Christine Shaffer-Brown By: Christine Shaffer-Brown   We can all reflect on individuals in our lives that have influenced us and had a meaningful impact on who we are. Oftentimes what we have learned from these influencers becomes subconsciously engrained into the fabric of our total being.  How you celebrate those who have played such a role in your life is individual to you, perhaps it’s spending time with them, sending them gifts, or perhaps it’s with a tribute.   The Fa

Jeff Jandro By: Laura Bock I know a guy – you might know him too. He is a hard-working guy with deep callouses on his hands from years of hard work. He drives an older van and takes very few vacations. He helps out his neighbors, nieces, and nephews when he can, and he takes care of his aging mother. This guy knows the working end of just about any construction equipment and is not shy about getting his hands dirty. Over the years he has saved and earned and grown his small b

Laura Bock - Executive Director I hope you have heard about the amazing transformation of our community foundation. We just completed our first full calandar year following the pivot. I am so pleased to send you this report on the outstanding year we had and look forward to the next steps of our success for the benefit of our community. With the support of our outstanding Board of Directors ,  we have had a banner year. We are working with local organizations to build susta

It's still January – 2025 stretches out before us, offering plenty of time to achieve our resolutions. It’s too late for the Vikings, but not for you! Have you made any resolutions for 2025? Maybe it’s time to rethink that. A 2023 Forbes study offers little encouragement: 8% of resolutions are forgotten by the end of January, and by March, 51% are , 51% are already behind us. Rather than focusing on resolutions, let’s consider them as  decisions  for 2025. Laura Bock - Fariba

2025 is bright and new! We all love new things! New babies melt our hearts. That new car smell is intoxicating. New puppies delight us. New ideas excite us. Sweet little newborn baby This whole year stretches out before us with possibility! Let's treat it like the precious new opportunity it is. This Foundation was founded on a dream, that people would support the effort to continuously improve our quality of life. We believe that people who have been fortunate WANT t

Laura Bock - Executive Director, Faribault Foundation The month of November evokes feelings of gratitude and Thanksgiving Day is the pinnacle of that sense of gratitude. Those close to me know Thanksgiving is truly my favorite holiday.  As I reflect on all I am thankful for, the many people involved in the growth of the Faribault Foundation is high on the list. First of all, the board members, these dynamic community leaders really stepped up to transform the Faribault Founda

What does it take to be a philanthropist? Generosity and charity are admirable human traits. Many people are generous. You may think philanthropy is out of your reach, a term only for the very wealthy. But the definition includes all of us. A philanthropist is a person who seeks to promote the welfare of others, especially by the generous donation of money to worthy causes. We can look to the uber wealthy for inspiration, and we should. Warren Buffett tops the list as the big