junction Casino & Hotel, part of the Lower Sioux Indian Community; and Jonti-Craft in Wabasso.   

Jean Spaulding of Spicer has been hired by Southwest Initiative Foundation as the Employer Resource Network® Success Coach. She has an extensive background in economic development, business development and human resources with a master certification in health and life coaching. Her career has followed her passion for facilitating growth in organizations, from small businesses to local governments, and her experience and expertise make her an ideal fit for this unique position.  

“I’m so excited to be able to work with businesses through this new and innovative partnership.  I feel anyone can benefit from having a coach to help make sense of whatever is going on or just bounce ideas off when needed.  When a person comes across a new situation, you don’t always know where to turn and having an available resource – one text away – can make a big difference,” Spaulding said. “I feel that everything I’ve done throughout my career has brought me to this place, and I’m passionate about being part of the small hinge that can help swing a big door in someone’s life.” 

Spaulding will spend time onsite with member companies and meet with employees to identify issues they’re facing, which may include accessing child care; dealing with financial pressures; budgeting, banking or building a credit score; finding affordable housing options; transportation and car repairs; applying for other programs; locating counseling; managing conflicts; and training, education or career advancement. Together, the coach and employees set goals, access resources and explore supports that will help them excel at work and home.  

“This new network matches both short- and long-term economic development strategies for our communities, businesses, families and kids from cradle to career,” said Diana Anderson, Southwest Initiative Foundation President/CEO. “The Employer Resource Network® model is a perfect fit with our foundation’s Grow Our Own initiative to ensure that all southwest Minnesota kids can access the opportunities they need to reach their full potential.” 

Research from The Saguaro Seminar: Civic Engagement in America at Harvard Kennedy School shows that one of the things kids need to succeed is stable families and parenting. Through ERNs, workers gain economic self-sufficiency and build wealth for themselves and their families. They also can access the supports they need to provide safe, nurturing environments for the kids in their lives. Career onramps are another key to kids’ successful life outcomes. ERNs help southwest Minnesota employers develop and retain talent, maintaining strong regional businesses as young people prepare for and enter the workforce.

About Southwest Initiative Foundation

Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) is a nonprofit community foundation connecting people, investing in ideas and building communities to create a southwest Minnesota where all people thrive. Since its founding in 1986, SWIF has distributed more than $97.8 million through its grantmaking and business finance programs.

The post Southwest Initiative Employer Resource Network® Launches to Support Area Employers, Working Families  appeared first on Southwest Initiative Foundation.

Under this year’s theme, “Belonging Begins With Us,” the following communities in the region are hosting events:

• Glencoe, Sept. 11
• Granite Falls, Sept. 18
• Hutchinson, Sept. 12
• Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, Sept. 12
• Marshall, Sept. 18
• Montevideo, Sept. 11
• Willmar, Sept. 11
• Windom, Sept. 18, 21
• Worthington, Sept. 14-19

For details on local events, visit swifoundation.org/2021welcomingweek.

These community-led Welcoming Week celebrations are promoted and supported in part by Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF). SWIF is an independent community foundation with a vision of a southwest Minnesota where everyone thrives. The foundation is a member of the Welcoming America network leading the national Welcoming Week campaign.

“By acknowledging belonging begins with us, we call for our neighborhoods, communities and workplaces in our region to be welcoming places where everyone belongs,” said Pablo Obregón, who serves as community engagement officer at SWIF and has helped guide local planning efforts led by community members.

Pioneer PBS and Southwest Minnesota Arts Council are also promoting Welcoming Week in southwest Minnesota.

Pioneer PBS is an award-winning, viewer-supported public television station dedicated to sharing local stories of the region with the world. Welcoming Week is an opportunity to connect people to rural stories and shared values, which is part of their mission.

The Southwest Minnesota Arts Council encourages growth and development of the arts in southwest Minnesota with funds and technical services that enable local organizations, educational institutions and individuals to sponsor, create and promote the arts in their communities.

About Welcoming Week

Since 2012, Welcoming Week has served as the annual campaign and celebration led by Welcoming America to showcase the growing movement of communities striving to be more welcoming places for all, including immigrants. By fostering mutual respect and cooperation between new and long-time residents, Welcoming Week brings together people across lines of difference toward greater prosperity for all.

The post Southwest Minnesota celebrates Welcoming Week, declaring “Belonging Begins With Us” appeared first on Southwest Initiative Foundation.

We’re celebrating that entrepreneurial spirit during this year’s Small Business Week. The National Small Business Week Virtual Summit September 13-15 will spotlight the resilience of America’s entrepreneurs and the renewal of the small business economy as they build back better from the economic crisis brought on by a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. The virtual summit will honor the nation’s 30 million small businesses for their perseverance, ingenuity, triumphs, and creativity.

