In the 1980s, an economic crisis had shaken Greater Minnesota. Farms across the state faced bankruptcy and rural communities suffered. Accordingly, young people were leaving the small towns that had nurtured them in search of opportunities elsewhere. These developments created uncertainty about the future of rural Minnesota.

In the midst of that “farm crisis” the urban-based McKnight Foundation held listening sessions across the state to determine how best to support Greater Minnesota during this time. After recognizing that the most effective solutions would be driven by the local people in rural communities, McKnight Foundation had the foresight to create the six Minnesota Initiative Foundations (MIFs) with a mission to support rural vitality. The MIF model is completely unique to Minnesota. These six sister foundations, including Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), were launched to provide support and resources directly to the people and communities in their respective regions.
 
SMIF was originally incorporated as the Southeastern Minnesota Initiative Fund (SEMIF), and has always been headquartered in Owatonna. The original mission statement was, “The mission of Southeastern Minnesota Initiative Fund is to encourage and empower citizens to creatively respond to their identified needs, problems and opportunities in order to improve the quality of life for the people in the 20 counties of Southeastern Minnesota.”
 
SMIF’s original goals included the following:
  1. Create a regional organization to coordinate and marshal the existing resources in the region.
  2. Address the current agricultural crisis.
  3. Initiate a long-term economic development effort aimed at assisting small business creation and diversification.
  4. Institute an ongoing leadership development program.
  5. Develop an incentive to address gaps in education & human service programs.
  6. Make available incentive funds to address environmental issues.

Today, SMIF’s mission and vision reflects the Foundation’s commitment to working toward a prosperous southern Minnesota by fostering a culture of collaboration. 

For a more detailed history of the Minnesota Initiative Foundations, click here.