group photo of grant recipients

Left to right: Mandi Olson (WCF President/CEO), John Mullen (IMPACT Center), Jacque Paulsen (Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts), Lydia Boysen (Riverway Learning Community), Craig Putz (Family & Children’s Center), Sandra Burke (Winona Volunteer Services), Taff Roberts (Sandbar Storytelling Festival), Mark Zocher (Winona Creators Collective), Judy Davis (WCF Grant Committee), Peter Hartman (The Prairie Enthusiasts),  Aaron Young (Great River Shakespeare Festival), Betsy Wells (Miller Mentoring), Gavin Jacob (Bridges Health), Shella Schneider (Winona ORC), Tim Vodak (NAMI Winona), Hannah Schultz (Habitat for Humanity serving Winona County)

An important part of the Winona Community Foundation’s mission is realized though awarding community grants to local non-profits to help meet the ever-changing needs of our community. By doing so, a variety of interests are supported with the goal of enhancing local charities’ impact. The Foundation’s community grants for nonprofits are broad and inclusive to meet the current community needs in the Winona area. Since the program’s inception, it has become an essential asset for local Winona area nonprofits.

By the September 1st deadline, the Foundation received 18 applications requesting more than $115,000 in funding. The Foundation’s grant committee is always challenged to select grantees, as available grant requests far exceed available dollars.

This cycle, the Winona Community Foundation’s Board of Directors awarded $79,523 to 14 local nonprofits. The following organizations received funding from the Foundation’s Community Grant Program:

to offer preventative and supportive speech-language pathology services to Winonans free of charge to address a gap in our community’s health resources

Learn more about Bridges Health

to purchase games and equipment at Hiawatha Hall for use in 90-day in-patient stays and provide physical, mental and social benefits to their clients

Learn more about Family & Children’s Center

to purchase indoor and outdoor wayfinding signage to improve a visitors experience in the recently opened ARC building

Learn more about Great River Shakespeare Festival

to purchase a new trailer for use in home repair and construction programs

Learn more about Habitat for Humanity serving Winona County

to purchase 17 Chromebooks and a reading curriculum for elementary students, as well as crafting supplies for their free, K-12 youth center

Learn more about IMPACT Center

to expand and offer 1:1 mentoring during the school day at Winona Middle School, Winona Senior High School and Winona Area Learning Center, removing the barrier of transportation

Learn more about Miller Mentoring

to purchase equipment and storage supplies to store and preserve costume collection from Home & Community Options, which will be available to schools and arts organizations

Learn more about Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts

to expand their support group programming and offer a location near the WSU campus for college students and caretakers

Learn more about National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Winona

to fund necessary supplies for hosting the first annual community-focused Earth Day event in April 2026 led by Riverway

Learn more about Riverway Learning Community

to purchase portable sound equipment for performances and events

Learn more about Sandbar Storytelling Festival

to restore a two-acre parcel along Highway 61/Lake Winona to native habitat

Learn more about The Prairie Enthusiasts

to purchase sewing equipment for a fabric arts studio in the newly established Winona Makerspace

Learn more about the Winona Creators Collective

to purchase iPads to supporting various skill building for people with disabilities including individualized exercise programming

Learn more about the Winona ORC

to fund professional translation services to be more inclusive for their growing Hispanic household clients using the food shelf

Learn more about the Winona Volunteer Services

Creating a Sustainable Future for our Community

These dollars come from people like you, who have a giving heart and a love for our community. By giving a gift to the Foundation, you are helping to build our community. The larger our community endowment gets, the greater impact we can have on our local nonprofits.

Funds to support the Community Grant program are made possible in part through estate gifts made by Ramona L. Jezewski English, Carol A. Orlowske and Wilmer & Beverly Larson. Community grants are also supported by individual donors and a percentage of board designated funds, including: the Thomas H. Laken Fund, the Sue & Jack Cornwell Fund, the Community Impact Endowment Fund, the Founders Endowments Fund and the General Trust Fund of the Winona Community Foundation. In addition to these funds, the annual Charity Golf Event proceeds are directed to the Community Grant program.