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DECEMBER 2020 / SPECIAL GIVING EDITION @nwmnfoundation

@NMF_1986

www.nwmf.org

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

New Members Inducted into NMFâ€™S Giving Circle

NORTHWEST MINNESOTA DONORS FOSTER A CULTURE OF PHILANTHROPY

RUTH HOWE CONTINUES GIVING LEGACY IN HONOR OF LATE HUSBAND

ANONYMOUS GIFT SETS UP NEVIS SCHOOLS FOR SUCCESS

Northwest Minnesota Foundation RESOURCE / SPECIAL GIVING EDITION / DECEMBER 2020

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT As I am writing this message the holiday season is almost upon us. 2020 has been a year like no other. I am uplifted by witnessing neighbor helping neighbor, the frontline and health workers putting themselves at risk every day, the adjustments schools, colleges, and universities are making to keep students in the classrooms, and the adaptability and resiliency of small businesses throughout the region. Thank you for all that you do!

OUR MISSION The Northwest Minnesota Foundation invests resources, facilitates collaboration and promotes philanthropy to make the region a better place to live and work.

We are so thankful for all of our partners and donors who help to make Northwest Minnesota a better place to live and work. As you think about your year-end or holiday giving, please consider donating to the Northwest Minnesota Foundation General Endowment Fund. Through the General Endowment Fund, we seek to fulfill our purpose to Build Better Lives for those who call the region home. Your donation, in any amount, will help us continue our efforts to:  Support non-profits, small businesses, and child care providers through this challenging time  Help communities thrive and attract young, millennial families  Match donors with philanthropic needs in the region

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 Serve local philanthropic funds

Kristin Eggerling, Chair

 Innovate new solutions for housing challenges in the region

Steve Anderson, Vice Chair Cathy Forgit, Secretary Todd Beckel, Treasurer Cheri Gunvalson Mike LaRoque

 Provide loans to small businesses and entrepreneurs  Support existing and recruit new child care providers  Support the agencies and organizations that are housing those experiencing homelessness in the region, especially supporting the youth, ages 16 – 24, who are vulnerable to drug addictions, abuse, and sex trafficking. The fastest, easiest way to Build Better Lives is by visiting our website at www.nwmf.org and clicking on the “Give Now” button. You can also click on the “Ways to Give” tab to view other meaningful ways to support our work.

Michelle Paquin

Your gift, combined with the resiliency of the region we serve, will have a lasting, forever impact.

Leah Pigatti

With gratitude,

Deb Zak Karen White President

NMF WELCOMES NEW GIVING CIRCLE INDUCTEES Northwest Minnesota Foundation’s Giving Circle members are individuals and businesses that care deeply about Northwest Minnesota and want to support the continued well-being of the region – helping to sustain the place we call home. We are excited to share that the following funds have reached the Circle of Vision level – contributing lifetime gifts of $100,000 or more:

@nwmnfoundation @NMF_1986 www.nwmf.org

 Betty Murray Estate  Phil and Gloria Thompson

continued on page 4

Phil and Gloria Thompson

SPECIAL GIVING EDITION / DECEMBER 2020 / Northwest Minnesota Foundation RESOURCE

ANONYMOUS GIFT SETS UP NEVIS SCHOOLS FOR SUCCESS When schools were ordered to shut down, the ripple effects were felt in communities all over our region and around the country. This posed a major challenge for school districts that did not have the resources to support students and families with their new normal of distance learning. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, Nevis was able to meet this challenge head on and provide devices for students to use at home. The Northwest Minnesota Foundation (NMF) is home to over 30 Donor Advised Funds with a wide range of purposes and dedicated causes they support. One of them made an anonymous gift of $50,000 to the Nevis School District in January 2020 so the district could upgrade their technology capacity. Little did the donor know, this gift would become a critical necessity in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic made its way to Northwest Minnesota.

“The devices purchased with the gift money were extremely valuable to us during Distance Learning last spring,” said Gregg Parks, superintendent of Nevis School District. “Thanks to the beneficence of our donors, we had the capability of providing an E-Learning device for all of our students. Most of the devices were sent home. I am happy to report that they all came back in good condition as well.”

