Community News - September 2019
Resources for community foundations & designated funds
Greetings!

As summer wraps up and we get back into the school routine, let’s celebrate the successes we’ve shared over the last few months. There is not enough space to list all of the highlights because you are doing so many great things. Feel free to share your stories with me for the next edition!

Le Sueur Community Foundation recently completed a community mural celebrating the history of the community, resulting in the beautiful mural pictured below! They have received tremendous community support for this initiative. Blue Earth Community Foundation also led a similar initiative a few years ago resulting in community growth and collaboration. Both projects were supported through SMIF’s Paint the Town Grant Program.
The Wing’s Foundation in Red Wing, currently a donor-advised fund but planning to transition to a community foundation, received an amazing gift from their benefactor Suzanne Blue. SMIF was able to convert privately held stock in Red Wing Shoe Company to seed this $2+ million fund for the community! Congratulations to the board on your exciting new adventure impacting all who live in the Red Wing area.

What’s on Wednesdays is an initiative supported by the St. Charles Area Community Foundation and SMIF through our matching grant program. This event, held on six Wednesdays during the summer, focuses on bringing the community together with family-friendly activities. Attendance at each event has hovered around 300 people! Now another organization is collaborating with the Foundation to continue this program and make an even larger impact. Check out great pictures from the event on their Facebook page.

Just a reminder, make sure your fellow board members are reading this newsletter. This is our main form of contact with affiliate funds and you will receive ideas and information to help your fund be successful. Also, this is where we share incentive, policy and procedure updates. 

Community Philanthropy Director  
507-214-7023
Affiliate Fund Fee Structure Update
The last edition of the Affiliate Fund Newsletter in June included an update on our fee structure for all funds. We will be changing the structure to the below:

Starting January 1, 2020 any NEW fund under SMIF’s umbrella, including those housed under a community foundation, will receive an administrative fee. If the fund is endowed, the fee will be 0.72% investment fee and 0.50% administrative fee. If the fund is not endowed, the administrative fee will be 1.0%.

We will not be charging current project funds under community foundations. They will be grandfathered in with no fee. However, if the fund is set up as a sub-fund or donor-advised fund, there will be a fee as outlined above. Please reach out if you have any questions on the structure of funds under the community foundation umbrella. 

The fee structure for the affiliate fund program is changing to allow SMIF to continue to support small communities in capturing their philanthropic dollars. In fact, each community foundation receives at least $5,000 in services each year. By adding fees to some fund types, we can continue to offer services to our community foundations without charge. The new fees are minimal in comparison to other organizations and small funds are administratively heavy on SMIF staff. Please feel free to reach out with any concerns.
Join Us for our Annual Affiliate Fund Training! – The Art of Live Asks
Date: October 3, 2019
Time: 2:00 p.m.- 6:30 p.m.
Location: Freeborn County Historical Museum
1031 Bridge Ave, Albert Lea, MN 56007
Dinner and mileage provided


During this session, you’ll have the chance to dive into the art of live asks. “Live asks” are any fundraising ask given in front of a group of people, like at a house party, a gala, a performance, or a community meeting.

We will unpack examples of great (and terrible) asks, break those down, and help you build an ask based on your organization’s work and audience. You’ll also get the chance to give your asks and receive feedback in a supportive and encouraging environment.
Thank you to our sponsors
Give to the Max Day - November 14, 2019
Give to the Max Day is almost here again! This is a wonderful opportunity for your community to come together and think about philanthropy.

We will be offering the same options as last year. SMIF will pay for all transactions fees for donations made through your SMIF donation page. You also have the option to have a goal tracker bar and dollar-for-dollar matching gift tracking bar. I will need the below from you by November 7, 2019:

• Total goal for the day
• Total amount of matching gifts (SMIF can only track dollar-for-dollar matches)
• Any changes to logo or text on the SMIF-provided donation page. If you are not sure how to find your donation page please let me know.

SMIF's donation page also has the capability to allow us to input additional dollar amounts into the tracking bar. This means you have the capability to accept checks on Give to the Max Day. If you want to do this, please email me the total amount of checks received for the entire day at the below times on November 14:

12 p.m.
3 p.m.
7 p.m.

