ELMWOOD, WI – On Friday, September 12, 2025, Carolyn Maves celebrated a momentous milestone – her 100^th birthday. Many friends and family members gathered at Welcome Home Assisted Living in Elmwood, Wisconsin on Saturday, September 13 to help her celebrate her special day.

In January, the Sun-Argus featured a set of stories about Rock Elm in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. One story featured the school bus that was used to transport children from the north end of town – the bus, which was a double long wagon drawn by horses was utilized in Rock Elm for several years.

Carolyn Maves (nee Smith) was one child who rode the famous wagon bus. Her dad was even the bus driver for a period. At ninety-nine years old, she recalls Rock Elm before electricity was a staple and indoor plumbing was a hope for the future.

To read this and other premium articles in their entirety, pickup the October 16, 2025 issue of the Sun-Argus newspaper. Click to subscribe for convenient delivery by mail, or call (715) 778-4990. Single issues are also available at area newsstands and our office in Spring Valley, WI.

Submitted by Lori Schaefer, SCVF

HUDSON, WI – The St. Croix Valley Foundation (SCVF) on October 13, 2025, announced the launch of the Nonprofit Capacity Building Grant Program, a new regional initiative to help nonprofits strengthen leadership, systems, and sustainability amid continued uncertainty and evolving needs.

Backed by the Nonprofit Stability Collaborative Fund—a bold, $3.5 million regional investment in the strength and sustainability of St. Croix Valley nonprofits—the program represents a proactive and collaborative response to the pressures facing the nonprofit sector.

A Sector Under Strain – Nonprofits across the six counties that border the St. Croix River—Chisago and Washington (MN) and Burnett, Polk, St. Croix, and Pierce (WI)—are carrying enormous responsibility meeting rising community needs with limited staff and resources.

The Foundation’s 2025 Regional Nonprofit Needs Assessment, based on input from 107 nonprofit leaders, revealed widespread strain across the Valley:

• 64% identified organizational resilience—staffing, leadership transitions, burnout—as a top area of need.
• 72% cited lack of time or competing priorities, and 60% cited limited budgets as barriers to building organizational capacity.

While local nonprofits have shown remarkable resilience, they are stretched thin—facing staffing shortages, limited time and resources, and pressure to sustain services as community needs rise. This comes at a time of uncertainty and, for many, shrinking public funding—a national trend documented by the National Council of Nonprofits, Independent Sector, and the Council on Foundations.

“Nonprofits are the heart of what makes the St. Croix Valley such a vibrant and caring region,” said Angie Pilgrim, Vice President of Community Impact at the St. Croix Valley Foundation. “This grant program invests directly in their ability to adapt, lead, and thrive for the long haul. It encourages organizations to think creatively and courageously about long-term sustainability—including new partnerships, shared services, or, in some cases, thoughtfully planned transitions or closures. Ultimately, it’s about strengthening what’s behind the mission—people, systems, and strategy—so nonprofits can continue to serve the Valley effectively.”

Four Avenues of Support – The Nonprofit Capacity Building Grant Program provides flexible funding across four avenues of support, meeting organizations where they are:

• Experiences (up to $10,000): Learning and professional growth for nonprofit leaders and staff.
• Planning (up to $25,000): Assessing challenges and opportunities and charting a clear path forward.
• Implementation (up to $100,000): Putting capacity-building plans into action.
• System-Wide Infrastructure (up to $250,000): Building shared tools, platforms, or collaborations that strengthen the entire nonprofit sector.

Applications open October 13, 2025, with quarterly review cycles. Nonprofits can find full details and eligibility at scvfoundation.org/grants/capacity-building.

The Fund Powering Nonprofit Resilience – The Nonprofit Stability Collaborative Fund, which powers the new grant program, was established at the St. Croix Valley Foundation in 2025 by regional philanthropic partners—the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation and the Hugh J. Andersen Foundation—in direct response to a shifting funding landscape and an urgent need to strengthen the nonprofit sector for the long term.

“We are especially grateful to the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation, which recognized the urgency of this moment and took the first bold step to establish the Fund with a lead gift, and to the Hugh J. Andersen Foundation, an early partner,” said Heather Logelin, President and CEO of the St. Croix Valley Foundation. “Their leadership and vision sparked a collaborative effort at a time when community needs are rising, public funding is uncertain, and nonprofits are being asked to do more with less.”

Why It Matters – Nonprofits across the St. Croix Valley are the backbone of community life—delivering food and housing, education, mental-health care, environmental protection, and arts and culture. In smaller towns and rural areas, they are often the first and only place people can turn for help.

The St. Croix Valley Foundation serves a six-county region spanning Washington and Chisago Counties in Minnesota and Polk, Burnett, St. Croix, and Pierce Counties in Wisconsin. Partnering with donors, nine local community affiliates—the hometown heart of the Foundation—and nonprofits across the Valley, the Foundation stewards and grows endowments that fuel vital programs today and for generations to come. Through strategic grantmaking and strong community partnerships, the St. Croix Valley Foundation is building a more vibrant, resilient, and generous region. scvfoundation.org.