“Philanthropy is impact. The anonymous donor who gave this gift to the Nevis School District understands this,” said Dawn Ganje, senior development officer at NMF. “They also understand they had the opportunity to make a difference in this community, and they really did! The students in Nevis are the real winners. It is fantastic to see the young people of Nevis benefit from this generous gift.” It’s evident that this pandemic is going to have a lasting impact on our region, and it’s up to all of us to pitch in and help our neighbors in need. The anonymous donor who was able to help the Nevis school district understands that the need is now, so now is the time to give. If you are able to contribute to these relief efforts, please consider making a gift to NMF. You can donate online by visiting www.nwmf.org/ give-now or contact a development officer to discuss a meaningful way for you to give back to your community.

RUTH HOWE CONTINUES GIVING LEGACY IN HONOR OF LATE HUSBAND Ruth Howe and Merril Thiel were both raised in families that valued giving back. Growing up in farm communities during the Great Depression, Ruth’s mother provided meals to anyone in need, and always made sure she and her siblings had a penny to contribute to the chruch offering on Sundays. Merril worked hard every day on his family farm and learned the value of helping neighbors and being a steward of the land. Those values continued throughout his life as he was an avid outdoorsman, gardener, and a committed weekly volunteer of 24 years at the Bemidji Food Shelf. “We were both taught that if you have, you share,” said Ruth. Merril passed away last year, but his legacy lives on through the Howe Thiel Charitable Fund, a donor advised fund the couple established in 2013.

Merril’s estate was left to the Howe Thiel Charitable Fund and a beneficiary of that gift was the Bemidji Community Food Shelf. “This gift came at a critical time for us,” said Mary Mitchell, executive director of the Bemidji Community Food Shelf. “We needed a new freezer and thanks to our longtime friend and volunteer, Merril – it happened!” The Fund supports educational programs, projects and activities that are important to Ruth – those include the United Way of the Bemidji Area, Salvation Army, Friends of lake Bemidji, Bemidji Symphony Orchestra and Bemidji Area Food Shelf and Evergreen Youth and Family Services. “It feels good when people are thankful for the support we’ve been able to provide over the years,” said Ruth. “I’m fortunate to be able to continually support causes

Ruth Howe and Merril Thiel that meant so much to Merril.” The Howe Thiel Charitable Fund is an endowed fund and will continue to support the family’s charities of choice in perpetuity. If you would like to learn more about how to give back through a donor advised fund, and other ways to give through NMF, visit www.nwmf.org/ways-to-give, or contact your local development officer who can help you meet your philanthropic goals today and into the future.

NMF can help you make a meaningful gift in your local community this holiday season! Visit www.nwmf.org/ways-to-give to learn more or text “NMF” to 50155 to give now directly from your phone.

Non-Profit Org. US Postage

PAID

Bemidji, MN Permit No. 36

201 3rd Street NW Bemidji, MN 56601 www.nwmf.org 218-759-2057

GIFT OF

CORPORATE STOCK Gift of Stock Stock or Cash

Donor Advised Fund

Our Organization

GIVE TO YOUR FAVORITE CHARITABLE CAUSES You can give a small percentage of voting or non-voting shares in your business to a charity or a donor advised fund (DAF). Doing so qualifies you for a charitable deduction equal to the appraised fair market value of the shares. The charity or DAF will hold your shares for a future sale or redemption. In the meantime, it will receive its prorated share of any dividends paid to shareholders, which can be used for a charitable purpose. Contact a development officer at NMF to learn more about how to benefit by making gifts of corporate stock. Visit www.nwmf.org/ways-to-give or call 218-759-2057.

from page 2 Members of our Annual Circle of Giving make an annual contribution of $500 or more to the NMF Endowment. Thatâ€™s just $40 a month to make an impact on the region in which you live! The gift may be made outright in cash or in stock as well. Visit www.nwmf.org/ways-to-give to learn more.