IQ Magazine, 4th Quarter 2016 by Initiative Foundation

4TH QUARTER 2016

BUSINESS

Leech Lake’s Next-Gen Leader— LeRoy Staples Fairbanks III wants a community grounded in hope. Pg. 10

ECONOMY

New Lives, New Businesses— Immigrant-run businesses add real value to Central Minnesota towns. Pg. 12

PHILANTHROPY

Donor-Advised, Community Ties— Partner Funds provide easy, efficient way to give, invest locally. Pg. 16

GOLD STARS FOR KINDERGARTEN READINESS

How three communities are closing the achievement gap before students even start school. Pg. 20

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Initiative Foundation Quarterly 4TH QUARTER 2016

Contents FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

Gold Stars for Kindergarten Readiness

How three Central Minnesota communities are closing the achievement gap.

Shared Wisdom

As Initiative Foundation president Kathy Gaalswyk embarks on a new adventure, she shares what she’s learned.

Business:

Leech Lake’s Next-Gen Leader LeRoy Staples Fairbanks III wants a community grounded in hope.

Economy:

New Lives, New Businesses

Immigrant-run businesses add real value to the communities they now call home.

Celebrating 30 Years

Revisit three decades of regional economic and community development success stories.

Regional Highlights

Get the latest economic and community development highlights from the 14-county area.

Emeritus & Omnipresent

The Foundation’s Emeritus Board of Trustees is a crew of trusted and revered Central Minnesota leaders.

Initiatives:

Philanthropy:

Following Your Lead

A donor-advised fund is an easy way to give back to your community.

Community:

United We Thrive

How five towns came together to ensure their mutual futures.

Home Made:

Avalon Sculpture

Inside the business of really big statues.

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4TH QUARTER 2016

VOLUME 22, 4TH QUARTER 2016

Photo courtesy of Inspired Design + Photography

Dear Friends, When it’s time for our grandchildren to go home, Neal and I often carry them to the car. We complete the engineering feat of buckling their car seats. We reminisce about the great time we had together. We offer a few words of assurance and perhaps wipe away a tear. And then we send them on their way. We’re thankful for the time together and are confident they’ll be safe and secure on their journey home. As I step away from my Initiative Foundation role at the end of this year, I, too, am thankful and confident that the people who have given their time and talent to create a stronger region have an amazing journey ahead. • To the thousands of Central Minnesota community leaders: You have my deepest respect for caring enough to do the hard work of building strong hometowns. • To the many donors and supporters of the Initiative Foundation’s programs and endowment: We are grateful for your trust and partnership. • To those who guide us by serving on our Board of Trustees and advisory committees: Please know that your wisdom and insights are pivotal. • To all who have worked as staff and consultants to administer our programs and operations: You are the ones who get it done! It’s been an honor to work alongside you. I wish each of you the very best as you carry forward the mission of strengthening Central Minnesota communities through local people. You are safe and secure for the journey, and you are in great hands with your new president. I leave you with a verse that guides me and is a great prayer to offer for our leaders, near and far. From Micah 6:8: “... to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before our God.” Enjoy the magazine. Enjoy the journey. And, for now, goodbye!

Kathy Gaalswyk PRESIDENT

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Initiatives

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MILLE LACS

PINE

BENTON STEARNS

SHERBURNE

ISANTI

CHISAGO

Regional Investment Highlights

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KANABEC

WRIGHT

WESTERN MORRISON COUNTY | Hops and Grapes Support Community Efforts The Morrison County Area Foundation (MCAF), a Partner Fund of the Initiative Foundation, held its annual Cheers to Morrison County fundraiser at Camp Ripley. An estimated 600 people attended the September event, which featured 45 food, wine and craft beer vendors. More that $19,000 was raised, up from $13,200 in 2015 and $8,600 in 2014. Proceeds support MCAF’s countywide grant-making program.

TODD COUNTY | Hilltop Regional Kitchen Celebrates Groundbreaking Hilltop Regional Kitchen, a program that delivers meals to shut-ins, income-eligible people and those with health issues, recently broke ground on its new facilities in Eagle Bend. The project, supported through multiple grants from the Initiative Foundation, will repurpose a former high school to serve as a production facility to distribute more than 100,000 meals annually in Todd and Wadena counties.

WADENA COUNTY | Teachers Align Curriculum To Ease Transition

TODD: Hilltop Regional Kitchen will deliver 100,000 meals annually in Todd and Wadena counties.

An effort by the Wadena-Deer Creek Public Schools to increase communication and collaboration will help to ease transitions as students move from preschool/childcare through the third grade. The program, supported in part by the Initiative Foundation’s Early Childhood Initiative, will collect preschool and kindergarten performance results and use these metrics to help teachers identify and respond to students’ educational needs.

NORTHERN CASS COUNTY | Resorts Target the Spread of Invasives The Association of Cass County Lakes has been awarded an Initiative Foundation grant to interrupt the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS). The program will partner with Cass County resorts to share information and standardize procedures for combating AIS without intruding on the overall guest experience.

CROW WING COUNTY | Highway Expansion Drives Pequot Lakes Visioning Project A four-lane expansion of Highway 371 east of downtown is driving long-range community planning efforts in Pequot Lakes. A core team involved in the Pequot Lakes Thriving Communities Initiative (TCI), an Initiative Foundation program, is gathering community feedback to identify strengths (lakes, woods, small-town feel) and opportunities (highway expansion, new business development and community pride) to shape a vision for the future.

MILLE LACS COUNTY | Historic Bandshell Reborn in Milaca Park MILLE LACS: The renovated Milaca Bandshell is a new source of community pride. (Photo courtesy Mille Lacs County Times)

6 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

A three-year project to renovate the historic Milaca Bandshell to its former glory culminated in a daylong celebration in September at Recreation Park. Through the project, supported by the Help the Milaca Band Shell Committee and the Rum River Community Foundation, an Initiative Foundation Partner Fund, the community can now lay claim to having one of the few remaining 1930s art deco-style structures in Central Minnesota.

“ We have seen an incredible outpouring of support from the surrounding communities. These donations are crucial in our rebuilding effort and give our city the flexibility to address a range of concerns stemming from the fire.” – Michael Brethorst, M elrose city administrator, commenting on contributions made to the Initiative Foundation-held Melrose Area Relief Fund

SOUTHERN BENTON COUNTY | Benton Economic Partnership Hires Executive Director Congratulations to John Uphoff, the new Benton Economic Partnership (BEP) executive director. Uphoff will work with the partnership’s six-member board of directors to encourage and support local economic development projects. The Initiative Foundation helped to facilitate the local planning process.

SHERBURNE COUNTY | Move, Expansion Planned for Big Lake Community Food Shelf A relocation and expansion plan for the Big Lake Community Food Shelf is gaining traction with the support of an Initiative Foundation grant. The grant enables community leaders to hire a strategic planner to facilitate relocation efforts. The move will increase the amount of food available to children and families and open up new programming opportunities.

STEARNS COUNTY | More Than $100,000 Pours in for Melrose Fire Relief A $50,000 Blandin Foundation grant has pushed the Initiative Foundation-held Melrose Area Relief Fund well past the $100,000 mark. The fund is helping with immediate and long-term recovery efforts following a Sept. 8 fire that ravaged a downtown city block, displacing 11 businesses and nearly four dozen apartment residents. Visit ifoundconnections.org and seach “Melrose” to make a donation.

STEARNS: Donations large and small help Melrose rebound from Sept. 8 downtown fire.

WRIGHT COUNTY | VISTA to Identify Employment Service Needs, Gaps Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services in Monticello is working to create sustainable and robust volunteer and internship programs thanks to the service of AmeriCorps VISTA member Samantha Dobbs. As part of her assignment, Dobbs also will conduct a community assessment to gauge employment needs and to identify critical service gaps.

EASTERN CHISAGO COUNTY | Family Pathways VISTA Extends Term, Volunteer Focus AmeriCorps VISTA member Kathryn Davis has turned a two-month stint at Family Pathways in North Branch into a year-long service term. Davis implemented a volunteer management database during her summertime VISTA service to better understand organizational and volunteer needs. In her extended term, Davis will identify and create short-term and skills-based opportunities to support the organization’s food shelves, aging services, its refugee network and its youth programs.

ISANTI COUNTY | Schlagel Endowment Provides Boost to Area Nonprofits Six Isanti County nonprofits have received a financial boost as a result of grants awarded through the John and Bonnie Schlagel Endowment, a donor-advised fund of the Initiative Foundation. More than $10,000 was recently awarded to area nonprofits for programs to support homeless shelters, scholarships, animal shelters, sober cab and early childhood literacy efforts.

KANABEC COUNTY | Development Authority Selects First Director Congratulations to Heidi Steinmetz for her recent appointment as the executive director of the newly formed Kanabec County Economic Development Authority (KCEDA). In her new role, Steinmetz will guide the KCEDA as it partners with local lending institutions, units of government and the Kanabec County business community to identify and create economic development opportunities.

