LAMBERTON, Minn.— The new Lamberton Area Community Foundation is on a mission to enrich the Lamberton community to be a great place to live, give and thrive through charitable giving and grant making. The foundation formed in partnership with Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) and is led by a local advisory board tasked with fundraising, grant making and educating the community about the local foundation’s mission and vision.
Inaugural Lamberton Area Community Foundation advisory board members are chair Debbie Vollmer, vice chair Todd Lee, treasurer Britta KelseyBassett, secretary Char Graff, Leon Benedict, Sam Furth, Brian Pfarr and Kari Redman. They participated in training over the course of last year and are now ready to spread the word about the new foundation and launch a larger fundraising effort.
Lamberton Area Community Foundation is one of 30 local community foundation partners, known as affiliates, supported by SWIF in its region, which includes the 18 counties in the southwest corner of the state and two Native Nations that share this geography. SWIF is known for regional grantmaking, supporting kids and families and business financing, in addition to working with donors and its affiliates. SWIF will handle gift processing and receipting, grant processing, investment management and the 501(c)(3) status necessary for gifts to Lamberton Area Community Foundation to be tax deductible.
Through the partnership, Lamberton’s advisory board members have access to technical and professional support in areas such as strategic planning, board development, fundraising, marketing and public relations, and grantmaking. Jeff Vetsch, SWIF Community Philanthropy Officer, has guided the local board during the startup process and continues to provide support.
“One of the best parts of my job is being inspired by the people I meet through my work with local community foundations and being inspired by how generous our communities really are. I see a bright future for the Lamberton Area Community Foundation,” Vetsch said.
Donations to Lamberton Area Community Foundation support an endowment fund, which acts like a savings account for the community. The principal is never spent; as the endowment grows, earnings are granted into the community. Lamberton Area Community Foundation can also be a tool to raise dollars for specific community projects and oversee donor-advised or other types of funds created by local donors.
Those interested in donating can mail gifts to Lamberton Area Community Foundation at PO Box 454, Lamberton, MN 56152 or make your gift online. SWIF will match gifts to the local community foundation endowment up to $25,000 over the first two years.
About Southwest Initiative Foundation
Southwest Initiative Foundation is a nonprofit community foundation connecting people, investing in ideas and building communities to create a southwest Minnesota where all people thrive. SWIF launched its local community foundation program in 1999 to give southwest Minnesotans a way to support the charities and the places that were important in their lives, and to retain wealth in this rural region. These partners have awarded thousands of local grants totaling more than $6 million. Learn more about our local community foundations.
