Terri Foster named as BLACF next executive director

BRAINERD — The Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation, in partnership with CommunityGiving, announced Thursday, Feb. 2, Terri Foster is the new executive director of the organization.

“As I take on this new position, I am excited to help staff, board members and volunteers continue to grow the Foundation and continue to plant seeds, Foster said in a news release. “We are excited to watch these seeds grow and see the impact to the Lakes Area over the next several years. It will be life changing, with millions of dollars being invested into our local nonprofits and community projects. I am dedicated to continue to provide concierge level service to our donors, nonprofit partners and the community as a whole. It’s BLACF’s mission is to help generous people change lives and communities through charitable giving. We are truly better together."

Foster joined the organization in 2017 as a consultant and most recently served as the director of Donor Relations for the foundation, working closely with Karl Samp, now retired Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation executive director, to help donors with meeting their philanthropic goals.

Before coming to the Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation, Foster, who has 25 years of business experience, worked in a number of different sectors including marketing, business development and event management as well as owning her own consulting business.

“She has a vast skill set and a love for serving people,” the Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation stated in the news release.

Foster has been active in the community and volunteered with several nonprofit organizations including being a 4-H club leader and as part of a county agricultural association; as well as being a community education volunteer coach for nearly 20 years. She graduated from Bemidji State University with two bachelor’s degrees in Business Management and Graphic Design and has a master’s degree in Business from St. Scholastica.

“Terri has done a phenomenal job serving the Brainerd lakes area community through her previous positions and we know that with her leadership, the BLACF will continue to grow,” said Jim Kraft, Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation board chair, in the news release. “Her ‘can-do’ attitude, adaptability and vision for the future makes her the perfect fit."

Also in the release, Steve Joul, president and CEO of CommunityGiving, noted, “Terri exemplifies so many of our core values and has grown within her position at BLACF and CommunityGiving. We are absolutely thrilled and delighted to see her take on this new role as Executive Director. She will bring her commitment and passion to serving donors, volunteers and the larger community to this new job.”

The Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation attracts and administers charitable funds for the benefit of the local Brainerd area. Since 1998, the foundation has grown to over $16.7 million in assets and awarded over $8.1 million in grants to nonprofits. The foundation is governed by a local board of directors and is a partner of CommunityGiving, which is a collaborative of many community foundations networked together to create efficiencies that maximize the impact of donors. Collectively, CommunityGiving administers over 1,000 funds totaling nearly $195 million. Learn more at CommunityGiving.org/Brainerd .