CHISAGO: Youth programs, aging services get boost from VISTA service member’s efforts.

PINE COUNTY | Sandstone Implements Thriving Community Initiative Projects The city of Sandstone has received an Initiative Foundation grant to carry out its Thriving Communities Initiative projects. Efforts include expanding the community’s Arts in the Park event, conducting school and community youth events and sponsoring a wayfinding project to better identify community points of interest for residents and visitors.

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LEROY STAPLES FAIRBANKS III: “I spend a good deal of time trying to build confidence in the younger generation.”

Leech Lake’s Next-Gen Leader LeRoy Staples Fairbanks III strives to create a community grounded in hope, stamina. By Gene Rebeck | Photography by John Linn

In 2012, the year he was first elected to the Leech Lake Tribal Council, LeRoy Staples Fairbanks III had an ambitious vision of what he wanted to accomplish: “When I got into office, I wanted to change everything within a year.” Fairbanks now knows big changes take time. But that’s exactly what he has going for him. Now 34, Fairbanks is making an impact. As the District III councilman for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Fairbanks has sought to address a number of critical issues, including government reform, education, housing and job creation. This past summer, he was re-elected to a second four-year term with 77 percent of the vote. “I felt that was reflective of the leadership I have been trying to provide—that I have their confidence,” Fairbanks said. That appreciation is important. Fairbanks believes government should be more responsive to the community and its needs rather than “catering to systems and institutions.” And he sees a need to get broader community involvement to ensure that members’ voices are being 10 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

heard and they’re being consulted. There are many ways Fairbanks has sought to help Leech Lake move forward: reforming government, building housing, creating new jobs. As an employer of more than 2,500 people, tribal government “is a huge player in the region’s economic viability.” But as he looks ahead this second term, a healthy community “is what I want to focus on,” he said. Fairbanks also is an effective advocate for his community with nontribal partners—helping represent the band in ongoing conversations with the Initiative Foundation, the Blandin Foundation, and the Northwest Area Foundation to identify ways that each funder can more effectively serve the Leech Lake community, said Don Hickman, Initiative Foundation vice president for community and workforce development.

The Next Generation

After attending Leech Lake Tribal College, Fairbanks, who also is a certified drug and alcohol counselor, worked in construction for a few years before joining the Leech Lake band’s human service division as a

“ It was a tough decision to run for the Tribal Council. But I wanted to make a difference in the community and help get a younger generation involved.” program and case manager. Two years before his election to the Tribal Council (a full-time position), he became the deputy director for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Along the way, he completed both the Blandin Foundation’s Reservation Community Leadership Program and the Bush Foundation’s Native Nation Rebuilders Program. Fairbanks didn’t grow up in a family involved in tribal government. But as an adult, he realized he had ideas that could make government more responsive to the community and its needs. He also wanted to help get younger band members involved. “I spend a good deal of time trying to build confidence in the younger generation,” he said. “If they’re growing up in an environment that’s not healthy, I want them to realize that they don’t have to go down that same path, and that they have options.” Fairbanks talks and meets regularly with the band members he represents, and they’ve shared numerous ideas and concerns about tribal government. He has been a proponent for expanding the number of members on the Tribal Council (there currently are five) so that it provides broader representation. Band members, Fairbanks noted, also believe tribal government could benefit from more checks and balances. For instance, the chief of the tribal police is hired by the council, as is the chief court judge. Delegating some authority away from the Tribal Council could help make governmental processes more transparent and fair. Band member Leslie Harper worked for Fairbanks before becoming Leech Lake’s government affairs specialist in 2016. She praises his openness as well as his patience to work through the inevitable conflicts of government and policy. Above all, she describes him as a “coach” who seeks to instill a positive attitude among people of all ages. “Even a lot of our community members have described our people as ‘deficit-based,’ ” Harper said. “LeRoy has not succumbed to that. He’ll say, ‘Yes, we have difficulties. But look at our strengths.’ ” She cited one of her favorite quotations from her former boss: “‘Don’t tell me it can’t be done. Let’s talk about how we can make it happen.’ ” Kyle Erickson got a sense of Fairbanks’ drive 20 years ago when he coached a youth basketball team that Fairbanks played on. “LeRoy was a terrific athlete through high school,” Erickson said. About 13 years ago, Erickson and Fairbanks reconnected when Erickson became director of institutional advancement at Leech Lake Tribal College. “The thing I probably admire the most about LeRoy’s leadership is

that he really does put his money where his mouth is,” said Erickson, who now is grants program officer at the Blandin Foundation. “He leads by example.” One example Erickson cited: When he became a councilman, Fairbanks committed to give $50,000 of his salary over a period of a few years to fund a scholarship program at the Tribal College. The scholarships are awarded to second-year students with a focus on leadership. “He used it as a way not to give publicity to himself, but to encourage other leaders to do the same, and to rally support to build up the scholarship fund,” Erickson said.

An Elder’s Wisdom

During Fairbanks’ first term, a Leech Lake tribal elder imparted to the younger man the following piece of wisdom: “it’s hard to enjoy anything in this life if you don’t have your health.” Fairbanks has taken this to heart. For all its strengths, “there is a lot of unhealthiness in the Leech Lake community,” he said. Health “encompasses so many different things.” It means not only being physically healthy—diabetes and drug abuse are all too common in native communities—but also mentally and spiritually healthy. A healthier community, Fairbanks believes, will inspire Leech Lake members to focus more on education—both their own and their children’s. One of the ways the community can address health issues, Fairbanks believes, is by building a team of experts that can provide guidance to band members. But Fairbanks isn’t waiting for such a team to be assembled. In 2012, he launched the Leech Lakers youth sports program for boys and girls in grades 3 through 6. As an athlete himself, Fairbanks sees sports as a way to build healthier attitudes among young people while also instilling a sense of personal achievement and, by extension, community pride. Fairbanks handles the fundraising, organizing and scheduling for the program. Looking ahead to his second term, Fairbanks will continue to pursue his ideas of a healthier community—one with the stamina and optimism to move forward. He understands that his insights and input might take longer to have an influence. “I’m not an elder,” he noted. But as one of his community’s younger leaders, Fairbanks is well on his way to becoming one.

3T HANK YOU Thanks to LeRoy Fairbanks’ scholarship program, Leech Lake resident Sadie Cooper is pursuing her dream to earn a B.A. degree in business administration. “I actually quit my full-time job to go back to school,” said Cooper, who started her first year at Leech Lake Tribal College. “Right now, we’re a one-income household. So having a little bit of leeway with tuition has really helped us be able to pay our mortgage and other bills that we have.” 4TH QUARTER 2016

economy

FOLLOW THE BUSINESS LEADERS: Haji Yusuf (left) and Hudda Ibrahim.

New Lives, New Businesses Immigrant-run businesses add real value to the Central Minnesota communities they now call home. By Gene Rebeck | Photography by John Linn

Haji Yusuf had a dream to start his own advertising and marketing agency. And in 2011, the Somali immigrant did just that. Based in St. Cloud, Orange Oak’s client list includes several regional organizations, including health care provider CentraCare and the Kiwanis Club. What Yusuf and his agency offer clients are ways to reach one of the fastest-growing markets in Minnesota: immigrants. And not solely Somali-Americans. Orange Oak offers marketing communications, including video production and social media, in several languages, including Spanish and Arabic. (The agency also creates advertising for other Somali-American businesses.) To provide translations of clients’ English-language materials, Yusuf taps the bilingual skills of local students.

