A few of my favorite things from 2023

BY TIM PENNY
 
As the holiday season winds down and we start to look ahead to the new year, I always like to take this time to reflect on, and celebrate, the accomplishments from this past year. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), this means thinking back on the ways that our partners helped to build a stronger southern Minnesota. In no particular order, here are my top ten favorite things that happened in 2023:
Small towns were inventive: SMIF’s Small Town Grant program surpassed a milestone this year by awarding our 113th project since the program began six years ago. From a National Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Center in Henderson, to an Oktoberfest event in Dundas, the small towns in our region are always coming up with innovative ways to enhance community vitality.
Solutions to the child care challenge moved the needle: Through SMIF’s technical assistance, we have been able to grow and retain child care options in the region. In St. Peter, a new nonprofit community coalition that includes a child care program is opening. In Northfield, a new business model allowed two new family child care providers to open their businesses in a city-owned building. Additionally, SMIF launched a new “whole community” approach to child care which will provide a network of support for up to four communities as they develop solutions to child care challenges this next year.
The regional foods system was strengthened: This year we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the FEAST! Local Foods Marketplace, an event held in Rochester for the public to shop from vendors based in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. More than 1,400 people attended this year’s event — the largest on record. The marketplace has had such an impact on the region that Kim Norton, mayor of Rochester, declared the first Saturday in November as Local Foods Day in Rochester.
Local wealth was retained: We were delighted to welcome our 32nd Community Foundation under SMIF’s umbrella. Southland Community Foundation supports several small towns in Mower County — Adams, Rose Creek, Elkton, Dexter, Taopi and Johnsburg. They have joined a strong cohort of Community Foundations run by volunteer boards that have granted out more than $7 million to benefit the future of their communities.
Early childhood professionals received continuing education: More than 1,100 early childhood professionals attended the trainings that SMIF offered this year. Topics that are geared toward educators and child care providers focused on the social emotional development of young children and tips on how to grow a child care business. The support we can provide to early childhood professionals creates a better future for southern Minnesota’s children and families.
Rural communities committed to economic growth: Six communities were recently selected for the 2024 -2026 Rural Entrepreneurial Ventures (REV) cohort: Caledonia, Kasson, Plainview and collectively the communities of Gibbon, Fairfax and Winthrop. REV is a long-term program that focuses on economic growth in small towns by providing planning, coaching, resources and connections.
Paint contributed to community vitality: More than 260 gallons of paint were awarded to communities across the region through SMIF’s Paint the Town Grant. Since the grant was awarded in May, it has been exciting to see these projects come to life across the region — from a Main Street mural in Elgin, to a paint refresh on historic buildings in Mantorville.
Books supported literacy in young children: This year marked 230,000 books that have been distributed across the region through grants and programming over the past 15 years. We were honored to support 53 organizations through SMIF’s Early Literacy Grant, which provides children birth to age eight with books.
Entrepreneurs flourished: Between providing loans to businesses and working with entrepreneurs directly on growing their businesses, we were excited about the economic activity that we saw this past year. Additionally we were excited to see some of our partners receive awards including West Oakland Auto, a loan client, who was named SBA’s Minnesota Minority-Owned Small Business of the Year, and the owners of Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP, another loan client, who were honored by the SBA as a legacy business. They were not the only loan clients with good news. Beth Fynbo, owner of Busy Baby, was written about in a book about successful women inventors, and one of her products was named a Good Housekeeping 2023 Best Parent Award Winner. The Greensted became GAP Certified so that they can distribute their microgreens and salad greens wholesale.
Partnerships grew: None of the above accomplishments would have happened without our partners. Some of these collaborations have been around for many years, such as the books that local publishers Capstone and ABDO provide for the Early Literacy Grant program. Other partnerships stem from a history of collaboration that are growing in new, exciting directions, such as Compeer Financial’s commitment to supporting and expanding SMIF’s REV program. And we are grateful for the new partnerships that will strengthen our programming, such as Glen Taylor’s recent announcement about leaving a legacy for southern Minnesota.
I can’t talk about my favorite things from the year without mentioning how grateful I am to our donors and staff. Without their support, we would not be able to make an impact on southern Minnesota’s future. We look forward to working with our regional partners again in 2024 to continue investing in the vitality of our region.
As always, I welcome your comments and questions. You can reach me at timp@smifoundation.org or 507-455-3215.
Tim Penny is the president & CEO of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation. Tim represented Minnesota’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1982 — 1994.
Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), a donor-supported foundation, invests for economic growth in south central and southeastern Minnesota, serving a 20-county region including 175 communities and one native nation. The Foundation has provided more than $162 million in grants, loans and programming within the region during the past 37 years. SMIF’s key interests include entrepreneurship, early childhood development and community vitality. To learn more about our work and mission, visit www.smifoundation.org.