At Southwest Initiative Foundation, we invest in ideas large and small that spur economic development. Loans have always been a key function of Southwest Initiative Foundation in its support of communities and businesses throughout southwest Minnesota. In the last 35 years, we’ve closed 1,247 loans totaling $54 million in our region that have created or retained nearly a million jobs. But it’s not just about the money. We come alongside entrepreneurs, coaching and equipping them to improve their business management skills. 

Find out more by reading some of our small business stories from the year. And be sure to check out our Women Mean Business feature!

• 
  Elevate Business Academy graduates first class of entrepreneurs  July 6, 2021

  Five local entrepreneurs celebrated a step toward their small business dreams as they graduated from [...]

  Read more
• 
  Flank Steakhouse opens in downtown Hutchinson June 23, 2021

  HUTCHINSON, Minn. – Entrepreneurs Vince Maertz and Amanda Thrawl-Maertz opened Flank Steakhouse in [...]

  Read more
• 
  New Granite Falls business serves up good old-fashioned fun March 22, 2021

  GRANITE FALLS, Minn. – More than five years in the making, Taste in Time soda fountain and sandwic [...]

  Read more
• 
  Startup Reinvention reshapes 2021 for small business owners January 27, 2021

  Four small businesses in southwest Minnesota are starting 2021 with a new game plan thanks to Southw [...]

  Read more
• 
  Matthew Dostal opens tax and consulting firm in Hutchinson January 6, 2021

  HUTCHINSON, Minn. – Matthew Dostal has opened Dostal CPA Tax & Consulting in Hutchinson with h [...]

  Read more

The post 2021 Small Business Week in southwest Minnesota appeared first on Southwest Initiative Foundation.

Andrea Duarte-Alonso joined the foundation in 2019 as part of a two-year Lead for America Fellowship. Based in her hometown of Worthington, she has worked to build bridges in the community and has used storytelling to help change the narrative of what rural America and rural Minnesota are like. With her fellowship ending in August, Andrea reflected on what she accomplished and learned from the experience. 

In the fall of 2019, I returned to my home community of Worthington, Minnesota. I recall being nervous, anxious and excited to be home. I didn’t know what to expect, especially since I’d be returning as a young professional rather than a young student. And as a first-generation Mexican-American growing up in rural America, I was nervous because it isn’t often said, “You should return home and work in a rural community.” Plus, people like me don’t often get to see leaders who look like us in rural settings, and it’s popular to believe that those who are seen as successful are those that make it to a bigger city. Regardless of my hesitations and thoughts about returning home, I was excited to start working alongside the Community Engagement team at the Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) as its first-ever Lead for America Hometown Fellow.

Before returning to Worthington with SWIF, I created an online storytelling platform that highlights first and second-generation immigrants who live in southwest Minnesota. My work with storytelling connected with the work I would do with SWIF. During my fellowship, I had the opportunity to lead and engage in community events with our racially and ethnically diverse community members in Worthington, such as “Southwest Minnesota Story Share: A Community Gathering” and Welcoming Week’s “Creating Home Through Art” event in Worthington. Thanks to events that SWIF hosted, I was able to build relationships with community leaders, professionals in different areas of expertise, and everyday residents who are doing their best to create better lives for themselves and their families.

Not only did I work full-time with SWIF on matters of inclusion, belonging, and equity, but I also became involved in my community. I noticed that many of our decision-making tables do not mirror the community, so I felt it essential to step up and be in spaces that mean a lot to me and are important to our community. I joined the Nobles County Integration Collaborative Board, the Nobles County Library Board, the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota Board of Trustees, and most recently, the Cross-Cultural Advisory Committee with the City of Worthington. In each space, we ask ourselves how we can best engage and communicate with our newcomers, communities of color, immigrants and refugees, youth, and so forth.  And it’s incredible to see what can be done when individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives can collaborate!

I’m proud to be part of these groups, especially new spaces that are being created to meet the needs of our community. The Cross-Cultural Advisory Committee comprises nine individuals who support the City of Worthington with bridge-building and communication between our community members and the city. Through my time with my fellowship and SWIF, I’ve learned how powerful local work can be for all of our neighbors. While I may be looking forward to law school or working in policy one day, I can’t deny how invaluable local decision-making, local actions, and local organizing can be for many of our community members.

I’m happy to be walking away with heartfelt experiences and beautiful relationships. While the work sometimes felt lonely as a young woman of color bridge-builder, I want to acknowledge all those who supported me along the way. A big thank you to all for being a part of my journey as a professional in southwest Minnesota! I’m more than hopeful and eager to see our communities fill up with more young people (either staying, returning home, or arriving freshly new) to do powerful work in our communities. 

Read more about Andrea’s fellowship experience from our CONNECT newsletter.

Lead For America exists to ensure that our nation’s most dynamic and diverse talent is working on their communities’ toughest challenges. Learn more about the organization and fellowship opportunities at lead4america.org.

The post Building bridges as a Lead For America Fellow appeared first on Southwest Initiative Foundation.

