SMIF Small Town Grants Awarded

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) recently approved 23 grants totaling $200,000 to support small towns of 10,000 or less in SMIF’s 20-county region.

Each grant seeks to impact the culture, education, economy and/or social aspects of a town by investing in collaborative initiatives that help make the community more welcoming.

$10,000 to Wabasha Main Street to launch the Big Jo Presenter Series, creating a sense of place through programs that will bring arts, education, performance, theater, music and storytelling to the community.

$8,000 to City of Cannon Falls to create Flavor of the Falls Welcome Baskets for new residents with multilingual resources.

$10,000 to City of Pine Island to create a community mural celebrating local history and diversity at the town’s main entrance.

$10,000 to City of Kenyon to improve Depot Park with accessible shelters and inclusive recreational upgrades.

The recent approval of 23 grants has pushed the total of Small Town Grants awarded to 161 projects since the program began in 2017.

Through this program, SMIF has invested $1,372,490 in the small towns of our region.