Deep Local Roots. A Community Fund Built for the Lower St. Croix Valley.
The Lower St. Croix Valley Community Foundation has been growing generosity close to home since 1994. As one of the St. Croix Valley Foundation’s local community affiliates, we are locally led, hometown-focused, and deeply connected to the needs and opportunities of the communities of Lakeland, Lakeland Shores, Lake St. Croix Beach, St. Mary's Point, and Afton.
Our volunteer advisory board guides the Lower St. Croix Valley Community Impact Fund —the permanent community endowment created to invest in what matters most right here. With local insight and the regional strength of the St. Croix Valley Foundation behind us, we help generosity grow into lasting impact for the Lower St. Croix Valley—today and for generations to come.
Give Where You Live. Grow What You Love.
The Lower St. Croix Valley Community Impact Fund is a long-term, permanent community endowment that fuels local grants, local partnerships, and local impact.
Gifts to the Lower St. Croix Valley Community Impact Fund stay in the five local communities of Lakeland, Lakeland Shores, Lake St. Croix Beach, St. Mary's Point, and Afton to support priorities identified by the people who know this community best. And because we’re part of the St. Croix Valley Foundation, donors can choose to give locally or Valley-wide or both with confidence that every gift is wisely managed and built to last.
How Local Generosity Shows Up
Grants from the Lower St. Croix Valley Community Impact Fund have supported:
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Rebuilding, repaving, bridge replacement, and ADA improvements to the Lower St. Croix Trail
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Afton-Lakeland Elementary School PTA
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Afton Historical Society and Museum
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Denmark Township Historical Society
Local Grants that Strengthen the Lower St. Croix Valley
Each year, we award grants to local nonprofits —supporting programs that reflect our community’s values, priorities, and vision for the future.
Our grant cycle typically opens in June, with decisions sent in the fall. Guidelines and application links are posted here when available.
Lower St. Croix Valley nonprofits may also be eligible for regional grant opportunities offered through the St. Croix Valley Foundation, including the Vibrant Communities Mental Health Grants, which bring affiliates together with the Foundation to support mental health and wellbeing across our six-county region.
Our locally-led, regionally supported grant programs are designed to strengthen community life—and help the Lower St. Croix Valley thrive.
Impact Spotlight: Storytelling as a Path to Resilience
In the Lower St. Croix Valley and Stillwater, students are discovering storytelling as a tool for healing and connection. Through StoryArk’s “My Story, Your Story, Our Story” program, students in grades 9-12 explore their own narratives and share them with peers, teachers, and administrators.
Student-led teams write, perform, and foster belonging—gaining confidence, empathy, and coping skills.
Led by Local Volunteers Who Know & Love This Community
Affiliate advisory board members are trusted local leaders who guide grantmaking from the Lower St. Croix Valley Community Impact Fund, build donor connections, and help ensure philanthropy reflects local needs and aspirations.
Role of the Board:
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Recommend grants that strengthen the Lower St. Croix Valley
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Champion local philanthropy and share impact stories
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Cultivate donor relationships rooted in trust
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Share community insight that guides both local and regional strategy
Lower St. Croix Valley Foundation Board of Directors:
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Robert Craggs, Chair
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Josh Campbell
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Debi Erickson
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Jeff Heegaard
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Louis Jambois
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Karen Riley
Help Grow the Future of the Lower St. Croix Valley
Whether you give, volunteer, or help spread the word, you’re part of something bigger—a community growing good, one gift at a time.
Ways to Get Involved:
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Give to the Lower St. Croix Valley Community Impact Fund
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Start a donor-advised fund to support the Lower St. Croix Valley
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Leave a legacy gift that benefits your hometown
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Join the Lower St. Croix Valley Foundation board
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Share stories of impact from the Lower St. Croix Valley Foundation
