2023 Annual Impact Report
Dear Friends,
New faces and new places. It’s just one way to characterize a momentum-filled year at the Initiative Foundation. Working throughout Central Minnesota, from Bena in the north to Buffalo in the south, we’ve partnered to build the economy, create community, and inspire generosity.
For every local dollar generously donated to the Initiative Foundation, an average of $4.37 goes out to the region. Powered by an enduring mission and a team-based approach to economic and community development, we’re able to deliver outsized impact by attracting an array of state and national funding. We then drive those resources into Central Minnesota to support regional prosperity initiatives.
As chair of the Initiative Foundation’s Board of Trustees, I present to you the 2023 Impact Report. Thank you for everything you do to make Central Minnesota a wonderful place to live, give, work and play. We couldn’t do this important work without generous donors like you!
— David Monroy, Chair, Initiative Foundation Board of Trustees
Fast Facts
$47M
in Outside Capital Leveraged Through 121 Minnesota Main Street Revitalization Program Grants
$4.3M
Through Nearly 600 Grants Delivered by the Initiative Foundation and its Partner Funds
300+
Nonprofit Board and Staff Trained From 132 Organizations
Our Numbers
Powered by local generosity, the Initiative Foundation’s programs and services invested in Central Minnesota by …
- Providing loans to start and grow small businesses
- Awarding grants to nonprofits, governments and schools
- Building public-private partnerships that lead to action
- Serving as a resource magnet and funding advocate for our region
- Helping generous people give back to their communities
- Publishing information on local trends and solutions.
Our Mission & Strategy
The Initiative Foundation’s mission to serve the people of Central Minnesota hasn’t wavered since its inception in 1986. It’s goal is to inspire hope and to create opportunity through its mission:
To empower people throughout Central Minnesota to build a thriving economy, vibrant communities and a lasting culture of generosity.
The Foundation service area includes Benton, Cass, Crow Wing, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd, Wadena and Wright counties and portions of the Native nations of the Leech Lake and Mille Lacs Bands of Ojibwe.
Read on for stories of our 2023 impact.
Economy: In the Woods Campground
When David McArthur and Natalie Vanderplaats-McArthur were ready to turn 30 acres of bare land near Leech Lake into a campground, they partnered with Midwest Bank and the Initiative Foundation to finance the project. Near Walker, In the Woods Campground is now welcoming tourists to 40 beautiful campsites, hiking trails, sand volleyball and a playground. Learn more: inthewoodswalkermn.com.
Other Initiative Foundation economy programs include: Business Financing and Support; Enterprise Academy; career exploration and workforce development; and Initiators Fellowship.
Community: Great River Children's Museum
More than 30,000 square feet of wonder will soon open to our smallest citizens thanks to $10 million in public, private and in-kind contributions. The Great River Children’s Museum in St. Cloud will be the second largest Minnesota children’s museum behind only the Minnesota Children’s Museum in St. Paul. The project received Minnesota Main Street Economic Revitalization Program funding administered by the Initiative Foundation.
Other Initiative Foundation community programs include: Child Care Solutions; Disaster Relief; renewable energy; grants; and Nonprofit Development.
Generosity: Tuleah Palmer
When Tuleah Palmer applied to become the Initiative Foundation’s first Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) in 1999, no one could have predicted where her future would lead. More than two decades later, Palmer is several years into her role as CEO at the Blandin Foundation. As part thank-you and part investment in the future of Central Minnesota, Palmer has committed to a personal $10,000 gift to the Foundation’s general endowment. “If we want change to happen, we have to be a part of that change,” she said.
Other Initiative Foundation generosity programs include: Community Builders Circle; donor services; hosted Partner Funds; and planned giving.
Our Supporters
Your support secures our long-term success. A gift to the Initiative Foundation provides resources each year for staff to work with local leaders. The investments spark economic development initiatives, help businesses get started or expand, provide workforce and leadership skills, and support childcare initiatives that help communities thrive.
“In my retirement years, I wondered how to continue to support the people and community of Wadena. I decided to establish a donor-advised fund with the Initiative Foundation that would provide scholarships for Wadena-Deer Creek high school graduates and support for the arts and history of the Wadena area that will be able to continue long after I am gone.”
– Don Bottemiller, Botemiller Family Fund
2023 Grants
The Initiative Foundation and its Partner Funds awarded nearly $4.3 million to nonprofits, businesses and local units of government in 2023 through nearly 600 grants. This funding was supported through a host of partners. Grant awards supported mission-based work to close opportunity gaps and to increase the economic and social wellbeing of the region.
2023 Grants
The Initiative Foundation awarded 77 grants in 2023 for a total of $524,983. Grants supported upgrades at the Walker Food Shelf, an after-school program in North Branch, strategic planning for the City of Melrose, research for a re-development program in downtown Monticello, and more.
Partner Fund Grants
In 2023, Initiative Foundation-hosted Partner Funds delivered nearly 400 grants for a total of $1.14 million to schools and organizations. Partner Funds allow donors to champion local causes while we provide the 501(c)(3) public charity infrastructure necessary for donor gifts to receive the highest possible charitable tax deduction.
Through a partnership with the Minnesota Department of Education, the Initiative Foundation awarded 17 grants for a total of $77,000 to support vulnerable children recovering from the pandemic. McKnight Foundation funding helped the Foundation award four grants for a total of $36,600 for Central Minnesota energy transition projects.
