Greenbush Area Residents Establish Community Fund

February 7, 2006 - Greenbush, Minnesota is the kind of place where good people do great things, helping to make their community a desirable place to put down roots, find a job, raise a family, or start a business. This was demonstrated by the newest addition to the Northwest Minnesota Foundation family of community funds, the Greenbush Area Community Fund (GACF).

Community members in Greenbush created this fund to enhance the quality of its places, to meet individual, organization and community needs, while building an endowment from which only the earnings will be available for qualified activities and projects.

The reasons communities decide to establish community funds are varied and GACF began in its own unique way. An anonymous donor, who used to live in the Greenbush area, came forward with seed capital of $500 to kick off and spark interest in a fund benefiting the needs of the community and ensuring its future.

His generous action served its purpose. When the Otter Tail Rural Economic Development Loan Program serving Greenbush was discontinued, undistributed money remained that had been given by investors into the loan fund. The parties involved, known as the Greenbush Development Corporation, contacted those investors to propose transferring some of the funds to the Greenbush Area Community Fund endowment. As a result, over $13,000 was contributed.

The creation of GACF represents a partnership with Northwest Minnesota Foundation that will better serve the needs of friends of the Greenbush area by:

• developing a comprehensive fund development program that promotes private philanthropy
• actively cultivating and soliciting private contributions for a variety of programs, projects and activities, then professionally managing the contributions
• distributing financial support to the community to help meet the needs of its citizens and visitors.

Each endowment gift will receive a 10% match from the Northwest Minnesota Foundation. Any endowed sub-funds that are established under the umbrella of the community fund will also receive the matching gift, with the funds allocated for the general community fund endowment.

There have already been second and third funds added - Keith Kapphahn established the Keith and Ellen Kapphahn Family Scholarship Fund. The purpose of this fund will be to provide funding for annual scholarships to qualified high school students from Greenbush-Middle River who are pursuing post-secondary education.

With Kapphahn's encouragement, the Greenbush Community Education Fund was established next utilizing All School Reunion funds of over $5,000 to start off. In today's economic times, the committee realized that private financial donations have become a necessity in order for public schools to be successful in providing the learning experiences desired by the community.

According to advisory committee member Marcia Folland, the All School Reunion Committee felt that it was fitting to use their remaining funds to set up an education fund. "This fund will be used for programs, projects, or activities that enhance and promote educational experiences for learners of all ages," Folland said. "I think this is so exciting, a worthy endeavor that has the potential to have a really positive impact, now and in the future as well." she added.

Also in the planning stages is a Pelan Park Fund, which will support promotion, development and maintenance of the Pelan Park property, its historical buildings, displays and antique equipment.

The community will continue to be asked to participate in familiar ways: the reunions, community gatherings, Pelan Park celebrations, as well as supporting the school district with fundraising activities. In addition, individuals, families, organizations and businesses can work with Northwest Minnesota Foundation to meet their charitable goals and interests by establishing and funding endowments supporting the community fund in general or any of the individual funds and sub-funds.
Northwest Minnesota Foundation is confident that the Greenbush Area Community Fund will flourish and the quality of Greenbush's places will be greatly enhanced.

The Northwest Minnesota Foundation invests resources, creates opportunities and promotes philanthropy to make the region a better place to live and work.