Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation

Business owners sought for ‘Prosperity Initiative’ program

Jan 9, 2020

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), in partnership with Region Nine Development Commission and Faribault Diversity Coalition, is recruiting minority-owned business owners for a new cohort of its Prosperity Initiative. SMIF is seeking 15 businesses to participate in a 2020 Prosperity...

May 15 deadline for community funding requests in Lake City

May 8, 2019

The City of Lake City will be following a new process for funding community organizations as it develops its 2020 budget, according to a news release. City staff will take requests for funding in 2020 until May 15, 2019, and will then forward the requests to the City Council for review and to...

Bringing our resources to a Sprout! event near you

Apr 3, 2019

At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) we sometimes joke that we are our region’s “best kept secret.” But it is true that despite the fact that we are regularly out in our 20-county region visiting with partners and facilitating trainings, we find that there are still many people who do...

Lake City EDA awarded VISTA position

Mar 28, 2019

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), in partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), has awarded four sites, including Lake City, to host full-time AmeriCorps VISTA members, a program that supports SMIF’s goal of creating economic vitality through...

Penny: Make a difference in your own back yard

Mar 6, 2019

When asked what I love about southern Minnesota, one thing that always rises to the top is the drive that people have to help their neighbors. This was especially evident during the recent blizzard. Volunteers helped dig out vehicles, rescue stranded travelers and open their doors to provide...

Penny: Support small businesses this holiday season

Nov 21, 2018

‘Tis the season for spending time with family and friends, enjoying delicious meals and of course, shopping for gifts. The holiday season is always a great reminder to spend dollars locally and lift up our small businesses. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) we invest in the...

SMIF Chief: Moving the needle in southern Minnesota

Nov 1, 2018

Autumn is one of my favorite times of year – not just because of the beautiful colors, but because it means it’s time for our Annual Luncheon. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), this luncheon is an opportunity for more than 200 of our partners to come together from across our 20-...

SMIF CEO: Early literacy promotes lifelong success

Jul 3, 2018

Summer is here which means families are finally able to enjoy the outdoors after a long winter. As campfires burn out and kids get ready for bed, many parents will pull out a book and read a bedtime story. This is important because studies consistently show that reading at a young age drastically...

‘Raise your hand if you’re an entrepreneur’

Apr 26, 2018

Pam Bishop of the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) asks people attending the REV Up Lake City presentation to raise their hand if they are an entrepreneur. Bishop is the coach for a Lake City group that aims to foster and develop entrepreneurial businesses in the Lake City area. It’s...

REV aims to offer entrepreneurs a jump-start

Apr 11, 2018

It’s almost a cliché to talk about the successful business that started in a garage. Apple, for example, started in Steve Wozniak’s garage. So it makes sense that the public kickoff of a multi-year effort to spur and support entrepreneurship would happen in a space that, until recently, was...