Nicole Johnson is expanding her business, Olivia Floral, Gift and Garden Center, with help from Southwest Initiative Foundation’s Microenterprise Loan Program. Olivia Floral is a full-service floral and gift shop that creates custom flower, gift and garden arrangements and offers quality products for special occasions, seasonal projects and everyday events. Nikki’s parents and grandfather have been business owners in the town for more than 50 years, so entrepreneurship runs in the family.
News
Balaton Area Community Foundation grants pass $200,000 mark
The Balaton Area Community Foundation (BACF) made its first grant in 2010 for playground equipment at Legion Lion Park. Recent grants include upgrades to the park at the lake, the fire department and ambulance and a major renovation at the community center, featuring new flooring, new interior paint and new tables. With all those projects and many more, BACF has granted a total of $200,120.
Responding to the closure of our local newspapers
A strong local press is foundational to a healthy democracy. Local newspapers provide vital information about our community, holding institutions accountable and fostering civic engagement. They also tell the stories about our neighbors that help us all build a shared sense of belonging. Their absence creates an information gap that can leave residents feeling disconnected and uninformed.
Music Street has new owner
Music Street has been serving music education in Marshall and its surrounding communities since Lon Wright opened the store in 1985. When Wright decided it was time to retire, Music Street’s manager Zach Haltvick purchased the business with help from our Microenterprise Loan Program. Haltvick took ownership in January of this year. Music Street sells and services musical instruments and accessories, catering to school music education programs. The store specializes in band and orchestra instrument rent-to-own contracts for students.
The YES! House major gift
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: SWIF administered a $250,000 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.
2024 cohort named for Growing Local Emerging Leaders
We’re excited to announce the participants who will make up this year’s Growing Local: Emerging Leaders cohort, representing 10 different communities across southwest Minnesota. Growing Local: Emerging Leaders is designed to help up-and-coming leaders discover and build on their unique strengths so they can make a difference through local boards, commissions and elected positions. It’s facilitated by SWIF in partnership with University of Minnesota Extension.