Mankato Free Press (July 18, 2025) — Donations are trickling into the Mankato Area Foundation’s new Giving for Good Catalog, which connects donors with more than 50 featured nonprofits in Blue Earth and Nicollet counties.
“We have been wanting to bring this to Mankato for a while,” said Ashley Eimer, vice president of philanthropy for the foundation. “We felt the timing was right with the need going up in the community, and summer is a slow time for fundraising for nonprofits. So we chose summer as a way to help lift them up and bring awareness to our area nonprofits.”
It’s the pilot year for the catalog and, as such, MAF hasn’t set a goal for how much its featured nonprofits will raise. It launched July 7 and the deadline to give is Aug. 8.
The donation deadline was set to encourage participation, Eimer said.
“By keeping it open for only a few weeks, we’re hoping it encourages people to learn about the nonprofits and to act.”
Featured nonprofits are raising money for everything from general operating expenses to identified projects. The cap the foundation set on giving is $5,000 per nonprofit.
Good Counsel Learning Center of Mankato strives to raise $5,000 with the new catalog. The agency works to improve literacy in the community, offering tutoring to K-12 students as well as adults who seek English instruction. Monies raised will go toward scholarships for students.
Sister Dorothy Zeller, executive director of the Learning Center, said the catalog is a “wonderful opportunity for us to raise additional funds and be able to continue our mission.”
Rene Maes Jr., executive director of Camp Sweet Life Adventures in Madison Lake, said his organization has been affiliated with the foundation for several years. The catalog provides another chance to get the word out about Camp Sweet Life Adventures, he said. The nonprofit serves young adults with Type 1 diabetes.
“We think it’s a golden opportunity for us to get the word out to more people about the services we offer,” he said. “Many people don’t know about us.”
At the Mankato Symphony Orchestra, funds raised through the Giving for Good Catalog will support its young artist concerto competition. Prior funding has dried up and now the orchestra is looking for community support to offer prize money to the competition winner.
“This supports our mission of education,” said Bethel Balge, executive director of MSO. “This is the first time it’s been offered by the Mankato Area Foundation, and I think it’s a great initiative to incentivize giving for good. It’s a great incentive and I hope people are willing to look into this program and realize their dollars make a difference.”
All funds donated will go directly to the selected nonprofits, Eimer said.
She said she hopes everyone receives some funding. “But it’s the first year. We’re trying to see how this works and at a minimum generate awareness of their cause. Mankato is a giving community, and this falls in line with our culture of giving and sharing.”
To donate or learn more, go to mankatoareafoundation.com.