Presidents of the six Minnesota initiative foundations recently announced a renewed commitment to early childhood programming across Greater Minnesota, featuring an increasingly diverse set of strategies that reflect local priorities.

“Our foundations have worked with numerous partners since 2003 to ensure every child in Greater Minnesota has the best opportunity to lead a healthy life of learning, achieving and succeeding,” said Tim Penny, president/CEO of Southern Minnesota Foundation, on behalf of the six regional community foundation leaders. “These young children are Greater Minnesota’s — and our nation’s — future. We need to continue to build on our progress and invest in this critical goal while exploring innovative strategies to grow our impact.”

Early childhood strategies for each Minnesota initiative foundation include Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation in Owatonna. The organization serves 20 counties in southeastern Minnesota.

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation invests $1.6 million annually by supporting local efforts to create and grow strong early childhood programs that provide a quality learning environment, achieve results and have a positive impact on the children and families served.

The work is accomplished through grants, community coalition support, strategic donor partnerships, educational seminars and workshops, and regional and statewide networking.