
Trustees tour Itasca Economic Development Corporation
December 23, 2014
Nonprofits and funders are finding new ways of working together to achieve greater impact, a survey conducted by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations found. Forging partnerships through authentic communication is crucial to understanding the needs of both grantees and those they serve. Building deeper relationships was the focus of a recent visit between Blandin Foundation trustees […]
Blandin Foundation welcomes Carolyn Olson
December 19, 2014
In November, Carolyn Olson 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. To get to know Carolyn better, we asked her a few fun questions: What can’t you live […]
Community leadership: Does it run in the family?
December 18, 2014
[pullquote] Leadership Insight Are leaders born or created? “There is a lot of research (and personal witness) that could bend your thinking either way but this is what I believe from working in rural communities throughout Minnesota. They are both – people have personality traits and life experiences that give them the ability to lead. […]
December 12, 2014
Today we’re joined by Colleena Bibeau, Indian Services Student Advocate and Tutor at Grand Rapids High School. This month she had the opportunity to accompany local students as they traveled to Washington D.C. to see the lighting of the Capitol Christmas Tree. Here’s her experience. When I saw the U.S. Capitol holiday tree from Leech […]
Who’s championing rural philanthropy?
December 11, 2014
Around our office, you often hear – “If you’ve been to one rural community, you’ve been to one rural community.” Understanding that every rural community is unique and has its own challenges and opportunities is central to our work. Sometimes, though, a challenge is so pervasive that it does impact all rural communities. Philanthropy in […]
Lesson #1 in Increasing Internet Access and Use: It all comes down to community leadership
December 4, 2014
In today’s Council on Foundations blog post, Blandin Foundation’s Bernadine Joselyn makes the case for philanthropic support for increasing Internet access and use in the U.S. This is work that Blandin Foundation has been doing in rural Minnesota communities since 2003. Through the Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities project and the current Blandin Broadband Communities program, […]
Creating conditions for nonprofit success
November 26, 2014
“Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result.” – Oscar Wilde Rural nonprofits, like any organization, succeed when the conditions are right. So what does it take? Heavy pockets and an army of do-gooders? Not quite. Based on learning from 13 interviews with Blandin Foundation Rural Quick Start grantees (grants up […]
Ten Blandin Broadband Communities Named at Yesterday’s Border to Border Broadband Conference
November 20, 2014
Yesterday more than 160 economic developers, educators, providers, legislators, co-ops, and community leaders came together to tackle the tough issues related to Internet access and use. The day kicked off with an uplifting introduction by Blandin Foundation Director of Public Policy and Development Bernadine Joselyn.
Tele-dentistry fights the “silent epidemic” in rural Minnesota
November 12, 2014
Did you know that 51 million hours of school time is lost each year due to dental illness? That’s a staggering number! “A lot of people don’t realize dental disease is the most common disease in kids and it’s completely preventable,” says Sarah Wovcha, executive director of Children’s Dental Services (CDS), a nonprofit organization dedicated […]
Minnesota shares a holiday gift with the nation
November 7, 2014
As intricate, iridescent snowflakes start to fall, the smell of pine needles, the sight of twinkling lights, the taste of peppermint treats, and feeling the holiday cheer is palpable. The warmth of family, friends and community envelopes us like a weighty, woven blanket. The magic of the holidays was in full-swing last week when students […]
Seniors-to-Seniors: Tech night boosts broadband literacy in Lake County
November 4, 2014
A recent Lake County News Chronicle story featured a Blandin Community Broadband Program that partnered seniors (older folks) with seniors (from Two Harbors high school) to “help get them online, offering training and support.” Chris Langenbrunner, Community Education Director, said, “We had heartwarming interactions and personalized learning occurring in our media center all night. It […]
Starting Strong: student success stories from MinnCAN
November 3, 2014
Last month MinnCAN spotlighted four rural Minnesota schools in their recent report, Starting Strong: Pre-K through 3rd grade success stories from across Minnesota. Vision, collaboration and leadership were three key elements in each featured school. With alignment as the goal, read how each school rallied their resources to make lasting positive change.
