INITIATIVE FOUNDATION

COMMUNITY CHILD CARE SOLUTIONS: THE CHILD CARE SOLUTIONS PROGRAM PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE IN IMPROVING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, HIGH-QUALITY CHILD CARE BY SUPPORTING QUALIFIED EARLY CARE PROFESSIONALS. IN 2023, $275,000 WAS ALLOCATED TO PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC GROWTH THROUGH EXPANDED CHILD CARE OPTIONS AND A QUALIFIED EARLY CHILDHOOD WORKFORCE. THE INITIATIVE FOUNDATION PROVIDED FUNDING TO ASSIST 10 COMMUNITIES IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA IN DEVELOPING STRATEGIC PLANS TO ADDRESS THE SHORTAGE OF CHILD CARE. THESE EFFORTS RESULTED IN THE OPENING OF TWO NEW CHILD CARE CENTERS AND SEVERAL FAMILY CHILD CARE BUSINESSES, CREATING OVER 900 NEW CHILD CARE SLOTS IN THE REGION. FURTHERMORE, OVER 250 CHILD CARE PROGRAMS RECEIVED NO-COST BUSINESS TRAINING, COACHING, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO IMPROVE THEIR BUSINESS SKILLS. MORE THAN 200 PROFESSIONALS IN CENTRAL MN ALSO RECEIVED SPECIALIZED DEVELOPMENTAL AND SAFETY TRAINING, INCLUDING CPR, FIRST AID, AND CHILD GUIDANCE MENTORING, TO ENHANCE THEIR QUALITY RATING SCORES AND EARNING POTENTIAL. THE THREE LOCAL REGIONAL COMMUNITY COLLEGES COLLABORATED ON EARLY CHILDHOOD WORKFORCE INITIATIVES, ENABLING 69 STUDENTS TO OBTAIN TUITION-FREE CREDENTIALS TO ENTER THE FIELD OR ADVANCE THEIR CAREERS.ENERGY TRANSITION: OUR LONG-STANDING SUPPORT FOR ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE DECOMMISSIONING OF THE SHERBURNE COUNTY COAL GENERATION STATION HELPED LEVERAGE $26 MILLION IN STATE BONDING, WHICH CONTINUES TO YIELD BENEFITS FOR BECKER AND OTHER SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. WE ALSO SECURED NEW FUNDING FROM THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT CLEAN ENERGY PILOT PROJECTS THAT BENEFIT THEIR HOSTS ECONOMICALLY. OUR MOST RECENT CLEAN-ENERGY PILOT PROJECT SUPPORTED AN ANALYSIS OF THE COST-BENEFIT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY INVESTMENTS AT ELK RIVER (SHERBURNE COUNTY) AND WALKER (CASS COUNTY) FOOD SHELVES. THIS ANALYSIS WILL HELP BOTH PARTNERS SECURE GRANTS FOR INSTALLATION SO THEY CAN QUICKLY RETIRE ANY DEBT AND GENERATE REVENUE.WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE NORTHERN LANDS AND WATERS TRUST'S EXPLORATION OF USING LAND EASEMENTS TO ENCOURAGE THE RESTORATION OF WOODY BIOMASS IN MARGINAL LANDS, WHICH WOULD CAPTURE CARBON BEFORE IT ENTERS THE ATMOSPHERE. HEALTHY LAKES AND RIVERS PARTNERSHIP (HLRP): FOUNDATION STAFF HAVE PARTICIPATED IN ASSESSMENTS AND ASSISTED IN DEVELOPING RECOMMENDATIONS TO SUPPORT THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THE STATE'S ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES TRUST FUND (ENRTF), COMMONLY CALLED "THE LOTTERY FUND." THE FUND IS DUE TO EXPIRE IN 2024. SINCE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ARE OFTEN UNREPRESENTED IN TRADITIONAL CONSERVATION GROUPS, WE HAVE PROVIDED A GRANT SO THAT INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE A VOICE IN THE REAUTHORIZATION DISCUSSIONS. A PRIMARY GOAL OF OUR ENGAGEMENT AND ADVOCACY IS CREATING A "COMMUNITY GRANTMAKING POOL" THAT WILL INCLUDE DIVERSE REPRESENTATION TO OVERCOME THE BARRIERS TO ACCESSING THE CURRENT SYSTEM. REAUTHORIZATION OF THE ENRTF WILL APPEAR ON THE AUTUMN BALLOT AS A REFERENDUM. IT WILL ESTABLISH A $22 MILLION ANNUAL GRANTMAKING POOL TO BETTER SERVE RURAL, BIPOC, AND OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED.GRANTMAKING: OUR DISCRETIONARY GRANTMAKING IS DISTRIBUTED FROM THE INNOVATION FUND AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND. COLLECTIVELY, THESE EFFORTS SUPPORTED NEARLY $400,000 IN 2023 GRANTS. WE ALSO AWARDED OVER $4 MILLION IN MINNESOTA MAIN STREET ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION GRANTS TO BUSINESSES WITHIN QUALIFIED COMMUNITIES. THE INVESTMENTS SERVED AS MATCHING FUNDS TO SPUR PRIVATE REINVESTMENT IN DOWNTOWNS ADVERSELY IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC AND ASSOCIATED REGULATIONS. ABOUT ONE-HALF OF THESE FUNDS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED AS PROJECTS ARE COMPLETED.NONPROFIT DEVELOPMENT: THE NONPROFIT ACADEMY SUITE OF PROGRAMS, INCLUDING EXECUTIVE ROUNDTABLE, VIBRANT AND EQUITABLE COMMUNITIES COHORTS, FUNDRAISING SUMMITS, CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, AND VARIOUS SINGLE-DAY TRAININGS AND LUNCHTIME LEARNING SESSIONS, SERVED 129 TOTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND MORE THAN 219 UNIQUE PARTICIPANTS FROM ACROSS THE REGION AND BEYOND. VIBRANT AND EQUITABLE COMMUNITIES COHORTS FOCUSED ON ORGANIZATIONS LED BY AND SERVING UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. IN 2023, THE NONPROFIT ACADEMY PROGRAM PROVIDED CONSULTING, TRAINING, AND MORE THAN $250,000 IN GRANTS TO SUPPORT SPECIFIC REGIONAL NONPROFIT PROJECTS. NONPROFIT ACADEMY FURTHER REFINED THE INITIATIVE FOUNDATION'S CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, OPENING THE TRAINING TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. AS A RESULT, SEVERAL PARTICIPANTS IDENTIFIED AND IMPLEMENTED ORGANIZATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT INCREASED THEIR EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS.