Orange Oak’s success didn’t happen instantly. “A lot of companies haven’t understood the value of newly arriving immigrants,” said Yusaf, whose early business startup was supported by an Initiative Foundation loan. Many potential clients weren’t ready to take the chance on his agency. But now they are. Orange Oak is one of several businesses founded by Somali immigrants that have sprouted up in the region in the past few years. Starting a business is never easy, of course. And for Somali-Americans, there are numerous other challenges, from a lack of familiarity of regulatory processes to significant differences in how projects are managed or financed. But just as Yusuf ’s clients discovered, immigrant-run businesses can add real value. What these new, immigrant-run businesses need to grow is not only access to start-up funds, but also knowledge of American business practices and connections to the broader region. CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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The Initiative Foundation is one of several regional organizations that seek to boost Somali-American entrepreneurial initiatives amongst the estimated 10,000 Somalis who live in Greater St. Cloud. They, along with immigrants from several countries who now call the region home, represent a growing market for goods and services—not to mention a pool of talent that businesses of all kinds need to engage as the region’s workforce shortage accelerates. “Particularly in our region, where we’ve seen such dramatic growth of new Americans, there’s a need for job creation and job placement,” said Don Hickman, vice president for community and workforce development for the Initiative Foundation. “America has a long and proud history of immigrant success stories—individuals or families that improved their lot in life through hard work and ingenuity and innovation. Our new East African neighbors are merely the newest arrivals.” According to Hudda Ibrahim, a Somali-American activist and a peace and social justice instructor at St. Cloud Technical and Community College, “Somalis are business-oriented people.” Ibrahim, who is also a member of the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce, cited other reasons for the appeal of entrepreneurship. Most Somali-Americans are newcomers who need to work multiple jobs to support themselves and their families. Having a single employer—namely, themselves— can provide greater control over their lives. (Though as any business owner can tell you, entrepreneurs don’t necessarily work fewer hours.) “Some college graduates can’t find well-paying jobs that conform to their education,” Ibrahim said. She believes her generation of SomaliAmericans are more likely than their parents to aspire to and succeed in starting their own businesses. As with most new businesses, finding start-up capital is a challenge. But Somali-American entrepreneurs also have to contend with Islam’s traditional strictures against paying interest, which makes traditional bank loans out of the question. That’s why Somali-American entrepreneurs typically tap their savings or those of family and friends, which can limit how much these businesses can grow. All told, financing “is the number-one challenge,” Ibrahim said. The Initiative Foundation is exploring ways to help meet the challenge. “A number of financing agencies have created structures to address this opportunity,” said Jeff Wig, the Initiative Foundation’s vice president for economic and organizational development. “For example, they may purchase the assets the entrepreneur needs and then resell them to the business at a pre-arranged profit. Or for more expensive assets such as buildings, the agency may purchase the building and then lease it to the entrepreneur.” While business is vital a part of Somali culture, entrepreneurs often are not used to the many formal steps required to plan and start a business in the United States. To help, the Initiative Foundation has recently provided a grant to the Gateway Institute of Research and Development, a Minneapolis-based organization that assists new immigrant and income-eligible entrepreneurs. Institute executive director Tarabi Jama is leading a series of educational forums in St. Cloud that teach Somali-American entrepreneurs about U.S. business practices, as well the resources that are available to them. 14 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

RESOURCE & REFERRAL FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BUSINESS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND ADVISING FOR NEW IMMIGRANT BUSINESSES, CONTACT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS: • Central Minnesota Small Business Development Center:

Visit stclouldstate.edu/sbdc or call (320) 308-4842. • African Development Center:

Visit adcminnesota.org or call (612) 333-4772. • Gateway Institute:

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New Networks

One of those resources is the Central Minnesota Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at St. Cloud State University. Barry Kirchoff, the Central Minnesota SBDC’s regional director, said his organization has been working with St. Cloud’s Somali-American community and “we’ve had some successful business starts,” including Orange Oak. The SBDC provided Yusuf with technical assistance, including the creation of a formal business plan. In 2016 the SBDC provided similar help to the Somali-American founders of a daycare center and an auto repair shop. But Kirchoff said his center wants to expand that number going forward. The SBDC recently received an Initiative Foundation grant to conduct a needs assessment and hire staff or a consultant with greater cultural agility to help bridge language and cultural barriers. The hope, Kirchoff said, is to “tailor business development services that are closer to their culture.” For her part, Ibrahim would like to see Somali-American entrepreneurs connect to the broader culture. Most Somali-owned businesses “are isolated in a way, because they serve the Somali community almost solely,” Ibrahim said. (These include restaurants and halal grocery stores.) In general, she said, these enterprises “have not integrated well yet” with the larger community due to cultural and language barriers. But as Ibrahim notes, even those who speak English fluently and have strong educational qualifications typically don’t have many connections outside their ethnic community. Ibrahim also worries that too many educated Somali-Americans are leaving the region due to a perceived lack of opportunity. “We are losing the young talent” to other cities, she said. Ibrahim is now in the process of starting a business of her own, a consultancy that will help connect Somali-American entrepreneurs to funding and to the broader business community outside their ethnic enclave. The St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce would be one way for immigrant businesses to build their networks, Ibrahim noted. In any case, there’s little doubt that as newcomers of all kinds become interconnected to people and businesses that have been here a little longer, both will benefit.

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philanthropy

CHAD AND PAULA BECKER: ”Our experience has been very gratifying.”

Following Your Lead A donor-advised fund is an easy and efficient way to give back to your community. By John Reinan | Photography by John Linn

Chad Becker grew up milking cows on a Browerville farm. Today, he still is involved with farming. But instead of getting up and heading to the barn at 4 a.m., he runs MetaFarms, a company that develops agricultural software to help farmers be more productive. Becker’s experience with modern agribusiness taught him that “the farming economy of the ’60s and ’70s isn’t going to move us forward.” So when he and his wife, Paula, a longtime educator, returned to Browerville a little more than a decade ago after a stint in the Twin Cities, they knew they wanted to do something to help students in Todd County develop 21st Century skills. The question was how. The Beckers’ desire to advance the opportunities of young people in their area led them to the Initiative Foundation’s donoradvised fund program. An easy, efficient and even fun way to meet charitable and tax goals while giving back to your community, a donor-advised fund is a philanthropic opportunity where the Initiative Foundation handles all the legal, accounting and logistical aspects of running the fund, while the donor advises on the recipients of the funding grants. In this way, creating a fund under

the Initiative Foundation umbrella removes the hassle, time and expense of setting up an individual philanthropic foundation. “For those who want to shape our region and the people in it, this is a great way to contribute,” said Carrie Tripp, the Initiative Foundation’s vice president for external relations. “We provide a vehicle for their generosity.” The Beckers’ fund focuses on the schools with a particular emphasis on equipping students with tools and technology to help them develop skills for the new economy. Created with a six-figure donation, the fund is helping to get a laser-cutting machine for the high school’s industrial arts program and will also contribute toward CAD-CAM equipment, “so the kids can do more than welding,” Becker said. The fund also will promote opportunities for students to get engaged in athletics.

Local Impact

Through donor-advised funds, the donor and the Foundation can further their mutual mission of making Central Minnesota a great place to live, work, give and play, said Kristi Ackley, partner fund specialist for the Foundation. CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

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4TH QUARTER 2016

philanthropy, continued from page 16

“ The money God blessed us with should go to many kinds of uses.” A donor-advised fund doesn’t have to be a cash gift. It can also be started with stock or real estate. The Foundation handles all the details of those transactions, leaving the donor free to concentrate on where they want to direct the money. “We want to meet donor intent,” Tripp said. “We want what’s best for Central Minnesota communities. We want to go forward and meet donors’ goals for this region that we all live in.”

Future Generations

In addition to tax benefits, donor-advised funds can also help families create and carry on a tradition of giving. Parents can allow their children to become involved in directing philanthropic grants and then take over the advisory role fully when their parents are ready to step back. It’s an opportunity that looms large as baby boomers retire and their assets are shifted to their children. “Minnesota is known as a very philanthropic state,” Ackley said. “Donor-advised funds are a great opportunity to train the next generation in the benefits and rewards of giving.” Grant-making typically doesn’t start until a fund has a balance of at least $20,000. That’s the amount that was put into a donoradvised fund by Mel Beaudry, an Elk River real estate agent, and his wife, Jeanette. The Beaudrys’ fund supports Christian organizations. “We were looking for something that was already in place, so we didn’t have to do this ourselves,” Mel Beaudry said. “Our financial planner advised us to check into a donor-advised fund, and it was exactly what we were looking for. The money God blessed us with should go to many kinds of uses.” Among the causes the Beaudrys have supported through their donor-advised fund is Crossing Home, a group that provides supportive living for men coming out of prison. Since the Beaudrys created their fund more than a decade ago, there’s never been an issue with getting the grants to the desired recipients. Chad Becker said his experience with his family’s donoradvised fund has also been “seamless.” “I would recommend this,” he said. “It’s very gratifying.”

Donor-advised funds are the fastest-growing charitable giving vehicle in the United States and are one of the easiest and most tax-advantageous ways to give to charity.

Visit ifound.org and search “donor-advised funds” to learn more. Or contact one of the Initiative Foundation’s philanthropy team members—Carrie Tripp, Kristi Ackley or Mike Burton—at (320) 632-9255 to start a conversation.

18 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

When you give, expect change. Your donations stay in the Brainerd Lakes area to fund year-round programs and services. Give during the Christmas season at red kettles and online anytime at SalvationArmyNorth.org/brainerd.