Revitalization Grants
Through a partnership with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), the Initiative Foundation awarded more than 100 grants for a total of $4.3 million to downtown businesses in Brainerd, Cold Spring, Little Falls, Long Prairie, Pine River and St. Cloud. The grants leveraged an estimated $47 million in hometown improvements. (These numbers represent 2022 and 2023 grants.)
Business Financing
Through partnerships with financial institutions, economic development organizations and local units of government, the Initiative Foundation supported 38 lending clients in 2023 with loans valued at $2.9 million. The effort leveraged more than $20 million in outside capital and contributed to job creation (88) and job retention (76). Several of the loans were awarded to graduates of the Foundation’s Enterprise Academy, a 12-week program for early-stage, underserved entrepreneurs.
See the full list of 2023 loans.
Sahara Gibson, owner of Area 56 Dance Studio, graduated from the Initiative Foundation’s Enterprise Academy program in 2021. She used what she learned to continue to build her St. Cloud business. A 2023 Initiative Foundation loan helped her move into a permanent space and purchase equipment and flooring.
Watch the video to learn more about Area 56 Dance Studio.
Our Partner Funds
The Initiative Foundation is proud to manage a variety of Partner Funds started by families, businesses, nonprofit organizations and volunteer-led groups. Our Partner Fund program allows local leaders to champion local causes while we provide the 501(c)(3) public charity infrastructure necessary for donor gifts to receive the highest possible charitable tax deduction.
In 2023, the Initiative Foundation hosted 127 Partner Funds with a value of $29.1 million. These funds awarded $1.4 million through nearly 400 grants. Creating a Partner Fund allows donors to focus on local charitable needs while leaving the administration to the Initiative Foundation.
View the list of Initiative Foundation Partner Funds.
Nonprofit Development Impact
The Initiative Foundation partners with nonprofits across Central Minnesota to deliver quality programming. Training sessions help nonprofit leaders improve their fiscal health and management practices, increasing the quantity and improve the quality of services, and strengthen operations.
In 2023, more than 300 nonprofit and local government staff members received training through the Foundation’s nonprofit development programs. See the full list of nonprofits impacted.
Through a partnership with the McKnight Foundation, four organizations received $23,000 for their participation in the Vibrant and Equitable Communities Cohort.
Childcare Solutions
Childcare centers in Brainerd and Onamia became operational in 2023 with support from the Initiative Foundation and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. The Onamia project also was supported by Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures. In total, the centers added more than 200 childcare slots.
Read IQ Magazine to learn more on our childcare solutions work in Central Minnesota.
Initiators Fellowship Graduates
Seven Fellows from the 2022-2023 Initiators Fellowship cohort wrapped up their two-year program in 2023. We congratulate each of them on their success and we pledge to provide ongoing support on their journey to build social enterprise ventures that improve Greater Minnesota communities.
Learn more about the Initiators Fellowship.
Daniel Barrientez, Northwest Indian Community Development Center and Voyageurs School, Bemidji: Creating and leading initiatives for formerly-incarcerated Native members’ re-entry to community at Northwest Indian Community Development Center and cultivating grant-funded youth diversion programming at Voyageurs School.
Nora Hertel, Project Optimist, St. Michael: Awarded more than $170,000 in grants and fellowships during her time in the Initiators Fellowship and tripled her donor base from year one to year two.
Fardowsa Iman, Protea Wellness, St Cloud: Secured a building to open her clinic in 2024 to provide culturally relevant chemical dependency treatment for the Eastern African community, particularly Somali women.
Alex Ostenson, Main Street Market, Evansville: Added a second store and increased gross revenue by more than 500 percent over two years.
Brenna Rollie, Aham Love Yoga, Fosston: Relaunched Aham Love Yoga with a focus on restorative justice practices and wellbeing for social changemakers.
Kris Shelstad, Madison Arts and Innovation Center/Madison Mercantile, Madison: Completed more than $20,000 in grant-funded capital improvements, launched several small businesses and hosted numerous grant-funded art exhibits.
Noreen Thomas, Doubting Thomas Farm, Moorhead: Composted more than 350,000 tons during the two years of the Fellowship and earned nearly $90,000 in agricultural grants.
Entrepreneurship Team Impact
The Entrepreneurship team delivered nearly 4,000 hours of training and one-on-one assistance to more than 300 entrepreneurs in 2023.
This included the Foundation’s Enterprise Academy, Initiators Fellowship and Business Basics workshops.
2023 Enterprise Academy Graduates
Enterprise Academy is the single-largest early-stage entrepreneur training program in Central Minnesota. At the heart of the program is a 12-week educational course that provides training and individualized advising to help underserved entrepreneurs start and grow small businesses.
In 2023, three dozen entrepreneurs from Long Prairie, the Mille Lacs area and St. Cloud graduated from the program.
Meet Our Staff and Board
Thank you for all you do to build a thriving economy, vibrant communities and a lasting culture of generosity in Central Minnesota. If you have a project or program that needs support, we encourage you to reach out to a member of our staff. From lending initiatives to entrepreneurial expertise, from child care solutions to nonprofit development questions, we have the knowledge and connections to help you move forward. Meet our board and staff.
Be Part of the Central Minnesota Solution
Individuals just like you are helping to support the economic and community vitality of Central Minnesota by making a gift to a forever fund that serves as the economic engine for the Initiative Foundation’s grants, programs and services. Our impact is made possible by donors like you who understand and support our mission to empower people throughout Central Minnesota to build a thriving economy, vibrant communities, and a lasting culture of generosity.