“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 …
Are foresters the shy, retiring types? Definitely not! At least not at the Oct. 23 “Vital Forests/Vital Communities Redux” event, hosted by Dovetail Partners with support through a Blandin Foundation grant. Foresters, economic developers, business people, forestland owners, loggers—the gamut of Minnesota’s forest stakeholders joined the conversation to review developments in Minnesota’s forests and forestry …
In a region that was settled almost exclusively by Norwegian immigrants, integration was not a topic of conversation in the small west central Minnesota town of Pelican Rapids. From the grocery store to the classroom, differences were scarce. In fact, as recently as two decades ago, the people of Pelican Rapids still largely came from …
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. …
With the gentle play of rope, guided by two veterans, a flag caught the September morning breeze and began flying proudly at the Itasca County courthouse. Its colors – red and white, black and yellow – were illuminated in the crisp sunshine, signaling to those who watched its ascent, and those who will enter the …
“I like to think Blandin Foundation is in the hope business,” said Blandin Foundation President Kathy Annette in a recent speech. Quite a few years earlier, Napoleon Bonaparte echoed this thought when he said, “A leader is a dealer in hope.” That’s what the Blandin Community Leadership Program has been doing for over 25 years …
Can a small community stimulate new business based on the use of an ultra-high-speed broadband network? This question nipped at Blandin Community Leadership Program (BCLP) alumnus Scott Adkisson as he weighed on how to capitalize on Red Wing being chosen as a US Ignite program partner. “At first, people didn’t get it,” said Scott. “It’s …
The Blandin Community Leadership Program is currently accepting applications for fall 2013 retreats. Since 1985, BCLP has provided leadership training to more than 6,000 leaders in over 400 Minnesota rural communities. The program is centered on three core competencies: Framing: Engaging others to identify, choose, and define issues affecting community health. Social Capital: Building a …
“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.” ― Bryant McGill Blandin Foundation has special relationships with the 26 communities in the Itasca area. One way Blandin Foundation President and CEO Kathy Annette nurtures these relationships is to host listening meetings in each one to learn …