Congratulations to our second grant recipient of 2026 from the Founders Fund! FCTV was chosen by the Foundation's Board of Directors to receive $2,500. Faribault Community Television (FCTV) is your nonprofit public access station, dedicated to keeping our community informed, connected, and engaged. From City Council and School Board meetings to monthly community updates, high school sports, local concerts, church services, educational programming and a wide range of other eve

Congratulations to our first grant recipient of 2026 from the Founders Fund! Knitted Together was chosen by the Foundation's Board of Directors to receive $2,500. Knitted Together exists to provide housing for pregnant women in crisis situations during their pregnancy and through their baby's first year. Providing housing, community, and connection to resources, Knitted Together strives to create a culture that aligns with its values: Celebration, Praise, Strength, Encouragem

Congratulations to Recovery in the Park for being one of our Micro Grant Recipients this summer! Recovery in the Park holds an annual community gathering each September during National Recovery Month. The event is free, family-friendly, and chemical-free, and brings together people in recovery, their families, and local support organizations in Faribault's Central Park. The 2026 event is planned for September 24. Board Member, Mike Richie, presented the grant to Ashley Garden

Congratulations to School Supplies for All for being one of our Micro Grant recipients this summer! School Supplies for All provides essential school supplies for every student Pre-K through 8th Grade. Every child starts day one with the exact same tools without the financial burden that comes with school supplies shopping! Board Member, Ken Hubert, presented the grant to Amy Lunderby at our Micro Grant Ceremony!

Congratulations to the Faribault Area Learning Center for being one of our Micro Grant recipients this summer! The Faribault Area Learning Center is planning on planting a small orchard at their new location. The orchard will include roughly eight fruit-bearing trees including apples, pears, and plums. As they move into a new neighborhood, this project is intended to create a welcoming, visible way for students to connect with and give back to the community while planting som

Congratulations to St. Vincent de Paul for being one of our Micro Grant Recipients this summer! St. Vincent de Paul is using this grant to purchase and provide shampoo, soap, deodorant, and other personal hygiene products to low-income customers of the food shelf. This grant was presented by Christine Shaffer-Brown, Board Member, to Brian Anderson, at the Award Ceremony!

Congratulations to Faribault's Future, Floating into Summer, for being one of our Micro Grant Recipients this summer! Floating into Summer was a project that the 2026 Faribault's Future class put together. This involved fundraising to buy lifejackets and pool toys to give away at the Safe Summer Kickoff that took place on June 4th. Their project was a huge success, giving away nearly 100 lifejackets to kids to enhance their water safety. Board Member, Daryl Bauer, presented t

How good are you at predicting the future? Chances are there are things in your life today that you never would have anticipated five or ten years ago. Success often requires flexibility, the ability to embrace opportunities and adapt to change. For this column, I was inspired by Faribault Foundation Executive Director Laura Bock, who has eloquently described the Foundation's evolution, and by Pat Gustafson, one of the Foundation's original board members who continues to serv

Congratulations to our Administrative Professional, Shelby, on graduating from the Faribault’s Future Leadership class! Your dedication to learning, growing, and investing in the future of our community is something to be celebrated. Thank you for your commitment to leadership and for using your talents to make a difference in Faribault. We can’t wait to see all the amazing things you’ll accomplish next! Please join us in congratulating Shelby on this exciting achievement!

Congratulations on our two winners of the Cole McAdam Memorial Athletic Scholarship! These awards were presented by Jesse Armbruster, Cole’s wrestling coach. Thank you to the generous supporters who keep this scholarship running. Leah Nowaczewski Lucas Caron Congratulations to the winner of the Southern Heights Dental Group Scholarship! Thank you to the Southern Heights Dental Group for the creation and continuation of this scholarship, making it possible for dental assistant

Micro Grant Award Ceremony Friday, June 13, 2026 | 12:30 p.m. Central Park Stage | Heritage Days Join the Faribault Foundation during Heritage Days as we celebrate the recipients of the first round of 2026 Micro Grants! At 12:30 p.m. on the Central Park Stage, we will recognize and congratulate five local organizations whose innovative projects and community-focused initiatives were selected to receive funding through our Micro Grant Program. These grants help bring meaningfu