A Down-and-Dirty Rural Definition
October 30, 2014
By Tim Marema Here are the words you don’t want to hear at the beginning of rural policy meetings: “Before we get into our topic, let’s take a quick look at how we are going to define rural.” There’s never anything quick about it. Hours later, after the last statistician, artist, organizer, or demographer has […]
Manufacturing and today’s rural MN economy
October 27, 2014
In Minnesota, 826,000 jobs, $18.3 billion in wages and 16 percent of our GDP comes from manufacturing. Last week rural communities across Minnesota celebrated Manufacturers Week, “a statewide celebration that puts the spotlight on a crucial sector of the state’s economy.” From Red Wing to Sauk Centre, Bemidji to Pequot Lakes, Warroad to Aitkin, Minnesotans toured […]
New report answers why unemployment rates are lower in rural Midwest, post recession
October 23, 2014
First, a staggering statistic: “Eighty-two percent of U.S. counties experienced job losses as a result of the recession.” WOW! But, there’s more… “Some places were hit much harder than others, and some have recovered more rapidly,” says a recent USDA report. Surprisingly, the Plains states in the Midwest seem to have made it out relatively […]
Reflecting on the future of equitable education in Minnesota
October 22, 2014
Energized and hopeful, Blandin Foundation staffers Kyle Erickson and Becky LaPlant returned from “Learning and Teaching with Fire: Lessons from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Tribal Colleges (TCU)” bubbling with new ideas for the future of equitable education in Minnesota. Kyle reflected on his experience in a guest blog for the Minnesota Council on […]
Rural Minnesota communities take the 2N2 pledge
October 17, 2014
5 seconds. That’s how long your eyes leave the road for every text message you send or receive. Traveling at 55mph, you cover the length of a football field during that time – blindfolded. Scary, right? Now trade that 5 seconds in for 2N2 – 2 Eyes on the Road. 2 Hands on the Wheel. […]
Attend Border to Border Broadband: No Community Left Behind
October 16, 2014
If access to, and use of, high-speed Internet is important to your rural community, consider attending the Border to Border Broadband Conference. Read more about what you will learn below… Earlier this fall, over the course of three weeks, three national organizations working on driving Internet access, adoption and use came to Minnesota for major […]
On the path to a vibrant future: Warroad
October 13, 2014
On the surface, Warroad, Minnesota, seems like countless rural Minnesota places: a small town (population 1,781), near a big lake (Lake of the Woods), in one of the state’s sparsely populated areas (northwestern Minnesota). With vital stats like these, you might assume Warroad is clinging to survival, struggling with a decimated economy and discouraged residents. […]
Newspapers: The Foundation of Vibrant Communities
October 9, 2014
Common perception holds that millennials no longer value newspapers as a key source for information. Well, as a millennial, I beg to differ and in observation of National Newspaper Week, I would like to thank newspapers for playing a vital role in the health of rural communities. It’s morning. I pad to the front door, swing […]
Blandin Foundation president/CEO featured in MNSights
October 7, 2014
Hope springs eternal. These uplifting words were spoken by our president, Kathy Annette, in a recent MNSights article. While this message pertained to a specific instance in Kathy’s life, it could be said that MNSights, a publication of the Minnesota Philanthropy Partners, showcases stories that spring eternal hope – stories about energizing kids’ creativity to stimulate […]
Education Grants “fill the gap” for 328 students
October 2, 2014
With books stacked sky high in the back seat and a trunk that’s bungee corded shut, many young Minnesotans hit the road last month, putt-putting to their futures. The Minnesota Office of Higher Education recently reported that 77 percent of the state’s high school graduates attended college in 2012, up from 56 percent in 1996. At […]
Forging a path for Itasca County’s future through conversation at first-ever Community Cafe
September 24, 2014
Itasca County educators, government, artists, law enforcement, business owners, environmentalists, social services providers and more gathered together on Tuesday to answer the question: What is the future we want to live in to? Participating in three 20-minute conversations, some over-arching […]
Connect Itasca seeks to build the case for broadband expansion
A small rural clinic closes. A home buyer chooses to look elsewhere. A teacher can’t teach. While these situations seem unrelated and strangely paired, they all have one common denominator — broadband. Not what you expected? Here’s the skinny behind the stories: The Bigfork, Minnesota clinic, a satellite of Essentia, can’t upload patient files because […]
Art of Hosting: Have conversations that matter
September 22, 2014
What kind of conversations need to happen in your community right now? Who would be at the table? Would it be the right people? What do people need to know before they can fully participate in the conversation? How would the conversation start? These are tough questions that are often times overlooked by organizers, but […]
Digital storytelling: the megaphone for rural voice
September 19, 2014
Stories have connecting power. They give us a behind-the-scenes look into people’s lives. They invite us to relate to people on a human level and have the potential to inspire action. That might be why video is expected to be the dominant form of online content by 2017. In today’s Daily Yonder, TechSoup blogger Jim […]
The Birthplace of Brain Gain: Mitchell, S.D.
