Nonprofit Capacity Building Grants: Experiences Grant

The Nonprofit Capacity Building Grants, offered by the St. Croix Valley Foundation, are designed to support organizations in enhancing their capabilities. These grants provide flexible funding for professional development, strategic planning, and implementation efforts to strengthen nonprofits. With a maximum grant size of $10,000, the program aims to empower nonprofits to meet community needs effectively while ensuring long-term sustainability and resilience in the St. Croix Valley region.

The St. Croix Valley Foundation serves six counties bordering the St. Croix River through local partnerships and place-based philanthropy. We serve:

• Minnesota: Chisago County, Washington County

Wisconsin: Burnett County, Pierce County, Polk County, St. Croix County
Partnered with local community affiliates led by volunteers who help guide grantmaking, grow local endowments, and connect donors to opportunities close to home.
Every day, nonprofits across the St. Croix Valley meet urgent community needs while balancing limited resources, growing demand, and constant change. The Nonprofit Capacity Building Grant Program was created to support you — with flexible funding for the people, plans, and systems that keep your organization strong.
​Whether you’re planning for the future, implementing new systems, or collaborating with partners to meet regional needs, these grants are designed to help you build strength for the long haul.
​Funded through the Nonprofit Stability Collaborative Fund, this program invests in the long-term health and sustainability of our region’s nonprofits — so together, we can build a stronger, more resilient Valley.
What We Fund
Capacity building is an investment in your organization’s ability to grow, sustain impact, and adapt—whether through refinement, expansion, collaboration, or even sunsetting—in service of your mission and the greater good. The Nonprofit Capacity Building Grant Program supports organizations at different stages of readiness through four distinct avenues of funding.
​Experiences – Learning and professional growth for nonprofit leaders and staff. Planning – Strategic assessments and planning to chart a path forward. Implementation – Putting a clear capacity-building plan into action.System-Wide Infrastructure – Shared tools and collaborations that strengthen the entire sector.
Nonprofit Capacity Building Grants: Experiences – Learning and professional growth for nonprofit leaders and staff
Examples: Executive coaching, peer learning cohorts, leadership training, DEIB learning journeys, or conference participation.

Eligibility

Organizations must:
Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in existence for at least five years.Have a current IRS Form 990 on file.Be well-established and organized in a way that supports their mission and daily operations.Be located in SCVF’s six-county service area: Chisago and Washington (MN); Burnett, Polk, St. Croix, and Pierce (WI).

Ineligibility

Private foundationsGovernment entitiesSectarian religious programsFiscal sponsorshipsCapital projectsOrganizations headquartered outside the region seeking expansion