The Faribault High School Distinguished Alumni Fund is proud to support opportunities that make a lasting impact on students in our community. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our donors, the Fund was able to award a $1,000 grant to the Faribault Community School after-school programming initiative. This contribution will help provide students with enriching experiences, academic support, and engaging activities outside of the classroom. After-school programs play an im

“Community Matters.” This was a favorite phrase of Marcia Morris Beck, who died March 4 at the age of 74 after a lifetime of service to the Faribault community. Marcia Morris grew up in Des Moines, Iowa but when she and her husband, Ken Beck, moved to Faribault in 1984 they quickly made Faribault their hometown. She became a fixture in local theater, whether she was teaching and directing at Bethlehem Academy, acting in the plays produced by the Paradise Center (now FACT),

The Faribault Foundation and the Paradise Center for the Arts are thrilled to celebrate the incredible success of the Le Parti for Women Who Care event. Thanks to the generosity of attendees, sponsors, donors, and community supporters, the event raised an outstanding $8,455.86. The evening brought together community members for a memorable celebration filled with connection, philanthropy, and support for meaningful local causes. One of the highlights of the event was the live

Our Distinguished Alumni Award Ceremony was a tremendous success, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who joined us for this special celebration. It was an inspiring evening honoring outstanding individuals whose achievements continue to make our community proud. Thank you to all who attended, supported, and generously donated—your presence and contributions helped make this event truly meaningful. Because of your continued support, we can keep celebrating excellence a

What if you could help ensure the long-term financial stability of a favorite charity? What if your contribution became part of a permanent fund, invested for long-term growth to generate earnings over time? And what if a portion—say 5%—was distributed each year to support the charity’s mission? You would know your gift is making an impact today, while also helping sustain that impact for years to come. This is how an endowed fund works. Endowments are particularly well suite

Mr. Shank taught music at the high school and collegiate levels. This included vocal music, music theory, and composition. He is a world-renowned choral composer, and regularly writes program notes, conducts, and presents across the country. Josh facilitated the Musician Consortium Fundraiser and the Odyssey Youth Movement during Covid. He has been the conductor for community projects such as Spokane AIDS walk and Veterans for Peace Convention. He has served as the composer-i

Lisa Hillesheim Ryan has worn many hats as a successful accountant, but she also has proven to be a gifted musician and a caring volunteer. After graduating in 1980, Lisa started her life’s journey at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management and earned her BSB in Accounting. She attained a rare accomplishment by passing all four parts of the national CPA exam on the first try. After graduation and marriage, Lisa’s career took her family from Minneapolis to Chi

Upon graduation from Faribault High School in 1987, Janna moved to Southern California to begin her post-high school career and life. While in California, she worked in hospitality and property management, married, and raised three children. After conversations with her grandmother, Jannette Fritz, about a business opportunity in Faribault, Janna moved back in 1995 to reopen the former CJ’s – to what would become Bernie’s Grill. She and her former husband Bernie owned and ope

Dr. Willam B. Orr follows in the footsteps of his celebrated parents Dr. Burton A. Orr, Faribault family practitioner and mother, Rita Ann Orr, aviation pioneer and first woman president of the Faribault Area Pilots Association. Difficult as it may have been to match their achievements, Dr. Orr succeeded by completing advanced degrees, establishing his own private practice and clinics, and becoming one of Minnesota’s foremost experts in Alzheimer’s disease treatment and care.

Stephen is a graduate of FHS and Gustavus Adolphus College, 2012, with a degree in ACS Chemistry. He received his Doctorate in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh in 2017. He began his professional career when he joined Eli Lilly as a post-doctoral scientist. As a post-doc working in Synthetic Molecule Design and Development (SMDD), he focused on advancing automated small molecule drug product extraction techniques. In 2018, he transitioned to a research sc