If I don't receive an email at those times, I will assume you did not receive any checks. Again, you do not have to accept checks if you don't want to. I can also include donations given through giveMN in your tracking bar on SMIF's donation page if you want (some donors may still use this platform). Then you will have the total raised for the day on your SMIF donation page. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Planned Giving – Investing now for future impact
Planned giving can be intimidating. However, you don’t need to be an expert to let your supporters know they can leave a gift to your foundation in their final plans. One community member did just that for the Mapleton Area Foundation. Now, the Foundation is forever changed.

In 1997 Wally and Bertha Frank took the formal step of establishing the Frank Trust which became a true legacy of giving to the Mapleton community. The Mapleton Area Foundation is very grateful to Wally and Bertha and the entire family for entrusting the Foundation with this gift given for the future of the Mapleton area. The Foundation will now be able to do more projects of significance for their community. Planned giving is very flexible and allows the donors to leave the legacy they choose. For example, the Frank Trust now supports three local organizations annually including the Mapleton Area Foundation.

“Planned giving is a great way for our supporters to leave a lasting legacy to achieve their philanthropic wishes for our community. We are very proud and thankful to receive the Frank Trust to benefit the community foundation and our community for years to come,” said Jeff Annis, MAF President.

SMIF is here to help you with your planned giving efforts. We just wrapped up our annual print piece to each foundation last month. These were customized to each foundation that opted to participate. We will be doing this again in 2020. Also, we have an advisor newsletter that goes to all professional advisors in our database. This newsletter gives pertinent information on planned giving vehicles and relevant stories. We also have a robust website focused on planned giving. Feel free to take some time to learn about what there is to offer. Finally, we are always here to help if you have any questions on planned giving. 
Minnesota Planned Giving Council Annual Conference - Scholarships Available!
The MPCGC Annual Conference is a great way to learn more about planned giving. They have sessions from the basics of starting a planned giving program for your organization, to complex gift seminars.

This year the conference will be held on October 22-24, 2019 in St. Paul, MN. Scholarships are available through the Leave a Legacy Minnesota Committee. Apply here by September 20, 2019.
Community Foundation Matching Program Update
Fiscal Year 20 Matches
Endowment Match for community foundations with endowments under $100,000: most of the $20,000 remaining
Matching Grant for community foundations: $500 remaining
Professional Development Fund for community foundations: $4,772 remaining

Did you know SMIF is a donor supported organization? We can offer these matches and support your fund with technical and administrative assistance because donors see the value in the services we provide to our communities. We believe in equipping and empowering communities to make change at home. If you share this passion as well, I hope you will consider making a personal contribution to SMIF to help us continue this essential program focused on keeping our communities vital.
News from SMIF
Economic Impact Grants

Nonprofit organizations and government agencies are eligible to apply for this new grant.

Applicants are encouraged to consider submissions to support current or future business growth, access or expansion of resources to underrepresented populations, and/or grow the community’s ability to embrace and develop a grow-your-own community culture. This may include, but is not limited to, initiatives in the areas of tourism, the arts, food accessibility and business services.

Requests of up to $20,000 will be considered. Contact Pam Bishop, Vice President of Economic Development, at 507-214-7013 or pamb@smifoundation.org with questions.  

Facebook Post Examples
It’s important to post content on your Facebook page to keep your supporters engaged. Below are a few suggestions for posts in the coming month.

Highlight your board members! You may have noticed SMIF is highlighting our current board members, one each day over the past couple of weeks. This lets your supporters know who you are and why each of you are serving on the board. Perhaps once a week would be more manageable than daily. Here are examples on SMIF’s page.

Highlight a donor! Do you have a donor who has gone above and beyond for your organization? Thank them! Let the community know the impact they are having through their philanthropic decisions.

Highlight a grantee! What has your organization supported that spurred long-term change in your community? Maybe something recent, maybe something from a few years ago that continues to yield impact. Let the community know how their dollars are making a difference. 
Recent Community Foundation Grants
  • Community Christmas decorations – Winthrop Area Foundation
  • Community event support – Rushford Community Foundation
  • Community mobile event trailer, table and tent – Madison Lake Area Community Foundation
  • Community space renovation support – St. Charles Area Community Foundation
  • Downtown public art support – Wing’s Foundation
  • Early childhood playground equipment – Montgomery Community Foundation
  • Postsecondary scholarships – Rushford Community Foundation
  • Summer pool pass scholarships – Blue Earth Community Foundation, Wabasha-Kellogg Area Community Foundation
  • Veterans memorial support – Wanamingo Community Foundation
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