ECONOMYLOANS: THE FOUNDATION APPROVED 33 SMALL BUSINESS LOANS TOTALING $2,643,304 IN 2023 (INCLUDING 12 MICROLOANS TOTALING $355,889 TO DIVERSE ENTREPRENEURS). TO STRENGTHEN AND SUSTAIN OUR MICROLENDING NETWORK, WE MAINTAIN FUNDING AND REFERRAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH MANY PARTNERS, INCLUDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS, LOCAL AND REGIONAL BANKS, CREDIT UNIONS, NONPROFITS, SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS, AND MORE. THE INITIATIVE FOUNDATION CONTINUED TO OFFER FLEXIBILITY TO LOAN CLIENTS EXPERIENCING LONG-TERM ECONOMIC OR ORGANIZATIONAL CHALLENGES BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.INITIATORS FELLOWSHIP: THE PROGRAM SAW SEVEN INDIVIDUALS COMPLETE THE THIRD TWO-YEAR COHORT (2022-23). WE ALSO SUCCESSFULLY RECRUITED AND SELECTED NINE FELLOWS FOR THE FOURTH COHORT (2024-25). THE FELLOWSHIP SERVES 53 COUNTIES AND SIX NATIVE NATIONS IN REGIONS REPRESENTED BY THE INITIATIVE FOUNDATION, SOUTHWEST INITIATIVE FOUNDATION, WEST CENTRAL INITIATIVE, AND NORWEST MINNESOTA FOUNDATION. THE PROGRAM HAS GRANTED 18 FELLOWSHIPS SINCE INCEPTION, WITH PARTICIPANTS BENEFITING FROM MORE THAN $1.3 MILLION IN DIRECT PROGRAM INVESTMENTS, RANGING FROM STIPENDS TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO MENTORSHIP, AND HAVE LEVERAGED MORE THAN $1 MILLION IN OUTSIDE INVESTMENTS. THE INITIATORS FELLOWSHIP IS THE PREMIER PROGRAM IN THE STATE SERVING RURAL CHANGEMAKERS WITH A TWO-YEAR SUITE OF SUPPORT INCLUDING TRAINING, MENTORING, AND FUNDING FOR BEGINNING OR EARLY-STAGE SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP. THESE GREATER MINNESOTA LEADERS ARE HELPING TO BUILD THE ECONOMY AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN THEIR HOMETOWNS BY DEVELOPING PURPOSE-DRIVEN, FOR-PROFIT BUSINESSES, AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WITH A POSITIVE SOCIAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.ENTERPRISE ACADEMY AND SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT: THE ENTERPRISE ACADEMY PROGRAM PROVIDES BUSINESS TRAINING, ONE-ON-ONE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND DIRECT LENDING TO DIVERSE AND UNDERSERVED ENTREPRENEURS. SINCE ITS LAUNCH IN 2018, THE PROGRAM HAS SERVED OVER 400 LOW-INCOME OR MINORITY ENTREPRENEURS. THIS INCLUDES 186 GRADUATES FROM ITS 12-WEEK INTENSIVE BUSINESS TRAINING PROGRAM, AND HAS HELPED NUMEROUS PARTICIPANTS IN LAUNCHING BUSINESSES AND BUILDING WEALTH. IN 2023, THE PROGRAM SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDED, OFFERING SEVEN COHORTS. BY THE END OF THE YEAR, THE PROGRAM HAD GRADUATED 22 COHORTS AND EXPANDED INTO LONG PRAIRIE, MN. THE PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE FEW IN GREATER MINNESOTA DEDICATED TO ACCELERATING THE SUCCESS OF UNDERSERVED ENTREPRENEURS WITH COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT AND TRAINING. THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMS TEAM PROVIDED OVER 2,000 HOURS OF FREE ONE-ON-ONE AND GROUP BUSINESS COACHING TO MORE THAN 260 UNDERSERVED ENTREPRENEURS.WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: ATTRACTION, DEVELOPMENT, AND RETENTION OF A SKILLED WORKFORCE REMAIN A PRIMARY INTEREST TO EMPLOYERS THROUGHOUT OUR REGION AND A NAMED STRATEGIC PRIORITY OF THE FOUNDATION. TO SUPPORT GROWTH EFFORTS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGY TOOLS AND PROGRAMS TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN SKILLED WORKERS, THE FOUNDATION PROVIDED FUNDING AND OTHER SUPPORTS FOR LOCALLY DRIVEN STRATEGIC PLANNING INITIATIVES, LINKING FUNDERS, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, AND EMPLOYERS. FOCUSED OUTREACH WITH COMMUNITY BANKS, CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, AND VOLUNTEER BUSINESS GROUPS, COMBINED WITH TARGETED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANTMAKING, REMAINS A PRIORITY TO INCREASE LOANS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OPPORTUNITIES IN ALL COMMUNITIES.