Volunteers are the heartbeat of our 26 community foundation partners. Each community assembles a local advisory board to lead its community foundation, raise funds to support the vision, coordinate grant
Annual Reports
Investing in Ideas: Ellen Juul
Soft spoken and petite, Ellen Juul wasn’t a person who sought the limelight. “But she was extremely well read. She was a little walking encyclopedia, so when anyone would talk to
Connecting People: Gary and Nancy Geiger
It’s a sunny afternoon, and downtown Willmar is buzzing. Friends exchange hellos at the coffeehouse. A line forms in the post office lobby. Shop owners sew hijabs, fix computers, sell antiques. Later, as
2018 Annual Report
Connecting people, investing in ideas and building communities This issue of Looking Forward, Giving Back celebrates our mission statement — connecting people, investing in ideas and building communities — showing how it
2017 Annual Report
Grow Our Own: Prosperity for our kids and the communities they call home In southwest Minnesota, more than one in six children live in poverty. Not all of these kids—no matter
Marie Hinsvark’s legacy helps Grow Our Own
The late Marie Hinsvark of Canby made a tremendous gift to Southwest Initiative Foundation through her estate when she passed away in September 2016. A private individual all her life, it’s