Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) is receiving a second round of funding through CoBank’s Rural Prosperity Grant Program, reinforcing a shared commitment to strengthening rural communities across southwest Minnesota.
The CoBank Rural Prosperity Grant Program supports organizations that serve as catalysts for sustainable rural development, helping communities address local challenges and create opportunities for long-term prosperity. Last year, SWIF was one of eight organizations nationwide chosen for the inaugural program.
“Across the program’s first year in 2025, we saw how effective rural development organizations are when they build on the assets and strengths within their communities,” said Leslie Hagele, CoBank’s vice president of corporate social responsibility. “We’re pleased to continue supporting this work and to share insights and outcomes from across our network of rural partners.”
This latest grant will help advance two key priorities in Southwest Minnesota:
- Expansion of the Launch Your Future Today (LYFT) Career Pathways Impact Grants Program, increasing opportunities for students to explore career pathways and connect with local employers.
- Continued development of Southwest Minnesota Community Capital (SMCC), SWIF’s emerging Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), including the systems, people and infrastructure needed to expand access to capital and support entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the region.
“We are incredibly grateful to CoBank for selecting us as an awardee for the second time. Their continued investment is a meaningful vote of confidence in our mission and a shared commitment to advancing economic mobility in our region,” said Southwest Minnesota Community Capital Director Briana Mumme.
Rural Prosperity Grant dollars in action
When CoBank launched the Rural Prosperity Grant Program, we were among the initial grant recipients. The first round of funding helped strengthen our impact in three key areas:
- critical infrastructure and capacity building to advance our emerging CDFI, Southwest Minnesota Community Capital, including professional development and small business lending analysis
- investing in Career Connectors who serve as a bridge between schools, employers, and students, providing career advising and connecting young people to work-based learning opportunities.
- helping expand and sustain child care solutions, increasing access to resources that support working families, and strengthen our regional workforce
About CoBank
CoBank is a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving almost 80,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country.
CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore.