Search Through Milwaukee County Grants for Nonprofits in Wisconsin

Background

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation seeks to dramatically improve the lives of underserved communities across the globe by supporting scalable, innovative, and impact-first solutions that leverage existing systems and stakeholders. Our goal is to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic products or services that have a proven ability to positively impact the lives of underserved people, and nurture those organizations at the early stages by providing capacity, capital, and community.

Our application process is designed to be open and accessible, and we accept applications year round from across our priority geographies and sectors. Borrowing from our venture capital legacy, we find exceptional entrepreneurs and provide them with: 

Capacity

• The core of DRK’s model is deep and extensive operational and technical support for each portfolio organization, both through dedicated hands-on Board service and specialist capacity-building resources for fundraising, board and organizational development, leadership, financial support, and scaling strategy,

Capital

• DRK provides up to $300,000 USD in either unrestricted grant funding or investment capital over a three-year period, and

Community

• DRK convenes our portfolio and alumni annually, facilitating connections and community. 

What We Fund

DRK Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations solving the world’s biggest social and environmental problems using bold, scalable approaches.

What stage of growth does DRK Foundation typically fund?

Early stage: Organizations who are early stage, which we define as post-pilot and pre-scale. This typically means: 

• Your program, product or service is already being used in the market or in the field, 
• You have early indication that your model is having its intended impact on the beneficiary populations,
• Your organization is relatively young (ideally between two and five years old, although we will consider both younger and older organizations).

Venture funding: In the case of for profits, we typically support Seed to Series A organizations, and never lead rounds; we also generally but not exclusively refrain from participating in financings exceeding a $15M USD post-money valuation.  

Global Impact Cash Grants

Cisco welcomes applications for Global Impact Cash Grants from community partners around the world who share our vision and offer an innovative approach to a critical social challenge.

We identify, incubate, and develop innovative solutions with the most impact. Global Impact Cash Grants go to nonprofits and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that address a significant social problem. We’re looking for programs that fit within our investment areas, serve the underserved, and leverage technology to improve the reach and efficiency of services. We accept applications year-round from eligible organizations. An initial information form is used to determine whether your organization will be invited to complete a full application.

Social Investment Areas

At Cisco, we make social investments in three areas where we believe our technology and our people can make the biggest impact—education, economic empowerment, and crisis response, the last of which incorporates shelter, water, food, and disaster relief. Together, these investment areas help people overcome barriers of poverty and inequality, and make a lasting difference by fostering strong global communities.

Education Investments

Our strategy is to inclusively invest in technology-based solutions that increase equitable access to education while improving student performance, engagement, and career exploration. We support K-12 solutions that emphasize science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) as well as literacy. We also consider programs that teach environmental sustainability, eliminate barriers to accessing climate change education, and invite student engagement globally to positively affect the environment.

What we look for:

• Innovative early grade solutions using the internet and technology to bridge the barriers preventing access to education for underserved students globally.
• Solutions that positively affect student attendance, attitudes, and behavior while inspiring action by students to improve learning outcomes, whether they participate in person, online, or in blended learning environments. 
• Solutions with high potential to replicate and scale globally, thereby increasing the availability of evidence-based solutions that support student-centricity, teacher capacity in the classroom, and increased parental participation to help students learn and develop.

Economic Empowerment

Our strategy is to invest in early stage, tech-enabled solutions that provide equitable access to the knowledge, skills, and resources that people need to support themselves and their families toward resilience, independence, and economic security.

Our goal is to support solutions that benefit individuals and families, and that contribute to local community growth and economic development in a sustainable economy.

We target our support in three interconnected areas:

• Skills development to help job seekers secure dignified employment and long-term career pathways in technology or other sectors, including environmental sustainability/green jobs.
• Inclusive entrepreneurship with small businesses as engines of local growth as well as high growth potential start-ups as large-scale job creators nationally and internationally, in technology or other sectors, including environment sustainability/green businesses.
• Banking the unbanked through relevant and affordable financial products and capacity building services.

Cisco Crisis Response

We seek to help overcome the cycle of poverty and dependence and achieve a more sustainable future through strategic investments. We back organizations that successfully address critical needs of underserved communities, because those who have their basic needs met are better equipped to learn and thrive.

What we look for:

• Innovative solutions that increase the capacity of grantees to deliver their products and services more effectively and efficiently
• Design and implementation of web-based tools that increase the availability of, or improve access to, products and services that are necessary for people to survive and thrive
• Programs that increase access to clean water, food, shelter, or disaster relief and promote a more sustainable future for all
  • By policy, relief campaigns respond to significant natural disaster and humanitarian crises as opposed to those caused by human conflict. Also by policy, our investments in this area do not include healthcare solutions.

Climate Impact

Our strategy is to invest US$100 million in Cisco Foundation funds over the next decade to help reverse the impact of climate change, working toward a sustainable and regenerative future for all.

The commitment includes both grant and impact investment funding for early-stage climate innovation. Both categories of support will be focused on bold climate solutions, and the grants side will also concentrate on community education and activation. Grants will go to exceptionally aligned nonprofit organizations, while impact investments will go to highly promising for-profit solutions through the private sector and climate impact funds.