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GOLD STARS FOR

Kindergarten Readiness For three Central Minnesota communities, closing the

achievement gap starts well before children begin school. By Laura Billings Coleman | Photography by John Linn

On the first day of class in Pierz, more than 90 percent of the kindergarteners at Pioneer Elementary School knew how to recognize letters and numbers, how to line up before heading out to recess and how to ask nicely if your neighbor would like to play—skills that will serve them well in the academic years ahead. The key to these early successes? The children were all graduates of the community’s popular kindergarten-readiness initiative. Experts agree that mastering these skills before school officially starts can make a tremendous difference in a child’s school life. “Kids who come to school with these early childhood experiences have such a jump on it—and developmentally they’re ready to learn,” said Judith Hecht, a school readiness coordinator in Pierz. “We used to have to try to sell parents on the whole idea of preschool, but now it seems like everyone really sees the benefits.” In fact, the most recent report from the President’s Council of Economic Advisers found that every dollar invested in preschool initiatives and other early learning efforts returns at least $8.60 in benefits to the community, about half of which comes from increased earnings for children when they grow up. That’s one reason Pierz has doubled down on its early learning strategy, using one of Minnesota’s Pathway II Early Learning grants to provide full-day preschool to families this school year. The move makes it possible to offer 400 hours of classroom time, a double dose of early learning that’s been shown to pay off in greater gains in socialemotional development, physical health and substantially higher kindergarten readiness assessments. 20 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

BRINGING THE CURRICULUM TO LIFE: Pierz School Readiness Coordinator Judith Hecht uses an accordion to introduce her students to vocabulary words about music.

While some families worried their children wouldn’t make it through a full day of learning, Hecht said that by the first week’s end she heard glowing reports from even the most reluctant parents. “Their kids can’t get enough of it,” she said. “That’s when we know we’ve hooked them into school.” Setting the region’s youngest learners up for a lifetime of academic and career success has been part of the Initiative Foundation’s mission for more than 13 years, said Early Childhood Specialist

human services agencies came together for a county-wide round table focused on early childhood education and kindergarten readiness, many families complained that their child had been screened as often as four or five times. Many service agencies in the county depend on the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), a screening tool for children under the age of 6 that helps parents benchmark developmental progress. While the ASQ is valuable for pinpointing delays that may

Secure bonds with parents and other caregivers are critical to the complex web of brain functions that ignite after birth, firing up to 700 new neural connections every second. Tammy Filippi. Operating under the belief that nurturing young children is the shared responsibility of parents and communities across Central Minnesota, the Foundation provides support for community-based coalitions to develop a vision and strategic plan that focuses on quality early childcare and education. “While early childhood initiatives may look different from one community to the next, healthy social emotional development of children is key to their soft skills in the workforce later in life,” said Filippi. “Let’s invest in the younger years to save businesses money and frustration in the future.”

MORRISON COUNTY: A Streamlined Start

Morrison County contains five different school districts, including Pierz. That can cause confusion and even some frustration for families of young children. In fact, when a coalition of Head Start, school districts and public health and

need monitoring or interventions, there were families being screened with the same questions through different agencies. Today Morrison County is getting ready to roll out a single hub software system that will allow all the agencies that coordinate on early childhood health and education to share the ASQ screening results. “Sharing that information means we can spend less time collecting it and put more resources into the helping the kids,” said Michelle Tautges, community health supervisor for the county’s Public Health department and the coordinator for the Morrison County Inter-Agency Coordinating Council. That same thinking inspired the county to take a closer look at the ways it communicates with parents—particularly the overwhelming pile of fact sheets, forms and fliers that new moms and dads encounter almost the moment their children are born. With a growing body of research highlighting the critical brain CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

22 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

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Kindergarten Readiness CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22

development that happens from birth to age 3, Morrison County’s early childhood advocates decided to drive the message home with a simple, streamlined brochure that connects parents to resources years before they show up for their first early childhood screening. With contact points that cover prenatal nutrition, family home visits for breastfeeding support, access to the Women, Infants and Children program (WIC) and other resources, the new “Invest Early” brochure, paid for in part through a grant from the Initiative Foundation’s Early Childhood Initiative, is meant to be “a one-stop shop” for resources new parents will need to navigate from birth to the first day of kindergarten. It’s available at doctor’s offices, community education centers and social service intake centers.

ST. CLOUD:

Close Bonds and Classroom Success

Secure bonds with parents and other caregivers are critical to the complex web of brain functions that ignite after birth,

language acquisition and social-emotional development. That’s great news for the six in 10 Minnesota preschoolers who have someone in their lives who sings, reads or tells stories to them every day, far above the national average. Unfortunately, one marker where Minnesota kids don’t fare much better than the national average is in their risk of developmental or behavioral disorders— problems predicted to delay or derail educational achievement for 23 percent of pre-K children in the state. That sobering statistic helped fuel St. Cloud’s coalition of early childhood advocates to focus on social and emotional health and look at ways the community can support healthy bonds between parents and kids, according to Alexis Lutgen, community impact coordinator for United Way of Central Minnesota. Recently, the United Way launched “Read. Talk. Play. Together Everyday.” A community initiative designed to reach at least 10,000 parents and caregivers, the broad-based effort “was a reminder to parents to be in the present—

“The more we learn about brain science the more it becomes clear that we need to be focused on what we can do for children between birth and three years old, because by the time they get to preschool at age four, a lot of patterns have already been set.” firing up to 700 new neural connections every second, according to Zero to Three, a nationwide advocacy group for early childhood development. Simple things that parents do every day—including playing on the floor, singing silly rhyming songs, or curling up with a book before bedtime— can help boost a child’s motor skills,

turn off the cell phone or the TV and really focus on the little things that strengthen the bond with babies.” St. Cloud’s other Initiative Foundationsupported early childhood collaboratives include Partners for Student Success, Milestones, and Greater St. Cloud Area Thrive—a coalition that promotes social and CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

24 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

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4TH QUARTER 2016

Kindergarten Readiness CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24

emotional development of young children. “Having such a large immigrant and refugee population has brought us to the table around early childhood mental health faster than some other parts of the state, because we’re seeing more need in our schools,” Lutgen said, referring to the fact that over the last 15 years, greater St. Cloud has seen a surge of more than 7,200 foreignborn residents, resettled more than 1,000 refugees and serves school families that speak more than 40 different first languages. Adverse childhood experiences are not confined to the region’s newest arrivals. In fact, in the year ahead, the St. Cloud school district anticipates that 350 students will experience homelessness—a number that has remained steady for several years. The heartening news is that educators and child advocates are on the same page about how to best support the brain development of the city’s youngest citizens. “One of the changes that’s been heartwarming to me is that when I go to meetings, I’m no longer the only one in the room saying ‘Don’t forget about early childhood,’” said Marcia Schlattman, program manager for Milestones (formerly Child Care Choices), an agency that’s been focused on early education for nearly 40 years. “I think there are now many

about how to equip kids for kindergarten, Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) parent educator Sarah Fritsch admits she encountered some resistance. “The feelings I got from some providers was that they were afraid we wanted them to do school at their child cares, but I try to be reassuring and tell them it’s not about worksheets or sitting still to memorize your letters,” said Fritsch. “Little kids learn by moving and playing, so I’m just there to help them support their own instincts about what kids need, and to show them how to be even more intentional.” With more than 1,100 new singlefamily homes built in the community since 2000, Big Lake is a draw for young families who are served by a robust set of pre-school programs baked right into the district’s two elementary schools. Demand for Big Lake’s Little Learners program for 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds is so high that an extra session was added this fall. But a recent community assessment funded by the Initiative Foundation also found that the district’s high-quality early education program—which earned the highest 4-star rating from Parent Aware—isn’t the only path into the school system. “We found that there were actually 19 different places our kids were coming

Every dollar invested in preschool initiatives and other early learning efforts returns at least $8.60 in benefits to the community. leaders and partners who understand the importance of early childhood education, and just how critical it is to get every child off to a great start.”

BIG LAKE:

Meeting Families Where they Live

When she first started dropping in on child care sites around Big Lake to talk to providers

from,” said early childhood coordinator Kelly Kazeck, who said the area’s littlest learners come to kindergarten from a range of pre-K experiences—some from full-time early childhood centers near their parents’ employers, others from less formal familybased child care arrangements. Making sure every family gets the same message about the importance of early learning is CONTINUED ON PAGE 48

26 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

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28 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

shared

WISDOM As Initiative Foundation founding president Kathy Gaalswyk embarks on a new stage in her life, we asked her what she’s learned from her 30 years of advocating for Central Minnesota. By Elizabeth Foy Larsen | Photography by Andrea Baumann

hen Kathy Gaalswyk was growing up in suburban Los Angeles, she and her friends spent their weekends at the beach in Malibu. Like most California kids, she assumed her future would unfold on the West Coast, working as a lawyer in a part of the world that is so sun-kissed no one feels compelled to talk about the weather.

Flash forward: Love has brought Gaalswyk to Pillager, where her husband, Neal, owns a farm with his father. The winters are dark and cold and the summers, while glorious, are short and buggy. But with each passing day, Gaalswyk discovers deep connections with the people she meets. And she is sustained by how close her everyday world is to nature. Central Minnesota is the perfect place to raise their three young children. The region just feels like home. What Gaalswyk doesn’t yet know is that this special place will teach her lessons she’ll carry with her for the rest of her life. As the founding president of the Initiative Foundation (originally called the Central Minnesota Initiative Fund), Gaalswyk has found wisdom across the region—from the passionate and creative people who helped give shape to the Minnesota Initiative Foundations to the strength and perseverance of community leaders who have guided their hometowns through natural disasters and other

4TH QUARTER 2016

hardships. In her 30 years advocating on behalf of the region, she’s learned to trust her gut, spot and nurture talent and to change direction when new programs aren’t effective. Most of all, Gaalswyk has learned that people are powerful and resilient—and that change happens when you invite them to be a part of the solution. Gaalswyk will leave the Initiative Foundation at year’s end so she can focus on her other passions: her family; her grandchildren; her work as a birth coach; and her increased role with Josiah Venture, a faith-based initiative that works to build young leaders in Central and Eastern Europe. We asked her to share a few of the scores of lessons she’s learned while leading the Initiative Foundation.

