Making an Impact

Founders Award 2025: Honoring Judy Davis On October 14th, 2025, the Winona Community Foundation was proud to honor Judy Davis with the 2025 Founders Award, which honors individuals who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to improving life in the Winona area through the use of their time, talent, and treasure. Individuals selected to receive the award have the opportunity to grant $5,000 dollars from the Founders Endowment Fund to the charity of their [...]

Winona Community Foundation Awards $79,523 to Local Nonprofits Left to right: Mandi Olson (WCF President/CEO), John Mullen (IMPACT Center), Jacque Paulsen (Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts), Lydia Boysen (Riverway Learning Community), Craig Putz (Family & Children's Center), Sandra Burke (Winona Volunteer Services), Taff Roberts (Sandbar Storytelling Festival), Mark Zocher (Winona Creators Collective), Judy Davis (WCF Grant Committee), Peter Hartman (The Prairie Enthusiasts),  Aaron Young (Great River Shakespeare Festival), Betsy Wells (Miller Mentoring), [...]

With the help of a $7,500 grant from the Winona Community Foundation, the City of Winona has been able to replace and upgrade the exercise equipment used in its Active Wellness Center. With membership growing, so did the need for up-to-date equipment, along with adaptations to current equipment. New purchases included treadmills, dumbbells, exercise mats, weights, and more. This range of equipment supports each individual's ability in their wellness journey. Established in 2003, the [...]

Supporting Camp Wenonah’s Ropes Course With the help of a grant from the Winona Community Foundation, the Winona Family YMCA proudly reports the successful revitalization of its beloved ropes course at Camp Wenonah. The original goal was to ensure the safe and continued operation of the course by certifying staff and completing a professional safety inspection — a critical step following changes in support that led to an expense not previously budgeted. All ropes [...]

It is an honor for the Winona Community Foundation to award Judy Davis with the 2025 Founders Award on Tuesday, October 14th from 4 to 6 p.m. at Riverport Conference & Event Center Winona, MN. Each year, the award honors an individual or group in our community who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to improving life in Winona through the use of their time, talent, and treasure. Community members are invited to attend this [...]

The Winona County Dive/Rescue Team is made up of 18 dedicated volunteers who respond to water-related emergencies throughout Winona County and surrounding areas. Each year, the team completes approximately 800 hours of training in areas such as sonar scanning, ice rescue, dragging operations, SCUBA diving, and remote operated vehicle (ROV) use. On average, the team responds to about a dozen callouts annually, including assisting stranded boaters, responding to potential drowning incidents, vehicle and [...]

Through a Donor-advised fund, individuals are able to make tax-deductible charitable gifts into their named fund and then recommend grants to their favorite charities from that fund when the time is right. A donor-advised fund is established according to IRS guidelines that provide tax advantages for the donor as well as administrative efficiencies. Tom and Annmarie DeMarais: Strengthening Community Through Strategic Giving Tom and Annmarie DeMarais have long been committed to making [...]

Pat and Jerry Papenfuss in 2023. Through a Donor-advised fund, individuals are able to make tax-deductible charitable gifts into their named fund, and then recommend grants to their favorite charities from that fund when the time is right. A donor-advised fund is established according to IRS guidelines that provide tax advantages for the donor as well as administrative efficiencies. The Winona Community Foundation offers donor advised funds among its [...]

Pictured from left to right: Kevin O'Reilly and Mandi Olson On June 27, 2025, the Winona Community Foundation hosted its 5th Annual Charity Golf Outing at the beautiful Bridges Golf Course in Winona. The event brought together 24 enthusiastic teams, all teeing off in support of the Foundation’s Community Grant Program—an initiative that directly funds local nonprofit organizations. Thanks to the incredible generosity of 33 sponsors, the outing raised over $42,000, all [...]

Through a Donor-advised fund, individuals are able to make tax-deductible charitable gifts into their named fund, and then recommend grants to their favorite charities from that fund when the time is right. A donor-advised fund is established according to IRS guidelines that provide tax advantages for the donor as well as administrative efficiencies. It is a simple, flexible way to streamline your charitable giving. The Winona Community Foundation offers donor advised funds among its [...]

Founded in 2000, Miller Mentoring is a local school-based mentoring program that offers individual and group mentoring for students grades 5-12 attending Winona Area Public Schools. The program fosters positive social, emotional and intellectual growth in students with the goal of cultivating appropriate social interactions, emotional maturity, improved self-confidence, and academic success. In 2023, Miller Mentoring received a $6,000 Cycle 2 community grant from the Winona Community Foundation to grow their [...]

The Winona Community Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Judy Davis has been chosen as the 2025 Founders Award Recipient. This community-nominated award is given to leaders in our community who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to improving life in the Winona area through the use of their time, talent, and treasure. Individuals selected to receive this award are given the opportunity to direct a grant from the Founders Endowment Fund to [...]