Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation

SMIF regional networking events coming up

May 4, 2022

At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), our tagline is “Collaborating for Regional Vitality.” Whether we are working with partners in early childhood, economic development or community vitality, we do our best to complement what others are doing in those arenas so that collectively we...

Community childcare solutions

Feb 2, 2022

It is no secret that our child care system is strained. Even before the pandemic, rural Minnesota was struggling with a child care shortage. For parents, this has made it challenging to enter or stay in the workforce. For communities, the challenge is attracting and retaining residents if they do...

Young entrepreneurs sought for business competition

Dec 15, 2021

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) is currently seeking applications for new business ideas from entrepreneurs who are 18 to 25 years old, according to a news release. The Aspiring Entrepreneurs Business Competition will support the growth of three new businesses in southern Minnesota...

SMIF Head: ‘Tis the season of giving

Nov 24, 2021

‘Tis the season of giving, which I find to be one of the most inspirational times of year. I am always overwhelmed by the generous contributions that donors make to Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) or to SMIF’s 30 Community Foundations. To me, this sends a clear message that keeping...

Economic development for entrepreneurs, communities

Sep 29, 2021

At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), one of the three program areas we focus on is economic development. Since our founding in 1986, we have worked to catalyze entrepreneurial activity in our 20-county region by providing early-stage investments, traditional loans, microloans,...

Economic development grants available

Sep 29, 2021

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) is currently accepting applications for its Economic Development Grant program. Requests of up to $20,000 will be considered. “The goal of the Economic Development Grant is to support initiatives which enable communities to create more prosperous...

Penny: Creating a sense of belonging in southeastern Minnesota

Sep 1, 2021

Many of us who grew up in, or currently live in, rural Minnesota know that there is something about our communities that fosters a sense of belonging. It might be that the nature of small towns makes it easier to get to know people, or that festivals, historic downtowns and beautiful natural...

SMIF offers upcoming events on entrepreneurialism and childcare

Jul 28, 2021

Continuing education in a business or profession is critical for future growth, but trainings can be difficult to participate in when events are held far away or are too costly. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) we take pride in hosting a variety of high quality, low-cost...

How SMIF invests in small communities

Jun 30, 2021

At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), one of our central tenets is a commitment to the future of rural Minnesota. While we continue to make our programming and resources accessible to communities of all sizes in our 20-county region, we know that many of our smaller towns can benefit...

Applications sought for early childhood literacy grants

Feb 3, 2021

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), in partnership with publishing companies Capstone and ABDO, is accepting applications for its Early Literacy Grant program. This grant is designed to support early literacy efforts that enhance school readiness for children birth to age five by...