Foundations run programs and activities that provide a combination of training, technical assistance, resource referral and grantmaking to help local people develop a plan and then carry it out.” That work was driven by a core value that hasn’t wavered in 30 years. “Technology changes. Generational styles change. But the idea that citizens understand what will work in their communities will never go out of date,” Gaalswyk said. It’s an approach that has impressed her colleagues, including Neal Cuthbert, the vice president of program at The McKnight Foundation. “Kathy is very savvy when it comes to thinking about how there isn’t one thing to do for the entire region,” he said. “She looks at Central Minnesota communities as distinct. It’s easier to create a canned program and say ‘come one, come all.’ But she does the intellectual fine tuning, which isn’t the norm. Watching how she gets that done in a rural setting is like taking a seminar at the U.”

TRUST YOUR GUT

GETTING STARTED: Founding Board of Trustees Chair Mike Sobota (left) and Kathy Gaalswyk teamed up to create a solid start.

LOOK TO THE LOCALS

The Initiative Foundation was born out of the 1980s farm crisis. For Gaalswyk and her family, the heartbreak happening across the state wasn’t just a headline: They struggled with the same fate as their family shut down its multi-generation family farm. As the leader of the Region Five Development Commission, Gaalswyk intimately understood the hardships spreading across the region. So when the Minneapolis-based McKnight Foundation set out to follow the headlines and visit hard-hit areas, Gaalswyk knew it was the right approach. What resulted from the two-year planning process was the creation of the six Minnesota Initiative Foundations. The plan was to help diversify the region’s economy by expanding the local job base, not by bringing back large-scale manufacturers, but by providing loans so that people with chutzpah and a great idea could get started and other businesses could expand. “We didn’t have a roadmap when we started,” said Gaalswyk, who, after participating in the planning process, applied for and was named the Initiative Foundation’s founding president. “At the time, foundations didn’t typically do economic development or lending. What happened early on is we realized that just writing checks wasn’t enough—we needed to provide other kinds of supports to build the capacity of local people. So the Minnesota Initiative 30 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

Nonprofits aren’t always known for the kind of out-of-thebox thinking that drives entrepreneurial success. But today, the Initiative Foundation is marrying its tried and true programming with its new Initiators Fellowship Program, an innovative grant program that provides the next generation of Central Minnesota change agents the opportunity to use their entrepreneurial spirit to address society’s needs while building the business and leadership foundation of our region. It’s a bold idea that hopefully will serve as a model for the rest of the state. When the program was first discussed amongst Initiative Foundation board and staff, Gaalswyk knew it was worth pursuing, even though it was an unconventional direction. “I have learned to trust my gut,” she said. “In light of baby boomer retirements, it’s essential that we attract and retain talented people to be our future CEOs and managers so that we keep quality jobs locally and ensure that we keep our region thriving.” Her passion didn’t surprise her colleagues. “Kathy is daring,” said Traci Tapani, co-president of Wyoming Machine and a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. “If she has the support of her team and the board, she will implement programs that she feels will serve the region, even if there are voices outside the Foundation that don’t wholeheartedly agree with her.”

RECOGNIZE WHEN SOMETHING ISN’T WORKING Gaalswyk has learned from experience that not every great idea succeeds. When that happens, she says it’s important to recognize it and change course, but to not beat yourself up over having tried something that didn’t pan out. Likewise, it’s important to know when a successful program has run its course. “It’s OK to do something for a season and then change it,” said Gaalswyk. “We did a methamphetamine initiative for three years that made a huge impact in terms of bringing down the number of meth labs in the region. There are still challenges, but our piece of the work is done.”

reimbursement, Bushinger went back to school and became the first person in her extended family to earn a bachelor’s degree. Bushinger’s rise at the Foundation has had an impact on her community, too, now that she’s joined her church’s council. “When I started at the Initiative Foundation I wouldn’t have had the ability to step up,” she said. “Now I feel like I have so much to contribute.”

INVEST IN FUTURE LEADERS

A SIGN OF THE TIMES: By the early 1990s, the Initiative Foundation had a growing staff and a place to call home in Little Falls.

NURTURE POTENTIAL

The Initiative Foundation’s mission to empower people to build thriving communities and a vibrant region across Central Minnesota isn’t just a principle that guides the Foundation’s work. It’s a living, breathing maxim that drives Gaalswyk’s staff development philosophy. “Building a culture that embraces the mission, values and vision of the organization is crucial,” said Gaalswyk. “Because that’s what needs to anchor everything.” That’s an insight that resonates with Lynn Bushinger, the Initiative Foundation’s COO, CFO and treasurer, who was hired by the Foundation 20 years ago as an accountant. “I’m from a family of blue-collar workers and went to a two-year college because that’s what I could afford,” she said. “Kathy encouraged me every step of the way to take on more challenges.” With the support of Gaalswyk and the Foundation, which offers employees a 50 percent tuition

If there’s a regional challenge that keeps Gaalswyk up at night, it’s the building wave of retirements amongst the region’s elected leaders and civic volunteers. “We have at least a half-dozen communities that don’t have anyone running for mayor,” she said. “We have to be proactive when it comes to identifying and supporting the next generation of leaders.” To that end, the Initiative Foundation has embarked on several initiatives, including a year-long Emerging Leaders program and a Paths to Civic Engagement workshop series to encourage young people to try their hand at public service. It’s a bold idea, but Gaalswyk has never wavered on her belief that it’s crucial for the region’s future. “Kathy has tremendous vision about what our region needs,” said Larry Korf, chair of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and the former CEO and president of DeZURIK, a Sartell-based manufacturer of industrial valves and controls. “But she also understands how to match that vision with strategy and a tactical focus.” Gaalswyk’s commitment to encouraging our region’s next leaders is obvious to all the participants in these programs. “Kathy doesn’t waltz in and give a keynote and leave,” said Quinn Nystrom, a member of the Baxter City Council who took part in both the Emerging Leaders and Paths to Civic Engagement initiatives. “As a young leader who is often the only female in the room, it’s been invaluable for me to see a woman be so successful in rural Minnesota.” And for Gaalswyk, that leadership is just part of a happy day’s work.

An Advocate for CENTRAL MINNESOTA After decades of service, Neal Cuthbert retires from The McKnight Foundation. This year will see another retirement of a Minnesota leader who has been central to the success of the Initiative Foundation. After more than two decades, Neal Cuthbert will complete his work as the vice president of program at The McKnight Foundation, the Minneapolis nonprofit that invested in the creation of the Minnesota Initiative Foundations in 1986. Cuthbert directly managed The McKnight Foundation’s grantmaking to six outstate foundations and was responsible for nurturing the Foundation’s close partnership with rural communities. “I’ve loved working in Greater Minnesota,” Cuthbert said. “There are things that Greater Minnesota people get done that people in the metro area just fight over. In Greater Minnesota, the bias is toward action.” 4TH QUARTER 2016

EMERITUS OMNIPRESENT Meet the Initiative Foundation’s Emeritus Board of Trustees—a crew of trusted and revered Central Minnesota leaders who helped shape and guide the Foundation to the place it’s at today. By Lisa Meyers McClintick | Photography by John Linn

32 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

You could call members of the Initiative Foundation’s newly formed Emeritus Board of Trustees a brain trust filled with Central Minnesota knowledge. But these leaders also are the givers, the doers and the influencers who have helped keep their communities humming and thriving. Among them, this group offers more than a century of community service and a full scope of professions—from lawyers and civic leaders to bankers and educators. These are the kind of leaders who have always worked hard, brought people together and often brushed off their efforts with typical Central Minnesota modesty. Last fall, the Foundation made official the role that these 13 outstanding individuals play by naming them to the first Emeritus Board of Trustees. “Our emeritus board members offer a wealth of experience and talents,” said Kathy Gaalswyk, Initiative Foundation president. “Some were involved at the beginning of the Initiative Foundation while others helped us grow and shape our recent grants and projects. Most are retired but have graciously offered continued support as mentors, keeping us connected with their communities, and serving as ambassadors for the Initiative Foundation’s mission to help Central Minnesota thrive.”

