Northwest Minnesota Foundation ~ Developing Community Assets ~ Serving 12 CountiesWINTER 2009 • Number 48

NMF Launches New Grant Initiative Focusing on Joint Ventures, Sharing Resources

NMF will consider requests for grants up to $25,000; applicants will be required to provide matching funds in the form of cash and in-kind support. Projects should result in long-term, formal, systemic changes in organizational structures and/or service delivery systems. The first Community Connections grant was awarded at the January board meeting to Evergreen House, Inc. of Bemidji. NMF provided $25,000 for transition funding to merge programs that were being provided by Healthy Community Healthy Kids (HCHK) into Evergreen’s services. Evergreen provides emergency shelter services for youth, along with chemical dependency treatment programs and transitional living housing with services. The agency currently provides a continuum of services to 2,500 high-risk children, teens, and families annually. Thousands more are served through outreach, referrals, and presentations, and personal contacts. Based in Beltrami County, Evergreen’s programs draw youth and families from fifteen rural counties in northwest and north central Minnesota HCHK existed to build assets for youth in the area and they incubated the Boys and Girls Club and other programs that ultimately became independent.

The Northwest Minnesota Foundation is responding to inquiries from entities in the region that are struggling in today’s economic climate. NMF’s Board recently approved a new grant initiative, entitled the Community Connections Program, to help nonprofits and public agencies find ways to continue to provide critical services as they work to increase effectiveness and seek to diversify funding sources. The purpose of the Community Connections Program is to help organizations develop new networks, foster coalition building and promote collaborations between human service providers, other organizations, and/or public agencies. Applicants must be qualified nonprofit organizations or public agencies located within NMF’s twelve-county service area. NMF will consider projects that address one or more of the following:

Joint ventures leading to increased effectiveness •and efficiency among organizations and/or public agencies;Cooperative planning and implementation, •including shared resources, staffing, programs or possible mergers between organizations and/or public agencies.

(Continued on page 3)L-R: Becky Schueller, Evergreen House; Nancy Vyskocil; Beth DeKrey, HCHK board; and Jim Steenerson meet to discuss the grant and present a check for the award.

Nancy VyskocilA Message from the President

The NorthwestMinnesotaFoundation

investsresources,

createsopportunitiesand promotes

philanthropy tomake the regiona better place

to live and work.

BOARD OFDIRECTORS

Eric BergesonChairFertile

Mark Hewitt Vice-Chair

Park Rapids

Gary PurathSecretary

Red Lake Falls

Dean JohnsonTreasurer

Mahnomen

Terri AndersonOgema

David BergmanThief River Falls

Roger MalmHallock

Kim WilsonFosston

Robert HagerGreenbush

Laurie WilsonCrookston

Jody HorntvedtBaudette

Judy RoyRedby

So many things are on my mind at this time. It seems that these winter months bring thoughts of family, friends and tradition to the forefront. At the same time, listening to the news on the economy, the state budget deficit, funding cuts in our schools and political change adds many issues to think about. For my husband and I, these concerns all crossed paths in December when we established a fund at NMF to support elementary education in the Clearbrook-Gonvick School district. Rick and I are like many of you reading this newsletter -- we have a comfortable life style that allows us to meet our needs, but do not have the kind of resources people normally associate with setting up Donor Advised Funds or Family Foundations. By way of explanation, here’s a bit of family history. My Grandmother, Esther Engebretson Walberg, was a teacher. She taught in Leon Township School in Clearwater County for many years, then moved to town school in Gonvick where she spent many years teaching second grade and touching many lives. An equally significant person in my family was Lisa, my youngest sister. Lisa was a very giving person, always volunteering her time and energy to a wide variety of causes and projects. Lisa died unexpectedly 10 years ago, much too soon at age 32, leaving a huge gap in our family. For years we have traditionally given gifts on birthdays and Christmas to charities that aligned with Lisa’s and Grandma’s passions. We decided it was time to do something with more focus, and which we hope will have a greater impact. From the convergence of our charitable goals and the stream of news about increasing needs in our schools came the Swanson Family Education Fund. The establishment of this fund will continue to make a difference for years to come. Our desire is for a teacher, a class, or students to gain the experience of a special project or a field trip that will inspire. We can’t come close to filling the holes left by the state budget crunch, but we hope to shine one small light in the darkness. I’m relaying this very personal story for one reason only. That is to encourage those of you who are looking for a way to make a difference to explore the options available to you. And if the foundation can be a partner, please give us a call.

