How much does Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation give?

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation reported 76 itemized grants totaling $1,509,101, out of $4,432,085 in total grant expense reported on the return in its FY2025 IRS filing. It funded between 36 and 95 organizations a year over FY2018 to FY2024.

What does Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation fund?

By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2025, its largest causes are Education (28%), Community Improvement (18%), Recreation & Sports (14%).

Who are Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation's largest grantees?

By total granted over FY2017 to FY2025: Leo Augusta Children's Academy ($646k), City of Fairmont ($278k), City of Harmony ($252k).

Does Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation fund new organizations?

In FY2024, 40% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.

Which funders back the same organizations as Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation?

Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Minnesota Community Foundation, Taylor Family Farms Foundation Inc, Mayo Clinic Group Return.

Where is Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation based?

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation is based in MN.

Foundation Dossiers Also receives grants: funding profile →

Minnesota · Public charity

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation

SOUTHERN MINNESOTA INITIATIVE FOUNDATION is a regional development and philanthropic organization that fosters economic and community vitality in 20 counties of southern minnesota through a culture of collaboration and partnership, with a focus on entrepreneurs and early childhood development.

$4.4M
Granted FY2025(still arriving): 76
Itemized grants FY2025: 95
Organizations funded FY2024: 40%
First-time grantees FY2024

Read the full brief

Itemized, FY2025: $1.5M; The rest is grants the schedule does not break out
Median grant, FY2025: $15,000
Largest grant, FY2025: $100,000
Organizations funded a year: 36 to 95; FY2018 to FY2024
States reached, FY2025: 1
Total assets, FY2025: $81M

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2024, 40% of the organizations Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation funded were first-time grantees, receiving 31% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 69% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $454k went to new ones.

RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

Arts & CultureEducationHuman ServicesCommunity ImprovementRecreation & SportsFood & NutritionOther

How this is measured

First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

The numbers by year

Fiscal year	Organizations funded	To those organizations	First-time grantees
FY2025still arriving	75	$1.5M	48%
FY2024	95	$1.5M	40%
FY2023	67	$1.3M	33%
FY2022	67	$1.3M	49%
FY2021	86	$1.2M	63%
FY2020	63	$886k	62%
FY2019	36	$552k	47%
FY2018	44	$824k	64%

100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Education$3.1MCommunity Improvement$1.9MRecreation & Sports$1.5MFood & Nutrition$774kHuman Services$750kArts & Culture$616kPublic Benefit$541kScience & Tech$400kOther$0

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2017 to FY2025, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

Grantee	Total granted	Years	Share of their budget
Leo Augusta Children's Academy	$646,003	4	87%
City of Fairmont	$278,442	5	n/a
City of Harmony	$251,771	7	n/a
City of Wabasha	$212,259	8	n/a
National Lead for America Inc	$165,000	3	1%
Maple River Isd 2135	$155,674	5	n/a
City of Blue Earth	$150,229	6	n/a
Kasson Mantorville Community Education	$139,000	8	n/a
Rushford Peterson School District	$133,461	5	n/a
City of Mapleton	$132,045	6	n/a

