Best Operating Grants for Nonprofits in Wisconsin

Who We Are

Advancing Wisconsin to be the healthiest state in the nation

AHW provides funding and resources to researchers, organizations, and communities devoted to improving the health of the people of Wisconsin.

Call for Applications:

Community-Led Seed Grants

AHW’s Call for Applications: Community-Led Seed Grants supports community-driven efforts to design new strategies, test innovative ideas, and foster greater collaboration to build a foundation for future endeavors to address Wisconsin’s leading health challenges and produce deeper impact on health and health equity in Wisconsin’s communities. Eligible community-based organizations may request up to $50,000 for projects completed within a 12-month period, beginning Jan. 1, 2027.

To foster a collaborative approach to award selection, applicants will participate in a peer review process to assess proposals submitted to this funding opportunity by their fellow applicants. For the submitted application to be considered for funding, completion of all assigned reviews is required.

Following funding determinations, successful community-led applicant teams will be matched with an eligible MCW faculty member from a pre-formed pool developed through the Call for MCW Academic Partner for Community-Led Grants to serve as an additional resource to the funded community-led projects. 

The Comprehensive Management Planning for Lakes & Watersheds Grant, offered by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, aims to enhance waterbody management through strategic planning. This grant supports projects that analyze watersheds to set goals for improving and protecting natural resources. Funding is available for creating new management plans or updating existing ones, facilitating informed decisions to address ecological challenges and promote sustainable practices in local communities.

TC Energy’s Build Strong program supports vital organizations in communities near its operations. By providing grants, scholarships, and in-kind support, the program aims to enhance safety, education, environmental protection, and community well-being. Eligible applicants include non-profits and community groups addressing local needs. Ineligible activities include operational expenses and for-profit endeavors. The program prioritizes projects demonstrating measurable community impact, fostering a collaborative relationship between TC Energy and local stakeholders.

The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Local Assistance and Federal Recreation Grants, managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, aim to enhance outdoor recreation opportunities across the state. These grants support various programs, including local parks development, acquisition of development rights, and urban green spaces. They also encompass federal initiatives such as the Land and Water Conservation Fund and Recreational Trails Program. This funding fosters community engagement and promotes sustainable recreational access.

The Westinghouse Charitable Giving Program aims to strengthen community ties by providing financial support in key areas such as education focused on STEM, environmental sustainability, and community safety. This program welcomes applications from eligible organizations that meet specific grant criteria, including being tax-exempt and located within 50 miles of a Westinghouse site. The initiative underscores Westinghouse's commitment to advancing education, promoting environmental stewardship, and enhancing community well-being.

The Thriving Community Impact Fund offers grants ranging from $2,500 to $49,999 to support community health initiatives. Gundersen Health emphasizes collaboration and addressing social needs to foster well-being. Eligible organizations include non-profits, schools, and government agencies. The fund prioritizes projects that align with the Community Health Improvement Plan, focusing on health equity, civic engagement, and neighborhood enhancement. This initiative aims to empower communities and improve health outcomes while fostering corporate social responsibility.

The WKKF Grant, offered by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, is dedicated to fostering a future where every child and family thrives. With a focus on nurturing early education, accessible healthcare, and equitable food systems, this grant supports initiatives that empower communities across the U.S. and parts of Mexico and Haiti. Organizations meeting IRS regulations and being legal entities, particularly 501(c)(3) nonprofits, are encouraged to apply for funding to create lasting impacts in their communities.

The WaterStone Bank Foundation, established in 2002, actively supports community initiatives through charitable giving. With a focus on education, women and children, community development, and veterans, the foundation aims to strengthen its local ties and enhance the well-being of the communities it serves. Nonprofits are encouraged to apply for funding, ensuring they meet specific criteria, including being a registered 501(c)(3) organization and aligning with the foundation's core giving categories.

The NACD Technical Assistance Grants program, in partnership with NRCS, has been enhancing conservation district support since 2018. By funding staff hires, it aims to improve service for agricultural producers and address conservation workload challenges. The initiative focuses on outreach, education, and civic engagement to empower local communities, promote sustainability, and support historically underserved producers in implementing conservation practices, thereby fostering both individual and community resilience.

The Looking Out Foundation Grant supports social justice and humanitarian initiatives, having donated nearly $6 million to various causes globally. With an average donation of $25 per campaign, it aids organizations focused on disaster relief, racial justice, and support for marginalized communities. Eligible applicants must be tax-exempt public charities under Section 501(c)(3). The foundation prioritizes diverse funding sources and encourages organizations to adapt to changing needs, with grant allocations ranging from $5,000 to $25,000.

