OUR VISION FOR THE REGION
Southern Minnesota will be a prosperous and growing region with vibrant communities, innovative and successful economies, and engaged and valued citizens.
OUR MISSION
Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation is a regional development and philanthropic organization that fosters economic and community vitality in 20 counties of southern Minnesota through a culture of collaboration and partnership.
SERVICES
SMIF serves 20 counties in southern Minnesota. Through generous donations and collaboration we:
- Provide loans to businesses that create and support jobs.
- Award early childhood and community grants to schools, governments, and nonprofit organizations.
- Build partnerships that lead to collaboration.
- Support and manage local community foundations.
- Help others give back to their communities.
HISTORY
The six Minnesota Initiative Foundations (MIFs) were created by The McKnight Foundation in reaction to the 1986 farm crisis, the worst recession since the Great Depression. The MIFs, started as a “grand experiment,†have become an enormously powerful and valuable regional institution.
Today, SMIF’s mission and logo reflect our commitment to working toward a prosperous southern Minnesota by fostering a culture of collaboration. We are well known for our strong leadership, strategic focus, ability to leverage assets, and mission of building a prosperous and vibrant region. Over the past 30 years, we have worked to identify and leverage our region’s assets to create economic prosperity and community vitality within our 20-county region.
Learn more about our the Minnesota Initiative Foundations at www.greaterminnesota.net.