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Learn how working with the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation has helped grow this local nonprofit’s community impact.

For 53 years Hastings Family Service (HFS) has been a pillar in its community, providing resources such as clothing and food to the City of Hastings and the surrounding area.

Last summer HFS expanded its space to increase food shelf programs and add capacity to bring more food into the agency.

“By the end of the year, we gave out 362,000 pounds of food versus 280,000 the year before,” said Executive Director Amy Sutton. “This allowed us to give more to the community.”

Over the years HFS and the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation have had a multi-tiered relationship. This relationship includes a nonprofit endowment fund and grant funding through various grant opportunities such as the Management Improvement Fund and the Katherine B. Andersen Fund of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation (KBA Fund).

The recent growth in food available for their community members was due in part to support from the KBA Fund. With that funding, HFS was able to get a refrigerated van, doubling the amount of food rescued from local grocers, including increased access to meat, which had become hard to source.

“One of our primary values is always seeing the person before the situation and then figuring out how we can help someone to help themselves to the best of their abilities,” Amy said. “We've always said, ‘we want to be a hand up and not just a handout,’ so that we can help people find more sustainable solutions.”

“ One of our primary values is always seeing the person before the situation and then figuring out how we can help someone to help themselves to the best of their abilities.”

Amy Sutton, Executive Director

Establishing a Long Lasting Relationship with the Foundation

“I think the beautiful thing about the relationship between the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation and Hastings Family Service is that they hold us accountable,” said Amy. “As we succeed, they continue to invest in our success. They've been with us every step of the way, and our growth has been astronomical in the last decade.”

HFS’ relationship with the Foundation began nearly 20 years ago with one of its founders Llewellyn 'Lew' Linde. Lew had a fund with the Foundation and in 2000, also helped establish HFS’ endowment fund.

“Lew was a visionary and he was thinking down the road,” said Amy. “Starting an endowment was his way of saying, you need to plan for the future. By having an endowment, you have a funding stream forever.”

Lew also connected the former executive director of HFS with Carrie Jo Short, the Foundation’s Director of Community and Impact Investing and a member of the Hastings community.

“I have been delighted to watch Hastings Family Service grow from a group of dedicated volunteers into the powerhouse of community impact it has become,” said Carrie Jo. “As community needs have changed, leadership and staff have adapted to meet those changing needs. I served as a board member for many years and now as a community advocate for the many ways in which this organization serves our community."

“ I have been delighted to watch Hastings Family Service grow from a group of dedicated volunteers into the powerhouse of community impact it has become.”

Carrie Jo Short, Director of Community and Impact Investing

This friendship helped to strengthen HFS’ relationship with the Foundation, creating a trust that extends beyond funding support.

“The biggest benefit of our partnership with the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation is resources — both financial and people,” Amy said. “I have sent other nonprofits and individuals to Mariah (director of gift planning), whether they’re looking to create an endowment or a donor advised fund. The Foundation has helped us with purposeful growth each step of the way.”

To learn how you can open an endowment fund to support your nonprofit into perpetuity, contact Director of Gift Planning Mariah Brook at 651.325.4269.