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This article originally appeared in the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation Spring 2013 newsletter.
SFACF joins statewide push to strengthen South Dakota philanthropy
Visibility is a big issue for nonprofits. No matter how important the mission, without an effective message, raising the money needed to make a difference is always a challenge.... more
The Bush Foundation and the Meadowlark Institute partnered to offer small grants for communities, organizations and institutions to engage people in conversations around an issue, opportunity or project that is important to them or their communities. To date, over 100 grassroots organizations took advantage of these funds to host participatory community c... more
As part of the Bush Foundation’s cross-function learning efforts, I joined the Educational Achievement Team on their April 8 site visit to the University of Minnesota, where we met with a most impressive team. The UMN is one of 14 partners working to improve their teacher training program as part of the Network for Excellence in Teaching (NExT). The team included College of Education and Human Development leaders plus key community partners. ... more
The Worthington Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a community conversation in partnership with the Bush Foundation and Twin Cities Public Television’s Redesigning MN documentary series to begin exploring our community’s ongoing battle with “generational shift.” That is, Worthington is seeing a boom in retirements among bus... more
In 2010, the Bush Foundation challenged 14 teacher preparation programs in Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota to join the Network for Excellence in Teaching (NExT). The first three years of this partnership have been filled with planning, trial and error and much success, and it is exciting to be coming to a point in the project where we are able to see results. Our preparation programs have been changed—we approach the recruiting of ... more