This Welcoming Week, let’s declare that Belonging Begins With US — that each and every one of us has the power to help others, regardless of their background, to be seen, embraced, welcomed and included in our vibrant communities.

Read about last year’s Welcoming Week celebrations in southwest Minnesota.

The purpose of Welcoming Week is to elevate a spirit of unity that shows the successful multi-racial democracy we can be if everyone truly belongs in the places they call home, including immigrants. Southwest Initiative Foundation is proud to be part of Welcoming Week as a Welcoming America member. By acknowledging belonging begins with us, we call for our neighborhoods, communities and workplaces in the region to be welcoming places where everyone belongs.

Local Welcoming Week celebrations

Communities around the region are building a sense of belonging by celebrating Welcoming Week locally; see a list below and visit our events calendar more event information as community-led plans come together.

• Glencoe, Sept. 11
• Granite Falls, Sept. 18
• Hutchinson, Sept. 12
• Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, Sept. 12
• Marshall, Sept. 18
• Montevideo, Sept. 11
• Willmar, Sept. 11
• Windom, Sept. 18, 21
• Worthington, Sept. 14-19

About Welcoming Week

Since 2012, Welcoming Week has served as the annual campaign and celebration led by Welcoming America to showcase the growing movement of communities striving to be more welcoming places for all, including immigrants. By fostering mutual respect and cooperation between new and long-time residents, Welcoming Week brings together people across lines of difference toward greater prosperity for all. Southwest Initiative Foundation is a Welcoming America member.

The post Belonging Begins with US this Welcoming Week appeared first on Southwest Initiative Foundation.

Volkir is the executive director of the Pipestone Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism. Originally from Omaha, Neb., she majored in political science and psychology at St. Olaf College and went on to obtain her juris doctorate from the University of Minnesota Law School. She served as a judicial law clerk and public defender earlier in her career and remains a licensed attorney.

A dedicated business, community and nonprofit advocate, Volkir is involved in leadership roles with Pipestone Girl Scouts, Pipestone Forward, Pipestone Kiwanis Club, Friends of the Casey Jones State Trail Association, Explore Southwest Minnesota Tourism, Southern Minnesota Tourism Association, Southwest Minnesota Arts Council and Mid-America Chamber Executives. Erica makes her home in Pipestone with her fiancé, Tom Steffes.

“I strongly believe in and share the foundation’s vision of a southwest Minnesota where everyone thrives,” Volkir said. “I like that this organization is a regional leader in spearheading big picture ideas that are essential to the future growth of our region by investing in the people, resources, small businesses and youth in our communities.”

Wilcox grew up in Benson and is now an attorney in his hometown. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from University of Minnesota, Morris. After college, Wilcox worked in banking in the Twin Cities before returning to school to study law. He graduated from William Mitchell College of Law and has worked with his father at Wilcox Law Office in Benson for more than a decade.

“I want to devote more time to the organizations that support rural areas of Minnesota. Southwest Initiative Foundation is a leader in this field, and I appreciate the opportunity to become a member of the board,” said Wilcox, who makes his home in Benson with his wife, Kerry, and their two children.

Wilcox serves as city attorney for six communities in southwest Minnesota and is past president of the Twelfth District Bar Association. He is also past president of Benson Kiwanis club and volunteers his time as a local advisory board member with the Robert Sonsteng Foundation, an affiliated fund of SWIF.

“We are thrilled to have Erica and Ben join this incredible group of leaders,” said Diana Anderson, SWIF President and CEO. “We bring together people with diverse backgrounds and expertise from across our region to ensure our board reflects and represents all of southwest Minnesota. We have a strong, committed and thoughtful board of directors pushing Southwest Initiative Foundation’s mission forward, and I’m excited for the knowledge, connections and values our new board members will bring to our organization and collaborative work.”

The Southwest Initiative Foundation board of directors is a governing board that ensures the organization fulfills its mission of connecting people, investing in ideas and building communities in southwest Minnesota. This volunteer board sets strategy, manages resources and promotes the foundation’s work.

Volkir and Wilcox come on to the board following the retirements of Mark Titus of Jackson, who served 6 years, and Janice Nelson of Montevideo, who served 12 years. The rest of the board includes chair Patricia Dols, Willmar; vice chair Christie Hantge, Hutchinson; past chair Randy Reinke, Litchfield; secretary Terry Gaalswyk, Worthington; treasurer Dan Greve, Worthington; Tom Brakke, Deephaven; Abdirizak Mahboub, Willmar; Teresa Peterson, Upper Sioux Community; Kathy Wehking, Hector; and Theresa Zaske, Balaton.

About Southwest Initiative Foundation

Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) is a nonprofit community foundation connecting people, investing in ideas and building communities to create a southwest Minnesota where all people thrive. Since its founding in 1986, SWIF has distributed more than $88 million through its grantmaking and business finance programs.

The post Two new members elected to Southwest Initiative Foundation board appeared first on Southwest Initiative Foundation.