The NAF board meets every other month throughout the year. Currently thirteen directors serve on the NAF board. Directors actively participate in all activities of the Foundation including a variety of committees that have formed to carry out the strategic plan of the Foundation. Board terms are three years and a board member may serve two consecutive terms. A former board member is eligible for re-election following a one year absence from the board.

The NAF was formed by interested citizens in 1994 and is affiliated with the Minnesota Community Foundation. The NAF is a permanent endowment created to benefit the greater Northfield community. Contributions from individuals, families, businesses and charitable organizations build the endowment, the earnings of which are used to fund community needs and interests through applied grants. Since 2001, nearly $150,000 in grants has been awarded to assist a spectrum of non-profit organizations from the Northfield area.

The current board includes the following members: Bill Bleckwehl, Ray Cox, Craig Ellingboe, Dan Freeman, Mary Beth Hagen, Karna Halverson, Bruce King, Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, Anne Mayer, Dale Ness, Jaci Smith, Sarah Swan-McDonald, and Ross Thompson.

Interested candidates are urged to submit a letter of interest, including a brief bio, no later than September 1, 2010, to:

Northfield Area Foundation
P.O. Box 802
Northfield, MN 55057

Donna Rae also writes for the Washington Times on communities and creative solutions to common problems. Her recent contribution includes the Northfield Area Foundation’s recent grants and a very interesting set of facts and points that puts our local work into a community-of-communities perspective.

Make a gift to your community that keeps on giving, choose the Northfield Area Foundation.

At a ceremony held this morning at the Community Resource Bank’s community room, Anne Mayer, Grants Committee chair of the Northfield Area Foundation coordinated the distribution of checks on behalf of the board.

Organizations that received grants will be profiled throughout the year here at the NAF website.

The Northfield Area Foundation’s board of advisers is a group of community volunteers who donate their time and resources to oversee grants distribution and the operation of the foundation. Northfield residents are encouraged to contribute to this community endowment in any amount at any time, or consider the foundation in their wills. For more information individuals or families can contact a NAF board member or their personal or family financial adviser.

Below is a slide show of pictures from this morning’s ceremony, a list of the grantees, and a brief description of the funded projects and the total amount granted.

Northfield School of Arts and Technology
Grant supports the Arts for Martin Collaboration, a community-wide opportunity to celebrate, learn about and honor the teachings of Dr. King. Total grant: $2045

Sibley Elementary School
Funds will support the All About Audiobooks project that will provide students who have reading challenges an opportunity to learn through listening to books on iPODs. Total grant: $500
Second grant will support the Youth Frontiers Kindness Retreat, a day long assembly that teaches the value of kindness and creates a positive school climate. Total grant: $1895

Vintage Band Music Festival
Funds will support August 2010 Community-wide Vintage Band Festival performances at Three Links and Northfield Retirement Center, and other sites especially for children and elderly. Total grant: $2,000

Bridgewater Elementary School
Funds will support the Kids Who Care Compost program which has students and adult Green Teams who address issues of caring for the earth at school and at home. Total grant: $2000

Northfield High School
Funds will support a portion of the Ninth Grade Respect Retreat that helps students from different backgrounds work together to examine respecting themselves, others and standing up for respect. Total grant: $2500
Funds from second grant will provide mental health services to English Language Learners who do not have financial resources to access the services. Total grant: $2500

Community Action Center
Funds will provide emergency assistance for a variety of needs including motel vouchers for homeless families, rental assistance, utility assistance, gas vouchers for job search and medical care, small car repairs and prescriptions. Total grant: $4000

Northfield Area Family YMCA
Funds will support middle and high school youth programs (Summer Teen Adventure Camp and Youth-in-Government Model United Nations). Total grant: $1000

Health Finders
Funds will provide medication assistance to uninsured patients. Total grant: $3000

Rice County Habitat for Humanity
Funds will support the “Raising Roofs Project” which will provide for some permanent equipment, tools and resources to economically, efficiently and safely build homes in Rice County.

Northfield Public Library
Funds will support the Carnegie Centennial Concert Series, a free concert held every month during the library’s 100th anniversary. The series will feature local and area musicians who will perform jazz, classical, world fusion, a cappella, choral, rock, ethnic and other musical genres. Total grant: $1200

City of Northfield
Fund swill buy a defibrillator that will be shared by the pool and ice arena, with a combined total of 110,000 patron visits per year. Total grant: $2250

Northfield Arts Guild
Funds will help fund art classes for seniors taught by local professional artists. Total grant: $1000

Northfield Youth Choirs
Funds will support need-based scholarships that allow participation in this music program. Total grant: $1000

Total funds granted: $28,890

Other funding approved for 2010 from the Northfield Beautification Fund include the following:

Friends of Way Park
Funds will support restoration of the south end of Way Park.

Northfield Retirement Community Foundation
Funds will support the Meditation Park being established on a site that will be utilized by the community for all generations to relax, re-connect and renew. Total grant: $2000

The Northfield Area Foundation will award one or more additional grants in the spring from its designated beautification fund.

Karna Halverson, Chair
Dan Freeman, Vice Chair
Bill Bleckwehl, Treasurer
Dale Ness, Secretary
Ray Cox
Craig Ellingboe
Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin
Anne Lundstrom
Anne Mayer
Catherine McBride
Sarah Swan-McDonald
Jaci Smith
Lynn Zeigler

Bill Bleckwehl, Chair
Ray Cox
Dan Freeman
Jayne Hager-Dee, Secretary
Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin
Karna Halverson, Vice Chair
Andy Langehough
Anne Lundstrom
Anne Mayer
Catherine McBride
Jim Nelson, Treasurer
Dale Ness
Donna Rae Scheffert
Lynn Ziegler

At the January meeting, the NAF board announced its grants for 2008. See the PDF of the announcement, adapted from the press release published in the Jan. 26 edition of the Northfield News.

2007 Board of Directors

Pat Allen
Bill Bleckwehl, Chair
Ray Cox
Jayne Hager Dee, Vice Chair
Rich Falck
Dan Freeman
Karna Halverson
Clarita Kell
Andy Langehough
Ann Mayer
Catherine McBride
Jim Nelson
Donna Rae Scheffert
Candy Taylor
Lynn Wilmot