September 16, 2014
Sometimes innovation springs from the strangest places – like a palace housing over 275,000 ears of intricately designed corn. Mitchell, South Dakota is home to the nation’s only Corn Palace and as Northern Minnesota author Aaron Brown says in his recent Daily Yonder article, While some might only know Mitchell as a tourist trap on […]
Putting generational differences to work in rural Minnesota
September 15, 2014
Watergate. 9/11. JFK assassination. WWI. WWII. Y2K. What major events shaped the way you view the world? Chances are it depends when you were born. Similarly, the way you communicate was probably influenced by the technological advances that occurred as you were growing up. These influences, along with parenting trends, media, education, location, and general philosophy, shape […]
Blandin Broadband Communities Strut Their Stuff
September 11, 2014
Colorful, dancing feathered figures and the hum of ancestral melodies filled the room as Fond du Lac (FDL) students arranged themselves in such a way that they created a cornucopia of technology. Brandishing iPads, they celebrated their Ojibwe culture, together with community members, through the creation of mobile applications. Held at the end of July, […]
Albert Lea busts poverty myths to build community
September 10, 2014
What does poverty look like to you? For many, it looks like a crumpled-clothed, weathered-looking man holding flimsy cardboard sign with chicken-scratch writing. BUSTED MYTH #1: Not all poverty looks like this! In fact, poverty might look like your next door neighbor, the woman you say hi to in the grocery store or the child with […]
Celebrating rural resiliency and passion across the U.S.
September 5, 2014
If you threw a dart at a map of the United States, it might get stuck in a canyon in the Southwest, perch on the peak of a prodigious mountain in the Northwest or skim swaying wheat fields of the Midwest. Regardless of where you land, it’s likely to be in rural territory. An astounding 72 […]
Ecosystem philanthropy: a recipe for change
September 2, 2014
Problems do not exist in isolation. They are entwined in complex ecosystems. Changemakers must be mindful of the ecosystem, and whenever possible, put the ecosystem to work for them. Herein lies the roots of effective philanthropy. Bush Foundation President Jen Ford Reedy hit these key points in her recent TEDx talk on ecosystem philanthropy. Her […]
Want young people to boomerang back to your community? Get sticky with your high-achievers.
August 25, 2014
This year, we’ve written quite a bit on the misconceptions surrounding brain drain – the outmigration of young people after high school graduation – in rural communities. Outposts guest blogger Aaron Brown recently discussed brain gain and the promise it holds for the future of healthy rural communities. He started by saying “Our future rests […]
Rural MN looks to generational wealth transfer to stimulate vibrancy
August 19, 2014
In the Midwest, 41-45 percent of people move throughout their lifetime – but it’s not just people that migrate. So does money. In fact, we know that in the next twenty years, $47.9 billion will transfer from one generation to the next in Minnesota. This could mean big things for small, rural communities. But if […]
Engage in conversations that matter. Attend Art of Hosting training!
