The Minot Area Community Foundation is granting more than $45,000 into the community to end a successful 2010, the foundation's 10th anniversary year. The grants will come from the Power of the Purse Fund, the Bremer Community Impact Fund, and the Mike & Dorothy Dolan Fund.
As the year winds down, the foundation also recently received its largest gift to date, a $3 million gift from the late Arnold I. Besserud of Minot.
"It's been an excellent year for the foundation, to say the least. This is a nice way to bring the 10th anniversary to a close," Ken Kitzman, Minot Area Community Foundation president, said.
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Ken Kitzman, president of the Minot Area Community Foundation, speaks about the foundation’s successful 10th anniversary year.
The community organizations benefiting from the $45,000 in grants this month are the Trinity Health Pediatric Unit, Northern Council of Boy Scouts, Sunnyside Elementary School, Souris Basin Transportation, Burlington Recreation Commission, YMCA, Minot Commission on Aging, North Dakota Elks Foundation, 2nd Story Minot Social Club and the Parkinson's Support Group.
Kitzman recognized Brent Mattson of Bremer Bank and the Bremer Community Fund, as well as the Power of the Purse Fund that focuses on impacting programs that affect women and children, which contribute to the foundation's successful grants.
For 2010, the foundation issued $309,600 in grants to the community and has issued grants exceeding $3.5 million since its inception.
Other highlights for the foundation's 10th anniversary year include a 10-day community celebration and the donation of the Magic Smiles playground in July.
"We are thrilled to have such a large impact on the community, and 2011 looks to be a great year," Kitzman said.
"As we continue to grow, we intend to grant over a million dollars per year. That's a huge impact, and that's not from government, that's from people giving back to their community," he added.