JIM ANDERSON Brainerd : Term: 2/06 – 12/09 Jim Anderson and his wife, Linnea, partnered with the Initiative Foundation in 2004 to create the donoradvised Anderson Brothers Family Fund. Two years later, Jim joined the Initiative Foundation’s Board of Trustees and served until 2009. Today, grants from the Anderson Brothers Family Fund have benefitted the Brainerd Lakes area, with awards going to Bridges of Hope, which provides emergency help for families in need, Kinship Partners for youth mentoring and Camp Knutson, a specialized summer program for kids with

autism, AIDS, heart conditions and other diseases. “Jim and Linnea have a long history of giving back to the community,” said Gaalswyk of the Andersons, whose Anderson Brothers family business has done construction throughout the region since 1940. “They’re an extremely supportive employer, and Jim’s a gentle giant who leaves footprints of love and kindness wherever he goes.” In 2013, the Andersons received the Initiative Foundation’s 2013 Outstanding Generosity Award.

CAL CLARK St. Paul : Term: 7/89 – 6/98 Cal Clark was a Pine City banker when he was chosen to serve as an Initiative Foundation board member. He brought strong and much-needed expertise in nonprofit foundations, providing pivotal advice that would benefit community projects for years to come. “The banking wisdom Cal shared so selflessly was essential as we gave shape to our business finance

program, our endowment and our investment strategies,” said Gaalswyk. Clark served as a longtime member of the Foundation’s Business Finance and Investment committees and also used his experience to bring together other Pine City leaders to help launch the Great Pine Area Endowment to fund local efforts.

DON ENGEN Crosslake : Term: 7/99 – 6/02 Accountant Don Engen once worked at a company where community service was part of the job. He took that attitude with him to Crosslake and eventually served about a dozen groups—from chamber and business development organizations to performing arts and local history. Among Engen’s most lauded efforts was bringing healthcare to Crosslake and neighboring Pequot Lakes. He and other leaders teamed up to raise funds for clinic

buildings and to help pay a medical student’s education in exchange for working in the area after graduation. As the area’s population and health care expanded, those leaders were able to sell the clinic buildings and roll $200,000 of the net proceeds into a dedicated Initiative Foundation field-of-interest fund that perpetually supports community health programs. The remaining $200,000 went to 20 wellness-related organizations in Cass and Crow Wing counties.

DAVE GRUENES St. Cloud : Term: 2/99 – 1/09 With a decade of experience on the Initiative Foundation’s Board of Trustees, Dave Gruenes, CEO of Stearns Electric Association, has seen first-hand that it often takes inertia from the private sector to help public entities connect and build a strong, healthy economy. “Dave has helped to package more economic development projects than any other person I know,” Gaalswyk said. “He’s respected and extremely wise, and knows how to make things happen that have a lasting positive impact on the region.” After wrapping up his time on the Initiative Foundation board, Gruenes relied on that experience

and his extensive legislative and commerce skills to play a central role in creating Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation, a regional organization that launched in 2010. The effort, which links together leaders from across the community, looks at ways to enhance the region, from healthcare and higher education to recreation and a sense of belonging. As a member of the Emeritus Board, he’ll stay connected with the Initiative Foundation, which he knows well from serving as a trustee, leading the board, and participating in the Foundation’s Business Finance and Investment committees. CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

34 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

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LEE HANSON Rice : Term: 12/06 – 12/15 Lee Hanson’s appreciation for rural towns began in Brooten, where he grew up hearing his dad and grandfather conversing in Norwegian. He stayed in Central Minnesota and built a career in law and business, becoming a principal at St. Cloud’s Gray Plant Mooty law firm. Hanson’s professional specialties include business law, agriculture, estate planning, real estate, sales and mergers and acquisitions. He also chaired the

Anderson Center for management and leadership development for 10 years, was a founding partner at Falcon National Bank and helped to start Granite Equity Partners in 2001. Even with all of his accomplishments, Hanson has always made time for volunteering. He helped incorporate the St. Cloud Area Boys and Girls Club in 1972 and served for 30 years on the Central Minnesota Council of Boy Scouts.

ARNIE JOHNSON Lakeshore : Term: 3/07 - 12/11 Growing up on the Iron Range and working mining job that barely covered the bills, Arnie Johnson understands tough times better than most. Fortunately for him—and others—he launched successful business ventures that include Brainerd-based Universal Pensions. “Arnie has humble beginnings, but he’s a committed husband and father who’s always looking for the next way he can make a difference,” Gaalswyk said. “And he encourages others to do the tough work

of starting and growing businesses that will provide good jobs.” Johnson and his wife, JoAnn, have repeatedly reached out to others who have struggled, offering scholarships for kids with average grades and hopes to attend college, helping chemically dependent kids through Teen Challenge and supporting other health and faith-based programs. The family’s latest effort is the A. and J. Johnson Nisswa Park, which preserves almost four acres of lakefront for public recreation.

JOHN KUESTER Elk River : Term: 10/86 - 1/94 As an award-winning rural community developer with cutting-edge revitalization projects from northern to southeastern Minnesota, John Kuester offered a unique set of skills when he became one of the original six Initiative Foundation trustees in 1986. “He brought a deep expertise in community development and in encouraging citizen engagement,” Gaalswyk said. ”His dry wit and great sense of humor also helped us through the stressful moments as our organization launched and found its stride in strengthening Central Minnesota.”

Kuester, who served with the Foundation until 1994, helped create the Three Rivers Community Foundation, which supports the greater Elk River area where he lives. That organization honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his leadership and involvement with a variety of organizations including the historic Oliver H. Kelley Farm, Elk River Area Citizens League, YMCA, Elk River Area Citizens League, park and recreation board and the area school board. CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

WHAT IS THE SELECTION CRITERIA? Emeritus trustees are former board members who have served with excellence for at least one three-year term. While on the board, they contributed at a high level and served in leadership and advisory roles. Upon leaving the board, they’ve remained engaged with the Foundation as a donor, advisor or volunteer. CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

36 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

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Emeritus & Omnipresent CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36

JUDIE ROSE Buffalo : Term: 9/94 - 2/99 Judie Rose’s involvement with the Initiative Foundation began in 1993, when the Wright County Commissioner wanted to protect area lakes when larger homes were built along the shorelines. She has been active for decades and started an economic development group to bring in good employers with the help of an Initiative Foundation grant. She has also chaired the Buffalo Housing and

Redevelopment Authority for many years, served on the Buffalo Hospital Foundation, and volunteered with the Rotary Club and her church. Rose considers herself a skilled listener, a consensus builder and someone who thrives on being involved. “We draw our strength from being around people,” said Rose, who said she’s honored to be on the Emeritus Board of Trustees. “We are not ready to call it quits.”

MARY SAM Onamia : Term: 4/05 - 6/11 Extensive experience as a social worker, school administrator and a member and employee of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe has given Mary Sam a unique perspective and experience. She brings that expertise and ability to bridge cultures to organizations such as the Initiative Foundation. “Mary lives what she believes when it comes to equity,” Gaalswyk said, “and uses a common-sense approach to bringing about positive change.” During her time as an Initiative Foundation

trustee, Sam was honored as the 2010 recipient of the Minnesota League of Human Rights Award. A seasoned activist, this was her second human rights award. She also helped form the Mille Lacs Area Human Rights Commission in 2005, the first such commission to include an American Indian reservation. Sam developed Central Lakes College’s American Indian Center and today she serves as the director of diversity, equity and tribal relations.

JOHN SCHLAGEL Andover : Term: 7/98 - 6/07 A Cambridge-area business leader, John Schlagel served as a board member for nine years, bringing his professional experience to roles as board chair, loan committee member and chair and frequent advisor. “John is really fun to work with and is completely committed to his community and the region’s economic development,” Gaalswyk said. Schlagel of Schlagel Inc., which has manufactured steel grain-handling equipment for the grain, feed and fertilizer industries since 1957. He shares that success

in many ways, including donating $500,000 to the Foundation in 2001 to create the John & Bonnie Schlagel Endowment, a donor-advised fund. It was the largest individual gift in the Foundation’s first 15 years, and he and his wife, Bonnie, were honored with the Foundation’s Outstanding Philanthropy/Generosity Award. For the Schlagels, it was a way to leave a legacy and stay active in charitable work. Earnings from the fund benefit government, school and nonprofit organizations in the 14-county area.

DOROTHY SIMPSON Minneapolis : Term: 4/96 - 6/02 Dorothy Simpson was on the verge of retiring as vice president of university relations at St. Cloud State University when she was asked to join the Board of Trustees. She offered a rich blend of expertise in communications, legislative work, fund-raising and making sure students were ready for their respective careers. Simpson was hoping to scale back for retirement, but couldn’t resist the tug of the Initiative Foundation mission. “They were helping an entire area identify its 38 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

strengths,” Simpson said. “That was exciting.” Her biggest focus as a trustee was making sure the public knew how the nonprofit organization worked and the many ways it could benefit the region’s communities. That led to hiring the Foundation’s first communications person, Matt Kilian, and creating IQ Magazine, which keeps Central Minnesota connected and in touch with funding and programs. She also helped the Foundation get more involved in St. Cloud and SCSU—a partnership that continues two decades later.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

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4TH QUARTER 2016

PHOTO ALBUM 2016 INITIATIVE FOUNDATION 30-YEAR CELEBRATION Photography by Justin Wolrabe and Mitch McCallum

IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES ...

