SMIF funds project in Waseca

December 30, 2015 Grace Webb

OWATONNA, Minn., December 30, 2015 – Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) recently approved three grants totaling $42,625 to support early childhood and economic development projects within southern Minnesota.

“SMIF’s Incentive Grants are designed to support projects that involve collaboration and achieve sustainable, measurable results,” says SMIF Grants Coordinator Jennifer Heien. Grants are reviewed by a 14-person grant committee and awarded based on their likelihood to create measurable change in the areas of early childhood and economic development in SMIF’s 20-county region. Typically, two rounds of Incentive Grants are offered annually. This round’s grantees include:

$12,625 to Every Hand Joined (Red Wing) to help more early childcare providers effectively address the social-emotional needs and development of children under the age of five. Studies increasingly point to the importance of early education that fosters talking and listening over simply improvements in vocabulary and reading. Every Hand Joined will use the Pyramid Model training to provide early childhood providers and families strategies to increase the social-emotional development of young children and better prepare them for kindergarten.
$20,000 to Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI; Waseca office) to implement AURI’s proven Innovation Networking model to further food agbioscience innovation and business growth in southern Minnesota. A recent AURI study estimated that food-sector businesses in SMIF’s region produced $7.4 billion in output in 2013. Given SMIF’s increased focus on developing the region’s local foods system as an economic development strategy, the Foundation expects AURI’s expertise in research and bringing partners together to accomplish agriculture-related success will further the growth of local foods businesses through additional networks and forums. AURI’s goals through this project is to enhance new and existing businesses, to form and further develop partnerships to cooperate on a regional basis, to identify and promote investment opportunities, and to enhance the region’s ability to innovate and grow wealth.
$10,000 to the Red Wing Innovation Incubator to provide business development tools for professional artists. While artists thrive at their craft, they may not always succeed at the business of marketing and distributing their art. This project will bring in outside business experts and mentors to work with individuals and groups on specific business development tools often needed for professional artists, including financial, legal, administrative, fundraising, and marketing skills. A strong local creative economy is the intended outcome, to be measured by jobs created and increased economic and grant activity.

Since 1986, the Foundation has provided over $27.6 million in grants to create economic vitality throughout south central and southeastern Minnesota.

“These Incentive Grant awards represent the many ways our grants can contribute to a vibrant southern Minnesota economy, from strengthening our pre-k caregivers to investments to those supporting entrepreneurs and artists,” says Tim Penny, SMIF President and CEO.

The application process and guidelines for the next Incentive Grant round will be announced in February; applications will be due March 21, 2015. For details on applying for a SMIF Incentive Grant contact Jennifer Heien, Grants Coordinator, at 507-455-3215 or [email protected].