MN EARLY CHILDHOOD FUNDERS NETWORK: FIFTH ANNUAL "NANCY" AWARD PRESENTED TO MIFs

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Award Honors the Legacy of Nancy Latimer by Recognizing
Extraordinary Leadership in Improving the Well-Being of Young Children

The Minnesota Early Childhood Funders Network, a network of the Minnesota Council on Foundations, announced that its Fifth Annual “Nancy” Awards to recognize extraordinary leadership in improving the well-being of young children will go to the Minnesota Initiative Foundations (MIFs), serving geographic regions throughout Greater Minnesota. The awards will be presented to the Initiative Foundation, Northland Foundation, Northwest Minnesota Foundation, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, Southwest Initiative Foundation, and West Central Initiative during a presentation at the Nancy Latimer Convening for Children and Youth on June 29 in St. Paul.
The awards recognize the foundations’ leadership, vision and commitment to enhancing the social and emotional development of infants and young children through the Minnesota Thrive Initiative. The initiative, a statewide effort created and implemented by the MIFs, works to strengthen local support networks to ensure the social and emotional well-being of children from birth through five, with an emphasis on the first three years. The awards honor the MIFs for:
·         Recognizing the importance of early social and emotional development to educational success and lifelong well-being
·         Creating innovative grassroots systems – from promotion and prevention to intensive intervention – to foster the healthy development of infants and children
·         Working across sectors and fostering local leadership and action
·          Sharing lessons among communities and professionals to implement new approaches and practices
·         Raising public awareness and deepening understanding of infant and early childhood mental health
·         Modeling collaboration, commitment, and creativity
·         Inspiring others to work to make life better for young children – and the adults who care about them
“This year’s awards recognize the extraordinary leadership and commitment of the Minnesota Initiative Foundations in creating this innovative, grassroots system to ensure the social and emotional well-being of our youngest children,” said Denise Mayotte, executive director of the Sheltering Arms Foundation and chair of the Minnesota Early Childhood Funders Network steering committee. “Their work is a vivid reminder that communities, professionals, and families can collaborate to make a profound difference for children.”
About the “Nancy” Award and Nancy Latimer
The Minnesota Early Childhood Funders Network created the “Nancy” Award to honor the legacy of Nancy Latimer, longtime senior program officer at The McKnight Foundation and a lifelong advocate for children and families. Prior “Nancy” Award recipients include Arthur J. Rolnick, senior vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis; Jane Kretzmann, senior program officer of the Minnesota Community Foundation and The Saint Paul Foundation; Glenace Edwall, director of the Children’s Mental Health Division at the Minnesota Department of Human Services; Zoe Nicholie, director of public policy work at Ready 4 K, the statewide early childhood advocacy organization; Marti Erickson, founding director of the Children, Youth, and Family Consortium at the University of Minnesota and co-chair of the University’s President’s Initiative on Children, Youth, and Families; and the Minnesota State Legislature’s Early Childhood Caucus, accepted by Rep. Nora Slawik and Sen. Claire A. Robling.
About Minnesota Early Childhood Funders Network, a Minnesota Council on Foundations Network
The Minnesota Early Childhood Funders Network works to strengthen the individual and collective efforts of funders to enhance the well-being of Minnesota children and their families. Membership in the network is open to staff and trustees of members of the Minnesota Council on Foundations. Over 30 grantmaking organizations participate actively in the network. In addition to the annual Nancy Latimer Convening for Children and Youth, the network co-sponsors an annual briefing on children’s issues and presents quarterly briefings on early childhood topics.

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