Important Links
Questions?
For questions, please contact our Director of Grants and Stewardship, Rachel Bennett, at rbennett@waukeshafoundation.org or call us at 262-513-1861.
2025 Deadlines
Community Grants Cycle
Funding for local agencies and nonprofits
The Waukesha County Community Foundation (WCCF) Community Grants are intended to support ongoing and changing community needs in Waukesha County. Grants are awarded after extensive review and evaluation by the Foundation’s Grants Review Committee.
Grant Criteria
Applicants will need to submit evidence of 501(c)3 status and a non-discrimination policy. Grants will not be repeated for the same organization in consecutive years. Read the full grant request guidelines to learn more.
Community Grants support the following broad program areas:
- Arts & Culture
- Health and Human Services
- Education
- Community Development
- Environment & Conservation
- Historical Preservation
In general, Community Grants do not support the following:
- Direct Grants to Individuals (including individual scholarships)
- Religious Programs
- Lobbying/Political Purposes
- Event Sponsorships
- Capital Campaigns
- Government Entities
- Pass-Through Funding
Application & Process
- The annual Community Grants Cycle opens in early July.
- To get started, applicants are required to create an account through our grant portal.
- Then submit a Letter of Intent form via the portal by the determined deadline.
- If invited by the Grants Review Committee, applicants must complete a full proposal by the deadline.
Grants Review Committee
The Grants Review Committee is comprised of community business leaders, volunteers, and WCCF board members. The Committee does not include WCCF staff members.
Annually, during the competitive grant process, the Committee evaluates grant requests and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors. To learn more about the Committee, contact Grants Manager, Rachel Bennett.
Previous Community Grant Recipients
2024 Grant Awards
- Addiction Resource Council
- Agrace
- Blessings in a Backpack Waukesha County
- Community Smiles Dental
- Falls Area Community Services, Inc.
- Falls Patio Players
- Family Promise of Waukesha County
- Greater Milwaukee El Sistema
- Hebron Housing Services
- Ice Age Trail Alliance
- IMPACT, Inc.
- Lake Area Free Clinic
- Life Navigators
- Literacy Services of Wisconsin
- Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin & Upper Michigan
- Muskego Senior Taxi
- NAMI of Southeast WI
- New Berlin Food Pantry Inc.
- Playworks Wisconsin
- Sharp Literacy
- Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers
- Team Up! With Families/Katy’s Kloset
- The Oasis Project
- The Women’s Center, Inc.
- Tricia’s Troops Cancer Connection
- Vision Forward Association, Inc.
- Waukesha County Land Conservancy
- Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp. (WWBIC)
- Zachariah’s Acres Inc.
2023 Grant Awards
- ACAP, Inc.
- AFAR, Inc. D/B/A The Ability Center
- American Red Cross of Southeast Wisconsin
- Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin
- Christmas Clearing Council of Waukesha County
- Diverse and Resilient, Inc.
- Donna Lexa Art Centers
- Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin, Inc.
- Elmbrook Humane Society
- Elmbrook Senior Taxi, Inc.
- Food Pantry of Waukesha County
- GPS Education Partners, Inc.
- Habitat for Humanity of Waukesha County, Inc.
- Hope Center
- Housing Action Coalition of Waukesha County
- Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha County, Inc.
- Journey21, Inc.
- La Casa de Esperanza, Inc.
- MS-Just Keep Moving, Inc.
- Oconomowoc Silver Streak, Inc.
- Prevent Blindness Wisconsin
- ProHealth Care Foundation
- Revitalize Milwaukee
- Seniors on the Go
- Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts
- The Salvation Army – Waukesha
- Waukesha County Historical Society and Museum
- Wellpoint Care Network
- Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association
- Wisconsin Masonic Home Inc.
- Wisconsin Veterans Network
2022 Grant Awards
- Addiction Resource Council
- Association for the Rights of Citizens with handicaps (ARCh)
- Best Buddies Wisconsin
- Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Metropolitan Milwaukee, Inc.
- Blessings in a Backpack Waukesha County
- Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee
- Broadscope Disability Services
- Bryon Riesch Paralysis Foundation
- Carroll University
- Community Smiles Dental (WCCDC)
- Family Promise of Waukesha Co.
- Falls Patio Players
- First Stage
- Friends of Vernon Marsh
- Girls on the Run of Southeastern Wisconsin
- HEAR Wisconsin
- Hebron House of Hospitality, Inc.
- IMPACT, Inc. 2-1-1
- Lake Area Free Clinic
- LifeStriders
- Literacy Services of Wisconsin, Inc.
- Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan (LSS)
- NAMI Southeast Wisconsin
- Sharp Literacy, Inc.
- Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers
- Team Up! With Families/Katy’s Kloset
- The Women’s Center, Inc.
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Waukesha Foundation
- Waukesha County Land Conservancy
- YMCA of Greater Waukesha County
- Zachariah’s Acres Inc.
2021 Grant Awards
- ACAP, Inc.
- Christmas Clearing Council
- Diverse and Resilience
- Donna Lexa Arts Center
- Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin
- Elmbrook Senior Taxi, Inc.
- Good Friend, Inc.
- GPS Education Partners, Inc.
- Greater Milwaukee El Sistema
- Habitat for Humanity of Waukesha County
- Healing Hearts of Waukesha
- Hope Center
- La Casa de Esperanza
- Lad Lake, Inc.
- Life Navigators
- Prevent Blindness of Wisconsin
- Revitalize Milwaukee
- SaintA
- Sleep in Heavenly Peace
- St Joan of Arc
- Tricia’s Troops Cancer Connection
- Waukesha Civic Theater
- Waukesha County Historical Society & Museum
- Wisconsin Hero Outdoors
- Wisconsin Masonic Home, Inc.
- Wisconsin String Academie
- Wisconsin Veterans Network
- Your Choice to Live, Inc.
- 2021 Carl J. Patrinos and Audrey Z. Patrinos Charitable Endowment Fund Grant – $3,800