Jody Horntvedt, Baudette, and Judy Roy, Redby, were recently elected to the Northwest Minnesota Foundation’s board of directors.

Horntvedt is an Extension Educator in the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality with a program focus in Leadership and Civic engagement in the Northwest region of the state.

Through Extension, Horntvedt has had a variety of different roles, including County Program Coordinator and regionally, as Project Team Facilitator for watershed districts in the Red River Basin.

Horntvedt is involved with the Lake of the Woods Historical Society as a board member, and is also an Advisory Committee Member and Treasurer for the Northwest Minnesota Women’s Fund. She is an active member of the Wabanica Lutheran Church. (Continued on page 3)

Jody Horntvedt

NMF Adds Two Board Members

Judy Roy is retired after serving three terms from 1994-2006, as Red Lake tribal secretary, constitutional officer of the Red Lake Band.

From 1990-1994 Roy was the Executive Administrator of the Red Lake Tribal Council where she supervised all tribal programs and enterprises. Previously, she worked in the Red Lake Head Start Early Childhood Program, beginning as a teacher’s aide, then a teacher and later, as the director.

Roy is involved with the Circle of Nations School Board, Wahpeton, ND, as the current president. She is also a Trustee with North Country Health Services, Bemidji, MN, and serves as a member of the Upper Mississippi Mental Health Center Board.

Roy is involved with the Circle of Nations School Board, Wahpeton, ND, as the current president. She is also a Trustee with North Country Health Services, Bemidji, and serves as a member of the Upper Mississippi Mental Health Center Board.

“We also greatly

appreciate the confidence shown by the

Northwest Minnesota Foundation

in making an investment to support

this program transition.”

Becky Schueller, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

EVERGREEN HOUSE

New Grant Initiatives (Continued from page 1)

Judy Roy

HCHK continued to operate the Kinship North mentoring program and the Suicide Prevention Program. According to NMF Grant Specialist Jim Steenerson, the grant is a great example of how the Community Connections program works to increase effectiveness and efficiency and share resources and staffing. “The Evergreen House has found a way to provide continuity and leadership for the mission of the nonprofit organization, while retaining essential programs and volunteer support within the community.” HCHK was faced with the decision to dissolve the organization due to a lack of operational funding sources. After evaluating the various services that HCHK had been offering, Evergreen sought to maintain the Suicide Prevention Program in its entirety and continue Kinship North. Executive Director Becky Schueller said, “Evergreen sees the Healthy Community Healthy Kids programs as a strong fit with our mission to strengthen youth and preserve families.” She added, “We recognize and thank the HCHK board and the Kinship North Advisory Board for their hard work to make this program transition possible. We also greatly appreciate the confidence shown by the Northwest Minnesota Foundation in making an investment to support this program transition. Without this support, the program transition wouldn’t have been possible.” Evergreen will rehire HCHK staff so that important services to the Bemidji community will not be compromised and

current gains will not be lost, particularly the apparent reduction in youth suicide numbers. Several of HCHK’s funders want these programs to continue, and it is expected that previous grant agreements will transfer to Evergreen in time. Evergreen and HCHK are working on a process to transition some of HCHK’s board members to the Evergreen board. One of those board members, Beth DeKrey met recently with NMF staff and Schueller. She said, “We want to thank the foundation for helping to preserve these programs and for helping with the transition.” Along with the transitioning programs, Evergreen will now serve as fiscal agent for Bemidji Skate and Bike Association, which has secured funding to build a skate park in Bemidji and HCHK and Evergreen continue to work on a home for the Bemidji Youth Advisory Commission. NMF also has other resources available to help build the capacity of the region’s nonprofit organizations, including a wide variety of workshops offered through the Nonprofit Excellence Program. Course evaluations and participant feedback show this training to be a great benefit to managers, directors and board members seeking to achieve professional and organizational excellence. Please visit the NMF website at www.nwmf.org or contact Jim Steenerson or Jane McKelvy at the NMF office for more information regarding grant programs or training opportunities.

