Community Grants

OVERVIEW

  • All applicants must complete a screening call with Mandi Olson, President/CEO, prior to application
    • The screening call must include a staff person or board member of the organization. If using a contracted grant writer, we require a staff person or board member be present from the organization the grant writer is representing during the screening call.
    • Screening calls should be scheduled between January 27 and February 25. The deadline for completing a screening call is 4:00 PM February 25, 2025. A new screening call must be completed each time an organization applies for a community grant.
  • Please review ALL eligibility and application guidelines prior to application
  • Recommended: Record your application answers on a separate document as a back-up.
  • Maximum grant award per application: $7,500.00
  • Opens: by February 1, 2025
  • Application deadline: March 1, 2025 11:59 p.m.

PURPOSE

An important part of the Winona Community Foundation’s mission is realized though awarding community grants to meet the ever-changing needs of the community through a competitive process. By doing so, a variety of interests are supported with the goal of helping local charities make a difference in the Winona area. Our community grants for nonprofits are broad and inclusive to meet the current community needs in the Winona area.

These grants are competitive, so be sure to read information thoroughly prior to calling staff to review your project idea. After reviewing this information, if you don’t find the information needed or questions remain, Foundation staff will be pleased to assist you further as well as provide technical assistance with the application process.

CYCLE 1 FOCUS

For our general competitive Community Grant program, we are looking for proposals that focus on addressing critical needs or opportunities within in the greater Winona area. This can be project, program or equipment based but the request must fit within the current scope of a nonprofit’s mission. The proposal will be evaluated on the need/opportunity identified, its intended impact and reach, feasibility of the financial plan/budget, and the community benefit. Please refer to the GRANT EXCLUSIONS and FAQs “general funding priorities” for more direction.

Just like we promote giving locally, we also want to grant locally. Priority is given to nonprofit project and program applications where the dollars spent benefit our area.

For additional eligibility questions or concerns, please see FAQs at the bottom of the page.

ELIGIBILITY

Who can apply:

  • Charitable organizations with a 501(c)(3), government agencies, or organizations with a fiscal agent agreement with a 501(c)(3) organization, operating within the Winona area.
  • What is the “Winona area”? We define this area as within the City of Winona and a fifteen-mile radius from Winona. This includes Wisconsin and programs that have operations in Winona but may have their headquarters elsewhere.
  • Nonprofits that have not received community grant funding this calendar year. However, a grant project and report needs to be completed and submitted with the Foundation before applying for this grant cycle.

Who cannot apply:

  • Nonprofits that have received funding from the Foundation’s Community Grant Program but have not submitted their final grant report
  • Nonprofits who have received Community Grant Program funding within the same calendar year

Grant exclusions:

  • Activities that are non-secular or promote a religious doctrine
  • Academic or medical research
  • Annual fundraising campaigns or events
  • Creation of, or addition to, endowment funds
  • Payment of debt or legal settlements
  • Political or partisan purposes
  • Capital improvements or additions to public or private educational institutions
  • Funding of capital campaigns
  • Grants that provide direct support to an individual or one-time experiences to an individual
  • Projects that are already in progress or have already been completed

EVALUATION CRITERIA

  • NEED: The organization’s application verifies an important need or opportunity and aligns with current funding priorities.
  • IMPACT: The organization clearly identifies the program or project outcomes and has the capacity and ability to complete the stated objectives.
  • COLLABORATION: The organization’s request is inclusive of the community.
  • SUSTAINIBILITY: The organization clearly presents a viable plan for financial support.
  • PLAN: The organization adhered to all grant application policies, procedures and timelines including attachment requirements.

APPLICATION PROCESS

In order for your organization’s grant application to be considered by the Foundation’s Grant Committee and Board of Directors, you must:

  • Discuss your grant proposal during a screening call with Mandi Olson, President/CEO, prior to submission (screening call deadline: 4:00 PM Tuesday, February 25, 2025). Email molson@winonacf.org
  • Complete online application. Click HERE to see application.
  • Include a project or program budget along with your application.
  • List of Board Members with contact information.
  • Follow the required word count.
  • Include a list of additional funders for project (if applicable).

