PRESS RELEASE
Major gift propels The YES! House toward capital campaign goal
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — Department of Public Transformation (DoPT) and Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) hosted a gathering at The YES! House in downtown Granite Falls on April 3 to honor and celebrate the contributions of many local and regional supporters and to announce a significant philanthropic gift that will help bring DoPT’s capital campaign closer to completion.
DoPT, a nonprofit rural arts and culture organization, has been steadily making progress on their Say YES! Creative Capital Campaign to renovate the downtown building located at 726 Prentice Street, now known as The YES! House, into a creative community gathering space. As a relatively young and growing rural arts nonprofit, this was an ambitious goal and bold project upon which to embark. However, with the support of many local residents and statewide and national funders, DoPT has garnered the enthusiasm and support necessary to complete this campaign.
“Running a capital campaign of this size in any location is a heavy lift, but this is specifically true for building renovation projects in rural communities,” said Ash Hanson, CEO of DoPT. “We believe in this project and in the creative economy in Southwest Minnesota, and we are thrilled to be in this stage of the campaign with the support of many artists, donors, and volunteers.”
At the Spring Soirée donor appreciation event held at The YES! House on April 3, DoPT and SWIF announced that a $250,000 contribution from a Minnesota funder brought their capital campaign to 88 percent completion. Southwest Initiative Foundation administered this grant, made possible by a gift from The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation Fund at the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. The funding will be used specifically for the renovation of The YES! House.
“The YES! House is completely aligned with our mission of connecting people, investing in ideas, and building community. We’re so fortunate to have them here in Granite Falls and are thrilled to be able to support their success by administering this grant,” said Scott Marquardt with Southwest Initiative Foundation. “I look forward to seeing what the investment will mean for not only the community but also our region going forward.”
To date, DoPT has completed the renovation of two artist apartments and a shared studio space at The YES! House, along with an in-progress creative community gathering space on the main floor. DoPT has plans in place with local contractors to move forward with renovation of the main floor this year and the basement next year. The main floor gathering space will include a performance venue, gallery space, and concession area. The basement will include a recording studio, multi-media lab, and artist classroom/workshop space.
The YES! House capital campaign goal was increased from $900,000 to $970,000 in December 2023 to account for cost increases in supplies and services since the original budget was set in early 2020. James Arentson from Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership commented, “As the architect working with DoPT, I have been so impressed by their dedication to The YES! House. They work hard to balance complex event and construction schedules and have maintained a visionary yet practical approach to the work.”
While the building renovation has been in progress, DoPT has continued to hold open hours and host multiple creative community events per month in partnership with the Creative Collaboration Team—a group of nine local residents who help inform the programs and events—including the Learn From Your Neighbor series, Local and Visiting Artist events, and the River Valley Ripple Artist Residency for Southwest MN artists.
“The YES! House is an inclusive place where neighbors can gather, share ideas, and build dreams; it’s a place where creatives, artists, and community members from near and far can be supported and uplifted,” explained The YES! House Program Coordinator, Luwaina Al-Otaibi. “This support is a huge step in pushing this work forward and allows us to continue to grow our programming and reach in the area.”
Learn more about The YES! House and upcoming events at www.theyeshouse.org.
About Southwest Initiative Foundation
Southwest Initiative Foundation is a nonprofit community foundation supported by individuals, families, businesses and organizations who care about southwest Minnesota.
About The YES! House
The YES! House is an in-progress creative community gathering space located at 726 Prentice Street in Granite Falls, MN, and is a project of Department of Public Transformation (DoPT). Learn more at theyeshouse.org.
About Department of Public Transformation (DoPT)
Department of Public Transformation is an artist-led nonprofit organization that works to develop creative strategies for increased community connection, civic engagement, and equitable participation in rural places. Learn more at publictransformation.org.