Lilly Foundation

To extend Lilly’s charitable reach and impact, the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation (Lilly Foundation) was established in 1968 and is supported by donations from Eli Lilly and Company.

The Foundation is a tax-exempt, private foundation supporting programs that align with its philanthropic priorities.

Grantmaking Approach

The Lilly Foundation’s work is guided by a charitable vision of a world where every person has an opportunity to live their healthiest life. Through grantmaking focused on Lilly Foundation’s charitable vision, grants can serve as a catalyst for closing gaps and empowering individuals and communities to thrive.

All proposals should demonstrate clear alignment with at least one focus area and include charitable outcomes that are measurable and consistent with the Foundation’s long-term charitable goals.

Global Health, K-12 STEM Education and Economic Mobility Grant

Focus Areas

Global Health

Lilly Foundation, through its charitable grants, aims to support permissible charitable efforts to improve access to quality healthcare for resource-limited communities in low- and lower-middleincome countries (L/LMICs) and in the United States. Strengthening access to care is essential for enhancing community well-being and supporting economic stability in resource-limited settings.

The Global Health focus area aims to close gaps in quality healthcare by supporting charitable solutions that improve access, bring care closer to where people live, and address the high burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in resource-limited settings. To the extent permissible, the Foundation prioritizes charitable efforts related to cardiometabolic health in resource-limited settings.

K-12 STEM Education

The K-12 STEM Education focus area aims to close the gaps for students from low-income communities by supporting programs that foster new pathways and pipelines to STEM education through focused K-12 efforts, concentrating on the critical middle school years. The Foundation’s K-12 STEM Education grants are focused on initiatives that benefit Marion County, Indiana.

Economic Mobility

The Economic Mobility focus area supports charitable and educational programs that strengthen workforce readiness, postsecondary and skills-based educational pathways, and housing stability to promote long-term prosperity. This support is focused on Marion County, Indiana, with the goal of improving economic opportunity for low-income communities and advancing community well-being.

The WDNR offers grants totaling $250,000 annually to friends groups and nonprofit conservation organizations to enhance facilities, develop recreation projects, and restore habitats on state properties. Eligible applicants must be nonprofit entities committed to conservation and have a written agreement with the DNR. Projects should focus on nature-based outdoor recreation and address specific unmet needs in alignment with DNR management plans. Grants can cover up to 50% of project costs, promoting sustainable environmental practices.

The Roger W. and Mary C. Lyons Memorial Trust Grant supports charitable organizations dedicated to aiding underprivileged children in Wisconsin. This grant focuses on health and medical research, as well as human and social services. To be eligible, organizations must be classified as 501(c)(3) nonprofits by the IRS. Notably, individuals cannot apply for this grant, ensuring that funding is directed solely towards established charitable entities.

The Levin Family Foundation Grant supports nonprofits focused on critical issues in Montgomery County, Ohio, such as the opiate epidemic, human trafficking, anti-bullying, and suicide prevention. Established in 1996, the foundation has invested over $12 million globally, emphasizing projects that align with its mission. Eligible organizations must be IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt. Priority is given to initiatives in the Greater Dayton Area, fostering positive community impact.

The Smithsonian Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO) offers research grants for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career researchers. These grants support projects utilizing Forest Dynamics Sites for fieldwork and data analysis, encouraging both natural and social science research. Proposals must integrate site data and can last from 3 months to 2 years. Funding covers research-related expenses, with priorities for projects enhancing educational and capacity-building efforts.

Ecolab Foundation

Ecolab Foundation is a philanthropic arm of Ecolab dedicated to advancing community well-being through programs that promote education, environmental stewardship, and public health. Its mission is to create positive social impact by supporting initiatives that strengthen communities and foster sustainable development.

The foundation’s primary areas of engagement include educational programs that enhance learning and workforce readiness, environmental projects that encourage conservation and sustainability, and health-related initiatives that improve hygiene and safety. It focuses on partnerships that deliver measurable benefits and long-term impact.

Ecolab Foundation operates primarily within the United States while also supporting global initiatives aligned with its corporate responsibility goals. Its geographic scope reflects a commitment to addressing local community needs and contributing to broader sustainability efforts.

The foundation collaborates with nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and community-based groups. It prioritizes partnerships that demonstrate strong governance, clear objectives, and alignment with its mission of education, health, and environmental responsibility.

Ecolab Match Program

Ecolab established the Volunteer and Community Relations programs to encourage and reward Ecolab employee and alumni involvement in the communities where people live and work. There are three programs including the Board Leadership Volunteer Grant.

