Gifts Big and Small

Generosity is a tradition of the Christmas season, but for some bankers it is a tradition they keep year round. While many give monetary support within their community, some go on to give of their time and talent as well. The result is communities enriched in the arts, with support for the needy, with better schools, and deeper personal connections. NorthWestern Financial Review recently learned of three examples of giving that we are pleased to share..A center for the community.More than a year ago, Kelly Holthus, owner and president of Cornerstone Bank, found a way he could give back to the community that had supported him in his successful 47-year career in York, Neb..A native of Bertrand, Neb., Holthus moved to York in 1965. He came to York in search of a new direction for his career. He got his start as a lender and cashier at the $14 million First National Bank of York. He worked his way up to become the bank's president and, in 1972, he and two others purchased the bank. Since then, Holthus has bought out his partners, changed the bank's name and has grown the bank to $1.1 billion in assets. York had brought Holthus success, now he wants do something for York. "When I came here I didn't have anything. I was rich in a different way then, with four kids, a wife and a car," Holthus said. "I've made my living here, and now I want to give back." .In the spring of last year, Holthus attended a Cattlemen's Ball in West Point, Neb., at the town's new convention building, the Nielsen Community Center. He was so impressed at the size and beauty of the facility; he wished he could just pick it up and move it to York. He didn't let it stop at a wish. Holthus approached the West Point community leaders who had built the center. After they shared how much the center had done for the West Point business community, Holthus was certain he wanted to build a convention center as a gift to York..And it will be a true gift. Holthus's plan is to provide the land and $2 million of his own money to finance a $6 million convention building inspired by the West Point center. In addition to leading the fundraising efforts for the remaining $4 million, Holthus has guaranteed he will provide any shortfall funds needed as well as any additional land needed for new roads. Once the project is complete he will give the center to the city, lien free..Holthus already has purchased the 70 acres of land needed for a 28,000 square-foot state-of-the-art convention center capable of hosting as many as four weddings at one time. Situated at the intersection of two major Nebraska highways and directly between Kearney and Lincoln, York's center promises to be a boon for local business. Holthus foresees excellent opportunities for catering, limo, DJ, linen and dish rental businesses. He also expects the local hotels, which together already have 600 rooms, will grow even more as a result of the center..Holthus's plan also will help local business in another way. Part of the plan is to form a private limited liability company to construct the facility. By forming the LLC, the project won't be under the bid process the law would require for the city. This makes it possible for the facility to be built entirely by local contractors..He also has adapted an idea from the builders of the West Point facility. In addition to attracting donations by forming a non-profit corporation to accept tax-deductible donations, Holthus has reserved the names of individual ballrooms and other halls for large contributors to the project..Having attracted a $750,000 donation from the York County Commissioners as well as other large donations, the project is well on its way to raising the $4 million it needs. Now that the city has accepted the project, Holthus looks forward to beginning construction next summer. "I think [this is] something the community really needs," he said. "And it will create great economic benefits.".A man of action.Dan Christianson, chief executive officer and chairman of the board for Preston, Minn.-based F&M Community Bank, has been recognized by the Southeastern Minnesota Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals as the 2012 AFP Outstanding Philanthropist. With a $94 million bank of his own to run, Christianson's full schedule could have been an excuse to avoid philanthropic work. Instead, he has given generously of his time and talent, and has made considerable contributions both personally and through his bank to his local community and even to the entire southeast region of Minnesota..One such contribution has been his support for performing arts in a town in which F&M Community Bank has no branch. A small town of 750 people, Lanesboro, Minn., is known as the bed-and-breakfast capital of Minnesota but it also attracts tourists for another reason: the Commonweal Theatre..A rural performing arts company that offers six plays with more than 200 performances a year, the company started from humble beginnings and has grown into one of the leading rural professional theatres in the country and a major participant in education for local schools..Christianson joined the company's board in 1998 and helped provide the resources the theatre needed to attract talent to rural Minnesota. "He and the bank helped us finance our artist residence. A big working piece in making the company go is attracting talent," said Hal Cropp, executive director of the Commonweal Theater Company. "This is a house we can provide for our seasonal and short-term employees, as well as apprentices. We can also offer a transitional place for people who have made a long term commitment to the company," he said..The company constructed the residence using money borrowed from donors; once it was built F&M Community Bank stepped in with a conventional loan. "They were willing to look at an organization that had no assets but the building, and were willing to go with it," Cropp said..When Christianson joined the board, he also underwrote the Commonweal's student matinee series for $4,000 