40th Anniversary
Celebrating Your Good Ideas in 2026
For four decades, the Initiative Foundation has partnered with the people of Central Minnesota to strengthen communities, support entrepreneurs and invest in ideas that build lasting vitality. Since our founding in 1986, we’ve believed that local vision and collaboration are essential to the region’s future prosperity. As we celebrate this milestone in 2026, we honor the relationships, resilience and shared commitment that have shaped our past—and continue to guide our work ahead.
Join Us For Your Good Ideas: A 40th Anniversary Gathering
We hope you and a guest can join us at 4:30 p.m. for an exclusive reception honoring four decades of community impact made possible by supporters like you. Together, we will enjoy meaningful conversation, remarks from Foundation trustees and local leaders, and the opportunity to connect with others like you who share a commitment to strengthening our region.
Immediately following, we invite you to stay for our public 40th anniversary gathering where nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs, loan clients and community members will gather to celebrate this milestone.
Enjoy heavy appetizers and ample time to connect and network with community leaders, partners and neighbors. You’ll hear brief remarks from Brian Voerding, Initiative Foundation president, along with local friends of the Foundation and community members whose good ideas have made a real impact.
We’ll also celebrate a regional champion with our Good Neighbor Honor, which lifts up individuals whose character and actions embody what it means to care for a place and the people within it.
This gathering is about celebrating you—your ideas, your work, and what’s possible when people and communities invest in one another.
Celebrate 40 years of investing in your good ideas—and what comes next. Don’t miss it. This event is free. Registration is required!
The public events will begin at 5:30 and end by 7:30 p.m.
- Sept. 22, Lupulin Brewery in Big Lake
- Oct. 1, Nature Link Resort in Nisswa
Read Stories of Impact
Next-Level Initiators
Nine social entrepreneurs join the 2026-2027 Initiators Fellowship as the program expands its reach across Greater Minnesota Read More
The Power of Local Leadership
From small-town business owners to regional planners and volunteers, Central Minnesotans have spent four decades working with the Initiative Foundation to strengthen their communities. Read More
Our Legacy, Our Future
A forward-looking framework that honors the past and invests in people, places and ideas. Read More
Regional Highlights
Get the latest highlights from Central Minnesota’s 14 counties and two Native nations. Read More
A Hope, a Prayer—and a Plan
As weather patterns shift, communities plan for long-term stability. Read More