Nonprofit Capacity Building Grants: System-Wide Infrastructure

The Nonprofit Capacity Building Grants from the St. Croix Valley Foundation aim to enhance the infrastructure of nonprofits serving the St. Croix River area. This initiative supports organizations with flexible funding to strengthen their operations, allowing them to grow, adapt, and sustain their impact. Grants of up to $250,000 are available for various capacity-building activities, including shared tools and collaborations that benefit the entire sector, ultimately fostering a resilient community.

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: System-Wide Infrastructure – Shared tools and collaborations that strengthen the entire sector
Examples: Shared data or referral systems, joint training platforms, shared back-office or HR services, collaborative advocacy or regional knowledge-sharing networks.

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

501(c)(3) nonprofits in existence at least five years with a current IRS Form 990 on file, located in SCVF's service area (Chisago and Washington counties, MN; Burnett, Polk, St. Croix and Pierce counties, WI). Not eligible: private foundations, government entities, sectarian religious programs, fiscal sponsorships, capital projects, out-of-region organizations.