Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) recently approved $300,000 to support 14 capital projects in small towns under 10,000 through the Taylor Rural Improvements Grant. Each project provides services to underserved populations in the community. This grant round considered projects involving food, clothing, shelter, transportation and internet accessibility. An additional $100,000 was dispersed for food and direct assistance through a Good Neighbor Grant from The McKnight Foundation.
The Taylor Rural Improvements Grant (TRIG) is supported by a donation from Glen A. Taylor through the Taylor Family Farms Foundation. Taylor has a long history of funding philanthropic initiatives related to rural community revitalization. The gift will create a financial framework to support these and other causes for future generations in the area Glen Taylor still calls home. Below are a list of a few local organizations that received TRIGs.
The City of Kilkenny received a $5,000 TRIG to purchase computers and internet access at the community center/public library to make internet services accessible to the public, especially for completing homework assignments.
Lutheran Social Service of MN for the Montgomery Meals site received $23,404 TRIG to purchase a refrigerator and freezer to meet the requirements of the Minnesota Food Code and continue to provide seniors in the community with safe, nutritious meals, as well as repair potholes to allow better access to the facility.
Waseca-Le Sueur Regional Library System received a $29,451 TRIG to pay for devices, including laptops and tablets paired with hotspots, monitors, public computers, device cases and a printer, and software and apps for digital skills training and tech support.
Additionally, SMIF announced that due to a Good Neighbor Grant from The McKnight Foundation, an additional $100,000 was dispersed throughout the region to provide immediate support for food and direct assistance to those in need. SMIF dispersed these funds through the Community Action Agencies in the region and other partner organizations.
"Thanks to Glen A. Taylor and the Taylor Family Farms Foundation, underserved populations in our region are able to access some of the most underfunded needs — capital improvements for essential community services," shared Benya Kraus, SMIF president and CEO. "This year we are also honored to partner with The McKnight Foundation to provide additional assistance to the region. We are grateful to our partners as well as the awardees who are taking the initiative to invest in the critical infrastructure needs of our small towns.”