Funding comes from the Cisco Foundation and will focus on:

• Identifying bold and innovative solutions that:
  • Draw down the carbon already in the atmosphere
  • Regenerate depleted ecosystems and broadly support the transition to a regenerative future
• Developing curricular initiatives to spur community engagement that can lead to measurable behavioral change and collective action

We will prioritize organizations that can achieve, measure, and report outcomes such as:

• Reduction, capture, and/or sequestering of greenhouse gas and carbon emissions
• Increased energy efficiency and improved mapping and management of natural resources, such as ecosystem restoration, forest treatments, reforestation, and afforestation that also will help repair our water cycles
• Transition to inclusive, just, coliberatory, and regenerative operating models, ways of being, and ways of organizing economies
• Creation of, and increase in, access to green jobs and job training
• Changes in community and individual behavior that lead to carbon footprint reduction, community climate resilience, and localized roadmaps to a sustainable shared climate future for all

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation only accepts unsolicited proposals for specific areas within the education, family economic stability and childhood health sectors in select countries where we work, namely the United States, India and South Africa.

As a guideline, the foundation does not fund more than 25% of a project’s budget or more than 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has always recognized the power of providing grants to partner organizations that we knew were already working hard to improve the lives of urban children living in poverty. By aligning with organizations that are already making a difference, we continue to make an immediate impact on the lives of thousands of children.

Foundation priorities:

We fund social enterprises that directly serve or impact children or youth from urban low-income communities in the areas of education, health, and family economic stability (including livelihoods and financial inclusion). These social enterprises may be structured as for-profit or nonprofit entities.

Partnerships

We collaborate with a range of organizations focused on creating opportunities for children and families living in urban poverty, with a deep emphasis on measuring impact. Our funding advances projects already making an impact in education, health, and family economic stability. Through these enduring and long-standing partnerships, we create lasting change together.

PNC Foundation

Strengthening and enriching the lives of our neighbors in communities where we live and work.

Vision & Mission

For decades, we have provided resources to seed ideas, foster development initiatives and encourage leadership in nonprofit organizations where imagination and determination are at work enhancing people's lives everyday.

The PNC Foundation's priority is to form partnerships with community-based nonprofit organizations in order to enhance educational opportunities, with an emphasis on early childhood education, and to promote the growth of communities through economic development initiatives.

Foundation Grant

The PNC Foundation supports a variety of nonprofit organizations with a special emphasis on those that work to achieve sustainability and touch a diverse population, in particular, those that support early childhood education and/or economic development.

Education

The PNC Foundation supports educational programs for children and youth, particularly early childhood education initiatives that meet the criteria established through PNC Grow Up Great. Specifically, PNC Grow Up Great grants must:

• Support early education initiatives that benefit children from birth to age five; and
• Serve a majority of children (>50%) from low- to moderate-income families; and
• Adhere to all other standard PNC Foundation guidelines, as outlined on the PNC Foundation website, applicant eligibility quiz, as well as the Foundation policies and procedures; and
• Include one or a combination of the following:
  • direct services/programs for children in their classroom or community;
  • professional development/workforce development for early childhood educators;
  • family and/or community engagement in children’s early learning
• Additional considerations:
  • The grant focus should include math, science, reading, vocabulary development, the arts, financial education, or social/emotional development.
  • The grant recipient, or collaborative partner, should have early childhood education as an area of focus. If the organization’s focus is beyond birth to age five, the specific grant must be earmarked for birth to age five.
  • Incorporate opportunities for PNC volunteers in classroom or non-classroom-based activities.

Economic Development

Economic development organizations, including those which enhance the quality of life through neighborhood revitalization, cultural enrichment and human services are given support. Priority is given to community development initiatives that strategically promote the growth of low-and moderate-income communities and/or provide services to these communities.

• Affordable Housing
  • The PNC Foundation understands the critical need for affordable housing for low-and moderate-income individuals.
  • We are committed to providing support to nonprofit organizations that:
    • give counseling and services to help these individuals maintain their housing stock;
    • offer transitional housing units and programs; and/or
    • offer credit counseling assistance to individuals, helping them to prepare for homeownership.
• Community Development
  • Because small businesses are often critical components of community growth and help foster business development, the PNC Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations that
    • offer technical assistance to, or loan programs for, small businesses located in low-and moderate-income areas or
    • support small businesses that employ low-and moderate-income individuals.
• Community Services
  • Support is given to social services organizations that benefit the health, education, quality of life or provide essential services for low-and moderate-income individuals and families.
  • The PNC Foundation supports job training programs and organizations that provide essential services for their families.
• Arts & Culture
  • Support is given for cultural enrichment programs benefitting the community.
• Revitalization & Stabilization of Low-and Moderate-Income Areas
  • The PNC Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that serve low-and moderate-income neighborhoods by improving living and working conditions.
  • Support is given to organizations that help stabilize communities, eliminate blight and attract and retain businesses and residents to the community.

Philanthropy is our commitment to communities in which we operate and broader society. We focus our resources on a limited number of key projects that can deliver valuable benefits from our contributions and those of our partners. We give priority to innovative, high-quality projects that meet the following criteria:

• promote sustainable development
• offer an opportunity for Roche to use its expertise and logistics capabilities
• involve Roche actively at an early stage with local authorities and established partners
• engage Roche employees in cultural (focus on contemporary arts), educational and social activities
• managed by an accredited charity

Our four focus areas

Humanitarian and Social

We direct the majority of our philanthropic donations to humanitarian and social development projects.

Science and education

We are dedicated to programmes that promote scientific interest and provide educational opportunities for young people around the world.

Community and Environment

We are committed to building stronger communities and responding to natural disasters sustainably.