SPONSORSHIPS

Executive Sponsors

The Initiative Foundation would like to extend a special thank-you to this year’s generous Legacy Sponsors:

– Clow Stamping Company – Essentia Health

– Granite Equity Partners – The Bank of Elk River

TABLE SPONSORS

Social Hour Sponsor

Full Table – National Joint Powers Alliance – St. Cloud State University – DeZURIK/Larry Korf – IPEX, Inc. – MFP, Inc. – Mahowald Insurance Agency – Bridges of Hope – Central Lakes College – CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP –G reater St. Cloud Development Corp.

– Tri-County Health – Microbiologics – Rural Renewable Energy Alliance –S t. Cloud Technical & Community College 40 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

Half Table – Falcon National Bank – Range, A Deluxe Company –H appy Dancing Turtle/Hunt Utilities Group

– Anderson Brothers Construction – Arnold S. Johnson Properties, LLC – Ballinger Leafblad – Pequot Tool & Manufacturing – MidMinnesota Federal Credit Union – Nor-Son, Inc. –P ine Technical & Community College

–C onsolidated Telecommunications Company

– Monroy Law Office

Founding president Kathy Gaalswyk pays tribute to members of the Initiative Foundation’s first Emeritus Board of Trustees.

St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis delivers a welcome message to the nearly 400-member audience in attendance at the Initiative Foundation’s 30-year anniversary celebration on Oct. 7, 2016.

Initiative Foundation Board of Trustee vice chair John E. Babcock of The Bank of Elk River sets the stage for the evening’s celebration.

Trustee Traci Tapani and her sister, Lori (left), a member of the Foundation’s business finance committee, react to the economic and community development stories shared from stage.

Emmanuel Oppong (left), an Emerging Leaders advisor, and Michelle Kiley of the Initiative Foundation enjoy social time before the start of the show.

Trustee Charles Blacklance (left) and Dan Frank converse during the social hour.

Brenda Jindra and her Initiative Foundation team members made the night’s registration process run smoothly.

4TH QUARTER 2016

Attending Board of Trustee members honor Kathy Gaalswyk for her 30 years of leadership and service.

Trustee Steve Shurts delivers a moving tribute to the late Earl H. Potter III, a former Initiative Foundation Trustee and past president at St. Cloud State University.

Kathy Gaalswyk shares the “What If?” possibilities that lie ahead for the Initiative Foundation and Central Minnesota.

Brian Bastain of Schlenner Wenner & Co., a Legacy Sponsor, shares how the community-minded work of the Initiative Foundation aligns with his company’s mission.

Kim Ellingson, a member of the Initiative Foundation’s Board of Trustees and Bremer Bank executive vice president and region CEO, explains why Bremer supports the Foundation’s work in Central Minnesota.

42 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Daniel Bittman upholds the partnership between the Foundation and the Sauk Rapids-Rice Education Foundation.

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4TH QUARTER 2016

Emeritus & Omnipresent CONTINUED FROM PAGE 38

PAT SPENCE Rice : Term: 9/95 - 6/07 A former home economics teacher, Pat Spence was serving as Little Falls’ first female mayor when she welcomed The Initiative Foundation headquarters to downtown, which offered a central location to serve the 14-county region. Spence served almost 10 years as mayor and later joined the board of trustees, where she served as its chair. She brings additional expertise and leadership to the Emeritus Board of Trustees from her years on the Minnesota Board of Continuing Legal Education,

the University of Minnesota Alumni Association Board, the university’s Board of Regents (two years as its chair), and as a trustee for the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and the University of Minnesota Foundation. “I am passionate about community service and effective local government,” said Spence, who has been elected Watab Township clerk for several terms. “I appreciate the important and significant role the Initiative Foundation has played in our region.”

“ I am passionate about community service and effective local government. I appreciate the important and significant role the Initiative Foundation has played in our region.” EMERITUS TRUSTEE PAT SPENCE on her decision to join the Initiative Foundation Board

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GENE WALDORF Grey Eagle : Term: 9/03 - 12/12 Having served three years in the Minnesota House of Representatives and 12 as state senator, Gene Waldorf brings a wealth of leadership and consensus-building experience to the volunteering he does during his retirement years. That includes serving on the Initiative Foundation Board of Trustees and digging into special projects. The former 3M engineer, who is now living on Big Birch Lake in the Grey Eagle area, has been active in the lake association and working with the

Foundation’s Healthy Lakes and Rivers Partnership. The association helped fund the purchase of farmland along the shore and replaced it with native grasses and plants to protect the water from field runoff and to improve the clarity. It’s a successful stewardship effort that has been replicated around the state. As an active trustee and a fund contributor with his wife, Bernadine, Waldorf also has championed efforts to build the Initiative Foundation’s endowment and develop its charitable programs.

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4TH QUARTER 2016

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United We Thrive GoNorth: How five communities came together to ensure their mutual futures. By Andy Steiner | Illustration by Chris McAllister

The communities of Emily, Fifty Lakes, Crooked Lake Township/Outing, Little Pine Township and Fairfield Township all wanted to plan for the long-term health of their beloved communities. The issue was that each of these vacation hamlets (home to about 2,000 residents altogether) didn’t have the resources to do the work on their own. That’s why the five Lakes Area Communities got together to apply for the Initiative Foundation’s Thriving Communities Initiative (TCI) program, which engages and assists local leaders and citizens in planning for their future. It was an innovative approach, given that many communities apply to TCI as single entities. “Here were five separate governments that actually wanted to work together,” said Dan Frank, the Foundation’s senior program manager for community development. “It was unusual, but in a good way.” The cooperating group—made up of business owners, longtime residents, neighborhood activists and elected officials—is diverse. But their commitment to the region brought them together as a team. “When we got together beforehand and talked about it, we 46 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

thought it was a perfect solution,” said Jan Mosman, council member for the city of Emily. “It’s better to find out what we have in common and work together than to compete with each other. That way we can all make ourselves heard—and get more done.” Together, the five-community team, which eventually dubbed itself GoNorth, completed the application process and was awarded TCI designation, which comes with core-team training and Initiative Foundation assistance to implement a community development plan and secure grant funding. When combined with an Initiative Foundation matching grant from USDA Rural Development and a grant from Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB), GoNorth’s TCI support climbed to $40,000. And when governments in the five participating communities pitched in an additional $5,000, GoNorth was ready for takeoff.

From the Community

Mosman and Kathy Hachey, Emily Cooperative Telephone board member and longtime Fairfield Township resident, were chosen as GoNorth steering committee co-chairs. Frank and other Initiative Foundation staff came to GoNorth’s early meetings to

provide direction and guidance on formulating a plan of action. The group’s team approach was impressive from the start. “We try to tell communities when we work with them to think pretty broadly, to think of themselves as one neighborhood in a bigger community,” Frank said. “The GoNorth team had a set of ambitious ideas and a real commitment to working together as united parts of one region. It made us all confident that they could make it work.” The GoNorth steering committee agreed that it was important to poll their neighbors about what they’d like the group to achieve. “We conducted a regional survey about what people wanted from the GoNorth committee,” Hachey said. “We passed it out at the hardware store. This survey helped us formulate where we were going with the project. We didn’t want people to feel like our plan just came from committee members alone. We wanted it to come from the whole community.” One priority that nearly all survey respondents agreed on was the importance of maintaining the region’s rural heart. “They said they wanted to keep their forests” and maintain water quality, said Hachey. The five communities are heavily dependent on tourism— 66 percent of all homes in the region are vacation properties, and the population nearly doubles during the tourist season. While they value the region’s rural nature, respondents also told survey takers that they favored more essential services—businesses and other amenities that would stay open in the winter when tourists go home. “Even in the off-season, people told us they want to have more things to do,” Mosman explained, adding that an independent survey of area residents conducted by the University of Minnesota revealed that many vacation home owners in the region plan to eventually retire to those homes. “We want places to shop so you don’t have drive 30 miles to Crosby or Brainerd, and we think that eventually these new residents will want that, too.”

Local Knowledge

After their survey results were tallied and additional insights were gathered from the core team and a community input meeting, GoNorth developed a plan of action. They divided members into three subcommittees: Marketing, which maintains a Facebook page, a website and is working on a tourism destination guide; Quality of Life, which is in charge of organizing a series of community-awareness events to spread the word about available events and services; and Economic Development, which focuses on developing a smallbusiness cooperative that will feature local entrepreneurs’ products. There are a lot of moving parts in these projects, and pulling them all together may take some effort. But Frank believes the end product will be worth the effort. “It might go faster to hire a consultant, but the result might not be what the community really needs, or wants” said Frank. “We think that local people should be directly involved in making decisions about the future of their communities. We believe that in the end local people know best.”

