Each year the Foundation awards grants from the income earned by a pool of named endowment funds that were established without restriction – these include:
- Advantage Bank Officers and Directors Fund
- Mary Frost Ashley Endowment
- Enroth Family Endowment
- Jessie R. Hopf Endowment
- Ralph and Frances A. Jaeschke Fund
- A. Allan and Isabel M. Jankus Fund
- Kenosha News Fund
- Orvis Family Endowment
- Kathleen Steumke Legacy Fund
- Charles Vignieri Fund
Focus of 2019 Grant Making from the Foundation’s Unrestricted funds
For the 2019 grant cycle, we will continue supporting projects of not-for-profit organizations that are in line with the Foundation’s mission (to enhance the present and ensure the future of the Kenosha Community), and also strongly encourage not-for-profit organizations with projects that provide services in the areas of substance abuse, mental health or transportation apply for these grants – these are the three priority areas identified in a Community Needs Assessment survey that we conducted in collaboration with the Kenosha County UW-Extension in November 2017.
Additionally, for grants from the Unrestricted Funds, the Kenosha Community Foundation will:
• Give priority to collaborative efforts, with two or more organizations jointly planning and delivering projects that offer creative solutions or ideas.
• Give priority to projects that use Foundation funds to leverage other funding sources.
• Only award a maximum of $7,500 per grant request.
2019 Grants from the Foundation’s Unrestricted funds
In June 2019, the Foundation awarded grants totaling $56,130 to 11 Kenosha County not-for-profit organizations and projects from the income earned by our Unrestricted Funds. Receiving the 2019 Unrestricted Funds grants:
Boys and Girls Club to support “Gus The Bus” providing free transportation for the 2019-20 School year for elementary students who attend the club three or more days a week.
St. Matthew’s ElderGarten to support the installation of a gravel walkway through the garden that will allow improved public access and the ElderGarten’s “Food Forest” program.
Hope Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse to support a “Community Resource Mapping” process that will help to identify gaps, solutions and existing activities that build protective factors to prevent substance abuse.
Kenosha Achievement Center to support the expansion of the “Sprouts Playgroups” to serve new locations that will increase access to quality, early childhood playgroups for low-income families.
Kenosha Literacy Council to support the “My Community and Me” integrated English civics education project to increase participant literacy skills through hands-on experiences and to help literacy students learn about their community.
Kenosha County Food Bank to support the establishment of a new food bank system that will supply foodstuffs to the county’s pantries and assist in delivery.
LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin to support facilitation of the “Youth and Gender Media Project” course trainings and discussions for families and educators to support transgender or gender non-conforming youth.
Open Wings Learning to support the needs of complex learners with disorders relating to communication, including pervasive developmental disorders, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and trauma-related delays.
The Shalom Center of the Interfaith Network to support the expansion of the Women’s Shelter by purchasing beds and mattresses.
The Sharing Center to support programming that helps ensure families living in rural Kenosha County have access to basic needs/services for mental health, domestic violence, drug addiction or chronic illness.
Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp. to support programs that promote business ownership and entrepreneurship among women, people of color, veterans/military families and low-income residents through increased access to capital coupled with business education and counseling.
