$1.26M Invested to Strengthen St. Croix Valley Nonprofits
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Second round of capacity-building grants supports 24 organizations strengthening leadership, systems, and long-term sustainability
The St. Croix Valley Foundation today announced $821,407 in second-round Capacity Building Grants to 24 nonprofit organizations. In just six months, the program has invested more than $1.26 million in 46 organizations across the St. Croix Valley—strengthening leadership, systems, and long-term sustainability for nonprofits across the region.
“This second round really reinforces what we’re hearing across the region: nonprofits are not just asking for support, they’re increasingly thinking about how to adapt, collaborate, and sustain their work for the future,” said Angie Pilgrim, Vice President of Community Impact at the St. Croix Valley Foundation.
“What’s especially exciting is the level of thoughtfulness we’re seeing—many organizations are stepping back to assess what’s needed, investing in systems and leadership, and working across sectors to solve complex challenges. That’s exactly what this program is designed to support.”
Strengthening the Systems Behind the Mission
What this funding supports isn’t always visible, but it’s what makes everything else work.
In this round, nonprofits are investing in leadership, systems, and partnerships to respond to rising demand, navigate change, and sustain their impact over time. This work shows up in different ways—from building better data to making smarter decisions about what comes next.
Kinnickinnic River Land Trust received a $93,220 Implementation Grant to develop a Healthy Environments, Healthy Communities Dashboard. The project brings together environmental and public health data into a single platform to inform decision-making and support community action.
“This project is about connecting the dots between environmental health, community health, and the decisions we make moving forward,” said Steve Leonard, Executive Director of Kinnickinnic River Land Trust. “By bringing together data from across partners into one shared dashboard, we can better understand trends, identify priorities, and work collaboratively to protect the watershed and the communities that depend on it.”
ABC for Rural Health, based in Turtle Lake and serving Burnett, Polk, St. Croix, and Pierce
counties in Wisconsin, received a $25,000 Planning Grant to strengthen its future. The organization will continue helping families navigate health coverage and access care while managing a leadership transition and growing demand for its services.
“We’re at a critical moment, facing both a surge in demand and an evolving leadership transition,” said Mike Rust, Chief Operating Officer of ABC for Rural Health. “This planning effort allows us to be proactive by preserving institutional knowledge, strengthening continuity, and building a path forward that ensures rural communities continue to have access to the care and advocacy they need.”
Second-Round Capacity Building Grant Recipients
The following 24 organizations received second-round awards through the Foundation’s Nonprofit Capacity Building Grant Program:
Organization Name | Project Name | Funding Avenue | Grant Amount |
The Food Group | Growing Staff Capacity and Agricultural Networks | Experience | $10,000.00 |
YMCA of the North | Little Seeds Nature Preschool Professional Capacity Expansion Grant | Experience | $7,245.00 |
ABC for Rural Health, Inc. | Planning to Sustain & Strengthen the Rural Health Safety Net | Planning | $25,000.00 |
ArtReach St. Croix | Strategic Planning to Supercharge ArtReach | Planning | $25,000.00 |
BRIDGE for Community Life, Inc. | BRIDGE Development Plan & the Details are in the Data | Planning | $16,971.00 |
Family Resource Center St. Croix Valley | FRCSCV Data System Planning Project | Planning | $25,000.00 |
FREEDOM PARK CENTER | Freedom Park Center Capacity Building and Planning Project | Planning | $25,000.00 |
Interfaith Caregivers of Polk County, Inc. | Community Connections | Planning | $25,000.00 |
Marine Library Association | Integrated Strategic Planning and Program Evaluation | Planning | $25,000.00 |
Mental Health Task Force of Polk County | Planning for What Comes Next | Planning | $25,000.00 |
River Valley Trails, INC. | Capacity First: Strategic Alignment for Responsible Growth | Planning | $15,000.00 |
St. Croix Valley Opera | SCVO Strategic Plan & Capacity Building Roadmap | Planning | $22,800.00 |
Thug Life Ministry | Sustainability of the Thug program | Planning | $11,000.00 |
United Way of Washington County-East | UWWCE Strategic Planning | Planning | $25,000.00 |
Valley Friendship Club | Valley Friendship Club - Strategic Planning | Planning | $15,000.00 |
Camp Odayin | Advancing Technology for Organizational Impact | Implementation | $27,782.00 |
Cancer Legal Care | Launching New Financial, Donor, and IT Systems | Implementation | $57,789.00 |
Family Friendly Workplaces, Inc. | Claude AI Implementation | Implementation | $6,000.00 |
Kinnickinnic River Land Trust | Healthy Environments, Healthy Communities Dashboard | Implementation | $93,220.00 |
Lakes Center for Youth and Families | Data Systems to Strengthen Youth Impact | Implementation | $100,000.00 |
Open Cupboard | Building our Future: Taking our Development Program to the Next Level | Implementation | $62,800.00 |
Philadelphia Community Farm | Values-Based Fundraising for Long-Term Stability | Implementation | $50,000.00 |
St. Croix Valley Food Bank | Building Infrastructure for Hunger Relief with Funding Sustainability | Implementation | $94,300.00 |
The Connect Center | CRM Purchase and Implementation | Implementation | $31,500.00
|
A Regional Response to a Changing Nonprofit Landscape
The Nonprofit Capacity Building Grant Program is made possible through the Nonprofit Stability Collaborative Fund—a bold, $3.5 million investment in the strength and sustainability of St. Croix Valley nonprofits.
Established at the St. Croix Valley Foundation in 2025 by regional philanthropic partners, the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation and the Hugh J. Andersen Foundation, the Fund was created in direct response to a pivotal moment for the nonprofit sector.
The program offers quarterly funding across four areas—Experiences, Planning, Implementation, and System-Wide Infrastructure. The next application deadline is May 31, 2026. Learn more and apply here.
READ MORE - IN THE NEWS
Comments