Owatonna Foundation

06/23/2026

Meet our Owatonna Foundation Board of Trustees!

Trustees volunteer their time to evaluate and decide the distribution of funds in the form of grants for specific community projects.

Cheryl Meger is a native of Winsted, Minnesota. She completed a 34-year career in education in 2021, working as a teacher, counselor, and assistant principal in Mankato, Albert Lea and Lakeville.

Shortly after retirement, she began working at the family business, the Brick-Meger and Medford Funeral Homes, working as the office manager and supporting the morticians in their work with families.

Now that she is working in Owatonna, she is happy to be able to integrate more fully into the community, both through interacting with people at work and in attending community events, joining organizations, and volunteering.

She is thrilled to be a part of the Owatonna Foundation, currently serving as the Scholarship Committee Chairperson. The mission of the Foundation continues to be upheld with financial support of projects throughout the community and support of students through scholarship awards.

That is something that drew Cheryl to this important work – everyone in our community has been impacted in some way by the generosity of our contributors and the stewardship of the trustees.

06/18/2026

Can you guess this Owatonna spot? 👀

This community space was made possible in part through the support of the Owatonna Foundation.

Drop your guess in the comments below! ⬇️ Answer will be revealed next week.

06/17/2026

The Owatonna Foundation is proud to support projects that enhance our community, arts, recreation, and education.

Under recreation, the Owatonna Foundation helped support We All Play, an Inclusive and Intergenerational playground, and Miracle Field in Manthey Park.

Inclusive playground equipment makes play fun for ALL! The equipment is designed specifically to engage kids of all abilities in play together. Three important elements of inclusive playground equipment include physical accessibility, age and developmental appropriateness, and sensory-stimulating activity.

06/16/2026

From the newspaper archives...

"A $15,000 cash contribution from the Owatonna Foundation Tuesday pushed the Steele County Multi-Purpose Building fund drive up over the $150,000 mark."

Today, that building is known as the Four Seasons Centre!

06/12/2026

Making an impact throughout the community with the donations you give...

Big milestones call for big gratitude.

Oak Hill Community Connections wants to extend a massive thank you to the Owatonna Foundation for their recent, transformative donation of $450,000.

Our goal has always been to build a nurturing environment where vital local resources, healthcare partners, and short-term housing can come together under one roof. Thanks to this incredible generosity from the Owatonna Foundation, that vision is rapidly becoming a reality.

Thank you for your historic support and for continuously working to improve the quality of life for everyone in Owatonna.

06/12/2026

Meet our Owatonna Foundation Board of Trustees!

Trustees volunteer their time to evaluate and decide the distribution of funds in the form of grants for specific community projects.

David Ramsey has lived in the Owatonna for most of the past 43 years. Dave held leadership positions at Federated Insurance in Owatonna, Cambria Enterprises in Belle Plaine, MN, and with Partners in Excellence in Burnsville, MN prior to retirement.

Currently, Dave serves the Owatonna Foundation as President. In the past, Dave has served the United Way Board in Steele County for many years and held leadership roles in the Noon Owatonna Rotary Club and is a Paul Harris Fellow. Dave has served as a “Big” in the Big Brothers-Big Sisters program for about 25 years and was named “Big of the Year” for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota in 2024. Dave has served as a board member for Kinship, Inc. since 2020 and currently serves as its treasurer.

Dave and his wife Kim have two adult children and two grandchildren living in
Vermont and Rochester respectively.

06/11/2026

***REMINDER***Scholarship deadline approaching!!

June A. and Melanie Nelson
Scholarship Criteria

Sponsored by a generous gift from the late June A. and Melanie Nelson
​​Scholarship award $3,000
Pursue a career-specific field of study.
Applicant must be a woman and have an Owatonna mailing address or have worked at an Owatonna business for at least the past two years.

Scholarship Deadline: June 25 and October 25

06/10/2026

The Owatonna Foundation proudly supports capital-related projects that enhance our community, arts, recreation, and education.

The continued generosity of our community makes supporting these projects possible.

In the arts category, the Foundation provided funding towards new lighting and rigging system for Little Theatre of Owatonna (photos show rigging construction in 2023).

See it in action at their next production, "The Wizard of Oz."

06/04/2026

Summer hours are in effect. The Owatonna Foundation office will be closed Fridays through Labor Day.

06/01/2026

The Owatonna Foundation proudly supports capital-related projects that enhance our community, arts, recreation, and education.

Another one of our 2025 community highlights was helping to fund Let's Smile, Inc.'s center middle console at their dental practice. This area has a hands-free sink, X-ray unit, and dual-operatory design.

Let's Smile, Inc. mission is to provide, promote, and educate on the power of preventive dental care, while also offering follow-up treatment to ensure every child and teen in southeastern Minnesota has access to comprehensive dental health care to thrive.