Arts and Culture

We support groundbreaking contemporary art, cultural projects and activities that explore the parallels between innovation in art and in science. 

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

WaterStone Bank Foundation

WaterStone Bank established the WaterStone Bank Foundation with the Waukesha County Community Foundation in 2002 in order to ensure the bank’s ability to continually give back to the communities in which we serve.

Strengthening our bonds with our communities is consistent with our corporate mission to serve our communities by providing an unparalleled banking experience for our customers, excellent advancement opportunities for our employees and outstanding value for our shareholders. Charitable giving not only helps us achieve this mission, but also allows us to be a good corporate citizen and neighbor.

Core Giving Categories

Each year, the WaterStone Bank Foundation receives a large number of charitable donation requests from nonprofit organizations. In order to focus our charitable giving, the WaterStone Bank Foundation has identified four target areas for its grants:

Education

The Education category includes nonprofit organizations such as schools, school programs, educational foundations, scholarship programs, libraries and literacy programs and financial literacy initiatives.

Women and Children

This category includes nonprofit organizations that benefit women's initiatives and any initiatives that do not fall under the education category that benefit children under the age of 18.

Community Development

The Community Development category includes nonprofit organizations that serve the needs of the broad community through low-income housing programs, economic and business development organizations, civic celebrations and events, scouting groups, youth programs and zoological societies.

Veterans Initiatives

The Veterans Initiatives category includes nonprofit organizations in the Greater Milwaukee area that provide services to those who are military veterans.

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

Gupta Family Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, USA. Our mission is to support organizations that provide focused intervention in the lives of people who have been disadvantaged in some way to help them become self-reliant. We take a very broad view of “disadvantage” to include anything that holds a person back from realizing their potential, such as poverty, physical or mental disability, social alienation, etc. The foundation also supports relief agencies that serve people affected by emergencies such as natural disasters.

The foundation evaluates and awards annual and multi-year grants ranging from $5,000 to over $250,000 (USD). Our focus is on funding smaller organizations all around the world that are led by individuals with a deep personal commitment to their missions. 

Our selection criteria include:

• Mission alignment
• The organization is run by the founder or, if not, by a successor who embodies the original inspiration, passion and commitment of the founder.
• At least 90% of grant monies reaches the intended beneficiaries.
• The organization is non-sectarian, i.e.,
  • It does not, directly or indirectly, support or condone the proselytization of any religion,
  • It is not supported by or affiliated to a religious organization.

Cycle 3

The Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s discretionary grantmaking supports projects and programs that align with priorities that support our strategic vision of creating a Milwaukee for all. 

Funding Priorities 

• Arts and Culture – The Greater Milwaukee Foundation supports targeted arts education and arts and culture strategies representing visual, performing and multidisciplinary art projects and programs.
  • Grantmaking focus:
    • Arts education programs in traditional or nontraditional educational environments for children/youth from birth to high school
    • Creation and exhibition of art that engages the community in creative and substantive ways
    • Artists-in-residence within community-based settings
    • Programming that cultivates and supports an appreciation of diverse cultures and art forms
    • Projects that integrate arts and creativity into community planning and development
• Aging and Older Adults – The health outcomes of older adults are impacted by the ongoing harm of racial disparities in our health care system. Access to appropriate health services and improving health outcomes are this portfolio's main priorities. Our grant investment strategy aims to shift power, representation and policy toward racial equity. 
  • Grantmaking focus:
    • Projects/organizations that help residents age in place in transforming or disadvantaged neighborhoods
    • Projects/organizations that develop intergenerational support/cohesion
    • Projects/organizations that build solidarity and collaboration among service providers and community in their sector/work
    • Projects/organizations that build narrative and actual power for oppressed communities
    • Projects/organizations engaged in advocacy efforts, including antiracist organizational development which transforms influence in their sector/work
    • Projects/organizations addressing health impacts of racial inequity, particularly interventions that are disproportionately underfunded
    • Projects/organizations that help residents age in place, especially within transforming neighborhoods facing multiple barriers.
    • Projects/organizations which develop intergenerational support/cohesion/beloved community
    • Underfunded health services
• Early Childhood Education – High quality early childhood care and education is the key to giving every child the start in life they need and deserve. It has been shown to have a significant impact on a child’s long-term academic, social, and developmental success, and enables parents to participate in the workforce. Furthermore, research supports that physical learning environments matter. Facilities and the child-centered spaces within them can enhance children’s development by inspiring a range of social and cognitive learning experiences, as well as encouraging the development of gross motor skills. Indoor and outdoor spaces can increase students in a variety of hands-on learning experiences, collaboration, exploration, and play. For the well-being of our children and the future of our economy, we need to act now. That is why the Greater Milwaukee Foundation is prioritizing early childhood care and education.  
  • Grantmaking focus:
    • Facility upgrades
• Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development - Through these grants, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation provides access to resources and technical assistance that help small businesses get to the next level.
  • Grantmaking focus:
    • Small business growth and retention
    • Access to capital
    • Creative business solutions  
• Environment – 
  • Grantmaking focus:
    • Protection and conservation of environmental assets
    • Strengthening local and community-based food systems
    • Programming focused on youth engagement and conservation leadership development 
• Healthy Birth Outcomes – Healthy birth outcomes are impacted by the ongoing harm of racial disparities in our health care system. Access to appropriate health services and improving health outcomes are this portfolio's main priorities. Our grant investment strategy aims to shift power, representation and policy toward racial equity. 
  • Grantmaking focus:
    • Projects/organizations that address Black maternal/child health disparities.
    • Projects/organizations that decolonize maternal health care
    • Projects/organizations that build solidarity and collaboration among service providers and community in their sector/work
    • Projects/organizations that build narrative and actual power for oppressed communities
    • Projects/organizations engaged in advocacy efforts, including anti-racist organizational development which transforms influence in their sector/work
    • Projects/organizations addressing health impacts of racial inequity, particularly interventions that are disproportionately underfunded.
    • Projects/organizations that address Black maternal/child health disparities
    • Projects/organizations that provide culturally specific and integrative maternal and child health care  

