Southwest Initiative Foundation

What it reported doing in 2024

See schedule ocommunity impact: the southwest initiative foundation (swif) provides grants and programs to create opportunities for all people to thrive in our local communities. Our grantmaking, proactive programming and community led belonging activities help create opportunities for all people to thrive in the communities they call home. Through these efforts, we can lead individuals and communities to thrive.swif continues work in growing local: an eight-month training program designed to help up-and-coming leaders discover and build upon their unique strengths so they can make a difference in their communities. This program helps cultivate a vital leadership pipeline in southwest Minnesota by supporting boards, commissions, and committees with leaders who reflect the makeup of their communities. The initial cohort graduated 14 participants, and the second cohort graduated 13.swif supports welcoming week efforts across southwest Minnesota, ranging from 6 to 16 communities. Through this, organizations and communities bring together neighbors of all backgrounds to build strong connections and affirm the importance of welcoming and inclusive places in achieving collective prosperity. Swif provides funding and support for welcoming week celebrations in communities across our region as a part of our membership in welcoming america, the national organization leading welcoming week.swif expanded the welcoming and inclusive communities project to lac qui parle county. This program helps community members build relationships and learn inclusive community practices while growing their local network of "welcomers" who are passionate about including everyone. Communities apply to be part of the project and then participate in monthly cohort meetings to share tools, skills, and strategies for welcoming and inclusion.the team also works to improve community well-being by supporting youth and families and improving mental health resources and awareness. This includes being a partner in the suicide awareness campaigns, and crisis support and response. Swif also serves the regional nonprofits by providing nonprofit technical assistance and training to build capacity and support the organizations' development.grantmaking is at the heart of our role as a community foundation. We accept grant applications on an ongoing basis as well as providing defined grant rounds throughout the year. We also serve as a philanthropic intermediary to bring additional grant dollars into our region through partner foundations.swif is 1 of 23 community foundations across a 10-state network participating in a philanthropic preparedness, resiliency, and emergency partnership. We continue to use the best practices learned through this network in disaster response recovery work within our region as needs arise.swif's paul and alma schwan aging trust endowment fund promotes productive aging in southwest Minnesota. Established in 1991, this is a key example of legacy and impact donors can make through swif. It continues to fund age-friendly community work launched in 2016 in partnership with the Minnesota river area agency on aging and the prairie five community action. This fund also supports a responsive grant fund for community projects that reduce social isolation and loneliness for senior citizens in southwest Minnesota by fostering social connections.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 81.7%; rating input score 82
• Program expense ratio: 84.2%; rating input score 84
• Fundraising efficiency: $19.09 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
• Grant itemization coverage: 87.5%; rating input score 88; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 22.5%; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 10.82; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 6.4%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 11.1% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 6.4% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 4.4% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings