In 2023, the St. Croix Valley Foundation awarded nearly $5 million in grants and scholarships, thanks to the generosity, foresight, and compassion of our donors.
The past year has been filled with highlights and milestones for the St. Croix Valley Foundation. Publishing the 2023 Annual Report gave us an opportunity to reflect on some of our most recent successes and look ahead at the possibilities in front of us.
In 2023, the St. Croix Valley Foundation:
launched the First Thousand Days Grant with an idea and donation from Bill and Rita Lawson. The grant will award up to $25,000 to organizations focused on the first thousand days – or roughly three years - of child development;
partnered with the Hastings Public Schools Foundation to steward their endowed fund – so teachers with creative ideas to enhance student learning will always be supported;
continued to honor the legacy of Nyda Swanson by supporting music programming in schools throughout the Valley… purchasing instruments, expanding music libraries, and so much more. In the 20 years since the Valley Music Education Grant was established, we’ve awarded more than $614,000 in Nyda’s honor;
supported nonprofits doing important work - day in and day out. This year, Mary Holmes and her husband Ken established an endowed fund to support Community Homestead in Osceola. Their donation honored the 20-year anniversary of Mary’s brother, Joel, calling Community Homestead home. Long-term funds like these are one of the many ways we partner with hundreds of nonprofit organizations throughout the Valley.
and, relaunched the Legacy Society – recognizing a caring group of donors who have made - or plan to make - gifts to the St. Croix Valley Foundation through their estates.
Our ten Affiliate Foundations continued to nourish deep connections within their communities, funding projects like the River Falls Community Foundation’s BIG IDEA grant. In 2023, the River Falls Community Foundation board set a goal of increasing the BIG IDEA endowment to $25,000 (up from $10,000) in time for its 25th anniversary in 2024.
Thank you for supporting the St. Croix Valley Foundation. We look forward to continuing our work together in the year ahead!