August 13, 2014
Are your volunteer meetings loosing their zest? Have strategic planning sessions got you in a funk? Mix it up! Art of Hosting is a training for all those who aspire to learn how to work with groups in more interactive, engaging and effective ways. Meadowlark Institute is offering a September training, at no cost, to community members […]
August 11, 2014
For a few years now, Blandin Foundation has been interested in the concept of brain gain and the promise it holds for the future of healthy rural communities. Recently, we were surprised when our broadband partners at Intelligent Community Forum published a book entitled Brain Gain that seemed to echo the brain gain research of […]
Nurturing the next generation from cradle-to-career
August 7, 2014
Today we welcome Bernadine Joselyn, Director of Public Policy and Engagement, as she reflects her on experience at a cross-cultural event discussing the future of education. Yesterday I had the chance to attend Day One of the “Educating for the 21st Century” forum held at the Carlson School of Business as part of this year’s […]
Why Treaties Matter exhibit travels to Itasca County
August 4, 2014
“Knowing the realities of others around us helps to form stronger communities. The Why Treaties Matter exhibit gives us a better sense of who we’re living among and the land we’re living on.” – David O’Fallon, president of the Minnesota Humanities Center. Take a minute to travel back in time to your history lessons in […]
Why Treaties Matter exhibit travels to Itasca County
“Knowing the realities of others around us helps to form stronger communities. The Why Treaties Matter exhibit gives us a better sense of who we’re living among and the land we’re living on.” – David O’Fallon, president of the Minnesota Humanities Center. Take a minute to travel back in time to your history lessons in […]
Tatanka Bluffs: creating vibrant communities through collaboration
July 30, 2014
As the Minnesota River surges south to join the Mississippi River, it dances between the bluffs of Renville and Redwood counties. Standing atop a lush emerald hill, you can see how the swirling stream of water stitches the shores together –connecting the two counties. Beyond the whooshing waters, for years the two counties remained detached, […]
Lake County chronicles their journey to broadband adoption on YouTube
July 25, 2014
The North Shore is a destination for many Minnesotans who want to unplug from everyday life — figuratively, not literally of course! Even in times of relaxation, we still want to be able to stream our favorite television show, search the address of that delicious cafe, or YouTube a tutorial on how to set the […]
Minnesota Council of Nonprofits expands presence in Greater MN
July 21, 2014
Leaders are at their strongest when they’re connected. We’ve learned, by engaging with our network of over 6,000 leadership alumni, how great things happen when people take the time to share knowledge, expertise and plans. This is especially true for rural nonprofit leaders. Every nonprofit brings a unique understanding of the challenges facing today’s rural […]
Raise your voice! Join in planning for the future of the Great River Road
July 15, 2014
Minnesota is blessed with an abundance of awe-inspiring bodies of water, and while we boast about our 10,000 lakes, there is nothing more magnificent than the mighty Mississippi River. Once the nucleus of trade and commerce, the Mississippi River now functions as a beautiful reminder of the health and vitality of our state. To preserve […]
Blandin Foundation awards $4.4 million in grants
July 9, 2014
Blandin Foundation trustees approved during their June quarterly meeting 52 grants totaling $4.4 million that strengthen rural Minnesota communities. Trustees also chose to extend by another 10 years and $21 million the Foundation’s decade-long investment in local early childhood programming for at-risk children and their families through the Invest Early™ initiative. Invest Early braids initiatives […]
Who’s in rural’s corner at Blandin Foundation?
