With the firm belief that all roads surrounding our community’s most pressing socioeconomic problems lead back to education, the Foundation has redoubled our commitment to developing highly targeted youth and educational initiatives. Today, we are focused on addressing the crisis in our public education system by advocating for greater innovation and bold policy reforms
For over 20 years, St. Croix Foundation’s fiscal sponsorship services have provided a reliable and accountable vehicle through which grassroots organizations can pursue their mission under the guidance of our established 501(c)3 umbrella. Today, the Foundation is a preeminent provider of fiscal sponsorship services in the Territory with an impressive portfolio of more than 200 projects.
Back in 1992, the Foundation was entrusted with the proceeds from the first AIDS fundraiser in the Territory. With a grant from the Foundation, VI Community AIDS Research and Education, VICARE, was subsequently established as the first community organization focused solely on AIDS outreach. Seven years later, the Foundation was approached by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) who asked the Foundation to manage federal AIDS funding in partnership with the VI Department of Health. In 2008, HRSA petitioned the Foundation to expand our financial management role and take over primary program management and oversight of all AIDS medication procurement and outreach services for the Territory. Through the Foundation’s efforts, the Territory became eligible for more than 1/2 million dollars in supplemental funding. That's Impact.
Designed as a revolving loan program, the Foundation's Intermediary Relending Program provided loans for the creation and expansion of over 60 local businesses over a period of 10 years. That's Impact.
In 1998, St. Croix Foundation helped write and advocate for the passage of the first Enterprise Zone tax credit legislation, creating incentives for property owners to rehabilitate or sell properties. Today, we continue to advocate for increased credits for town rehabilitation, including underwriting interest rates on mortgages for owners that wish to return to town as occupants.
In 1998, the Foundation purchased 5 Sunday Market Square properties from a bankrupt community development corporation and began steadily renovating the properties with funding from generous private donors and public sector partners including the Department of Public Works, the Public Finance Authority, the Department of Agriculture-Rural Development, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Community Development Block Grant Program. With a total investment of over 5 million dollars, the impact of our work is evident in the heart of the Square. That's Community Impact.
For 5 years, the Foundation's Women's Business Center (WBC) offered a full range of services with the aim of decreasing women’s dependency on welfare and encouraging selfreliance and self-sufficiency. Recognized as one of the top 5 WBCs in the Nation, the Center provided local women internet access, training courses, seminars, mentoring sessions, and micro loans for entrepreneurial ventures and small business development.
For over 15 years, the Foundation has been assisting Christiansted property owners by providing over 120 grants for exterior renovations, lot cleaning, and bushing. With funding support from the Waste Management Authority (formerly the Anti-Litter and Beautification Commission), the Casino Control Commission, and private donors, we have funded youth cleanup programs Territory-wide and removed junked and abandoned vehicles from countless properties and roadways.
Strategic grantmaking can do more than serve as a 'Bandaid' for an immediate need. While the Foundation pursues the root causes of what ails our public education system, we have offered almost a half million dollars in grants and scholarships to support and showcase the innovative, progressive, and strategic programming that exists in the Territory.
When the Virgin Islands government announced its goal of creating a VIPD Bicycle Patrol Unit in 2000, within two weeks the Foundation had secured funding to provide training so that bicycle patrols could immediately commence on St. Croix and St. Thomas. Today, Bicycle Patrol Units are well-established in Christiansted and Frederiksted on St. Croix and in Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas. Ensuring a strong presence in downtown Christiansted, the Foundation has also provided the Christiansted Bicycle Patrol Unit with rent-free office space in Sunday Market Square since 2002.
Fifteen years ago, St. Croix Foundation, in partnership with the Christiansted Restaurant and Retail Association and the St. Croix Hotel Association, secured nearly $400,000 to place security cameras on St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John. For seven years afterwards, the Foundation raised funds for maintaining the cameras. Today, we are identifying funding to upgrade the systems on all three islands.
