Running a successful child care business takes a mix of empathy, technical skills, and community support. Plus, a great team. Jamie Gillund has it all at Little Explorers Child Care Center in Ghent. It was her lifelong dream to open this business, and soon she’ll be opening a second location.
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Apply now for the 2026 Growing Local: Emerging Leaders cohort
Are you passionate about making a difference in your community, but need the tools and confidence to step into more formal leadership roles? Growing Local: Emerging Leaders is a leadership education program designed just for you. We’ll help you discover and build on your unique strengths so you can make a difference through local boards, commissions and elected positions.
Small gifts can grow great things
Kevin TeBeest is linked to Southwest Initiative Foundation in about as many ways as one person can be: He’s a loan client, a former board member for our community foundation partner, a past SWIF program participant, and a donor to our funds.
Porter Cafe
The Porter Cafe is a true community effort, built largely by volunteers and operated through a local nonprofit. A SWIF grant helped get it started in 1988. Today, resilient volunteers work hard to keep this good idea going.
Celebrating 40 Years: For the love of rural
As we celebrate 40 years, we honor the partnerships, generosity, and grassroots leadership that have shaped our story. And we look forward to the shared future we’re still creating together.
Loan client Happy Halal Meats brings meat processing close to home
Happy Halal Meats is a unique family business that processes halal goat, lamb, and chicken in Willmar. Becky and Greg Wierschke started the company after discovering the need for locally processed goat and lamb. A PROMISE Loan through Southwest Initiative Foundation helped them open the doors of their new facility.
