Funds benefit Perham, Dent and Fergus Falls communities 

West Central Initiative awarded 59 grants totaling more than $113,000 to organizations serving the Fergus Falls, Perham and Dent communities from three personally endowed funds. 

“The Deloris Barnack Kenner, Floyd and Harriet Miller, and Inga M. Johnson Funds were established to create lasting impacts by generously supporting the philanthropists’ favorite causes and organizations in our region,” said Rebecca Lynn Petersen, West Central Initiative’s Director of Development and Philanthropic Services. “The philanthropists determined how West Central Initiative directs the funds by identifying certain giving criteria. West Central Initiative then seeks and grants to causes that fit those criteria annually, creating a lasting legacy.” 

Deloris Barnack Kenner Fund: Kenner grew up and went to school in the Perham area. She continued her education and enjoyed a 50-year career as a nurse. Her funds benefit Perham-Dent area teachers and education-related projects in the communities. 

Grantees are: 

• Boys & Girls Club of the Perham Area for Teen Prime Time, providing a safe, supportive, and enriching space for local teens to connect, learn, and grow. 

• Empowering Kids Perham for sustaining and strengthening educational programming for neurodivergent children and families in the Perham-Dent area. 

• Perham Area Community Center for materials for Kids Camp, including supplies for science experiments, adventures, and crafts for children 3 to 11 years old. 

• Perham Center for the Arts for Art Endeavors, a monthly art club that offers youth and teens in the Perham area a place to gather and learn art techniques. 

• Perham-Dent Public School District #549 Heart of the Lakes Elementary School for an activity chair designed to allow for proper positioning, safety, and mobility for students with physical disabilities during classroom instruction. 

• Perham-Dent Public School District #549 High School for sewing machines for Family and Consumer Science classes. 

• Perham Health Elevate for Lifelong Learning for Aging Well: Elevate Education Series, which will address critical needs for health literacy, digital skills, and social connection for older adults in the Perham-Dent area. 

• Perham Robotics Booster Club for the Perham Full Metal Jackets high school robotics team. 

• St. Paul’s Lutheran School for tables used for lunch and other activities. 

• United Way Lakes and Prairie for the Perham United Way Traveling Tree House mobile learning center and literacy program.

Floyd and Harriet Miller Endowment Fund: Reverend Floyd and Harriet Miller wished to leave a lasting impact in the Fergus Falls community for all the kindness they received during their lifetimes. Funds benefit nonprofit organizations in the Fergus Falls area. Grantees are:  

• Alano Corporation for strengthening ongoing recovery support for individuals and families healing from the effects of alcohol and drug addiction. 

• DanceBARN Collective for Whoop N’ Holler Community Dances, which will feature call square, circle, and long set dances, and include a live band and dance caller. 

• Fergus Area Pride for 2026 Pride Day to foster a welcoming, inclusive environment that celebrates diversity while promoting education and understanding about the LGBTQ+ community. 

• Fergus Falls Area Curling Inc. for a curling rock chiller and storage racks. 

• Fergus Falls Area Habitat for Humanity for a new trash trailer. 

• Fergus Falls Community Food Shelf for feeding those in need. 

• Fergus Falls Hockey Association for helmets and equipment rental to provide a safe environment for players and lessen the financial burden for families. 

• Fergus Falls Salvation Army for basic social services to provide stability for individuals and households in the community. 

• Fergus Falls Skating Club for Blades & Buddies events to introduce people of all ages to ice skating through a fun and safe skating experience. 

• HIA Hospice for free grief and bereavement programming in Fergus Falls. 

• I-94 BMX Inc. for new bikes and helmets. 

• MAHUBE-OTWA Community Action Partnership, Inc., for Welcome Home Kits for households in need in the Fergus Falls area who have moved into a home after experiencing housing instability. 

• Meals By Wheels of Fergus Falls, Inc. for home meal deliveries for the elderly and people with disabilities. 

• Never Alone Inc., for Tuesday Nights Together: A Year of Resilience, suicide prevention and mental health support gatherings in Fergus Falls. 

• Onyx Collective for a needs assessment to build trust and visibility among Black youth in Fergus Falls. 

• Someplace Safe for the repair of the Someplace Safe Parenting Time Center, which provides children with safe access to parents through supervised exchanges, visits, and other services. 

• Springboard for the Arts for Falls Community Arts Exchange, which will support two visiting artists who will collaborate with a local partner organization on a project addressing community-defined arts and wellness goals. 

• Tupper Legacy Foundation for the Teen Foster Big Wish Grant to make purchases for teens in foster care that may be above and beyond what a foster family can afford. 