New Board Members (Continued from page 2)

Northwest Minnesota Foundation 2009 Regional Summit“Igniting Innovation: Starting, Sustaining & Growing Business”

Keynote Speakers:

Bill Payne

Jeffrey A. Stamp

Rich Karlgaard

www.ideacompetition.org

Mark Your Calendar Now for the first annual Northwest Minnesota Foundation Regional Summit to be held May 12, 8:30-5:00 at the University of Minnesota Crookston.

Join us as we celebrate the innovation of Northwest Minnesota and explore new ways to enhance our region’s economy.This is an event you WILL NOT WANT TO MISS. The agenda features a four-star line-up of speakers:•KeynoteSpeaker,RichKarlgaard, is the publisher of Forbes - the world’s most popular business and financial magazine, read by 4.5 million people per issue. He also is the author of the book. “Life 2.0 How People Across America Are Transforming Their Lives by Finding the Where of Their Happiness,” which was an Amazon and Wall Street Journal business best-seller.

In every issue of Forbes, Rich writes a column called Digital Rules. It appears in the front pages of Forbes, directly after columns by Steve Forbes. In his Digital Rules column, Rich writes about technology, entrepreneurship, regional and economical development, and the future of busi-ness and work. He frequently lectures on these subjects and is a regular guest on the Fox News Channel’s Forbes on Fox. In 2005, Rich began writing a daily blog, which appears on the homepage of Forbes.com.

Rich joined Forbes in 1992 to start Forbes ASAP, a technology magazine, along with Forbes CEO and editor-in-chief Steve Forbes, and the futurist and writer George Gilder. At Forbes ASAP Rich commissioned original works by Tom Wolfe, John Updike and other notable Ameri-can writers.

Rich is an accomplishyed entrepreneur. He has co-founded two companies (Garage Technology Ventures in 1997; and Upside Magazine in 1988) and one civic organization (the 5,500-mem-ber Churchill Club in 1985). For the latter, Rich was a co-winner of the Ernst & Young North-ern California “Entrepreneur of the Year” award. Rich was raised in Bismarck, North Dakota and graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in Political Science. Currently, he lives with his wife and two children in Northern California.

•BillPayne,AngelInvestor,has funded dozens of startups in the last 20 years, some of whidh have made him millions, others of which have lost him thousands. That’s the game and he loves playing it. Today he consults with dozesn of companies and Angel Groups all over the world. According to Brock Blake, CEO, Funding Universe, “Bill is, bar-none, the nation’s lead-ing expert on angel investing. No one else in the country has spoken at more events, consulted more startups, and advised more angel groups. He is the current Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and a regular speaker at investment conferences across the country.”

•JeffreyStamp,AssistantProfessorandChairofEntrepreneurshipandInnovation at the University of North Dakota. He was the inventor, creator, and brand manager of “Baked Lays” for Frito-Lay, which achieved $230 million in first-year sales and was named by Ernst and Young as the top brand introduction in the 1990s for the food sector. After his corporate life, he built his own successful business as a master brand innovator in both consumer goods and technology arenas by serving for six years as the chief trained brain and vice president of technology for Richard Saunders International’s Eureka! Ranch, a top new product and service creativity think tank. Jeff and his team were awarded the George Land World-Class Innovator Award from the Innovation Network and Fast Company magazine. Stamp is an experienced professor of entrepreneurship, having held the Markley Visiting Professor of Creativity and Entrepreneurship at Miami University of Ohio.