Show all 317 grantees

All grantees of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation by total granted
Grantee	Total granted	Years	Share of their budget
Leo Augusta Children's Academy	$646,003	4	87%
City of Fairmont	$278,442	5	n/a
City of Harmony	$251,771	7	n/a
City of Wabasha	$212,259	8	n/a
National Lead for America Inc	$165,000	3	1%
Maple River Isd 2135	$155,674	5	n/a
City of Blue Earth	$150,229	6	n/a
Kasson Mantorville Community Education	$139,000	8	n/a
Rushford Peterson School District	$133,461	5	n/a
City of Mapleton	$132,045	6	n/a
Renewing the Countryside	$120,000	2	2%
The Village Agricultural Cooperative	$115,000	3	9%
Fillmore Central Public Schools	$110,359	7	n/a
Fond Du Lac Tribal & Community College	$105,000	7	n/a
Region Nine Development Commission	$105,000	4	n/a
Northfield Public Schools	$103,033	9	n/a
St Annes Church & School	$102,000	5	n/a
Minnesota Farmers Market Association	$100,000	1	44%
City of Byron	$99,425	2	n/a
Blue Earth Area Schools	$95,000	4	n/a
New Prague Area Schools	$94,125	9	n/a
Three Rivers Community Action Inc	$87,585	9	0%
Northfield Healthy Community Initiative	$84,740	6	1%
St James Public Schools	$81,061	6	n/a
Kenyon-Wanamingo School District	$80,863	5	n/a
City of Plainview	$75,000	5	n/a
City of Byron	$74,133	1	n/a
Jeremiah Program	$70,000	5	0%
Red Wing Ignite	$70,000	5	10%
Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment Through Research	$69,493	4	3%
Lake Crystal School	$68,890	4	n/a
City of Preston	$66,200	5	n/a
Blue Earth County	$64,764	3	n/a
Independent School District 88	$64,000	7	n/a
United South Central Public Schools	$64,000	3	n/a
University of Minnesota Foundation	$62,750	2	0%
Austin Public Schools	$62,000	5	n/a
Sharing Our Roots	$60,000	2	4%
City of Red Wing	$60,000	3	n/a
Faribault Public Schools	$59,296	8	n/a
River Bend Nature Center Inc	$58,200	2	4%
City of Lanesboro	$57,500	5	n/a
Young Women's Christian Association of Mankato	$56,000	4	3%
Child Care Resource & Referral Inc	$55,600	6	0%
Exchange Club Center for Family Unity	$55,000	3	5%
A Chance to Grow	$55,000	3	0%
Independent School District 2752	$53,415	5	n/a
Red Wing Downtown Main Street	$53,000	4	12%
Wykoff Veterans Memorial Park Fund Inc	$52,804	1	n/a
Sibley County	$52,500	5	n/a
Plainview Elgin Millville Community School District	$51,903	4	n/a
City of St Charles	$50,857	4	n/a
Friends of the Friedrich Civic Center	$50,000	1	11%
Tri-City United Public Schools	$50,000	8	n/a
Forecast Public Artworks	$50,000	1	7%
Rushford Public Library	$49,100	3	n/a
Saint John Lutheran School	$49,000	3	n/a
Houston County	$48,000	3	n/a
Red Wing Arts Association	$48,000	4	3%
City of Spring Valley	$47,993	3	n/a
Semcac	$47,250	4	0%
City of Saint James	$44,625	2	n/a
City of Springfield	$44,625	3	n/a
Childrens Museum of Southern Minnesota	$44,249	3	1%
Fairmont Area Community Center Inc	$43,799	1	n/a
Harmony Area Historical Society	$42,785	3	n/a
City of Wykoff	$42,344	2	n/a
Stcharles Public Schools Independent School District	$42,000	5	n/a
City of Wanamingo	$41,306	2	n/a
Independent School District 531	$41,250	7	n/a
La Lumiere School Inc	$40,050	2	1%
Collider Foundation	$40,000	2	5%
Independent School District 829	$40,000	2	n/a
Community Action Center Inc	$40,000	3	1%
City of Ellendale	$39,727	3	n/a
Isd 256	$36,027	4	n/a
American Legion Post 0370 Ne W	$36,000	1	25%
City of Gibbon	$35,000	2	n/a
Minnesota Council of Churches	$35,000	2	n/a
City of Red Wing	$35,000	3	n/a
Stewartville Community Education	$35,000	4	n/a
Diversity Council	$35,000	2	2%
Mankato Community Education and Rec	$35,000	3	n/a
Owatonna Area Chamber Foundation	$34,671	2	7%
City of Montgomery	$32,500	3	n/a
Wellcome Manor Family Services	$32,000	4	0%
Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop Schools	$31,500	3	n/a
First Children's Finance	$30,000	1	2%
Engage Winona	$30,000	2	9%
City of Eagle Lake	$30,000	3	n/a
Dover Eyota Public Schools	$30,000	2	n/a
Somali American Social Service Association	$30,000	2	10%
Minnesota Valley Action Council Inc	$29,500	9	0%
United Way of Goodhuewabasha & Pierce Counties	$27,500	3	2%
Alliance for Greater Equity	$27,250	2	n/a
Sleepy Eye Early Childhood Family Education	$27,061	7	n/a
City of Spring Grove	$25,500	2	n/a
New London-Spicer Educational Foundation	$25,000	1	18%
City of Goodview	$25,000	1	n/a
City of Medford	$25,000	1	n/a
Faribault Diversity Coalition	$25,000	2	n/a
The Good Acre	$25,000	1	n/a
City of Sherburn	$25,000	1	n/a
Rice County Neighbors United	$25,000	2	10%