Board Leadership Volunteer Grant

Ecolab will donate up to $500 USD annually to a qualifying 501(c)3 organization (some restrictions apply) for which an eligible person serves on the Board of Directors. 

Focus Areas of Giving

• Youth and Education: programs that promote youth development, particularly for programs that ensure all students are successful
• Civic & Community Development: affordable housing, work readiness, crisis assistance and hunger relief
• Environment & Conservation: hands-on environmental learning programs, environment and conservation organizations
• Arts & Culture: arts education for children and youth as well as support for museums and the performing arts

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is offering funding to cover room and board costs for Medicaid members with an opioid use disorder or at risk for an overdose in residential treatment programs. This initiative aims to enhance access to essential services for individuals facing barriers due to non-reimbursable room and board expenses. With $2.75 million allocated from the National Prescription Opiate Litigation settlement, eligible Tribal nations and counties can apply to support affected individuals in their recovery journey.

Mission

The Biodiversity Fund supports efforts to maintain and strengthen biodiversity in the Duluth-Superior region through preservation and restoration of habitat, help for particular species and ecosystems, planning for changing conditions, research and education. The purpose is to consider now the value to future generations of the species and ecosystem diversity that will remain when/if human population stabilizes.

Biodiversity Fund

The Biodiversity Fund supports projects that preserve and restore habitats, assist vulnerable species and ecosystems, plan for environmental change, and promote research and education in the Duluth-Superior region.

The fund aims to protect the region's biodiversity through conservation, preservation, and restoration of natural resources for the benefit of future generations.

Biodiversity Fund- Large & Multi-Year Grants

The Fund may also support larger initiatives of up to $50,000 per year for up to three years, for projects that require sustained investment to achieve meaningful, long-term impact. ‍

Multi-year requests should demonstrate:

• A clear long-term vision with defined milestones that allow progress to be assessed prior to subsequent years of funding each year
• How the work will scale, adapt, or deepen impact over time
• Strong partnerships, stewardship plans, or systems-level outcomes
• A plan for sustainability beyond the grant period

What We Mean by Biodiversity

‍Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth, encompassing the diversity of genes, species, and ecosystems and the complex relationships that sustain them. Biodiversity underpins ecosystem stability, climate resilience, and human well-being by providing essential services such as clean air and water, natural food systems, nature-derived medicines, and climate adaptation and regulation.

This grant recognizes that healthy natural ecosystems and sustainable native plant and animal communities are deeply interconnected — environmental degradation often exacerbates social inequities and instability of communities of habitats and ecosystems. Community-led solutions strengthen ecological outcomes.

Biodiversity Fund Priorities

Funded projects should demonstrate strength in several of the following areas. Not every project must address all principles, but competitive proposals will show clear alignment across multiple dimensions.

• Upstream & Preventative Focus
  • Projects address root causes rather than symptoms.
  • Prioritize prevention, restoration, and long-term solutions
  • Reduce risk and vulnerability for people, species, and ecosystems
  • Anticipate environmental and social change rather than reacting after harm occurs
• Collaboration & Community Voice
  • Projects are grounded in authentic partnership.
  • Build cross-sector collaboration (e.g., nonprofits, Tribal Nations, schools, governments, researchers, community groups)
  • Center the expertise and leadership of people with lived experience, including Indigenous knowledge and local ecological expertise
  • Share power in design, decision-making, and implementation
• Equity-Centered Impact
  • Projects advance equity for both people and place.
  • Prioritize historically marginalized communities and/or vulnerable species and ecosystems
  • Focus resources, decision-making power, or stewardship closer to impacted communities
  • Recognize how environmental harm and social inequity intersect
• Systems, Policy & Practice Change
  • Projects have transferability and relevance beyond a single site or program.
  • Improve institutional practices, policies, land-use decisions, or resource flows
  • Strengthen community-level systems related to housing, food security, climate adaptation, education, or conservation
  • Demonstrate potential for replication, scaling, or broader adoption
• Sustainability & Capacity Building
  • Projects plan for impact that lasts beyond the grant period.
  • Strengthen organizational, community, or ecosystem capacity
  • Build skills, infrastructure, stewardship, or long-term management plans
  • Promote ongoing care, monitoring, or adaptive management of natural systems
• Evidence of Change & Learning
  • Projects contribute to shared learning and understanding.
  • Use data, research, community knowledge, or storytelling to demonstrate impact
  • Measure ecological, social, or systems-level outcomes
  • Share lessons learned to inform future equity-, resilience-, and biodiversity-focused work

The Biodiversity Fund Grant, offered by the Boreal Waters Community Foundation, aims to enhance biodiversity in the Duluth-Superior region. It supports projects focused on habitat restoration, species protection, and addressing climate change impacts. Eligible applicants include charitable organizations that serve specific counties in Wisconsin and Minnesota. This initiative seeks to promote ecological health and engage local communities in conservation efforts, ensuring the preservation of vital ecosystems for future generations.

