Deep Local Roots. A Community Fund Built for Northern Polk and Burnett Counties.
The Northwest Alliance Community Foundation has been growing generosity close to home since 2013. 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 Northern Polk and Burnett Counties.
Our volunteer advisory board guides the Northwest Alliance Community 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 Polk and Burnett Counties—today and for generations to come.
Give Where You Live. Grow What You Love.
The Northwest Alliance Community Fund is a long-term, permanent community endowment that fuels local grants, local partnerships, and local impact.
Gifts to the Northwest Alliance Community Fund stay in Northern Polk and Burnett Counties—supporting 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 Northwest Alliance Community Fund have supported:
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Family Resource Center St. Croix Valley - Parents as Teachers Home Visiting Program to support the mental health of parents and families in Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix counties
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Mental Health Task Force of Polk County - Thriving Together: Community Programs for Mental Wellbeing
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Northwest Passage - Phase 2 of PassageWay-Navigator, a digital initiative delivering mental health tools for early intervention, aftercare, and staff training
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St. Croix Valley Food Alliance - Supporting Farmer Mental Health programming
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Emergency funding to local food shelves in this time of disruption
Local Grants that Strengthen Northern Polk and Burnett Counties
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.
Nonprofits in Northern Polk and Burnett Counties 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 Northern Polk and Burnett Counties thrive.
Impact Spotlight: Expanding Mental Health Access
People across northwest Wisconsin are getting new ways to nurture mental wellness closer to home. With local support from the Northwest Alliance Community Foundation, the team at Northwest Passage created Navigator, a welcoming online space inspired by their longtime “8 Pathways” therapeutic method.
Families, teachers, and community partners can explore thoughtful tools, conversation starters, and check-ins that help them notice challenges, support one another, and stay connected. It’s not just another program — it’s a practical, heart-centered way to help everyone feel seen, understood, and supported in real life.
Led by Local Volunteers Who Know & Love This Community
Affiliate advisory board members are trusted local leaders who guide grantmaking from the Northwest Alliance Community Fund, build donor connections, and help ensure philanthropy reflects local needs and aspirations.
Northwest Alliance Community Foundation Board of Directors:
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Christine Moeller, Chair
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Amanda Blackmon
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Colleen Laya
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Larry Peterson
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Steven Peterson
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Dick Schwab
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Blaise Vitale
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Ann Wolgamot
Role of the Board:
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Recommend grants that strengthen Northern Polk and Burnett Counties
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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
Help Grow the Future of Polk and Burnett Counties
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 Northwest Alliance Community Fund
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Start a donor-advised fund to support Northern Polk and Burnett Counties
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Leave a legacy gift that benefits your hometown
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Join the Northwest Alliance Community Foundation board
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Share stories of impact from the Northwest Alliance Community Foundation
