Terri Foster Named as BLACF’s Next Executive Director

Brainerd, MN – The Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation (BLACF), in partnership with CommunityGiving, is pleased to announce that Terri Foster has been chosen to serve as 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. 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,” shared Terri Foster, new Executive Director of the BLACF.

Terri 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 BLACF Executive Director, to help donors with meeting their philanthropic goals. Before coming to the BLACF, Terri worked in a number of different sectors including: marketing, business development, event management, as well as owning her own consulting business and has 25 years of business experience. She has a vast skill set and a love for serving people. She 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 of Science degrees in Business Management and Graphic Design and holds a Master of Arts in Business from St. Scholastica.

Jim Kraft, Board Chair of BLACF stated, “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. Her “can-do” attitude, adaptability and vision for the future makes her the perfect fit.”

Steve Joul, President & 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 (BLACF) attracts and administers charitable funds for the benefit of the local Brainerd area. Since 1998, BLACF has grown to over $16.7 million in assets and awarded over $8.1 million in grants to nonprofits. The BLACF 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 our donors. Collectively, CommunityGiving administers over 1,000 funds totaling nearly $195 million. Learn more at CommunityGiving.org/Brainerd.