Girl Scouts River Valleys is Breaking Down Racial Barriers to Girl Power

For more than 100 years, Girls Scouts have camped, hiked and canoed. They’ve designed and painted, cooked and served. Today’s Girl Scouts even program robots, develop mobile apps, investigate cyber threats and explore STEM careers. Through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, which is the sum total of all Girl Scouts programming, members learn important life and career skills, build friendships and confidence and gain a sense of self and belonging.

According to Jennifer Sutch, Vice President of Advancement with Girl Scouts River Valleys, throughout its history, Girl Scouts has been a beacon of courage, confidence and character. “We’ve equipped girls with the critical skills and values needed to break barriers, believe in their power and make lasting impacts.”

Girl Scouts River Valleys (GSRV) is one of the largest Girl Scout councils in the country, serving 49 counties in Minnesota, western Wisconsin and Iowa, and more than 16,000 members, nearly 20% of whom are from diverse communities.

“In 2024, Girl Scouts River Valleys redefined what it means to be a Girl Scout. We still love our cookies, our camps and our crafts, but we heard from our older girls loud and clear that they need more. So, we are also leaning into something bigger. We are building future-ready leaders. Girls who are not just prepared to face the world but are ready to change it.”

Funding Diversity & Leadership

Much like the Girl Scouts, the Opus Foundation strives to build community and advance racial equity, doing so through targeted grant giving. For the past four years, the Foundation has financially supported GSRV, providing grants totaling more than $220,000, half of which was distributed in January 2025, to support recruitment of racially diverse members and expansion of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

More specifically, grants from the Opus Foundation have strengthened and continue to strengthen GSRV’s community engagement programming. This programming, geared toward communities that may not otherwise be participating in Girl Scouts, identifies barriers to participation, provides individualized assistance and creates community-specific solutions.

According to Jennifer, these efforts are having a tremendous positive impact. “Girl Scouts River Valleys is committed to breaking down barriers, reflecting the communities we serve and ensuring Girl Scouts is a place where every girl feels seen, heard and valued.”

According to Jennifer, in the last three fiscal years, Girl Scouts River Valleys has seen a steady increase in communities of color represented. “With the momentum we have with funding from partners like the Opus Foundation, we are ensuring that all communities – rural, suburban and urban – gain access to these incredible opportunities.”

Empowered Women Empowering Girls

As a leader in commercial construction, we have a vested interest in growing the construction trades workforce, and our associates eagerly participate in opportunities to do so.

Over the last four years, our associates have volunteered annually at GSRV’s Power Girls Camp, a specialty day camp in which campers design and build projects while working alongside professional women in carpentry, construction, electrical and other trades. The camp not only builds campers’ skills, but it builds their confidence to see women thriving in traditionally male roles.

In addition, Beth Duyvejonck, Executive Vice President of Construction and a vocal champion of women in construction and leadership, has been a GSRV board member since 2022.

“It’s a privilege to serve on the board of an organization that champions girls, that lets them see themselves in any role and that gives them a voice in creating the future of their dreams,” said Beth. “I hope my board work inspires success for Girl Scouts River Valleys and the thousands of girls they serve. I also hope it inspires collective industry support of our future workforce.”

For all of this support, Jennifer is extremely grateful. “The support we receive from the Opus Foundation and Opus associates is so impactful, not just for the girls we serve but for the adults who volunteer, too,” she said. “It’s rare to have a partner that provides funding to support our programs, volunteers to empower our girls and a champion of girl power to serve on our board. A shared vision is incredibly powerful in improving lives.”