Funding

• The typical grant range is $5,000 to $75,000. The maximum request for a capital grant is $100,000.
  • This grant range applies to these funding priorities:
    • Arts and Culture
    • Aging and Older Adults
    • Healthy Birth Outcomes
• The typical grant range is $5,000 to $50,000. The maximum request for a capital grant is $100,000.
  • This grant range applies to these funding priorities:
    • Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development
    • Environment
• The maximum request for a capital grant is $100,000. 
  • This grant range applies to this funding priority:
    • Early Childhood Education

About the Foundation

Jesse W. Couch lived a life of zeal, honor, and dedication to the betterment of his community. The Couch family now humbly stewards the foundation he created to carry on his legacy of service for future generations. We believe that impact is best accomplished through partnerships with local organizations that know the people and communities they serve. We invest in and support efforts to protect the environment, further conservation and preservation initiatives, and save historical architecture that preserves community heritage. We also support initiatives that promote wellness and mental health and organizations seeking to provide and further education for all communities.

Annual Grant Focus

Each year, we seek to partner with and support non-profit organizations making an impact in the focus areas listed here.  The focus areas for 2025 are:

• Animal Wellbeing: We are dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations that nurture compassion and respect for all living animals. We must have animal-focused organizations that advocate for animal rights and provide humane treatment across all spectrums.
• Early Childhood Education: We are looking for schools that are providing young children with a creative and balanced approach to education. Things we love in early childhood curriculums:
  • Life Skills
  • Collaboration With Their Peers and Teachers   
  • Having Fun   
  • Montessori Teachings   
  • Project Based Teachings   
  • Diversity   
  • More Time Outside   
  • Less Screen Time
• Teachers: Teachers are essential to providing children with the best possible education. We must invest in their future and are always looking for teams that help them succeed in educating future generations.
• Get Outside: Being outside can improve memory, fight depression, lower blood pressure, and more! We support organizations that facilitate and encourage more outdoor activities that help create healthier communities. 

The Impact Fund awards recoverable grants to legal services nonprofits, private attorneys, and small law firms who seek to confront economic, environmental, racial, and social injustice. Since our founding in 1992, the Impact Fund has made more than 800 recoverable grants totaling more than $10 million for impact litigation. We award grants four times per year, most within the range of US$10,000 to US$50,000.

Social Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants and legal support to assist in human and civil rights cases. We have helped to change dozens of laws and win cases to improve the rights of thousands. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Texas and North Carolina, incarcerated people with mental health disabilities are forced to remain in jail despite being found not guilty and unable to proceed with a criminal trial.
• In Orange County, California there are currently 13 gang injunctions under effect, which disproportionately affect young men of color.
• In Chicago, Illinois, the city’s homeless shelter program is inaccessible to people with disabilities.
• In Springfield, Oregon, the city and its police department used excessive force against Black Lives Matter protesters.
• In West Virginia, the state fails to protect children in foster care from abuse and neglect. 
• In Montana, voter suppression laws disadvantage young adults and give priority to gun owners.
• In Gary, Indiana, a gun manufacturer negligently marketed and distributed its guns, leading to an epidemic of gun violence in the city. 
• In Vancouver, British Columbia, the police perpetuate systemic discrimination against Indigenous people through bureaucratic measures.

Environmental Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants to support local litigation for environmental justice. These grants are for cases aiming to help people or communities who are affected by environmental harm or who lack access to basic environmental needs, such as clean water, clean air, adequate waste treatment, and green spaces. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Centreville, Illinois, the city’s failure to maintain its sewer system has caused raw sewage to flood peoples’ homes, endangering the property and health of a predominantly Black community.
• In Fresno County, California, the California Department of Transportation approved a highway expansion project that would increase air pollution and traffic in one of the state’s most environmentally burdened communities.
• In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the proposed expansion of a highway would divide the region's Black, Asian, and Latine neighborhoods and cause pollution and ill health.
• In North Dakota, the five-month closure of a highway in response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests disproportionately affected the livelihoods and health of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe members.
• In Ontario, Canada, mercury contamination of the English-Wabigoon river system causes catastrophic environmental and health impacts for the Grassy Narrows First Nation.
• In Sacramento, California, the county government and Sacramento Area Sewer District violated the Clean Water Act by discharging raw sewage into nearby rivers.
• In the Eastern Coachella Valley in California, 1,900 residents of the Oasis Mobile Home Park suffer from arsenic-laced drinking water, wastewater contamination, and overcharging for utilities.