July 8, 2014
In the words of rural Minnesota native Bob Dylan, times they are a-changin’ at Blandin Foundation. In just a few short months, we’ve said goodbye to cherished, long-time colleagues and we’ve also welcomed new talent. Here’s an update on who’s in rural’s corner at the Blandin Foundation. Mary Kosak retires After 18 years of commitment […]
Leadership change at Minnesota paper could mean more coverage of rural
July 7, 2014
In a move that brings Minnesota’s largest newspaper back under homegrown ownership, businessman Glen Taylor finalized his purchase of the StarTribune last week. Taylor, who is originally from Comfrey, Minn. (population 382), already has displayed his rural roots, stating that he would like to see the StarTribune increase their statewide coverage. In last Monday’s paper he […]
Grants Reports: 6 Ways to Wow your Funders
June 26, 2014
So you got the grant. Congratulations! After a round of back slaps and high fives, get to work. Fast forward a handful of months and it’s time for a grant report. Let’s be honest, it’s about number 1,398,482 on today’s to-do list, but it’s got to get done. To make the writing process as trouble-free […]
To support rural work, connect the dots
June 25, 2014
As alumni of the Blandin Community Leadership Programs well know, social capital is a cornerstone of community work. But what does rural Minnesota’s social capital look like on a larger scale? A team of rural Minnesota experts decided to find out. Researchers from the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality along with Jane […]
Think people, not place in rural migration
June 19, 2014
Ducks migrate for a reason. The Earth spins and triggers their “biological clock,” alerting them that it’s time to go. Global forces shape their movement. Though human and duck migration patterns look very different and are driven by very different forces, according to geographer Jim Russell, one conclusion can be drawn – migration is a […]
Blandin Foundation doubles its commitment to early childhood
Blandin Foundation trustees made history last week when they voted to double-down on early childhood programming for at-risk children and their families. Making its largest grant commitment ever, Blandin Foundation has extended support for the Invest Early initiative by 10 years and $21 million.
Communities come together to imagine a resilient rural region
June 12, 2014
“Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” – Gloria Steinem At the 2014 Center for Small Towns Symposium, rural sociologist Randy Cantrell said that, more than anything, people who make the move to rural want to see that their community has a […]
Rural: talk about your community’s bloom, not the doom and gloom
June 11, 2014
Kids are leaving. Schools are closing. Jobs are being lost. Rural is dying. This is the dominant narrative of rural today. Doom and gloom and more doom. What we aren’t hearing is the rest of the story. Yes, young adults are leaving after they graduate high school, but they’re coming back. Schools are consolidating but […]
June 10, 2014
Last week, more than 150 rural dwellers drove dozens of miles to the Center on Small Towns Symposium. The topic this year: the rural narrative. The objective: change it! University of Minnesota Extension Researcher Ben Winchester opened with a positive message: people DO want to live in rural communities. Migration patterns show that rural Minnesota […]
A pinch of framing, a dash of social capital: a successful recipe for community leadership
June 9, 2014
If life is like a box of chocolates, is leadership like a delicious pie? Well, let’s think about this…to make a pie you need all the right ingredients, the right equipment and talented people to pull off the recipe. A lot goes into the making of a pie. If all the parts aren’t working in […]
May 29, 2014
During the next two minutes, one more person in the U.S. will have been sexually assaulted. In northern Minnesota, sexual violence is as pervasive as it is nationwide. In Itasca County alone, Support Within Reach (SWR) – an organization that serves those impacted by sexual violence in Aitkin, Itasca and, most recently, Beltrami, Cass, Hubbard […]
Rural arts: bursting at the seams in northern Minnesota
May 23, 2014
Atlanta. Pittsburgh. New Orleans. Grand Rapids. These are just a few stops on the 2014 Trampled by Turtles tour. The first three cities reflect a certain pattern – large and metro. Grand Rapids, Minnesota (yes Minnesota, not Michigan), however, is a bit of an outlier. Nestled between white pine forests and clear blue lakes, Grand […]
bushCONNECT: a place for leaders to gather
May 20, 2014
The room crackled with energy – it was that electric, with the current carrying creative, innovative ideas about possibilities for the future. Last week, leaders from all corners of Minnesota met at a crossroads called bushConnect. Here, I gathered with new friends and reconnected with old acquaintances to talk about leadership.
What does it all add up to? The Mountain of Accountability
May 8, 2014
Today we welcome Wade Fauth, vice president of the Blandin Foundation. As vice president of the Foundation, Wade is responsible for organizational assessment and planning as well as coordination of the Foundation’s leadership, policy, grants, communications, and information services activities. The Blandin Foundation, like many foundations and nonprofits, is a complex organization that engages in […]
Kosak recognized for work in early childhood education
May 6, 2014
Blandin Foundation Program Officer Mary Kosak received recognition for her work in early childhood education at the recent Northeastern Minnesota Early Childhood Summit. Presented by Northland Foundation president Tom Renier, and vice president Lynn Haglin, Mary was honored for her partnership as a champion for young children. Congratulations Mary!
