Nancy Fasching is the Vice President for Community Impact at Southwest Initiative Foundation, a regional community foundation serving the 18 counties of rural, southwest Minnesota and two Native nations that share its geography. For 22 years, Nancy has worked with its grantmaking initiatives, which includes responsive funding and proactive programming. She currently leads the foundation’s growing community impact team, including grant programs, community engagement programs, research and learning for strategic initiatives, and fund development for programmatic opportunities. As a member of the leadership team, Nancy provides strategic direction to the foundation’s mission and developing partnerships that strengthen rural community development.

Nancy has a passion for communities and people coming together, especially to create systems and opportunities where all residents thrive and communities meet their full potential for current and future generations. She is of and for rural places and loves the skills, experiences and heart people bring to their community work each day. Nancy serves as past president of United Community Action Agency board of directors and Winsted Economic Development Commission, she helped found the Winsted Arts Council and is an alumna of the Blandin Community Leadership Program.

Nancy’s background includes a degree in organizational management and geography from Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minnesota. She lives in Winsted with her husband, Marc, and two teenage children and enjoys woodworking, gardening, and finding new microbreweries.