Golden Valley Community Foundation

Golden Valley is a thriving community with many individuals and organizations actively seeking to improve our neighborhoods and our city. The Golden Valley Community Foundation (GVCF) is focused on 1 thing: Our Community.   Our actions enhance it by creating and aiding conditions that make it a vibrant community.  Engagement and collaboration are key! Your support is crucial!

GVCF is a nonprofit public charity created by and for the people of Golden Valley and focused on our west suburban region.  Our mission is to enhance the quality of life for all the people of Golden Valley by encouraging philanthropy, providing services to the donors and those who serve to meet the needs of the community.  Our grants and activities serve Golden Valley and our west suburban neighboring communities nonprofits and community groups.  

See our video!  Our Do More Good Campaign, kicked off in 2021 includes an animated overview of the role of a community foundation and our specific actions to make Golden Valley a go to living destination.  Check that out!  Take 5 minutes, visit our home page and see Philanthropy: How it Works.

What we do -  We are the central conduit for investments in the community to enhance this place we call home.  Our primary programs include: 1 - Small Sparks Grants - Our family of impact grants that fund community building activities, events and projects, 2 - Golden Valley Arts - Our Art specific initiative to encourage, support and expand art and arts leadership in community, 3 - Golden Valley Festival,  our family-friendly and young professionals Festival that renewed this September, 4 - Global Golden Valley, celebrating and supporting our diverse community residents, 5 - The Foundation Fund, supporting investment in capacity building for a better community and 6 - providing support to budding programming that enhance community including Sweet Potato Comfort Pie - a catalyst for conversation, MLK Jr Day of celebration in January, the 1st suburban MN GV PRIDE festival here in Golden Valley each June,  as well as the multitude of community enhancements such as the 1st MN Accessible Playground installed in conjunction with our community Park and Recreation organization and GV Rotary.

GVCF is supported by Golden Valley residents, businesses and other Golden Valley organizations. We are not part of the city government but an independent, all volunteer, self-governed 501 (c) 3 community foundation.  All volunteer means we can maximize your donation for community AND we know our community needs and opportunities where we can collaborate with our nonprofits, philentrepeneurs and programming for our community. 

How we do what we do. People like you. Support at the community level. As a Community Foundation, GVCF supports broad programming and is the community conduit for philanthropic giving that receives, manages, and distributes funds to benefit the Golden Valley community. GVCF provides a structured way to solicit and distribute funds to the maximum benefit of residents and community organizations. We consider our constituents to be people who live in Golden Valley, organizations and businesses located in and serving Golden Valley, and neighborhood or other community groups that support activities, developments and ideas that benefit our geographic area.

The GVCF Board of Directors run the organization and set direction.  The board is composed of individuals who live or work in and around Golden Valley. The Board is elected at an annual meeting of the organization. The GVCF Board of Directors disburses funds based upon established criteria and decision-making processes. The Foundation is guided by input from citizens, organizations, and contributors to our donor advised funds.

You can join us and support what we do by donating money, your time and your talent.  Thanks for your attention to this matter!