Future Workers Learn the Importance of Committed Connections
May 2, 2014
This week more than 600 ninth graders from seven Itasca County schools traded their sneakers in for a comfy set of loafers, putting themselves in the shoes of local business men and women for a day. As part of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce Future Workers program, students were paired with over 57 organizations […]
What does effective leadership in rural communities look like?
May 1, 2014
Today we welcome Tom Sippola, Multi-Media Leadership Assistant at Blandin Foundation. For over 25 years the Blandin Foundation has worked with rural leaders across the state of Minnesota to help build and sustain healthy communities. With over 6,000 Blandin Community Leadership Program (BCLP) alumni, nearly 500 Blandin Reservation Community Leadership Program (BRCLP) alumni, and countless community […]
Rural students make the case for state broadband funding
April 24, 2014
What if you had to drive an hour to turn in a homework assignment. Would you make the trip? Maybe, maybe not. It’s a lose-lose situation really. You either miss out on time to do other things, like other homework or extra-curricular activities, or you risk getting a zero on an assignment. Imagine having make […]
Cradle-to-Career Pipelines Prepare Students for Lifelong Success
April 22, 2014
Today we welcome Dane Smith, president of Growth & Justice, a research an advocacy organization that develops innovative public policy proposals based on independent research and civic engagement. For Minnesotans with roots in country life or smaller towns, there are certain treasured historic images that reflect the values and advantages of rural communities: the communal […]
E-Mentors: creating professional communicators one email at a time
April 15, 2014
Dear Mr. Future Boss, Thx 4 the email. im excited for this gr8 opportunity and can’t wait 2 meet u. TTYL. Sincerely, Today’s Youth Lower case i, numbers in place of words (4/for), and unidentified acronyms (TTYL) – these are only a few of the common grammar gaffes found in emails from today’s youth. Teens […]
April 9, 2014
“It is more difficult to give money away intelligently than to earn it in the first place.” – Andrew Carnegie In a December 2013 Wall Street Journal article, philanthropy scholar Lucy Bernholz offers big data as an to answer Carnegie’s implied question: how can we be intentional, and intelligent, when awarding grants? But what is […]
April 7, 2014
In a recent Star Tribune editorial, Growth & Justice president Dane Smith challenges us to think about how we perceive competitiveness. He argues that the focus has been narrow for far too long, emphasizing “cheap labor and lower taxes.” Smith says that, instead, competitiveness should be defined by what is done to increase human potential. […]
Blandin Foundation awards $3.4 million in grants to support rural leaders
March 27, 2014
Through our work, we want to inspire rural communities to claim their futures by reaching out into the world of possibilities and grabbing the solution to their community challenge. Last week, Blandin Foundation trustees approved 93 grants, totaling $3.4 million, to leaders who are doing just that kind of work. Some examples of the work […]
Blandin Foundation extends its commitment to rural broadband
March 25, 2014
During their spring meeting March 20 and 21, Blandin Foundation trustees voted to extend the organization’s decade of work in rural broadband another two years (through 2016) and allocate $1.5 million more for community broadband grants. “We see every day what local leaders can do to address very significant and complex challenges,” said Dr. Kathleen […]
Rural connections cradle our littlest learners
March 21, 2014
Invest Early is in its ninth year of providing wrap-around early childhood services for Itasca County children and their families. They recently released their Year 7 results in a report compiled by Wilder Research. Highlights include: Home learning environments, which are associated with higher school readiness scores, improved significantly for Invest Early families during their […]
Passionate about rural? Consider joining our team!
March 13, 2014
Blandin Foundation seeks a full-time Grants Program Officer. Candidates should have: passion for vibrant rural Minnesota communities engagement in inclusive community leadership, desire to work toward helping communities catalyze their ability to expand opportunity for all of its residents. knowledge of education systems and/or economic and community development practices. demonstrated skills in financial and grant […]
The Web celebrates 25th birthday. Is rural invited to the party?