Economic Justice

The Impact Fund provides financial and other forms of support to cases fighting for economic justice. From workers' rights to consumer protection for vulnerable populations, impact litigation is a powerful tool to hold corporationss and the government accountable. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Brooklyn, New York, a prominent mortgage lender engaged in predatory practices, leaving homeowners of color at risk of losing their homes. 
• In Washington, live-in caregivers are unconstitutionally excluded from the state’s wage-and-hour protections.
• In Ravalli County, Montana, the county has created a “modern-day debtors’ prison” by incarcerating people unable to afford pre-trial fees. 
• In San Diego, California, vehicle ordinances target unhoused vehicle owners even when no adequate housing alternative exists.
• In New York, a federal immigration detention facility is violating minimum wage and forced labor laws by forcing detainees to work for just a dollar a day. 
• In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the city and county destroy the property of unhoused individuals and conduct forced evictions from public spaces. 
• In Miami, Florida, insurance companies discriminate against a nonprofit community development corporation renting to tenants with Section 8 rental subsidies.

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation Vision

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation, "A Foundation for All", was established in 2002. It was begun in order to give a clear voice for those who wish to be a part of the many, worthy, forces for change in our world.

We are a foundation whose purpose is to look ahead towards the future, giving the past its due by remembering where we came from, and how much we can all accomplish together. We aim to make the critical difference on our planet by recognizing and having respect for our ever changing world. We respect all Life, the Environment, and all People, no matter who they are.

This grants program funds work that supports the Common Ground Healthcare Foundation’s mission to enhance health and prosperity in the communities where Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative’s members live, work, learn, and play.

Type of grants funded include:

• One-year or multi-year grants.
• Program or project support grants.
• Unrestricted grants for organizations closely aligned with Common Ground Healthcare Foundation’s mission.

Grantmaking Criteria

Projects will be evaluated on the following criteria. Strong programs will:

• Enhance health or prosperity of individuals in at least one of the 24 counties served by Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative
• Articulate a well-defined need with clearly defined actions to meet the need
• Build organizational capacity and lead the program to become self-sufficient
• Use collaboration to leverage impact
• Be feasible and likely to succeed
• Have a reasonable level of risk
• Propose an accurate, appropriate and reasonable budget
• Attract additional funding and leverage resources
• Clearly define meaningful and measurable project outcomes and methods to report actual outcomes
• Have a long-term impact, especially relative to cost

Since 1994, the Nonprofit Management Fund has operated as a collaboration of private funders in the metropolitan Milwaukee area. Collectively, the funders have contributed over $9.9 million for grants to nonprofit organizations and to implement related initiatives.

• Our MissionWe accelerate the effectiveness of nonprofits to build strong and vibrant communities.

• We Believe: The Nonprofit Management Fund believes that strong nonprofits build strong communities.

• What We Do: We provide capacity building technical assistance grants to nonprofit organizations for governance planning, training, and assessing. 

Grants awarded are project specific, nonrenewable, and range from $1,000 – $10,000. Applications that include a request greater than $10,000 may automatically be denied. Grant requests over $8,500 will require an organizational financial contribution, in addition to the funds provided by the Nonprofit Management Fund.

We Do Fund:

Governance – Building the Board’s capacity to lead and govern through proven modes, practices and policies, including, but not limited to:

• Recruitment and Orientation of Directors
• Board Leadership (duties, responsibilities, accountability)
• Committee Structure (activation, training, responsibilities)
• Financial Management Oversight Training
• Fund Development Planning and Income Planning
• Fund Development Board/Executive Training and Coaching
• Succession Planning (executive and board)

Management – Building the organization’s capacity through policies and practices to fulfill its mission, vision and goals, including, but not limited to:

• Organization Assessments
• Executive Leadership Development Training or Coaching
• Financial Management/Budgeting
• Technology Planning
• Strategic Planning/Annual Planning
• Marketing and Branding Planning
• Website Upgrade/Overhaul

Professional Facilitation – Support in organization planning for:

• Collaborative Projects
• Joint Ventures
• Restructuring/Merger/Dissolution

Organizational Alternative 

Professional facilitation of organization’s planning for:

• Merger
• Restructuring
• Joint Venture Project
• Partnership/Collaboration
• Dissolution

About the DNR

In keeping with our mission, the DNR is dedicated to working with Wisconsinites while preserving and enhancing the natural resources of Wisconsin. In partnership with individuals and organizations, DNR staff manage fish, wildlife, forests, parks, air and water resources while promoting a healthy, sustainable environment and a full range of outdoor opportunities.

State Park and Forest Heritage Trust Fund

The Wisconsin Legislature created the State Park and Forest Heritage Trust Fund to provide grants to Friends Groups for the maintenance and operations of state parks, southern state forests, state trails or state recreation areas. A Friends Group must have established an endowment fund for the benefit of the property. Only interest generated by the endowment fund can be used as the applicant’s match.

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

Our Mission

Impact100 Greater Milwaukee is an organization of women who collectively award transformative grants that make a lasting impact on the community.

Grants

Impact100 Greater Milwaukee challenges your established nonprofit organization to think creatively about the needs of your community. Dream big, know your plan and how you’ll measure the outcomes, and you could earn a grant to make a transformative, impactful and sustained change in the greater Milwaukee area.

Focus Areas

All programs or projects must fall within one of the following Focus Areas:

• Arts & Culture
  • Projects or programs that cultivate, develop, educate or enhance the artistic and/or cultural climate in the Greater Milwaukee area.
• Education
  • Projects or programs that improve or advance educational opportunities for children and/or adults in the Greater Milwaukee area.
• Environment & Revitalization
  • Projects or programs in the Greater Milwaukee area that:
    • preserve, enhance, revitalize or restore facilities, spaces or surroundings;
    • promote the protection and welfare of animals; or
    • encourage conservation.
• Health & Wellness
  • Projects or programs that positively impact the mental or physical health of people living in the Greater Milwaukee area.
• Family
  • Projects or programs that strengthen or enhance the lives of children, adults and families living in the Greater Milwaukee area.