Preston Historical Society	$25,000	2	31%
Maple River Chamber of Commerce Inc	$23,629	4	44%
MONSTER BASH INCORPORATED Monster Bash	$23,250	3	13%
New Foundations Saint Peter	$22,200	2	n/a
Kingsland Public Schools	$21,500	7	n/a
Albert Lea School District	$20,420	6	n/a
Owatonna Public Schools	$20,000	1	n/a
City of Kasson	$20,000	1	n/a
Achla Alianza Chicana Hisp Lat Amer Alli	$20,000	1	3%
Hikmah	$20,000	1	n/a
City of Caledonia	$20,000	1	n/a
Le Sueur-Henderson Public Schools	$20,000	4	n/a
Canton Historical Society	$20,000	1	n/a
Sustainable Farming Association of Mn	$20,000	2	n/a
Somali American Cultural Society of Owatonna	$20,000	2	n/a
City of Winthrop	$20,000	1	n/a
Tri-Valley Opportunity Council Inc	$20,000	1	0%
City of Hayfield	$20,000	2	n/a
Laura Baker School Association	$20,000	2	0%
The Growth Collective	$20,000	1	n/a
County of Olmsted	$20,000	2	n/a
Owatonna Business Incubator Inc	$20,000	1	n/a
City of Adams	$20,000	1	n/a
Friends of the Farmers Market	$20,000	1	n/a
Junior Achievement North	$20,000	2	0%
Arts and Heritage Center of Montgomery	$20,000	2	n/a
Madelia Child Care Task Force	$20,000	2	n/a
Austin Community Growth Ventures	$20,000	1	1%
Waseca Youth Baseball Association	$20,000	1	n/a
Southeast Minnesota Private Industry Council Inc	$20,000	1	0%
Independent School District #297	$20,000	3	n/a
Fairmont Opera House Inc	$20,000	2	2%
Kasson Mantorville Nursery Group	$20,000	1	2%
Minority Owned Business Foundation	$20,000	1	n/a
Austin Aspires Inc	$20,000	2	3%
Lake Crystal Area Recreation Center Assoc Inc	$20,000	2	1%
Sleepy Eye Medical Center	$20,000	2	n/a
Listos Preschool & Childcare	$20,000	2	n/a
United Way of Steele County	$20,000	4	2%
Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center Inc	$19,964	2	0%
Dodge County	$19,200	4	n/a
Park Nicollet Foundation	$19,000	2	0%
United Way of the Brown County Area	$18,750	2	n/a
Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center Inc	$18,106	2	0%
Millville Valley River Days	$17,500	2	9%
City of Henderson	$17,500	2	n/a
Youth First Inc	$17,000	3	14%
Faribault County Fair	$16,989	1	11%
Peace Lutheran Preschool	$16,700	1	n/a
City of Stewartville Mn	$16,395	2	n/a
Henderson Feathers	$16,000	2	n/a
Saint Mary's School - Caledonia	$16,000	2	n/a
Pine Island Public Schools	$15,600	1	n/a
City of Pine Island	$15,500	2	n/a
University of Minnesota	$15,051	1	n/a
Wabasha Area Food Share Inc	$15,008	2	13%
Hc Gunderson	$15,000	1	n/a
Ridgeway Community School	$15,000	4	1%
Harmony Conservation Club	$15,000	1	n/a
City of Elmore	$15,000	1	n/a
Chatfield Public School - Early Childhood	$15,000	1	n/a
La Plaza Fiesta LLC	$15,000	1	n/a
Winona Area Public Schools	$15,000	1	n/a
Dream River Marketing Group LLC	$15,000	1	n/a
City of Canton	$15,000	1	n/a
Boys and Girls Club of Rochester	$15,000	2	1%
City of Lake Crystal Mn	$15,000	1	n/a
Rochester Montessori School	$14,500	1	0%
Storyark	$13,250	1	7%
St John Lutheran Home	$12,000	1	0%
City of Rushford Village	$12,000	1	n/a
Aldrich Memorial Nursery School Inc	$12,000	1	1%
Fountain Firefighters Relief Association	$11,080	1	23%
Immanuel Lutheran Church	$11,000	1	n/a
Martin County Minnesota	$11,000	1	n/a
Wabasha County Developmental Achievement Center	$10,491	1	2%
Kenyon-Wanamingo Schools	$10,150	1	n/a
New Prague Rotary Foundation	$10,000	1	n/a
City of Lafayette Mn	$10,000	1	n/a
Child Care Center of Mapleton Inc	$10,000	1	n/a
Minnesota Agricultural Interpretive Center	$10,000	1	n/a
Independent School District 2835	$10,000	1	n/a
Town of Pilot Mound	$10,000	1	n/a
Owatonna Public Schools	$10,000	5	n/a
Plainview Public Library	$10,000	1	n/a
Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging Inc	$10,000	1	0%
Reach Out and Read Minnesota	$10,000	1	n/a
City of Oronoco	$10,000	1	n/a
Fillmore County Historical Society	$10,000	1	9%
Cultivate Maankato	$10,000	1	n/a
Area Neighborhood Service Center Inc	$10,000	1	1%
Lake City Port Authority	$10,000	1	n/a
Adams Town & Country Recreation Corp	$10,000	1	n/a
City of Kiester	$10,000	1	n/a
La Crescent-Hokah Public Schools	$10,000	1	n/a
City of Saint Peter	$10,000	1	n/a
A Child's Delight Too Inc	$10,000	1	2%
Institute for Local Self Reliance	$10,000	1	0%
Good Earth Village	$10,000	1	1%
City of Winona	$10,000	2	n/a
Mainspring	$10,000	1	n/a
Dundas Community Ballpark Project	$10,000	1	11%
Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church	$10,000	1	n/a
City of Leroy	$10,000	1	n/a
Circle of Friends Thrift Store	$10,000	1	n/a
City of Kasota	$10,000	1	n/a