March 6, 2014
In one week, the World Wide Web will turn 25, and boy does it have a lot to celebrate! From 1995 – 2014, the number of Americans who use the internet has shot up from 14 to 87 percent. That’s huge!
In recognition of the Web’s 25th birthday, Pew Research Internet Project released a new report looking at the rapid growth of the internet and how it has impacted the “way people get, share, and create news; the way they take care of their health; the way they learn; the nature of their political activity; their interactions with government; the style and scope of their communications with friends and family; and the way they organize in communities.”
Here are a few noteworthy findings:
Cultivating young rural leaders
February 18, 2014
More than 10,000 rural Minnesota middle and high schoolers are celebrating National FFA Week this week, with activities that range from meeting with government officials to hosting community meals and the Jackson County area’s annual barnyard for kids. FFA may be more familiar by its former name – Future Farmers of America – but FFA’s […]
Pipestone Businesses Stand Behind Community Leaders
February 14, 2014
When Pipestone community leaders rallied together to apply for the Blandin Community Leadership Program (BCLP), one thing stood in their way – 318 miles of pavement. “When we talked about the expense of it because of the distance (BCLP retreats are held in Grand Rapids, Minn.), we weren’t sure if we could pull it off,” […]
A fresh angle: rural newspapers redefine their role in community
February 11, 2014
The Editors & Publishers Program was founded in 2005 and modeled after the Blandin Community Leadership Program. It is a program of the Minnesota Newspaper Foundation, supported in part through Blandin Foundation grants. More than 65 editor-publisher teams have gone through the program and have emerged with a deeper understanding of how to build social […]
Grants director Sonja Merrild takes part in event to raise money for hunger relief
February 7, 2014
Dancing taste buds and a singing server – this year’s Second Harvest North Central Food Bank Chef’s Gala surprised all the senses. The annual benefit to raise money for hunger relief in northern Minnesota featured our own Sonja Merrild as a celebrity server. As part of the event’s entertainment, celebrity servers were auctioned off to […]
Report released: What’s the ROI on broadband?
February 6, 2014
If you were asked to give $1 and, in return, you would receive $10, would you do it? Before you opened up your pocketbook, you’d probably gauge whether or not you trusted the possibility of return on your investment. Is the risk worth the reward? Much the same, broadband investments were akin to a game […]
Got broadband on the brain? If not, you should! Here’s why…
January 31, 2014
Buzz continues to build for next week’s Border to Border Broadband Conference. With Senator Matt Schmit’s Listening Tour wrapping, rural Minnesotans have broadband on the brain. On top of that, today Blandin Foundation announced their latest round of broadband grants. Projects like GIS mapping of broadband availability in Mille Lacs County, equipping a tele-work center […]
Invest in people. Stay economically competitive.
January 23, 2014
Invest in people. That was the pervasive message at yesterday’s Economic Competitiveness Summit held by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. As the number of retirement-ready folks climbs, Minnesota’s workforce will struggle to replenish itself if we’re not investing in the skills and knowledge of our young people. At the Summit, Blandin Foundation […]
Broadband Expansion and Economic Opportunity
January 22, 2014
Looking for a job? Go to the Internet. Setting up an e-commerce site for your business? Better be connected to the Internet. Want to tele-commute? You guessed it, you need the Internet. At the risk of sounding repetitive, it’s clear that broadband infrastructure is a necessary tool in toolbox of today’s economic developer. Competitive rural […]
Education Grants “fill the gap”
January 7, 2014
What are your dreams for your future? Doctor or engineer? Filmmaker, gamer, salon owner? Plumber? Millwright? Whatever your dream, Blandin Foundation believes in your success. Success, though, is a product of hard work and perseverance. Blandin Foundation gives Education Grants — $1,000 to $4,000 each year — so you can get the training you need […]
Education Grants available for Itasca area students
January 5, 2014
You’ve heard it before, the routine interview question: “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” As you think about that question today, if the title “college graduate” is bouncing around in your head, then listen up! This is for you! Whether you’re just about to graduate or took a few years off to work, […]
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