Initiative Foundation - Little Falls, Minnesota

Onamia Depot Library

The Onamia Depot Library applied for the grant to enhance our ability to improve the library setting and to better serve the community. We were able to replace all of our indoor lighting with LED bulbs, thus improving lighting and provide a more environmentally friendly and economic means for our limited budget. Our budget consists of private, township and local organizations donations as well as bi-annual book and bake sales. The most valuable outcome of the grant was to be able to offer some unique opportunities to better serve members of the community. The library hosts a monthly foot clinic for individuals to have the nails and callouses managed by a nurse. We offer free blood pressures to anyone while we are open. We host a monthly book club, a monthly space for Lakes and Pines to offer needs assessments to individuals. We also serve the community by delivery of books to the local nursing home, assisted living and private shut-ins. We offer space for a group that provides "Story Time" for children 4 times a year on Saturdays. We feel in small ways we have improved our ability to reach out to others thanks to the Initiative Foundations grant.

Nicole Couch

Initiative Foundation is such a great organization. It funds some fantastic projects and offers fabulous trainings. The organizers and facilitators are always very kind and helpful.
Kuddos to a great program!

Dawn van Hees

The Initiative Foundation is instrumental in the work Lakes and Pines does. From programs offered on grant writing, and funding summits to funding grants needed to support the work being done in East Central MN. The Initiative Foundation is a valuable asset. Thank you for all you do.

Robert Hartley

We were advised by the city that we needed to ensure our new self-pour taproom was ADA compliant. We had not budgeted for the necessary sensors to be purchased and installed. The Initiative Foundation was understanding of our needs and stepped up to provide the required funding.

They were excellent to work with and helped us navigate the process successfully. Their funding will help provide access to our self-pour system for our patrons in wheelchairs. Thank you so much for the support!

Patrick MacLeish

First Impression Print & Design used the grant money for expanding our footprint and opening the apparel side of our business. We remodeled our building to utilize the space needed to house our new apparel equipment.

Shirley Johnson

Birch Lake Association was recipient of a grant from the Hackensack & Backus Endowment Fund which was administered by the Initiative Foundation. The grant was used in part to fund the Birch Lake Association Memorial Garden Renovation Project. The renovation was planned and installed by Landsburg Nursery of Brainerd with added labor from Birch Lake Association members. We are proud of the results, appreciate the support of the Community and the collaborative efforts of the Initiative Foundation.

Eric & Tamey DoBrava

The Initiative Foundation has been an answer to our prayers. Covid struck when our business was just a pup- only one year old. After struggling through the next two years we discovered what many small retail businesses have - we were in bad shape! Our local banker encouraged us to reach out to the Initiative Foundation for help and the results have been amazing. They are not only helping us learn to better manage the accounting side of the business; but their encouragement and positivity is just amazing. We are not alone! I can’t wait until it’s our turn to encourage and help other small businesses.

Chad Bouley

I so appreciate the retreat I did to better understand the grants. Very helpful to lean into writing the grant in the most competive way. Thank you for your help Initiative Foundation!