Ameriprise Financial Grantmaking

At Ameriprise Financial, giving back is deeply rooted in our culture. We’ve initiated positive change in the communities where we live and work for more than 120 years. We believe our community involvement enables us to actively live our values. Through grant making, volunteerism and employee and financial advisor gift matching programs, we support a diverse group of over 6,000 nonprofits across the country.

Focus Areas

Awarding grant dollars to nonprofits is one way we strengthen our communities and help individuals on a path to financial independence. To ensure we're meeting the needs of our communities and making an even greater collective impact, we focus on three key giving areas when awarding grants.

Volunteer engagement is a priority across all focus areas:

The engagement of Ameriprise employees and financial advisors is a critical component of our philanthropy. Whether it’s serving on a nonprofit board, engaging friends, clients and community members in volunteering or providing skills-based support, our relationships with nonprofits go deep. For this reason, we give priority across all focus areas to applications where there is active volunteer engagement of Ameriprise advisors and employees. 

Meeting Basic Needs

At Ameriprise Financial, we help clients achieve financial security and peace of mind. That’s satisfying, meaningful work. We also help the people in our neighborhoods who struggle to meet basic needs such as where their next meal comes from, where they’ll sleep tonight or how they’ll find a higher wage job. We’re here to help them through the three platforms of our Meeting Basic Needs focus area.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Hunger
• Food banks, food shelves and food pantries, daily meal programs or meal services for the homebound
• Hunger-relief programs targeted to meet the special needs of children, ethnic populations or veterans
• Food programs run by nonprofits where hunger is not their sole focus, for example a youth meal program at the YWCA or a backpack program run by a Boys & Girls Club
• Shelter
• Emergency shelter, including youth homelessness
• Transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and efforts to end chronic homelessness
• Housing-first models (programs quickly providing housing and then addressing needed services)
• Achieving and maintaining home ownership, repair and maintenance efforts helping keep seniors, veterans and other populations in their homes 
• Adult Self-Sufficiency: Programs serving adults age 21 and older that help address the following areas:
• Basic hard and soft skills that help adults achieve economic and family stability
• Basic financial and budgeting skills
• Increase employability and wages, including work readiness and job transitions
• Employment of disabled adults

Supporting Community Vitality

We believe communities should be strong, healthy and resilient. We want livable places for all, where neighbors look out for one another, cultural events are well-attended and people pull together in times of crisis and joy. We work to create economic vitality and cultural enrichment through the following areas of focus.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Community Development
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Economic development
• Strengthening and supporting small businesses and nonprofits through technical expertise
• Cultural Enrichment
• Arts education
• Access for underserved populations
• Diverse artists and performances that spark topical community conversations 

Volunteer Driven Causes: Ameriprise employees and financial advisors are outstanding volunteers who serve in teams and also as individuals bringing personal skill-sets to nonprofits. Volunteering is part of the culture at Ameriprise and we are proud to support communities through contributions of both service and financial resources. 

Funding for Volunteer-Driven Causes is determined by current Ameriprise volunteerism. In general, funding is in proportion to the size of the Ameriprise volunteer team supporting a nonprofit. A team may include employees, financial advisors and/or staff or a combination of any Ameriprise volunteers. 

Wisconsin Art Board

Mission Statement

The Wisconsin Arts Board is the state agency which nurtures creativity, cultivates expression, promotes the arts, supports the arts in education, stimulates community and economic development and serves as a resource for people of every culture and heritage. 

Values

The Wisconsin Arts Board values:

• ​imagination
• creativity
• curiosity
• freedom of expression
• respect and appreciation for all cultures and people
• artistic quality
• a broad definition of the arts
• audience and patron development
• community engagement

Woodland Indian Arts Initiative

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Woodland Indian Arts Initiative (WIAI) is designed to promote and develop a foundation of cultural and economic support for traditional and contemporary Native American arts in Wisconsin. As part of this work, the Arts Board annually distributes funds from Gaming Compact monies to support artistic activities among Wisconsin's tribes, bands and urban Indian communities, including:

• Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
• Brothertown Indian Nation
• Forest County Potawatomi Community
• Ho-Chunk Nation
• Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
• Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
• Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin
• Oneida Nation of Wisconsin
• Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
• Sokaogon Chippewa Community
• St. Croix Chippewa Community
• Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians
• Urban Indian populations in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, La Crosse and other urban centers

Types of Activities Funded​​​

Funding priority goes to activities that work to build a long-term structure of support for Native arts in Wisconsin. These include but are not limited to:

• Professional arts administration positions in support of Native arts,
• Documentation of arts activities and cultural knowledge in Wisconsin’s Native communities,
• Technical assistance and professional development to Native artists and arts organizations,
• Presentation and promotion of Wisconsin’s Native artists through festivals, markets, exhibitions, various media and other forms of presentation, and
• Planning grants in preparation for any of the above.
• New, expanded or existing projects are eligible. 

Traditional and contemporary art forms are welcome.