a year. A program started in 1991 that now reaches 4,000 students a year, the student matinee series endeavors to introduce students to the performing arts. The program consists of a pre-show workshop for middle and high school students, after which the students see the play and have a questions-and-answers session with the actors. "The bank pays the admission for every student from the bank's footprint," Cropp said..When the Commonweal Theatre Company needed a new building, it found support from Christianson. Contributing $45,000 toward the $3.5 million project, Christianson and his staff also donated their time to underwrite the municipal bond offering to raise funds for the new state-of- the- art facility. Combined, Christianson, F&M Community Bank and its subsidiary insurance company have contributed more than $135,700 since 1998. They are the theatre's second-largest donor. .Another example of Christianson's philanthropic work is Preston's community foundation. In 1997, Christianson decided his town needed a foundation that could funnel local resources and volunteers to community projects. He knew that without a community foundation, projects in town would flounder for lack of money or man-power. "I saw other communities had a similar foundation and thought 'Preston needs one of those too,'" Christianson said..So, Christianson won the support of community leaders and formed a board of directors for the Preston Area Community Foundation later that year. Christianson funded the foundation through contributions from his bank and through matching donations to the foundation up to $5,000 per year. Under his leadership, the foundation entered under the umbrella of the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, an orgnization dedicated to growing southern Minnesota through developing economic opportunities. SMIF added a matching grant for funds raised for the Preston Foundation. Now, it boasts assets of more than $330,000, the interest from which has made more than $118,000 in grants to projects in the Preston area..Christianson also has helped the local high school make ends meet. In 1996, he heard about a "mini-grant" program on the radio which funded projects for schools when other means were not available. "In Dan's standard approach, he took the initiative to talk to other bankers in the area," said former U.S. Congressman from Minnesota Tim Penny, president of SMIF. "He insisted that the community needed to get this program going to help the local schools and that F&M Community Bank would make the first contribution.".Thus, the Fillmore Central School District Mini Grant program was born in collaboration between F&M Community Bank in Preston, First State Bank of Fountain and First Southeast Bank in Harmony for the Fillmore Central School District. Since its inception the program has gifted more than $130,900 to Fillmore Central to cover costs like field-trip transportation or additional supplies for the science and agricultural curriculums..And, the banks have only increased their contribution. When the program began, the banks pledged $7,650 toward the program in the first year. Now they provide $10,500 a year.."Dan Christianson is not just a figure-head in the community of Preston, but a man of action," Penny said. "His inspirational leadership style, combined with his education and position as head of a community bank, have enabled him to contribute to local efforts that are helping the Preston area prosper. Not only is Dan's family philanthropic, so is his bank. He has acknowledged that they contribute more than $100,000 annually between his family and business. His giving inspires others.".A mob with cash.A bank in Chariton, Iowa has particpated in a new way to support local business: a cash mob. While the name might bring to mind images of pillaging and looting, these mobs do just the opposite for the stores they visit. An offspring of social media, some cash mobs begin with an individual announcing he would like to support a local store on a website like Facebook, he also sets a meeting place and invites his online-friends to join. When the group has gathered,they descend on the store, usually prepared to spend $5 to $10 each..In the case of Des Moines-based Midwest Heritage Bank, its Chariton branch had won a drawing for a cash mob from the Chariton Area Chamber of Commerce. Part of the prize was that the Chamber would organize the social media and other marketing for the event. But the bank felt another business in Chariton could better benefit from the support. "So we passed the benefit along to Piper's candy store," said Mike Armstrong, manager of the Chariton branch of the $168 million bank. .Piper's meats, groceries and candy has been in Chariton since 1903. Despite its name the store primarily sells candy. And while it has sold its goods to buyers on every continent in the world, including Antarctica, it still has the atmosphere of a small-town grocery store and the candy is still hand-made in small batches..When store owner Jill Kerns heard the bank had gifted its cash mob to her store, she was skeptical. Chariton had attempted two such events before for other stores but even though the event had been announced in the local newspaper, they had little success. "We don't get a mob for much of anything here," Kerns said..So, the Chamber tried a new tactic. While they still announced the event in the newspaper and on social media, the bank also joined in the marketing with signs in its lobby. The Chamber also focused on simply bringing in more people to the store rather than requiring everyone to show up at the same time. .The change worked. On October 25, the day of the event, the mob brought $200 additional revenue to the store. In the days that followed, people kept visiting because they hadn't been able to make it on the day of the event. When all was said and done, nearly 50 people had visited the store and spent at least $500 in all. "That was really neat," Kerns said. "I am grateful to the bank for giving this to us."