MCF NEWS ARCHIVES
3/22/05

The Initiative Foundation, Little Falls, has shown its commitment to mentorship programs and lake and river preservation in its latest round of grantmaking.

In the area of mentorship programs, the foundation awarded $25,000 each to Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota and the Region Five Development Commission. Each will adopt the foundation’s "Bootstraps" model program, where local mentors help participants achieve self-sufficiency and financial stability through long-term support and planning. Goodwill will help working people with disabilities in the St. Cloud area. Region Five will help low-income families build their own homes in the Brainerd area.

In the area of lake and river preservation, eight Stearns County lake and river associations each received $20,000 as part of their selection to the foundation’s Healthy Lakes and Rivers Partnership program for leadership training and water management planning. Participants include Big Watab Lake, Kraemer Lake, Lake Maria, Little Birch Lake, Pelican Lake, Pleasant Lake, Upper Spunk Lake and the Sauk River. The foundation also granted $5,000 to the Big Birch Lake Association to provide septic system inspections and low-interest replacement or improvement loans for lake association residents.

The foundation also made grants in the areas of affordable housing and faith-based initiatives. In total, the Initiative Foundation awarded 20 grants totaling $201,400.

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