FARIBAULT FOUNDATION - A “WIN-WIN-WIN” FOR YOU AND OUR COMMUNITY Todd Markman It seems like every time you turn around there’s a benefit for a worthwhile cause in our lives and community. The needs are widespread, ranging from food insecurity to personal illness to many of our favorite nonprofit organizations and kid fundraisers. We all want to help, but we only have so much money and our seemingly small gifts aren’t near enough to solve all the issues. But wait…might th

Laura Bock Executive Director Sometimes the word Charity gets a bad rap. Charity is not a freebie; it is a way to care for others. Charities or nonprofit organizations fill essential needs in our community, and our acts of charity help us to respond to the needs of others with kindness and without judgement. We write a lot about giving and philanthropy in this column. Get ready, because October will be your month to demonstrate a giving heart. The Faribault Foundation invite

The Joy of Giving: Building a Stronger Faribault Together There is a unique kind of joy that comes from knowing you’ve made a difference in someone else’s life. It’s the quiet satisfaction of seeing children laughing and playing in the splash pad at the new Viaduct Park, knowing you helped make it possible. It’s the pride of knowing that because you contributed to Fluff the NEST, students in our school district now have free access to personal hygiene and clothing items they

Laura Bock, Faribault Foundation Executive Director We often hear the term endowment and may understand that it can be a force for good—but how does it actually work? An endowment is a permanent fund where donations are invested. The original donations are called the principal, and they remain intact. Over time, the fund grows through additional contributions and investment returns. After an initial investment period (typically a year or more), a spending policy is applied. A

Laura Bock - Executive Director The Faribault Foundation is pleased to announce the awards for the 2025 CommUnity Micro-Grants. Following a review of all applications by the Grants Committee, the Faribault Foundation Board of Directors approved the following CommUnity Micro-Grants. The following organizations will receive $500.00 · Buckham West Senior Center · Earnest Effort Christmas · No Tummies Left Behind · Paradise Center for the Arts ·

Thanks to Dr. Mike Richie, for his clever message about the value of having a Donor Advised Fund (DAF). If you need to reduce your tax burden or have a desire to create a charitable fund for your future donations - learn more about it like Fred and Wilma! Mike Richie - Faribault Foundation Board Member “Oh, not again,” moans Fred as Dino barrels through the front door, happily leaping on his master and knocking him flat on his back. “Dino, down boy, down! Wilma! Can you grab

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