Regional Conservation Partnership Program - Wisconsin

Benefits

RCPP encourages partners to join in efforts with producers to increase the restoration and sustainable use of soil, water, wildlife and related natural resources on regional or watershed scales. Through RCPP, NRCS and its partners help producers install and maintain conservation activities in selected project areas. Partners leverage RCPP funding in project areas and report on the benefits achieved. The Secretary of Agriculture may also designate up to eight critical conservation areas to focus RCPP assistance.

Funding

Funding for RCPP is allocated evenly to projects in two different categories, state/multi-state and critical conservation areas. Conservation program contracts and easement agreements are implemented through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) or the Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP). NRCS may also utilize the authorities under the Watershed and Flood Prevention Program, other than the Watershed Rehabilitation Program, in the designated critical conservation areas.

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program brings together a wide array of local and national partners, including Indian tribes, nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, private industry, conservation districts, water districts, universities and many others. So far, more than 2,000 partners are engaged in locally-led conservation efforts through RCPP.

The most successful RCPP projects share four common characteristics: they innovate, leverage additional contributions, offer impactful solutions and engage more participants.

The ATV/UTV Safety Enhancement Funding, provided by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, supports nonprofit organizations in promoting safe and responsible use of all-terrain and utility-terrain vehicles. This biennial funding, with a minimum of $297,000, is aimed at enhancing education and safety measures related to ATV/UTV operations. Eligible organizations must focus on environmental stewardship, comply with relevant laws, and actively support ATV/UTV clubs, thereby fostering community involvement and responsible recreation.

The Guy A. and N. Kay Arboit Charitable Trust Grant, administered by First American Bank, focuses on supporting education for underprivileged individuals, funding cardiac and cancer research, and endorsing religious activities, especially those tied to the Catholic Church. Grants are primarily available to organizations in the greater Chicago area that face challenges in accessing other funding sources, ensuring targeted assistance where it is most needed.

The Old National Bank Foundation offers grants to nonprofit organizations for community impact initiatives across Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Focused on four key areas—Affordable Housing, Workforce Development, Economic Development, and Financial Empowerment—the foundation prioritizes programs that support underrepresented communities. Organizations must have 501(c)(3) status and align with the foundation’s funding priorities to qualify for grants, which can be applied for every two years.

The Youth Telepsychiatry initiative by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services aims to enhance access to mental health care for pediatric, child, and adolescent patients through telepsychiatry. By funding hospitals and clinics, this program seeks to address the critical shortage of child psychiatrists in Wisconsin, especially highlighted in the 2019 Behavioral Health Gaps Report. This funding will support necessary technology and recruitment efforts to ensure continuity of care and improve access for underserved populations.

The Kosciuszko Foundation offers Tuition Scholarships for American students of Polish descent pursuing graduate studies in the U.S. Scholarships can provide up to $12,000 for full-time studies, including master's and Ph.D. programs. Eligible applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal residents with Polish heritage and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0. This program aims to foster educational exchanges and cultural understanding between the U.S. and Poland, supporting various fields of study.

About the Department of Health Services (DHS)

The Department of Health Services (DHS) is one of the largest state agencies in Wisconsin, with an annual budget of roughly $15 billion and more than 6,700 employees. DHS is committed to protecting and promoting the health and safety of the people of Wisconsin, making sure everyone can live their best life.

Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Project

The Division of Care and Treatment Services is seeking applications for funding to provide statewide and Wisconsin-specific alcohol prevention and policy education, training, and technical assistance. This includes providing education and information on alcohol-related trends, gaps, and opportunities and providing guidance and implementation of evidence-based and environmental strategies and policies to prevent and reduce underage drinking, alcohol misuse, and binge drinking.

Program requirements

The intention of the Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Project is to provide training, tools, and technical assistance to municipalities, law enforcement, public health, and community coalitions working to improve the alcohol environment and reduce alcohol-related problems. 

The Sachs Family Foundation Grant aims to enhance the quality of life for economically and educationally disadvantaged individuals and families. The Foundation supports self-sustaining charitable organizations focusing on economic and educational opportunities, particularly in low-income communities in the U.S. and developing countries. Grants are available for various initiatives, including education, housing, and job training, with a keen interest in programs that demonstrate clear potential for sustainability.