For additional information on the grant program and reports on needs articulated by Wisconsin Native artists, can be found on this page.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications to the WIAI grant program will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• The degree to which the proposed activity will serve a need or interest in one or more of the identified Native American communities in Wisconsin.
• Quality of the proposed art form,
• The feasibility of the proposed activity,
• The feasibility of the proposed budget,
• And the degree to which the proposed activity will develop a foundation of cultural and economic support for Native arts in Wisconsin.

The Foundation is dedicated to providing financial assistance to organizations committed to improving our world. Solutions to the problems of today's world still lie in the values of innovation, practicality, hard work, and compassion.

The Foundation considers applications for grants in the following areas:

• Education
• Social Service
• Health care
• Civic and cultural
• Environmental

The categories above are not intended to limit the interest of the Foundation from considering other worthwhile projects. In general, the Foundation guidelines are broad to give us flexibility in providing grants.

The majority of our grants are made in the U.S. However, like Dr. Scholl, we recognize the need for a global outlook. Non-U.S. grants are given to organizations where directors have knowledge of the grantee.

Cycle 1

The Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s discretionary grantmaking supports projects and programs that align with priorities that support our strategic vision of creating a Milwaukee for all. 

Funding Priorities

• Arts and Culture – Visual, performing, and multidisciplinary arts, and arts education
• Basic Needs – Food access and distribution and temporary shelter support
• Housing – Quality affordable housing, pathways to homeownership, and eviction prevention
• Physical Health – Access to affordable, culturally responsive integrative care that fulfills unmet health needs.

GMF: Cycle 2 - Capital Support

The Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s discretionary grantmaking supports projects and programs that align with priorities that support our strategic vision of creating a Milwaukee for all. 

Funding Priorities

• Early Childhood Education – 
• This funding priority does not fund Capital expenses.

• Mental Health – 
  • Background -  
    • The greater Milwaukee region faces significant racial health disparities that lead to differences in disease outcomes, life expectancy, and overall quality of life. These disparities are driven by systemic racism. Our communities are rich with cultural resilience, strong social networks, and innovative grassroots organizations working to address our health disparities. Community-led initiatives are improving outcomes by leveraging these strengths and showcasing greater Milwaukee’s ability to harness its collective resources and wisdom to foster equitable health outcomes for all residents.
  • Grantmaking focus -
    • Increase transformative, community-led investments that support access to appropriate mental health services and improve mental health outcomes.
      • General operating, capital/facilities, and project/program grants are available.
    • Examples of potential applications include but are not limited to those seeking funds for one or more of the following:
      •  Providing community-based, culturally reverent mental health support and services
      • Advancing an integrative evidence-based approaches to well-being  
      • Focusing on restorative justice and trauma-responsive healing initiatives
      • Building solidarity and collaboration among service providers and the community
      • Creating and sharing stories of communities overcoming systemic barriers
      • Engaging patients and/or program participants to leverage their insights and capacity for improving mental health
      • Integrating those with lived experiences into the organization’s leadership
      • Engaging in advocacy and organizing efforts, including anti-racist organizational development
      • Addressing mental health impacts of racial inequity 
• Workforce Development – 
  • Background -
    • Our communities are brimming with talent and assets, but in too many places, disinvestments have limited individuals’ economic opportunity and quality of life. People’s ability to improve their economic status contributes to a thriving community. Helping people to improve their economic standing over time, regardless of their background, creates a more equitable society. Improving economic mobility helps improve a person’s quality of life. 
  • Grantmaking focus -
    • Increase economic mobility through job creation, access, and retention.
      • General operating, capital/facilities, and project/program grants are available.
    • Examples of potential applications include but are not limited to those seeking funds for one or more of the following:
      • Developing and implementing creative job creation strategies
      • Delivering training programs that help people enter jobs that pay a living wage
      • Creating workforce programs and projects that support people and employers 

Funding

Requests for up to $50,000 per year for up to three years will be considered. Organizations are encouraged to apply for the funds and length of award necessary.  

GMF: Cycle 2 - General Operating Support

The Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s discretionary grantmaking supports projects and programs that align with priorities that support our strategic vision of creating a Milwaukee for all. 

Funding Priorities

• Early Childhood Education – 
• Background -  
• High quality early childhood care and education is key to giving every child the start in life they need and deserve. It has been shown to have a significant impact on a child’s long-term academic, social and developmental success, and enables parents to participate in the workforce. Furthermore, research supports that physical learning environments matter. Facilities and the child-centered spaces within them can enhance children’s development by inspiring a range of social and cognitive learning experiences, as well as encouraging the development of gross motor skills. Indoor and outdoor spaces can increase students in a variety of hands-on learning experiences, collaboration, exploration and play.
• Grantmaking focus - 
  • Increase access to quality, affordable early childhood care and education for every child in need.
    • Project/program and general operating funds are available for early childhood care and education professional development, recruitment and retention.
  • Examples of potential applications include but are not limited to those seeking funds for the following:
    • Designing and delivering professional development opportunities for early childhood education providers
    • Facilitating an early childhood education career exploration event and establishing a social media presence aimed at recruiting individuals who are passionate about working with young children, eager to contribute to high-quality early learning environments, and committed to advancing the field of early childhood education
    • Collaborating with early childhood educators and other nonprofits to promote the development and/or retention of early childhood educators 

