Chisago Lakes Area – A Community Endowment Grown Together

Seventeen years ago, local leaders set out with a vision: build a permanent community endowment to meet local needs for generations. This year, that vision reached a milestone. With more than $500,000 raised and over $160,000 already granted, the Chisago Lakes Area Community Fund has become a community asset—funded by neighbors, stewarded by volunteers, and invested for long-term impact.

Grants have supported youth mental health, early literacy, festivals, food shelves, and more. With a new $1 million goal, the fund will keep generosity growing for years to come. Affiliate board chair Kathy Kirvida calls it “a way to give where we live and grow what we love.”

Read the full series Deep Local Roots. One Valley-Wide Foundation.