Great Idea Competition
Win up to $10K in funding for your civic-minded project
What would you do with up to $10,000 to make your community better? Stillwater Area Foundation’s Great Idea Competition is open to any citizen, group, nonprofit, business or organization with an idea for the community, and the determination to complete it.
Share your Great Idea!
Applications Open: 2025 dates to be announced
Click the yellow "Apply Today!" button to submit your application.
Grant applications are due: 2025 dates to be announced
Top entrants may be asked to present their Great Idea at a Stillwater Area Community Foundation
board meeting. The winner will be announced in July.
Anyone can apply!
The Great Idea can benefit any community in our service area
Applications must describe the steps to completion and an approximate budget
Past Winners:
• Union Art Alley (2024)
• Learning about Stillwater history through QR codes (2023)
• Cimarron Community Farm (2022)
• Wild River Journey (2021)
• Fairy Falls Restoration (2019)
• Power of St Croix Utility Box Mural Project (2018)
• Beautify the Stillwater Stairs (2017)
• Lens Flare Stillwater (2016)
• River City Sculpture Tour (2016)
• Pollinator Friendly Alliance (2015)
• Stillwater Dog Park (2014)
The winning idea will receive a grant for up to $10,000!
Great Idea applications must benefit a community within the Stillwater Area Foundation’s service parameters: Bayport, Baytown Township, Grant, Lake Elmo, Marine on St. Croix, May Township (including Withrow), Oak Park Heights, Stillwater and West Lakeland Township (north of Highway 94).
As long as it benefits one of our local communities, the idea could be just about anything! For example, the next Great Idea may…
- Beautify streetscapes
- Address an environmental concern
- Make life more enjoyable for local residents
- Address needs of underserved community members
- Attract visitors and engage residents
The winning Great Idea will:
- Be innovative
- Enhance quality of life
- Strengthen community connections
- Build community pride