2003 Recognized by the US Small Business Administration for managing one of the top five best Women’s Business Centers in the nation.
Launched in 2005, our Model Schools Initiative has evolved into one of the largest and most comprehensive public/private educational endeavors in the Virgin Islands in investment and in scope. We have built an incomparable track record of achievements over the past 10 years, to include; Providing on-the-ground, comprehensive direct services to 2 schools for over 5 years that funded aggressive professional development for all faculty and resulted in a 70% reduction in discipline infractions and a 30% increase in math scores. Coordinating the travel of over 300 local educators to the renowned Model Schools Conference. Facilitating the creation of a state-of-the-art computer lab secured for a local public junior high school in partnership with Hovensa. Publishing a 55 page case study on the state of public education in the Virgin Islands. Hosting over 20 public forums and roundtable discussions among stakeholders and policymakers on educational reform. Launching an 18-week Education First editorial series in local and social media, seeking to make education a top priority in the November 2014 election. Today, St. Croix Foundation is striving to build capacity for more rapid and radical reforms in the Territory. In partnership with a growing body of local and national education partners, the Foundation has begun to shift our focus from programs to policy as we amass what we believe to be the largest repository of educational data. Our Goal: to lead the Territory in becoming a national model for collaborative and comprehensive system-wide reform. That's System-Wide Impact.
Made possible through generous corporate and individual donations, our Community Police Partnership Funds have provided training to officers for Fingerprint Identification, Window Tint Analysis, Homicide Investigation, and K-9 Handling. That's Impact.
In 2007, the Foundation officially launched a Downtown Lighting Initiative seeking to ensure that our historic town districts were well-lit for both safety and aesthetics. We procured a proprietary light fixture approved by the VI Historic Preservation Commission and, working with downtown merchants, renowned lighting expert Ray Grenald, and the VI Energy Office we provided energy-saving bulbs and cost-effective light fixtures to assist businesses. Today, almost 10 years later, Community Partners like the Christiansted Restaurant and Retail Association and the Christiansted Community Alliance have picked up the baton and are developing more comprehensive downtown lighting Initiatives.
2007 National recognition by the International Downtown Association for the comprehensive nature of our town rebuilding efforts to restore our economic centers
2008 National recognition by the Council of Foundations for our entire body of economic and community development work
Throughout our educational outreach efforts, St. Croix Foundation has been committed to developing high impact programming for our most important educational stakeholders—our students. With the mission of teaching youth in our community about philanthropy and grant-making through experiential learning, our Youth Council is an entirely organic endeavor driven by youth for youth. Nationally Recognized by the National Youth Leadership Council in 2014 for their Global Youth Network which seeks to connect youth locally and abroad.
In 2009, the Foundation opened the first Business Incubator in the Territory, offering start up small businesses shared use of office equipment and personnel while also providing the training necessary for success. Today, the Incubator comprises a state-of-the-art tele-conferencing boardroom and business center, which offers community rentals and computer free access to the Foundation Directory for grant searches.
In the fall of 2012, the Foundation launched its Believe Campaign to empower and mobilize residents to band together and tackle critical issues affecting our community. The Foundation is directing specific focus on three strategic programmatic areas including island beautification and revitalization, education reform, and public safety. We are encouraging our partners and supporters to join forces with us and Believe…
St. Croix Foundation has leveraged our annual fundraiser, St. Croix Food & Wine Experience, into a vocational internship program. Since 2014, 4 interns have traveled to Menlo Park in California to intern at Facebook's corporate headquarters. The program has since expanded to include internships at a renowned Hawaiian restaurant in 2015. Changing Lives. National exposure for the Virgin Islands.
SCF Youth Advisory Council selected to present at the National Youth Leadership Council for the development of their Global Youth Network
National and local media recognition for Culinary Internship Program with Facebook and Celebrity Chef through St. Croix Food and Wine Experience
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