SMIF Economic Development Grants

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) recently approved nine grants totaling $90,000 to support economic development initiatives in SMIF’s 20-county region, including Goodhue and Wabasha counties.

The 2026 Economic Development Grant award recipients include the Anderson Center in Red Wing.

$10,000 for Interdisciplinary Studies Inc. in Red Wing to run practical, professional skills workshops for artists and other creative small businesses to develop the skills they need to find their audiences and grow their revenue.

$10,000 is going to Community Economic Empowerment Network to expand Martes de Finanzas, a weekly virtual program for Latino entrepreneurs in Goodhue, Rice and Le Sueur Counties, to help participants better understand contracts, recognize predatory financing and make safer decisions to protect their businesses.

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), a donor-supported foundation, invests for economic growth in south central and southeastern Minnesota, serving a region that includes 20 counties, 175 communities and one Native nation.