Generosity Meets the Great Outdoors

$266,000 invested through the Environmental Grant Program

2025 Environmental Grant recipient Pollinator Friendly Alliance's Big Marine Park Biodiversity and Habitat Restoration Project.

When Jim and Judy Freund of Hudson look out across the St. Croix Valley, they don’t just see beauty—they see responsibility. That commitment now lives on through the Environmental Grant Fund at the St. Croix Valley Foundation.

“We live in one of the most spectacular regions in the country,” Judy says. “But we also know that if we don’t care for it, we could lose it. That’s what drove us to act.”

In 2023, the Freunds created a permanent endowed fund supporting nonprofits that care for the Valley’s lands and waters. That fund helped launch the Environmental Grant Program—the foundation’s fifth regional grant program and the first devoted entirely to environmental stewardship.

First Grants, First Ripples

Launched on Earth Day 2023, the inaugural grant program awarded $41,000 to 11 nonprofits. These early grants seeded prairie restorations, built pollinator habitat, supported waterway cleanups, and created outdoor classrooms—small projects with big potential.

A Surge of Generosity Fuels Impact

In 2025, the program’s reach expanded dramatically. With added support from an anonymous donor, the Foundation awarded $225,000 to 19 nonprofits.

Cornerstone environmental organizations—Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center, Friends of Willow River & Kinnickinnic State Parks, and Wild Rivers Conservancy—received general operating support to sustain their daily work protecting cherished natural spaces.

Innovation also took root. Sustainable Stillwater MN advanced local sustainability initiatives. The Pollinator Friendly Alliance restored habitat at Big Marine Park. Belwin Conservancy teamed up with Stillwater Area Schools to expand environmental education, and The Prairie Enthusiasts improved public access at the Alexander Oak Savanna in Pierce County.

A Legacy of Stewardship

“We’re thrilled to see how this has grown,” Judy reflects. “Seeing donors collaborate and nonprofits bring forward creative, impactful ideas—it’s beyond what we imagined.”

Thanks to Jim and Judy’s vision—and the generosity of donors who joined them—the St. Croix Valley now has a lasting way to protect the natural beauty that unites us all.

A growing legacy of stewardship—for today, tomorrow, and for good.