The recipients for Cycle 1 will be announced by April 1. The time allotted allows our Grant Committee to carefully review each application, meet to discuss the applications and evaluate the current needs of the community, and have the selected organizations approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors. All applicants will receive notification of their individual grant prior to the announcement.

While the committee aims to grant to as many organizations as possible, the requested funds far outweigh available dollars. Overall, about 40% of grant requests are able to be funded per cycle.

FIELD OF INTEREST FUNDING

At times, grant requests may be funded through dollars coming from the Foundation’s field of interest funds. Nonprofits don’t apply directly to these special funds; rather, our committee may decide that a request fits the purpose of one of the funds listed below, and will then choose to fulfill the grant request using those available dollars. A request could be matched with a field of interest fund and also receive dollars from our regular pool of grant money, but the total granted amount will not exceed $7,500 max as stated in our guidelines.

Connect People to Nature Fund – $3,300 available in 2025

Applicants seeking funding that supports programs, equipment, and activities designed to get people outdoors and connect with their natural surroundings. Examples of grants include providing programming that guides people in nature and its settings, improving access to public land by acquiring easements, improved signage, and equipment. The original donor hopes others will join him in encouraging people to connect to nature.

Donna Helble Literacy Fund – $4,900 available in 2025

Applicants seeking funding that supports youth literacy may receive funding through the Donna Helble Literacy Fund. The purpose of this fund is to provide grants organizations or projects that support youth literacy in Winona. To learn more about Donna’s passions and generous gift, click here.

QUESTIONS?

We’re here to help you!

It’s strongly recommended that you record your answers on a separate document as a back-up.

FINAL GRANT REPORT

If you received a community grant, please complete a final report according to your grant agreement. Reports must be submitted before submitting a new application. It’s strongly recommended that you record your report answers on a separate document as a back-up.

HOW ARE COMMUNITY GRANTS FUNDED?

Funds to support the Community Grant program are made possible through funds held at the Winona Community Foundation including the Community Impact Endowment Fund. Funds are also made possible in part through gifts made through wills from; Carol A. Orlowske, Ramona L. Jezewski English and Wilmer & Beverly Larson. Finally, community grants are supported by individual donors and a percentage of Board designated funds including: the Thomas H. Laken Fund, the Sue & Jack Cornwell Fund, and the General Trust fund of the Winona Community Foundation.

PAST GRANT RECIPIENTS

Frequently Asked Questions

Please review the frequently asked questions below.

Organizations are welcome to apply as often as they’d like, however, the committee will only fund a maximum of one grant request per calendar year. Additionally, in order for an organization’s grant request to be considered, that organization cannot have any outstanding grant reports that are not yet completed.

Our community grants for nonprofits are broad and inclusive to meet the current community needs in the Winona area. The Winona Community Foundation Board of Directors establishes funding priorities and has the authority to change those priorities at any time. Please read the above “focus” and “eligibility” area, as well as the statements below for more direction. Any additional questions should be brought to the screening call with Mandi Olson.

The following proposal types will be considered but are less likely to be funded:

  1. Marketing and awareness campaigns
  2. Repeat requests for programs that have been previously funded with a community grant
  3. Event ticket subsidies
  4. Staff salaries for standard operations. While there may be exception, the committee encourages proposals that enhance programming rather than provide regular operational costs.

The most that can be requested from WCF Community Grants is $7,500. You do not need to apply for this full amount and project budgets should reasonably reflect what is needed. These grants are very competitive. When deciding on a request amount, consider what other funding sources are available and the amount your organization is able to fund. Grant seekers are encouraged to submit proposals that include diverse financial support.

Every year we receive requests totaling far more money than we have to disburse. Overall, about 40% of grant requests are able to be funded per cycle. Decisions about grant awards are always difficult; increased need and reduced funding everywhere have made the process even more competitive. We are always happy to discuss your request with you and comments that the Committee may have made related to why the project ranked lower, but in many cases a request is denied simply because we don’t have enough money to fund all worthwhile projects.

For more information, please contact Mandi Olson at 507-454-6511, wcf@winonacf.org, or visit our office at 111 Riverfront, Suite 2 E.