St. Cloud, Minn.— CommunityGiving announced today the addition of four new members to the Board of Directors for the organization. Kate Barr, Sheriff Ahmed, Tim Torgerson and Patrice Hedlund will each serve an initial three-year term on the board, beginning July of 2025.
The CommunityGiving Board of Directors guides the policy and governance of CommunityGiving and supports all of the partner foundations including Alexandria, Brainerd, Carver County, Central Minnesota (Greater St. Cloud), Paynesville, White Bear Lake, Virginia and Willmar, MN and Derby, Kansas. Board members oversee the legal, financial, grantmaking, and fundraising efforts of the entire CommunityGiving network.
Steve Joul, President & CEO of CommunityGiving stated, “We are thrilled to have these four leaders join our board. Their expertise and vision will help advance our mission and deepen our impact in the communities we serve.”
Meet the New Board Members
Kate Barr
A nationally recognized expert in nonprofit finance and governance, Kate Barr currently serves as Senior Advisor for the Minnesota CDFI Coalition. Previously, she was the President and CEO of Propel Nonprofits, a Minnesota-based nonprofit whose mission is to fuel the impact and effectiveness of nonprofits with guidance, expertise, and capital, where her team developed and implemented innovative financing and programming and worked with the board of directors to direct organizational planning and impact. During her 24 year-tenure at Propel and its predecessor organization, Kate led the organization’s growth to become a regional and national leader in the nonprofit sector. In 2017, Kate led the merger of two capacity building nonprofits in Minnesota, forming Propel, to accelerate impact and reach. She currently serves on the boards of directors of the Jerome Foundation, Center for Victims of Torture, and The Good Acre.
Sheriff Ahmed
Sheriff has been on the board of the Paynesville Area Community Foundation (PACF) for 5 years, and is completing his tenure as Chair of the PACF Board. He grew up in Bangladesh and has made Minnesota his home for 48 years. As a first-generation American, Sheriff believes that a community’s strength depends upon the willingness of each member of that community to help each other, so that the cumulative strength can form the base for an inclusive and thriving community. Sheriff spent his professional career in engineering, technology and corporate management. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, an MBA from the University of St. Thomas, and is a Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) with the State of Minnesota. Since taking early retirement in 2019, Sheriff is focused on helping people and making a positive difference in the community. He is the President of the Rotary Club of Savage, serves on the board of the Park Nicollet Foundation, and is a Commissioner with the City of Savage. He is also involved in a few other organizations which are active in bringing people together to bridge understandings, foster a common vision for communities, and increase opportunities for all.
Tim Torgerson
Tim is a development professional with extensive knowledge of capital campaigns and leadership giving. He has 39 years of experience in fundraising. Prior to starting a fundraising consulting career in 2018, Tim served for 18.5 years with the American Cancer Society and successfully led campaigns totaling over $225 million. Tim’s responsibilities included acting as an internal campaign consultant to campaign projects across the country. He personally closed several large seven and eight figure gifts including the largest gifts in the 105-year history of the American Cancer Society. Tim currently serves as past chair of the Greater White Bear Lake Community Foundation and as a member of the Foundation of St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church.
Patrice Hedlund
Patrice (Pat) Hedlund brings decades of experience in finance, healthcare, and community philanthropy to the CommunityGiving board. Her involvement began in 1997 when her father established the Ralph and Odette Hedlund Family Fund at the Central Minnesota Community Foundation (CMCF), where she and her sister continue to serve as co-trustees. While living in St. Cloud, Pat and her husband established a donor advised fund at CMCF and a future family fund through a planned gift. She served two years on CMCF’s Donor Engagement Committee before joining the Alexandria Area Community Foundation board in 2020, where she currently chairs the Grants Committee. Professionally, Pat spent 20 years in commercial banking and real estate finance in Dallas, TX, followed by two decades as a Physician Assistant in Minnesota health systems. Her diverse background and longstanding commitment to community-focused philanthropy make her a valuable asset to the board.
Also serving on the CommunityGiving Board of Directors are Laura Helmer as chair, Dr. Kathleen Allen as vice chair, Janet Grones as secretary, and James Ringwald as treasurer, John Herges, Steve Laraway, Steve Peterson, Jim Roelofs, Tohow Siyad and Ken Warner.
CommunityGiving is a network of community foundations united under a single framework to create efficiencies that maximize the impact of our donors. The core communities working with CommunityGiving include the Alexandria, the Brainerd Lakes Area, greater St. Cloud area, White Bear Lake, Paynesville, Virginia and Willmar, all based in Minnesota and Derby, based in Kansas. Collectively, CommunityGiving administers over 1,300 funds totaling over $283 million in assets. Learn more at CommunityGiving.org.