Collaborators
Sourcewell partners with education, government,
and nonprofit agencies to boost student and community
success, as well as provide training and contracted services
to help other public agencies do more with less.
In their five-county central Minnesota service area, they deliver training and contracted services. In Minnesota, Sourcewell manages a self-funded group health insurance option for public agencies. Nationwide, they offer a cooperative purchasing program.
Community Bridgemakers is a team of cross-sector community champions focused on finding shared solutions to common challenges in mental health, workforce development and social cohesion.
Convened in collaboration by Sourcewell, Initiative Foundation, and Region Five Development Commission, they take a systems-approach to community excellence by leveraging resources and expertise to amplify and measure collective impact in the region.
Region Five Community
Located in north central Minnesota, Region Five includes Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe reservation.
The region is home to nearly 175,000 people who live in rural and small-town areas spanning nearly four million acres (about the size of Connecticut). A majority of the cities have fewer than 1,000 residents. The population is largely white with growing Native American, Latin American, and East African communities. Nearly 39% of the population is 55 or older. The region has an abundance of business, industry, cultural, and natural resources. Tourism and healthcare are economic drivers, providing an array of career opportunities.