The 2009 IDEA Competition Award

Winners will be announced at the Summit. Up to five innovators will receive as much as $10,000 each to

advance their business idea.

TENTATIVE AGENDA:Registration and Continental Breakfast • Rich Karlgaard keynote - Q & A session • Panelists will share their business experiences and lessons learned • Lunch • Jeff Stamp keynote • Bill Payne keynote - Q & A session • Panelists will share angel investor advice and guidance, entrepreneur experience with angels

“The Crookston ECI contends

that providing spaces for

large motor activity

contributes to all areas of a child’s

development.”

Gayle Nelson, ECI

COORDINATOR

The Crookston Early Childhood Initiative, one of 12 NMF coalition communities, recently received a grant for $25,000 from the Otto Bremer Foundation for its “Play it Forward” campaign, an effort to provide developmentally appropriate playground equipment for children under the age of five. These specially equipped playgrounds will be in five neighborhoods throughout the community and will offer space for the entire family to play. The project resulted from surveys of parents and childcare providers, along with a community forum, in which responses emphasized the need for indoor and outdoor family play spaces. The outcome is one playground completed so far with a structure and two swings for children under age 5. They plan to enhance five playgrounds, one each year for the next four years. Gayle Nelson, ECI Coordinator says, “The Crookston ECI contends that providing spaces for large motor activity contributes to all areas of a child’s development, prepares them for success in school, and gives children the opportunity to develop to their full potential.” Prior to the Bremer grant, gifts to the ECI included $4,280 from a City Parks and Recreation Department stipend, generous donations from the Crookston Rotary Club and from local businesses and individuals along with NMF support. Donors

CrookstonECI: Play it Forward Campaign

giving substantial contributions are being recognized with inscribed pavers that form a walkway in the park. “Play It Forward” has been well received by the Crookston community. The ECI is recognized for carrying out necessary and valuable projects. Because of this high regard, the group has other entities interested in partnering to extend the project. The City of Crookston is constructing a new hockey arena and wants to include a playground appropriate for children under age five. The indoor structure would serve children waiting for older siblings at the arena and could also be used as an indoor space for childcare providers. Crookston cares about their youngest citizens and plans for their needs. “Play It Forward” makes this clear and real.

L-R: Dr. Jodi Boerger Wilder, ECI steering committee; Bremer Bank Crookston President Rob Jacobson, Lin Backstrom, NMF early childhood specialist; Gayle Nelson, Crookston ECI coordinator.

Groundbreaking for the Wildwood Playground in Crookston.

NMF will offer a 10%

match on new endowment

dollars donated to

funds that are established through a

community fund, or are marketed as part of an area’s

community fund family.

GrantsGrantsGrants Totaling $284,584 were made from October 2008-January 2009

Caring Communities Total: $81,200Children, Family & ElderlyMental Health Consumer/ SurvivorNetwork ................................$2,000For Northwest Regional Resource Center ClearWatersLifeCenter .................... $19,200For a program to improve physical fitness in the local population of Clearbrook

Emergency AssistanceAwardedforfloodreliefand/orcrisisneedsoflow-incomefamiliesandindividuals .......$60,000

$11,800 Inter-County Community Action Council $8,200 Mahube Community Council, Inc. $7,200 Northwest Community Action Program $10,800 Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc

CommunityConnectionsTotal:$25,000

Evergreen House, Inc. ........................$25,000To preserve essential community services including suicide prevention and children’s programs by moving them from Healthy Community Health Kids, which dissolved, to Evergreen House, Inc. CommunityPlanningTotal:$25,000Growth ManagementCityofThiefRiverFalls .....................$25,000To develop a vision, strategy, and implementation process for the City and surrounding nine communities

Component funds are established with the Northwest Minnesota Foundation for a specific purpose. A donor or group of donors helps to build a permanent endowment from which interest earning are used to fund projects, programs or activities and/or scholarships that support the mission of the fund. A local fund advisory committee recommends distribution s based on specific purposes and criteria. The NMF board, for purposes of IRS regulation, approves the advisory recommendations for grants, but the component funds are the source of the grant dollars.

