We’re just over a month into our new fiscal year. So, what did Southwest Initiative Foundation do in the last year?
Here are a few accomplishments we’re really excited to share!
Fiscal Year 2014 Impact at a Glance
- Awarded 371 grants totaling more than $1.3 million to benefit the people and communities of southwest Minnesota.
- Made 52 loans totaling nearly $3.2 million through our Business Finance and microloan programs. These business loans created or retained 253 jobs and leveraged over $20 million in private and public investment into our region.
- Five community foundation partners – Bird Island-Olivia, Clarkfield, Granite Falls, Pipestone and Worthington – secured and began working toward endowment fund challenge grants provided by local donors, totaling $170,000.
- Distributed 8,000 new children’s books purchased through the Pearson Foundation throughout our region.
- Awarded nearly $25,000 to YES! teams to support energy projects in their communities in which teams collected and recycled over 2,000 pounds of holiday lights, 80,000 pop tabs, seven tons of paper, 10,000 plastic bags, 500 pairs of tennis shows, and 900 ink cartridges and cell phones.
- SBA Encore Entrepreneur of the Year award was presented to SWIF microloan clients Ron and Kim Wothe, owners of Glacial Ridge Winery in Spicer.
- Accepted two new gifts of farmland totaling 191 acres and valued at more than $1.6 million to our Keep It Growing℠ program, keeping the land in production and supporting regional work.
- Successfully submitted required evidence of compliance with National Standards and was re-accredited through 2019 by the Community Foundation National Standards Board.
- Selected as one of 18 Midwest community foundations to the Philanthropic Preparedness, Resiliency, and Emergency Partnership (PPREP) cohort to improve how organizations and communities prepare for and respond to natural disasters and strengthen overall resilience.
We can’t thank our donors and partners enough for helping us make such a positive difference in our southwest Minnesota region. Watch for future updates on these and more impressive numbers and inspiring stories.
And, cheers to kicking off FY2015!
