HIGHLIGHTS OF FISCAL YEAR 2010-11

• Marked the 25th year of serving northeastern Minnesota as a resource and partner to the nonprofits, businesses, communities, and people of this region.

• Received approval of a $6 million commitment from The McKnight Foundation, extending McKnight’s dedication to advancing the work of the Northland Foundation in Greater Minnesota through the year 2016.

• Honored with the Fifth Annual “Nancy Award”, along with the other five other Minnesota Initiative Foundations for the accomplishments of the Minnesota Thrive Initiative in improving the lives of young children in Greater Minnesota.

• Awarded 206 grants totaling $1,738,627 to nonprofit organizations that address the well-being of children, youth, and families; encourage self-reliance and equality for all people; and assist older adults to remain active, valued, and as independent as possible.

• Invested $3.1 million in 19 businesses and nonprofit organizations through loans and loan guarantees, assisting in the creation and retention of 409 jobs in the region.

• Opened Northland Village – Hoyt Lakes’ Assisted Living Community, the third assisted living facility developed and operated by the Northland Foundation to enable older adults in rural communities the opportunity to age-in-place with independence and dignity. Hoyt Lakes joins similar sites in McGregor and Buhl.

• Recognized Blandin Foundation leadership for more than $1.1 million in funding support and steadfast philanthropic partnership serving the communities of northeastern Minnesota.

• Continued the Strengthening Communities Initiative, a two-year program that has provided more than 1,000 hours of targeted technical assistance and $531,754 in grant awards to 37 nonprofits in order to increase their effectiveness in helping low-income people improve their economic security.

• Finalized $1 million in funding for AGE to age: bringing generations together, meeting the match challenge of $500,000 by the principal funder, Community Experience Partnership, an initiative for U.S. community foundations from The Atlantic Philanthropies. Funding partners include Bush Foundation; Otto Bremer Foundation; Blandin Foundation; Communities for All Ages, a national initiative of Temple University; The Sheltering Arms Foundation; and the Walmart Foundation State Giving Programs in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

• Hosted the sixth annual Early Childhood Summit with 250 school superintendents, administrators, educators, and early childhood specialists from 26 school districts attending. The lead presenter was Dr. Leonard Sax, an internationally renowned expert on gender learning differences.

• Received a $25,000 donation from Essentia Health, and honored Essentia Health for 20 consecutive years and $500,000 of funding support to the Northland Foundation to benefit the region’s children, youth, and older adults.

• Provided 75 jobs, both full- and part-time with benefits, in rural northeastern Minnesota through Northland Assisted Living, which operates Northland Village assisted living communities serving older adults in McGregor, Buhl, and Hoyt Lakes.

• Presented 45 training events on topics related to children and youth to more than 2,882 early childhood, infant and early childhood mental health, and youth development professionals; business people, teachers, parents, and other community members.

• Created Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Resource Directories, building on the work of the Duluth-Proctor-Hermantown Thrive Action Team, to list organizations providing services within the mental health continuum of care for young children and families in Aitkin County; Carlton County; Itasca County, Lake and Cook Counties; and Mt. Iron-Buhl, Eveleth, Gilbert, Ely and surrounding communities.

• Recognized the Minnesota Power Foundation for its many years of support and more than $750,000 in funding resources granted to an array of economic development activity, regional learning opportunities, and the KIDS PLUS Program including a pivotal role in the development of Youth In Philanthropy.

• Graduated 54 ninth graders from the Twin Ports KIDS PLUS Youth Leadership Academy which joined young people and volunteer adult mentors from Duluth, MN, and Superior, WI, in a yearlong series of interactive learning sessions. With support from businesses, service organizations, and individuals, youth gain valuable leadership skills and inter-community understanding.

• Partnered with the Valspar Foundation’s Minnesota Beautiful Program for the 14th year, awarding 516 gallons of paint products this year to 15 nonprofit and community groups in northeastern Minnesota.

• Encouraged young people, through Youth In Philanthropy, to embrace civic engagement and giving back to their community. The board includes 16 young people and four adult advisors from throughout the region who awarded 19 grants totaling $15,385 to youth-developed school and community projects.

• Held the fourth annual Child Care Provider’s Appreciation & Training Seminar, which provided early childhood mental health and early literacy training to 425 child care providers from across the region.

• Provided 19 grants totaling $12,500 to 23 school districts in the region in support of planning and programs to help young children make the step into kindergarten with confidence. Since 2007, Northland has invested $62,400 to spur early childhood kindergarten transition efforts.