Earlier this month, Minnesota Council on Foundations (MCF) posted a blog about trends they’re seeing in the philanthropic/nonprofit sectors. That got us thinking about trends we’ve seen in rural Minnesota throughout 2013. This year we took a deep dive into rural Minnesota perspectives with our Rural Pulse study. Some key findings worth note include: The …
For our holiday card this year, we partnered with Itasca Life Options (ILO) — a nonprofit licensed by the state of Minnesota to provide day training and rehabilitation services to adults with cognitive and physical disabilities living in Itasca County. Local artists instruct ILO participants in drawing, painting, pottery, natural printmaking, mosaics and fiber arts …
Yesterday Blandin Foundation trustees took a stroll across the street to visit the new home of the Itasca County Historical Society (ICHS). As they winded their way through the various historical touch points of the past, they collided with the man who secured our organization’s future. Charles Blandin’s stately desk rests below an image that …
“Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength.” – Sitting Bull, Sioux warrior Blandin Foundation president Kathy Annette shared this message with over 200 women leaders at the Women in Public Service Conference on November 15. Joining fellow panel members Becky Roloff, President of YWCA of Minneapolis, and Mayor Elizabeth Kautz of Burnsville, Kathy …
Today we welcome Janet Borth, Director of HR/Board Services. Janet recently attended the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits 2013 Annual Conference. Here she shares her observations on one of the sessions she attended. Stale, stagnant and stuck…three reasons to reframe the race conversation in community development work, said presenters at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits 2013 …
Two new staff members joined Blandin Foundation in September. We sat down with each of them to learn more about their work, and asked them a couple questions to get to know them better. Liz Carlson – Payroll/Finance Assistant As a member of the Foundation’s finance team, Liz processes payroll, assures compliance with Foundation …
Today we welcome guest blogger Matt Rezac, director of rural community partnerships at the Sherwood Foundation in Omaha, Neb., and former Blandin Foundation staff member. He shares comments on a recent Nebraska-Minnesota rural philanthropy learning tour. A couple years ago, my wife and I made a difficult decision to leave tremendous personal and professional circumstances …
Today’s youth are eager to contribute to the vibrancy of their rural community. They are positive about the future and ready to act. But are they being asked to? This summer’s Center for Rural Affairs poll found that youth are more positive than their elder counterparts when it comes to the future of their community. …
In July, Ashley Carlson joined Blandin Foundation as the Administrative Executive Assistant for our CEO, Vice President and Director of Human Resources and Board Services. In this role, she handles correspondence, travel and meeting logistics, and document management. Ashley earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of St. Scholastica, and will soon complete …
Broadband technology is revolutionizing rural life. From budding online entrepreneurs, to long-distance learners, grandmas on Facebook to telehealth, online connectivity is opening up opportunities in rural America that did not previously exist. Recognizing the importance of broadband to the health and vitality of rural communities, in 2003 Blandin Foundation made a decision to commit resources …