• Vets R Us, Inc. for cultivating meaningful connections, healing experiences, and a supportive community for veterans through recreation.

Inga M. Johnson Endowment Fund: Johnson was actively involved with her community and was philanthropic throughout her lifetime. It was Inga’s wish that this fund be used to improve the quality of life in and around Fergus Falls with donations that invest in the community’s educational, scientific, literary, and religious needs. Grantees are:  

• A Place to Belong for Learning, Belonging, and Growing Together educational and community connection activities for adults living with mental health challenges. 

• Action Ministries for The Blessing Closet, which is a free store for those in need in Fergus Falls. 

• BIO Girls for improving the mental health of adolescent girls through empowerment of self and connection with others in Fergus Falls. 

• City of Fergus Falls for Extra Reading at the Library, a free tutoring program for students in first through sixth grade at the Fergus Falls Public Library. 

• City of Fergus Falls Police Department Canine Unit for training officers and canines and for public engagement opportunities and demonstrations. 

• City of Fergus Falls Parks & Recreation for summer recreation programs and opportunities for area youth. 

• Earth Day Committee for Earth Day 2026 activities at the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center. 

• Fergus Area College Foundation for students and instructors to attend the Midwest Society of Diagnostic Ultrasound Conference. 

• Fergus Falls A Center for the Arts Inc. (pictured) for the summer youth theater program for children in kindergarten through 12 grade. 

• Fergus Falls Farmers Market Association for monthly Kids Day events where a local artist, creator, or grower hosts activities for the community with an emphasis on education and encouragement of area youth. 

• Fergus Falls Public Schools #544 Area Learning Center for field trips for Area Learning Center students in grades 9-12. 

• Fergus Falls Public Schools #544 Community Education for Homework Help, which provides homework assistance for students in sixth through ninth grade. 

• Fergus Falls Youth Archery for archery instruction for students in grades 5-12 in Fergus Falls School District #544. 

• Friends of the Fergus Falls Public Library for Read to Me, providing early literacy program information and learning opportunities for parents with young children. 

• Friends of the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center, Inc., for cross-country skis and bindings to allow students to access remote areas of the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center and facilitate learning about winter ecology and prairie habitats.  

• Hillcrest Lutheran Academy for a mobile scientific research device to allow students to collect, view, and analyze live scientific data across multiple subjects including biology, chemistry, and physics. 

• JAIL Inc. for providing spiritual care to individuals incarcerated in the Otter Tail County Jail.  

• Kaddatz Galleries, Inc. for the 2026 ArtREACH program to provide professional artist-led classes at zero cost to residents of Barbara’s House. 

• Lutheran Brethren Retirement Services for equipment to record and broadcast church services, funeral services, and bible studies to enhance accessibility for those unable to attend in person. 

• Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota for Caregiver Support and Respite to provide support for those caring for an elderly family member. 

• Oak Grove Cemetery Association for a watering line system replacement. 

• Otter Cove Children’s Museum for KIDCHELLA, a free music and performance arts festival for children at the historic Kirkbride campus in Fergus Falls. 

• Our Lady of Victory School for the 2026 spring play. 

• PartnerSHIP 4 Health for the Fergus Falls Bike Rodeo. 

• Sining Etniko for Shared Tables, Shared Stories, a three-part community event series to bring people together in Fergus Falls through food, art, and storytelling and highlight the richness and diversity of the community. 

• Soul Purpose Ministries for Matthew House to provide a recovery-focused home environment for individuals rebuilding their lives after incarceration, homelessness, or addiction. 

• United Way Lakes and Prairie for food for the Fergus Falls Feeding Backpack Program, which provides nutritious food for children who may otherwise face hunger when school meals are unavailable. 

• Welcome House for Barbara’s House to provide a safe and supportive environment for women who are rebuilding their lives after experiencing homelessness, incarceration, addiction, or other life challenges. 

• West Otter Tail County Friends of the Fair for demonstrations, food contests, art projects, and quilt and historical displays. 

• YMCA of the Northern Sky for creating dynamic interest centers for school-age learners in Fergus Falls that include a library nook, quiet zone, engineering and building station, dramatic play area, and more. 

Interested in creating a personally endowed fund? 

West Central Initiative offers individuals the opportunity to establish personally endowed funds that make a lasting difference in the region. Grants from these funds can be distributed in two ways—through giving criteria identified by the donor and administered by West Central Initiative or by allowing the donor to recommend specific causes or organizations to support directly. 

Both approaches offer valuable tax benefits and create long-term impact in west central Minnesota. 

For more information about the benefits of establishing a personally endowed fund, contact Rebecca Petersen at (218) 739-2239 or email rebecca@wcif.org.