2008 Emerging Leaders Forum Grants
In 2008, the Emerging Leaders Forum finished a major committment to support the new St. Cloud Library, and started its focus on making the most of our place on the Mississippi River.St. Cloud Library Teen Central - $50,000
The Emerging Leaders Forum stepped up to a new level of philanthropic leadership in 2008 by making a $50,000 commitment to sponsor Teen Central in the new St. Cloud Public Library.
ELF leaders wanted to work with the library to make the most of the new space for teens. And, thanks to the generosity of nearly 100 donors, ELF reached it's goal in September. The 2,000-square-foot teen space is now equipped with state-of-art computers, an expanded young adult media collection, and other amenities that would not have been possible without ELF support. Most importantly, local teens have responded positively and have been flocking to the space.
"Through this project, ELF made a lasting impact on this community," said Melinda Sanders, chair of ELF's Steering Committee. "Our name will be forever attached to Teen Central, where our kids and their kids will have a safe, comfortable, and inviting place to read, do research, and converse with their peers."
Rediscovering the River Events - $2,500
ELF approved a $2,500 grant to co-sponsor a series of events to educate the community about the Mississippi River and the opportunities it presents. The series kicked off in the summer of 2008 with an event to learn how the city of Dubuque, Iowa, leveraged its place on the river to revive its once failing economy and create more than 4,500 jobs in the last five years.
The next meeting explored the unique natural wonders right here along our stretch of the Mississippi, while the third meeting highlighted an inventory of nearly 3/4 billion dollars in recent or planned investment already happening near the river locally. The series wrapped up on October 25, 2008 with a community visioning session on making St. Cloud a more vibrant river city.
Mississippi River Connections of St. Cloud (MRC), which facilitated the visioning session, prioritized the ideas offered at the October 25 event and developed action steps for each of these priorities. MRC is a community group that envisions St. Cloud as a "Vibrant River City" that embraces the unique values and assets of the Mississippi River. The group is currently led by ELF members, but is open to anyone.
The event series and the work of MRC have helped ignite a community discussion on rediscovering our place on the Mississippi River.