Red Cottage Montessori School	$10,000	1	2%
Jumping Jax Kids	$10,000	1	n/a
Alden-Conger Public Schools Independent School District 242	$10,000	2	n/a
Development Corporation of Austin	$10,000	1	2%
Legacy Fund of le Sueur Rotary	$10,000	1	n/a
Chatfield Center for the Arts Inc	$10,000	1	n/a
Wabasha County Fair	$10,000	1	5%
Human Services Watonwan Co	$10,000	6	n/a
Hometown Resource Center	$10,000	1	9%
Austin Community Charitable Fund	$10,000	1	2%
Friends of Peterson	$10,000	1	n/a
City of Mantorville	$10,000	1	n/a
Young Mens Christian Association of the North	$10,000	2	0%
Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota	$10,000	1	1%
City of Kellogg	$10,000	1	n/a
Wells Economic Development Authority	$10,000	1	n/a
St Clair Public School-Isd#75	$10,000	1	n/a
The Children's Museum of Rochester Inc	$10,000	5	1%
Step Inc	$10,000	1	n/a
A Great Day Farm	$10,000	1	5%
Giants of the Earth Heritage Center Inc	$10,000	1	3%
Rochester Area Economic Development Inc	$10,000	1	n/a
Little Lakers Child Care Center	$10,000	1	n/a
Springfield Cares	$10,000	1	n/a
Minnesota State University Mankato Foundation Inc	$10,000	1	0%
Lions Club	$10,000	1	n/a
Saint Peter Good Neighbor Diversity Council	$10,000	1	n/a
Houston Public Library	$10,000	1	n/a
Waseca-Le Sueur Regional Library Sy	$10,000	1	n/a
Spring Grove Area Chamber of Commerce	$10,000	1	n/a
City of la Crescent	$10,000	1	n/a
City of Albert Lea	$10,000	1	n/a
Big Brothers Big Sisters of 7 Rivers Region Inc	$10,000	1	3%
Amboy Community Club Inc	$10,000	1	n/a
Ellendale Historical Society Inc	$10,000	1	n/a
City of Claremont	$10,000	1	n/a
Wykoff Area Historical Society	$10,000	1	n/a
Green Isle Community School	$10,000	1	1%
City of Dover	$10,000	1	n/a
Independent School District 2168	$10,000	1	n/a
Madelia Community Theatre Inc	$10,000	1	n/a
Rural Renaissance Project	$10,000	1	74%
Anders Early Learning Center	$9,770	1	n/a
Forward New Prague Foundation	$9,685	1	3%
Riverwalk Market Fair Inc	$9,531	1	n/a
Healthy Families	$9,500	5	n/a
Watonwan County Beyond the Yellow Ribbon	$9,500	1	n/a
Rice County	$9,500	1	n/a
Little Sprouts Learning Center Inc Wersal	$9,000	1	n/a
Discovertree Childcare Center	$9,000	1	n/a
Community Economic Development Associate	$8,900	1	0%
Lanesboro Public Schools	$8,838	1	n/a
Artorg Studios Incorporated	$8,625	1	7%
City of Waterville	$8,500	1	n/a
Plainview Community Theater Inc	$8,000	1	n/a
Jr's Academy LLC	$8,000	1	n/a
Plainview-Elgin Area Food Shelf Inc	$8,000	1	n/a
Takara Kids Clubhouse Daycare Center and Preschool	$8,000	1	n/a
Rethos F/K/A Preservation Alliance of Minnesota	$8,000	1	1%
City of Alden	$8,000	1	n/a
Cannon Falls Area Chamber of Commerce	$7,835	1	10%
American Legion Post 269	$7,570	1	n/a
Saint Casimir School	$7,535	1	n/a
Destination Lake City Inc	$7,500	1	n/a
City of Elkton	$7,500	1	n/a
Plainview Area Community & Youth Center Inc	$7,500	1	18%
City of Wells	$7,500	1	n/a
Rushford Area Historical Society	$7,500	1	n/a
Faith in Action in Dodge County	$7,500	1	n/a
St Charles Rec Club	$7,070	1	n/a
International Association of Lions Clubs	$7,000	1	n/a
Hearing Glasses LLC	$7,000	1	n/a
City of Eyota	$6,925	1	n/a
Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce	$6,854	1	4%
City of Elgin	$6,750	1	n/a
Waterville Chamber of Commerce	$6,750	1	n/a
City of New Prague	$6,631	1	n/a
Discover Faith Community	$6,625	1	n/a
Rochester Catholic Schools	$6,500	1	n/a
City of Arlington	$6,450	1	n/a
City of Grand Meadow	$6,300	1	n/a
South Troy Wesleyan Church	$6,250	1	n/a
Habitat for Humanity Serving Winona County	$6,235	1	1%
Bulldog Youth Baseball	$6,000	1	n/a
Building Blocks Childcare & Learning Center	$6,000	1	n/a
St Peters Episcopal Church	$5,900	1	n/a
Harmony Area Chamber of Commerce	$5,500	1	7%
Waterville-Elysian-Morristown	$5,000	3	n/a
Northfield Area Family YMCA	$5,000	1	0%
Minnesota Makers & Artists Guild	$5,000	1	5%
City of Winnebago	$5,000	1	n/a
Alden Area Food Shelf	$5,000	1	n/a
Heather Curling Club	$5,000	1	n/a
Project Splash	$5,000	1	n/a
Red Wing Innovation Incubator	$5,000	1	n/a
City of Cannon Falls	$5,000	1	n/a
Kay's Upholstery	$5,000	1	n/a
First Covenant Church Red Wing Mn	$5,000	1	n/a
Maple River Loaves & Fishes Food Shelf	$5,000	1	n/a
Preston Area Arts Council	$5,000	1	n/a
Saint John Lutheran Church	$5,000	1	n/a
Kellogg Lions Club Inc	$5,000	1	n/a
Rainbow Food Co-Op	$5,000	1	n/a
American Family Insurance McCabe Properties LLC	$5,000	1	n/a
City of Mantorville	$5,000	1	n/a
Jobs Plus Incorporated	$5,000	1	0%
Guardian Athletics	$5,000	1	n/a

Plus 3 recipients with no EIN on record ($20k), not named here.

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 5 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 99 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured

Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 99.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Minnesota Community FoundationMN58.2× affinity37 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Minnesota Community Foundation · Taylor Family Farms Foundation Inc · Mayo Clinic Group Return · Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation · Minnesota Historical Society · Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council · Minnesota State High School League Foundation · C K Blandin Foundation · Rochester Area Foundation · Otto Bremer Trust · Mankato Area Foundation · United Way of Southeast Minnesota

How this is measured

Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Compare Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation with peer funders

About Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation

How much does Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation give?: Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation reported 76 itemized grants totaling $1,509,101, out of $4,432,085 in total grant expense reported on the return in its FY2025 IRS filing. It funded between 36 and 95 organizations a year over FY2018 to FY2024.
What does Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation fund?: By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2025, its largest causes are Education (28%), Community Improvement (18%), Recreation & Sports (14%).
Who are Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation's largest grantees?: By total granted over FY2017 to FY2025: Leo Augusta Children's Academy ($646k), City of Fairmont ($278k), City of Harmony ($252k).
Does Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation fund new organizations?: In FY2024, 40% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Which funders back the same organizations as Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation?: Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Minnesota Community Foundation, Taylor Family Farms Foundation Inc, Mayo Clinic Group Return.
Where is Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation based?: Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation is based in MN.