Looking Ahead

Lately, Mosman and Hachey have been making the rounds at local council meetings, talking up GoNorth’s accomplishments thus far—and detailing plans for the future. They say their involvement with the project has been sometimes trying but mostly exhilarating as they work with their neighbors to build on the strengths of their hometowns. “It’s been a very interesting experience to learn how to work together with a variety of communities and a variety of ages,” Mosman said. “It’s been all of our ideas, and we’ve come together as neighbors to make things happen.”

LOCAL MOTION How the Initiative Foundation helps communities plan for more vibrant futures. The Foundation’s Thriving Communities Initiative (previously known as the Healthy Communities Partnership) has worked with 80 cities, six counties and, in the greater St. Cloud area, eight core neighborhoods over the past two decades to plan for healthy, vibrant futures. Recent accomplishments include: LITTLE FALLS: The community team helped to develop the Shoppes of Little Falls—a retail incubator where 25 local vendors display their products under one roof. The team also addressed park improvements and economic development work to make industrial sites shovel-ready.

FOLEY: A desire to better connect the community led to the creation of two family-friendly annual community events. The Foley team also completed a downtown revitalization plan in conjunction with Center for Rural Design and a farmers’ market is now up and running.

LONGVILLE: The Longville area rallied around park development, economic development and aquatic invasive species control. To date they’ve created a community guide for visitors and residents; relocated and improved a community skating rink; and created and distributed invasive species materials to resorts and area businesses.

BRAHAM: Thanks to the work of the Braham Area Committee For Kids (B.A.C.K.), the town is raising funds to improve its football, baseball and softball fields. And the crown jewel of their efforts is the Braham Event Center, which offers programs for seniors and the area’s youth and features banquet space for weddings or other events.

The Initiative Foundation will start accepting new Thriving Communities Initiative applications in January 2017. To learn more, visit ifound.org and search “Thriving Communities Initiative.”

4TH QUARTER 2016

Kindergarten Readiness CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

now the driving force behind Fritsch’s frequent visits to living rooms and child care settings around Big Lake. “If a parent had a bad experience with school, or if a family is facing some kind of adversity, sometimes they need that little extra support that makes them see that this is going to be a safe place to send their kids, said Kazeck. “The more we reach out, the more we see kids who are ready for school.” Once every week last year, Fritsch dropped in on a 3-year-old girl in the care of her Spanishspeaking grandmother, who had no access to transportation. Without any early childhood education experience, the girl’s older brother had a bumpy transition into kindergarten. But after regular one-on-one sessions with Fritsch (“Every day I came, she’d ask ‘Do you speak English?’”), the girl was more than ready to enroll in Big Lake’s preschool program this fall. When the school year ends, Big Lake’s early learning team aims to keep that curriculum going with plans to bring a new early childhood education program into the area’s public parks and playgrounds. “It’s all about meeting with families where they’re at,” Kazeck said, adding that even simple changes like launching a Facebook page to connect families with the Community Education options in Big Lake has resulted in a rise in preschool enrollment. “Once you get the right channel open with parents, it’s unbelievable how much interaction we’ve seen, and how interested they are in getting their kids off to a great start.”

JUDITH HECHT: Pierz School Readiness Coordinator

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48 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

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Aligning Early Education Department of Education grant propels Central Minnesota literacy, coalition-building efforts Kindergarten readiness is a major developmental milestone, but helping Minnesota kids become confident readers by third grade may prove to be an even more meaningful benchmark. “Children who are proficient readers in third grade are six times more likely to graduate from high school on time,” said Erin Imon Gavin, program director for education and learning at The McKnight Foundation. “Early childhood development doesn’t stop at the kindergarten door—now many scientists are identifying the period from birth to age 8 as the full early childhood continuum.” Ensuring that schools can meet the demands of this important development period is one goal of a new $303,000 grant award the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) has made to the Initiative Foundation and its five sister foundations across the state. The Pre-K to Grade 3 Alignment initiative grew from findings made by MDE, McKnight and the Minnesota Initiative Foundations. The Initiative Foundation plans to use its $49,000 portion of the award to improve collaboration, support alignment plans and serve children with the greatest needs. The funding also will provide support to schools and early childhood coalitions throughout the region, said Tammy Filippi, Initiative Foundation early childhood specialist.

SERVING CHILDREN, SERVING COMMUNITIES Recognizing that early care and education are the most important investments communities can make, the six Minnesota Initiative Foundations, in partnership with The McKnight Foundation, began the Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) in 2003. Its goal: To ensure that every child has the best possible start toward a healthy life of learning, achieving and succeeding. The following coalitions are active in Central Minnesota. • Big

Lake Area (763) 262-3233 • Brainerd Lakes Area (218) 251-4234 • Cambridge-Isanti Area (763) 691-6612 or (763) 444-7527 • Little Falls Area (320) 631-0402 • North Branch Area (651) 674-1220 • Onamia Area (320) 532-6832 • Pine City Area (612) 390-5590

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4TH QUARTER 2016

home made

Avalon Sculpture Merrifield, Minn.

By Maria Surma Manka | Photography Courtesy of Josh Porter

“A lot of my business comes from lions” isn’t a phrase you often hear around Minnesota, but that’s exactly the case for Josh Porter of Avalon Sculpture. Porter was working at a signage company in St. Paul in the late 1990s and early 2000s, creating everything from signs for the Rainforest Café at the Mall of America to the iconic Snoopy statues honoring Peanuts creator Charles Schulz. Originally a graphic designer, he realized he had a knack and love for sculpting. So, Porter and his wife, Sara, decided to move to the Brainerd area to escape the big city and pursue sculpting work. “We thought it would be a good place for custom sculptures because of the tourism,” said Porter. “Turns out, it was harder to get started than we thought.” Porter worked in retail and sculpted on the side before landing his first large, solo project creating the Paul Bunyan statue for the Brainerd Lakes Area Welcome Center on Highway 371. From there, Porter’s opportunities and connections grew, and he launched Avalon Sculpture as a full-time business in 2006. He’s since created some of the most recognizable statues in the area, including the Brainerd “Ox Trot” statues, the Paul Bunyan statue at the A-Pine Restaurant in Jenkins and dozens of lion head water fountains. We sat down with Porter to find out what shapes Avalon’s success.

50 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

A GIANT SUCCESS: Avalon Sculpture founder Josh Porter gets a lift from one of his creations.

• Recession Strategy When the recession hit and business slowed, Porter scraped by with whatever work he could find, including studio sets for In-Fisherman TV and refurbishing the lion head water fountain near the Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce, originally erected by the Brainerd Lions Club. •R aising the Roof Avalon operates out of Porter’s home, which has caused some challenges: When he created the 12-foot Paul Bunyan statue for the Brainerd Lakes Area Welcome Center, he realized the sculpture wouldn’t fit in his garage. He ended up lifting his garage roof up five feet to accommodate it. •R ecent Work Avalon created the Whitefish Chain of Lakes Region s’mores benches, part of the area’s multi-year promotion as the “S’More Capital of Minnesota.”

•M ass Markets In late 2016, Avalon hired Master Composites in Henning to take over the fiberglass production of mass-produced sculptures, including the lion fountains. “It used to take me four days to do what they can do in two,” Porter explained. By offloading production work, Porter has been able to hire a part-time employee to help with tasks around his shop.

• The Bulk of the Biz Although Porter will occasionally create a custom sculpture for a private individual—or even mural work in someone’s cabin or a themed children’s bedroom—about 98 percent of Avalon’s orders comes from businesses and organizations.

•F irst Drafts Porter starts his sculptures by creating a small clay model. With clay, he can experiment with how he wants the body position, expression and other characteristics to look.

•L ion’s Share Knowing that Lions Clubs often support local parks and that a lion fountain showcases a club’s contribution in a fun and useful way, Porter created a Flickr page to promote his work. He soon received orders from as far away as Texas—and from towns as small as 400 people. “I’ve produced more than 60 lion fountains all over the U.S. and Canada,” said Porter.

•R efinements Once the clay model is finished, Porter creates a full-sized sculpture in white Styrofoam. If it’s a one-of-a-kind sculpture, a protective barrier will be added, then fiberglass on top of that. After sanding, detailing and painting, the sculpture is finished.

4TH QUARTER 2016

whereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s IQ?

THINK YOU KNOW? Send your best guess to IQ@ifound.org by Jan. 22, 2017. Three winners will be chosen, at random, to receive a $25 GiveMN.org gift code to support the charity of their choice. HINT: Restored in 2014, this wooden sculpture is smaller than its counterparts in Garrison or Mille Lacs, Minn., yet still serves as an attraction for one of the GoNorth! communities featured in this edition of IQ Magazine. Congratulations to everyone who correctly recognized the statue of Babe the Bluegill, which was created to celebrate the 2008 Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fishing Opener. Melissa Berads, Karen Ettesvold and Nick Schultz are the lucky winners of GiveMN.org gift codes.

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