Ah, the elevator speech. When you have 2 minutes to connect with another person before the doors open and the interaction is over. With COVID lockdowns behind us, interactions are back on! It’s time to refresh the elevator speech and seize upon those unplanned opportunities to make a quick impactful impression. Ready….GO!
So, What IS the St. Croix Valley Foundation?
The St. Croix Valley Foundation is a nonprofit organization, established in 1995, with a mission of improving the quality of life in the St. Croix Valley. In collaboration with 10 affiliated community foundations, the SCVF provides donors the opportunity to invest philanthropic dollars locally, wisely and for the long-term. When a donor wants to leave a legacy in the Valley – they call SCVF. As a result, the St. Croix Valley Foundation now has over $90 million in philanthropic assets under management. Staff have a keen knowledge of needs throughout the Valley and of the nonprofit organizations doing work in those areas. The SCVF connects donors with the nonprofits that match their passion areas. The Foundation also supports area nonprofits through grantmaking and capacity-building programs.
What’s Your Service Area?
The St. Croix Valley Foundation serves six counties along the St. Croix River; In MN – Chisago and Washington Counties, and in WI – Pierce, St. Croix, northern Polk and Burnett Counties. The Foundation also works with these 10 affiliated community foundations to raise local dollars for local needs:
Amery Area Community Foundation
Chisago Lakes Area Community Foundation
Hudson Community Foundation
Lower St. Croix Valley Community Foundation
New Richmond Area Community Foundation
Northwest Alliance Community Foundation
Prescott Foundation
River Falls Community Foundation
Somerset Community Foundation
Stillwater Area Community Foundation
By donating to the St. Croix Valley Foundation, or an affiliated community foundation, a donor's gift gets reinvested in their community. As local funding priorities and needs change, the St. Croix Valley Foundation can respond.
So How Does It Work?
The SCVF partners with donors in many ways. Donors who make unrestricted gifts provide the Foundation with the flexibility to respond to the changing needs of the region. (The COVID-19 crisis was a clear example of how unrestricted funds help the Foundation to respond to unforeseen, unexpected needs; thanks to SCVF’s generous partners, the Foundation was able to grant over $1 million to 112 nonprofits helping those in our communities most affected by the pandemic.) If a donor prefers to designate their gift for a specific area of interest, or to benefit particular nonprofits close to their heart, the SCVF can do that, too. The SCVF also partners with individuals (or couples or families) on donor advised funds, enabling the donor to make a tax-deductible gift to create a fund today and then recommend grants from that fund for years to come. Gifts can be made while the donor is living and/or through their estate. In all cases, the staff at the SCVF is happy to meet with folks, and their professional advisors, to answer questions, provide options and – ultimately – establish a plan that works best for that donor.
5th Floor Coming Up. Parting Thoughts?
The St. Croix Valley Foundation connects generous donors with community needs – current and future. Like the region it serves, donors to the SCVF are an amalgamation – of financial abilities, life stages, and motivations. The common denominator? – A desire to give back and a love for the St. Croix Valley.