For Carol & Lester Jones, Paying it Forward is How Community Endures

“Giving back is both a joy and a responsibility."

Lester and Carol Jones use their donor advised fund at the St. Croix Valley Foundation to pay it forward by giving back to the causes and communities they care most about. Because it's an endowed fund, it provides lasting support for the future yet lets them step in when pressing needs arise.

“Giving back is both a joy and a responsibility. Our kids were well prepared for the outside world because neighbors, teachers, and leaders invested in them—now it’s our turn to pay it forward.”

Carol and Lester raised three children in New Richmond while Lester ran a plastics facility and served on numerous community boards. Their time and resources were limited, but the community surrounded their family with support and opportunity.

Now retired, with six grandchildren of their own, Carol and Lester see giving as gratitude in action—and as a promise to keep the Valley strong for the next generation.

Through donor advised funds at the St. Croix Valley Foundation, they’ve turned that philosophy into a legacy of local generosity. Or, in their words, joy and responsibility.

Homegrown Roots

For three decades, New Richmond was home—where the Joneses raised their children, cheered from the bleachers, and showed up for their schools. Lester helped lead the long-delayed effort to build a new high school—finally passed after 40 years of failed bond votes.

Carol began her career as a first- and second-grade teacher in Iowa before moving to New Richmond to work with parents and preschoolers through CESA 11. She later joined a publishing company focused on literacy and technology, a role that brought her into classrooms across the country. In retirement, her volunteer service at Our Neighbors’ Place in River Falls deepened her perspective on the challenges families face close to home.

“I saw dedicated parents who wanted the best for their kids but needed support,” she recalls. “That shaped how I see giving today. Resources matter. They help families breathe easier and give kids a real chance.”

When retirement came, the Joneses crossed the river to Stillwater, drawn by a lakeside home but still tethered to their New Richmond roots. “We always said we lived in ‘Minne-sconsin,’” Lester laughs. “People live, work, and spend time on both sides of the river. To us, the Valley is one community, not two.”

Built to Last

Endowed donor advised funds at the St. Croix Valley Foundation were the natural way for the Joneses to match their philosophy with action. It provides lasting support for the future, while still allowing them to step in when needs arise.

“Having a legacy matters,” Lester says. “Knowing our support will outlast us—that was important. Our kids benefited from what others made possible, and we want to pay it forward. It is a joy to watch our three kids at work and raising their children in the diverse communities they live in now.”    

The causes closest to their hearts are education, literacy, youth development, and mental health. Carol, a former teacher and literacy consultant, saw firsthand how resources help families succeed. “When parents feel supported, their kids thrive,” she says. “That ripples through the whole community.”

Lester adds: “If parents are stressed out, how can they raise their kids well? Anything that helps them breathe easier helps their kids be successful.”

Lester and Carol Jones with their son Stuart in New Richmond. “Having a legacy matters,” Lester says. “Our kids benefited from what others made possible, and we want to pay it forward. It is a joy to watch our three kids at work and raising their children in the diverse communities they live in now.”    

A Partner in Possibility

The Joneses say working through the St. Croix Valley Foundation makes their philanthropy more meaningful—and expands their impact in ways they couldn’t achieve alone.

“We like being able to choose from a wide menu of possibilities,” Carol explains. “The Foundation shows us opportunities we’d never find on our own.”

Lester adds: “It’s rewarding when the Foundation calls and says, ‘Here’s a worthy grant request that needs extra support—would you consider helping close the gap?’ That’s when we can step in. It feels like we’re making a real difference.”

Through the Foundation, the Joneses have supported affiliate grant programs in New Richmond and Stillwater, plus regional initiatives like the First Thousand Days Grant Program (early childhood education) and Vibrant Communities Mental Health Grant Program.

Local Matters Most

To the Joneses, the difference between working with the St. Croix Valley Foundation and       donating through a large national or global financial firm is clear.

“There’s no way a huge national corporation can zoom down into what’s happening in this Valley,” Lester says. “If you want to make a difference where you live, you need people who know the needs, the nonprofits, and the opportunities. “That’s the unique role the Foundation plays.”

Carol says some of the best feelings come from the Foundation’s simple follow-up emails, describing the impact of grants they’ve helped make possible. “We feel part of something bigger, without having to do all the legwork ourselves.”

Passing the Torch

As they look to the future, Carol and Lester hope their giving inspires others.

“We encourage people to get involved,” Lester says. “You don’t have to do everything. Just do what you can—and together, it adds up.”

For the Joneses, that’s the real legacy—neighbors helping neighbors, ripples of generosity spreading across the St. Croix Valley, just as others once did for their family.