• Mental Health – 
  • Background -  
    • The greater Milwaukee region faces significant racial health disparities that lead to differences in disease outcomes, life expectancy, and overall quality of life. These disparities are driven by systemic racism. Our communities are rich with cultural resilience, strong social networks, and innovative grassroots organizations working to address our health disparities. Community-led initiatives are improving outcomes by leveraging these strengths and showcasing greater Milwaukee’s ability to harness its collective resources and wisdom to foster equitable health outcomes for all residents.
  • Grantmaking focus -
    • Increase transformative, community-led investments that support access to appropriate mental health services and improve mental health outcomes.
      • General operating, capital/facilities, and project/program grants are available.
    • Examples of potential applications include but are not limited to those seeking funds for one or more of the following:
      •  Providing community-based, culturally reverent mental health support and services
      • Advancing an integrative evidence-based approaches to well-being  
      • Focusing on restorative justice and trauma-responsive healing initiatives
      • Building solidarity and collaboration among service providers and the community
      • Creating and sharing stories of communities overcoming systemic barriers
      • Engaging patients and/or program participants to leverage their insights and capacity for improving mental health
      • Integrating those with lived experiences into the organization’s leadership
      • Engaging in advocacy and organizing efforts, including anti-racist organizational development
      • Addressing mental health impacts of racial inequity 
• Workforce Development – 
  • Background -
    • Our communities are brimming with talent and assets, but in too many places, disinvestments have limited individuals’ economic opportunity and quality of life. People’s ability to improve their economic status contributes to a thriving community. Helping people to improve their economic standing over time, regardless of their background, creates a more equitable society. Improving economic mobility helps improve a person’s quality of life. 
  • Grantmaking focus -
    • Increase economic mobility through job creation, access, and retention.
      • General operating, capital/facilities, and project/program grants are available.
    • Examples of potential applications include but are not limited to those seeking funds for one or more of the following:
      • Developing and implementing creative job creation strategies
      • Delivering training programs that help people enter jobs that pay a living wage
      • Creating workforce programs and projects that support people and employers 

Funding

Requests for up to $50,000 per year for up to three years will be considered. Organizations are encouraged to apply for the funds and length of award necessary.  

GMF: Cycle 2 - Project Support

The Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s discretionary grantmaking supports projects and programs that align with priorities that support our strategic vision of creating a Milwaukee for all. 

Funding Priorities

• Early Childhood Education – 
• Background -  
• High quality early childhood care and education is key to giving every child the start in life they need and deserve. It has been shown to have a significant impact on a child’s long-term academic, social and developmental success, and enables parents to participate in the workforce. Furthermore, research supports that physical learning environments matter. Facilities and the child-centered spaces within them can enhance children’s development by inspiring a range of social and cognitive learning experiences, as well as encouraging the development of gross motor skills. Indoor and outdoor spaces can increase students in a variety of hands-on learning experiences, collaboration, exploration and play.
• Grantmaking focus - 
  • Increase access to quality, affordable early childhood care and education for every child in need.
    • Project/program and general operating funds are available for early childhood care and education professional development, recruitment and retention.
  • Examples of potential applications include but are not limited to those seeking funds for the following:
    • Designing and delivering professional development opportunities for early childhood education providers
    • Facilitating an early childhood education career exploration event and establishing a social media presence aimed at recruiting individuals who are passionate about working with young children, eager to contribute to high-quality early learning environments, and committed to advancing the field of early childhood education
    • Collaborating with early childhood educators and other nonprofits to promote the development and/or retention of early childhood educators 

• Mental Health – 
  • Background -  
    • The greater Milwaukee region faces significant racial health disparities that lead to differences in disease outcomes, life expectancy, and overall quality of life. These disparities are driven by systemic racism. Our communities are rich with cultural resilience, strong social networks, and innovative grassroots organizations working to address our health disparities. Community-led initiatives are improving outcomes by leveraging these strengths and showcasing greater Milwaukee’s ability to harness its collective resources and wisdom to foster equitable health outcomes for all residents.
  • Grantmaking focus -
    • Increase transformative, community-led investments that support access to appropriate mental health services and improve mental health outcomes.
      • General operating, capital/facilities, and project/program grants are available.
    • Examples of potential applications include but are not limited to those seeking funds for one or more of the following:
      •  Providing community-based, culturally reverent mental health support and services
      • Advancing an integrative evidence-based approaches to well-being  
      • Focusing on restorative justice and trauma-responsive healing initiatives
      • Building solidarity and collaboration among service providers and the community
      • Creating and sharing stories of communities overcoming systemic barriers
      • Engaging patients and/or program participants to leverage their insights and capacity for improving mental health
      • Integrating those with lived experiences into the organization’s leadership
      • Engaging in advocacy and organizing efforts, including anti-racist organizational development
      • Addressing mental health impacts of racial inequity 
• Workforce Development – 
  • Background -
    • Our communities are brimming with talent and assets, but in too many places, disinvestments have limited individuals’ economic opportunity and quality of life. People’s ability to improve their economic status contributes to a thriving community. Helping people to improve their economic standing over time, regardless of their background, creates a more equitable society. Improving economic mobility helps improve a person’s quality of life. 
  • Grantmaking focus -
    • Increase economic mobility through job creation, access, and retention.
      • General operating, capital/facilities, and project/program grants are available.
    • Examples of potential applications include but are not limited to those seeking funds for one or more of the following:
      • Developing and implementing creative job creation strategies
      • Delivering training programs that help people enter jobs that pay a living wage
      • Creating workforce programs and projects that support people and employers 

Funding

Requests for up to $50,000 per year for up to three years will be considered. Organizations are encouraged to apply for the funds and length of award necessary.