ComponentFundTotal: $124,134

BagleyAreaCommunityFund BagleyBeautificationFund For City of Bagley signage ..........................$933

BagleyEarlyChildhoodInitiativeFund(3) .............................................$4,800For Ready to Read, Life Books, Media Project

BemidjiAreaArtsEndowment&ProjectFund ErnieRallChildren’sPerforming Arts Fund ........................................$500

To Bemidji Community Theater for production of Rodgers & Hammerstein Cinderella BemidjiAreaEarlyChildhoodInitiative Fund .....................................$1,350For “Ready, Set, Grow”-Transition to Kindergarten

BemidjiAreaParksandTrailsFundFirstCityLightsFund(3) For lighting needs .................................... $6,082

ClearwaterHealthCareFund(2) ..........$2,722For surgical equipment upgrade; for Clearwater Health Services Diabetic FairCHSHospiceFamilyRoomProjectFund....................................$10,000 For Hospice Family Room

CrookstonEarlyChildhoodInitiativeFund(2) ................................$4,000For Play It Forward and expenses District#593EducationFoundationFund ................................................$5,735For Fall 2008 grant round

Fertile-BeltramiEarlyChildhoodInitiative Fund ........................................$250For Share a Story family literacy event

Full Stride Fund .....................................$500For a Thief River Falls ECI early childhood advocate John and Eloise Ostrem Charitable Fund .....................................$500For Bemidji Food Shelf donation

LakeoftheWoodsEarlyChildhoodInitiativeFund(3) ...............................$2,220For Kid’s Night Out; ECI expenses; Makit plate night

LifeCareHealthCareFund(2) .............$1,082For blood pressure monitors and security cabinets EaglesAuxiliaryDiabetes& DialysisFund ...............................$2,500 For the Senior Medical Travel Program LifeCareHospiceFund ..................$1,000 For Healing Garden ProjectLifeCareRoseauManorFund .........$1,786 For Healing Garden Project MaggieAdamsMedicalEquipment Fund(2) .....................................$12,189 For Infusion Chairs; for NeoPap Infant CPAP System ThinkPinkBreastCancer Fund(2) .........................................$790 For Women’s Health Promotion; for Eagles Breast Cancer Campaign 2008

Mahnomen Education Endowment and Project Fund General Ike Isaacson and Major Bruce Isaacson Scholarship Fund $250 Leslie Hanson Scholarship Fund (2) $750 Mahnomen Education Endowment and Project Fund (3) $1,250 Milton Hockel Natural Resources Scholarship Fund $500 Major Robert Olson Fund $1,000 Mike Staples Memorial Scholarship Fund $1,000 Red Lake Falls Education Endowment and Project FundKris Fontaine Memorial Scholarship Fund (2) $1,000 Kyle A. Myhre Memorial Fund (2) $1,000 Roseau Area Community Fund A.J. Kramer Scholarship Fund $500 Malung PTO Scholarship Fund (3) $750 Marian Foley Memorial Fund $1,000 Marvin LaRue Memorial Fund $500 Warroad Area Community Fund Gaylord A. Gunderson Education and Scholarship Fund $1,000

NMF’s priority of Quality of

Place centers on making the region a place where people want to live and work.

Mahnomen Education Endowment andProjectFund MahnomenSchoolTrackFund ..........$246 For repairs and upgrades to the track

MarshallCountyEarlyChildhoodInitiative Fund ........................................$750For Marshall County child care provider’s flu vaccine incentive

MississippiHeadwatersAreaDentalHealthCenter Fund ....................................... $4,758For public access dental clinic start-up

NorthValleyEndowmentFund ........... $25,000For radiology equipment

OleandRuthTweetFamilyFund .............$500For Zion Lutheran Church Boy Scout/Eagle Scout troop project

