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Guest column by Tim Penny

In a small town — like my hometown Kiester — everyone knows everyone, and most people want to do their part to help their town and neighbors thrive. Motivation and inspiration to improve the community are easy to find, but a lack of funds can often hinder growth. When given the resources, people in small towns swiftly come together, pick up a hammer (so to speak) and enrich their communities. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) we seek to be the key that unlocks equitable development in the small towns of our 20-county region.

One way SMIF unlocks potential is through our Small Town Grant. This program invests in projects that enhance the quality of life in communities under 10,000. Each collaborative initiative aims to create a more welcoming town. I’m excited to share that this year we surpassed $1 million in investments through this grant since 2017. This summer, SMIF awarded 25 grants totaling $200,000 and impacting over 20 small communities across the region. I would like to share a few projects recently set in motion by these grants.

Thanks to a Small Town Grant, the Madelia Community Theatre is expanding into the Madelia Arts Collaborative to better serve their community’s diverse needs. The recipients hope the new multi-disciplinary arts hub will enrich the cultural fabric of their community (population 2,396) and engage residents of all ages.

In Caledonia (population 2,847), Mainspring will launch Caledonia’s Creative Community Design project, the renovation of their building’s lower level into a vibrant, multi-use community space for artists, makers, farmers, cooks, community members and other local entrepreneurs and artists.

With their grant, the MN Agricultural Interpretive Center will expand Farmamerica’s farm-to-fork experiences to diverse age groups and ethnicities within the community of Waseca (population 9,229). They hope the project will foster a sense of belonging and cultural exchange by partnering with local farmers, chefs and organizations like the Hmong American Farmers Association. The hydroponic lab will provide educational opportunities, promoting a different style of agriculture while also producing fresh vegetables for the farm-to-fork events and the community food shelf.

The Small Town Grant will also support an adaptive cycling clinic series in Dundas (population 1,712), a pocket park in Le Roy (population 957), National Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Center exhibits in Henderson (population 960) and many more projects across southern Minnesota.

More information about Small Town Grants and their impact can be found at smifoundation.org/smalltowngrant. We are grateful to Paul Johnson’s children, Amy De Jong, Paula Rehder and Scott Johnson, for continuing their father’s legacy by supporting this program.

This year, we are also pleased to partner with another family seeking to support small towns. SMIF received a generous gift from Glen Taylor via the Taylor Family Farm Foundation to fund rural capital improvements and child care needs in towns of 10,000 or less. In this pilot year, we were able to invest $297,600 into the region.

With the aid of these Taylor Grants, the town of Rushford Village (population 1,860) will rebuild a well-loved merry-go-round at their city hall park. The merry-go-round will be the first accessible amenity in the park for people with disabilities.

The GFW School District in Gibbon (population 784) will use their grant for a resource bus. Educational materials, health care services, food assistance, clothing, daily hygiene products and more essential resources will be packed into a bus and delivered to low-income families. The district hopes that putting their current program on wheels will create more accessibility for underserved populations in the area.

This grant program is also supporting a child care start-up in Springfield (population 2,027), a local history museum in Lake Crystal (population 2,539) and an art-filled trail experience called the “Trout Route” in Preston (population 1,322).

New amenities not only brighten a town but swell the pride of residents and afford them new opportunities to grow. We are appreciative for Glen Taylor’s discernment in recognizing the impact that capital projects have on small communities.

I am always in awe of the accomplishments of small-town residents when they are provided the resources to realize their ambitions. By investing through small town grants, we are helping to build resilient, vibrant communities.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions. You can reach me at timp@smifoundation.org or 507-455-3215.

Tim Penny is the president and CEO of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation. He represented Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1982 to 1994.