What We Fund
We fund and collaborate with local organizations and individuals that share our goal of a healthier community and environment.
Together with our partners, we put on events and undertake projects in the Driftless area encouraging whole health and nurturing relationships with the natural world.
The Driftless Area BioBlitz (DABB) partnership was formed in 2021. It is a unique collaboration of organizations in the La Crosse area that include Strive 2 Thrive Coulee Region, Mississippi Valley Conservancy, The Nature Place (formerly WisCorps), the UW-La Crosse Biology department, Viterbo Biology department, and La Crosse City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department. This collaboration was formed in order to promote the DABB program and give participants an opportunity to meet naturalists, get guidance on sharing discoveries on iNaturalist and learn more about the natural world and particularly the Driftless Area’s incredible biodiversity. Other promotional supporters include: La Crosse Public Library, ORA Trails, Sustainability Institute, and the following Neighborhood Associations: Downtown, Holy Trinity-Longfellow, Logan Northside and Powell-Poage-Hamilton.
Organizations we financially support
Grants
We focus on funding environmental education and environmental justice grants, but all proposals relating to community and environmental well-being are welcome.
High school and college students
$100–$500 grants are available to research and write a paper to be included on Strive 2 Thrive’s website. These papers are available for nonprofits to use for their grant requests to Strive 2 Thrive or other organizations.
Community members
Small grants ($100–$1,000) are available to community members who would like funding for a project they feel would benefit community members — either the whole community or a specific group — or an environmental project to benefit the Coulee Region ecosystem (or beyond!).
Nonprofit organizations
Grants are available for the purpose of empowering, educating and supporting community members in their quest for physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and environmental health or to promote a vibrant and healthy ecosystem.
Funding to-date:
2023–2024: High school and college students: Pollinator Parade children’s book: 3 UW-L biology master’s students providing technical support.
2023: Community members: Driftless Area BioBlitz (DABB) Coordinator.
2022: Community members: Driftless Area BioBlitz (DABB) Coordinator.
2021: Community members: Driftless Area BioBlitz (DABB) Coordinator.