ParkRapidsAreaCommunityFund Heartland Homes Endowment andProjectFund ..........................$22,091 For Van Purchases ParkRapidsEarlyChildhood Initiative Fund ..............................$1,500 For classes on mental health issues to area child care providers RobertJ.JohnsonandMaryL.JohnsonCharitableFund(3) .............................$2,583For Youth Hunting Program at Rydell Refuge; for reshingle, repair and maintenance projects atSt. Bernard’s School; for books for Reading Project

RoseauCountyHistoricalSocietyEndowment Fund ................................$7,461For general operation funding ThiefRiverFallsEarlyChildhoodInitiativeFund(2) ..................................$307For a childrens’ literacy game; for general brochure ScholarshipsTotal:$29,250

Bemidji Lumberjack Foundation Fund Bemidji Lumberjack Foundation Fund - General Scholarship Fund (3) $6,000 Bemidji Lumberjack Foundation Fund - K.E. “Red” Wilson Athletic Fund $500 John F. Breen Scholarship Fund (3) $3,000 Ray F. Breen Scholarship (3) $3,000 Clearbrook-Gonvick Education Endowment and Project Fund Mary Jo Klinger Scholarship Fund $500 Olga Peterson Scholarship Fund $1,500 Greenbush Area Community Fund Keith and Ellen Kapphahn Family Scholarship Fund (2) $500 Laporte Education Endowment and Project Fund Laporte-Benedict VFW Scholarship Fund $250 Leonard J. Kucera Memorial Scholarship Fund $1,000 Luther Younggren Memorial Scholarship Fund (2) $2,500

Business Development ActivityBusiness Loans

Two loans were recently made from the Revolving Loan Fund totaling $195,000

Jared’s Grocery, McIntoshTo purchase an existing grocery business

Occupational Development Center, Thief River FallsFor the purchase of a building in Baudette where the ODC will operate a consignment store

MicroloansBusiness counseling and loans are available to help entrepreneurs develop small business and self-employment opportunities. Three loans were recently made totaling $87,500.

Bad Cat Creations, Bemidji For start-up of a custom jewelry, specialty gifts and novelties store

Tom’s Tackle, BaudetteFor inventory for an existing tackle manufacturing business

B & E Fiberglass, Park RapidsFor purchase of an existing fiberglass product manufacturer

TRF Welding, Thief River FallsFor working capital for a welding and metal fabrication business

Technical Assistance

Sixteen businesses from Park Rapids, East Grand Forks, Bemidji, St. Vincent, Waskish, Crookston, Kelliher, Baudette and Ada received $16,744 in outside consulting for management and technical assistance.

4225TechnologyDriveNWBemidji,MN56601

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. Postage

PAIDBemidji, MN

56601Permit No. 36

Upcoming EventsUpcoming Events

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

ContaCt Us: 218-759-2057 • 800-659-7859 • nwmf@nwmf.org

2009 Northwest Minnesota Women’s HallofFameandOpeningCelebrationtoWomen’sHistoryMonth“Conservation: Women Saving the Planet” February 28, 2009 11:00-2:00 Beaux Arts Ballroom Bemidji State UniversityTickets $20 – students and age 65+ $15

Individual ExcellenceAskingEffectiveQuestionsforSupervisorySolutionsMarch 19 8:30-3:45Beltrami Electric Coop, Bemidji

Organizational ExcellenceOrganizationalEffectivenessI&II– **ED and one Board Member commit to both sessionsMarch 12 & April 16 9:00-4:00Beltrami Electric Coop, Bemidji

NMF LeaderImpact - Go to www.nmfleaderimpact.com to view a short video and learn more about the program. Session I: March 25, 26 & 27

(11:30 a.m. start time on the 25th through 4:00 p.m. on the 27th) Session II: June 18th &19th

(Starts with dinner on June 17) **Participants commit to both sessionsLocation: Swenson House, Thief River Falls

Formoreinformationortodownloadforms,visitEvents&Workshopsat www.nwmf.org, or contact Jane McKelvy(218-759-2057--emailjanem@nwmf.org)

Workshops