2011
ANNUAL REPORT
FROM THE BOARD CHAIR AND PRESIDENT: Hello, all! A quick read through our annual report will give you a glimpse of the breadth of the activities of the Northwest Minnesota Foundation. However, it is important to note that in most cases NMF is merely the catalyst for what the people of the region are doing to improve their communities. Our aim at NMF is to aid and abet philanthropic activity throughout the region. To that end, NMF’s staff is available, both on an ad hoc basis and through formal training, to assist local groups as they strategize, raise funds and implement their projects. NMF’s every activity involves collaboration. The IMPACT 20/20 effort has brought together regional business, education and government leaders to identify our most pressing problems and, more importantly, to draft action plans to address those problems. In one of three key identified areas, IMPACT 20/20 has emphasized the importance of broadband internet for our region. The IDEA competition, supported by the Blandin Foundation, Bremer Banks of Crookston and Warren, and other partners, is a region-wide program to support inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs, the very people who, if they succeed, will create high-quality jobs in our area. NMF’s business loan program is not designed to stand alone or to compete with banks. Instead, a loan from NMF, because it comes with valuable technical assistance from NMF staff, can make a bank more willing to loan additional funds. Philanthropy, at least in our region, is not a competition. Instead of scratching and clawing for individual glory, foundations and local funds work together for a common goal: Making Northwest Minnesota a better place to live and work. The Northwest Minnesota Foundation would not exist if it weren’t for the vision of The McKnight Foundation board of directors who, twenty-five years ago, founded NMF to serve the twelve counties of Northwest Minnesota. And most of all, NMF would not be able to do its work without those who donate time and money to the literally hundreds of initiatives supported by the foundation. Pat yourself on the back. NMF is your foundation, and this annual report is merely the tip of the iceberg.
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