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’ impacts. The following is a list of the Foundation’s General Fund grant recipients from 2020 and earlier. For more information on each grant, please visit our annual report archive.
- 1987-1991 Foundation Directed Grants
Kampus Kids
ORC Industries
Winona Civic Music Association
Winona Developmental Achievement Center
Winona Day Care Center
Goodview-Winona Ice Hockey Association
Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center - 1992 Foundation Directed Grants
Winona Adult Literacy Program: $750
Winona Y Friends Program: $750
OASES Leisure Companion Program: $750
Winona Ontario Chorus: $250*
*match with Betty Callender King Foundation 1993 Foundation Directed Grants
Family Services/Parents Anonymous: $500
MN AIDS Project: $250
Winona Adult Literacy Program: $500
Winona City Exten. Divorce Transition: $750
ARC Winona Toys Lending Library: $500
Winona Oratorio Chorus: $500- 1994 Foundation Directed Grants
Community Education’s Project COMPASS: $600
Hiawatha Valley Education Young Authors: $450
MN Chapter Leukemia Society: $250
Winona County Historical Society: $450
Winona Women’s Resource Center: $750
Winona YWCA Facts n’ Fun: $500 1995 Foundation Directed Grants
American Sign Language Club: $500
Community Education Adult Literacy: $750
Parents Anonymous: $500
Winona Chapter Red Cross: $750
Winona Ontario Chorus: $500- 1996 Foundation Directed Grants
Winona YWCA: $500
Winona State Nursery School: $250
Winona Red Cross: $250
Community Education COMPASS: $750
MN Extension: $500
Win Co. Extension: $500
Light the Wilke: $250 - 1997 Foundation Directed Grants
Big Brothers/Big Sisters: $1,000
Community Education COMPASS: $650
Bluffview Montessori: $2,500
Winona Red Cross: $500
Home & Community Options: $350 - 1998 Foundation Directed Grants
Community Divorce Education Collaboration $500
Hiawatha Valley Education: $500
Community Education COMPASS: $830
SEMCAC/Headstart: $500
Camp Winnebago: $350
Minesota D.A.R.E.: $250
Spirituality & Leadership Conference: $500
Community Memorial Hospital: $100 - 1999 Foundation Directed Grants
Minnesota Land Trust: $605
Bluffview Montessori School: $200
Community Education COMPASS: $650
Hiawatha Valley Education: $650
American Red Cross Youth Corp.: 1,200
Home & Community Options, Inc.: $750
Grace Place: $1,000 2000 Foundation Directed Grants
American Red Cross: $1,800
Friends of Jesus Ministry: $1,000
Winona ORC: $1,200
Home & Community Options: $1,000
Rock Solid Youth Center: $800
COMPASS: $700
Special Olympics MN – Winona County: $700
Family Services – Winona Collaborative for Disordered Eating: $700
OASES: $700
Action Theater: $700
Semcac: $7002001 Foundation Directed Grants
Winona Area Arts & History: $400
Fountain City Police Department: $500
American Red Cross: $500
City of Winona: $500
Bluffview Montessori School: $300
Winona Area Public Schools Comm. Ed.: $600
Grace Place: $500
Winona Co. Veterans Van Committee: $400
Winona ORC Industries: $800
Lion’s Den Boxing Club: $500
Great River Review: $800
St. Mary’s University: $500
Riverway Learning Community: $300
WSU Restorative Justice Club: $300
Winona County Restorative Justice Prog.: $600
Grace Place: $1,500
Hiawatha Valley Education (Young Authors): $1,500
Police Dept.: $750
Theatre du Mississippi: $2,500
COMPASS: $900
Spirituality & Leadership Conference: $350- 2002 Foundation Directed Grants
Woodlawn Cemetery Association: $1,000
Land Stewardship Project: $750
Winona Oratorio Chorus: $500
Winona Arts Center: $500
Winona Health Foundation: $1,000
Women’s Resource Center: $500
Polish Cultural Institute: $1,000
ATBO, Inc.: $250
Home & Community Options: $500
CHS Band Boosters: $500
Riverway Learning Community: $250
Winona Fine Arts Commission: $750
Action Theatre: $500
Early Learning Center: $500
Winona County Extension – Parents Forever: $750
Winona County Extension – KIDS: $750
Big Brother Big Sisters: $1,000
Hiawatha Valley Education District: $500
Laws of Life Essay Contest: $1,000
Lion’s Den Youth Boxing Center: $500
Minnesota Land Trust: $1,000
Red Cross Winona County: $500
Rock Solid Youth Center: $500
Theatre du Mississippi: $1,000
The Virtual School of Winona: $1,000
City of Winona: $1,000
Winona County DAC: $500
Winona Public Library: $500
Winona Senior High: $1,000 2003 Foundation Directed Grants
Cotter Choir Robes: $1,500
SMU-Tile Mural at LWM: $500
WAPS-Strings Instruments: $1,000
WAPS- Sousaphones: $1,500
Winona Youth Soccer: $1,000
Fountain City Playground: $1,000
Winona County Historical Society: $2,500
Land Stewardship Project: $800
Winona Area Public Schools: $1,000
Winona County: $750
Winona State University: $350
Audubon Minnesota: $500
Park & Trails Council of Minnesota: $1,0002004 Foundation Directed Grants
Action Theater: $1,750
First Baptist Church: $1,000
Save Our Fine Arts: $500
Music Access For All SMU: $3,500
St. Mary’s Playground: $1,000
Diversity Foundation: $4,500
Rollingstone Luxembourg Museum: $500
Ready Set School: $3,000
Winona Public Library – Native American Collection: $4,500
Dyslexia Institute of Minnesota: $1,500
Big Brothers Big Sisters: $2,500
Elder Network: $1,000
Habitat for Humanity: $2,750
Winona Poverty Roundtable: $5,000
Dept. of Human Services Excellent Adventure: $2,000- 2005 Foundation Directed Grants
Winona State University – Winona/Lewiston Youth Leadership Program: $ 5,086
Winona State University Foundation – Garvin Heights Park Renovation: $10,000
Winona County: $2,115
Elder Network: $2,000
Family & Children’s Center: $10,000*
Girl Scout Council: $7,205
Home & Community Options: $10,000
Project FINE: $10,000
Winona Volunteer Services: $10,000
Women’s Resource Center: $10,000
*grant returned - 2006 Foundation Directed Grants
Theatre du Mississippi: $5,000*
City of Winona- 4th Ward Park: $10,000
Washington Kosciusko Elementary School: $6,500
Winona-Dakota Unity Alliance: $1,000
Winona County Historical Society: $5,545
Winona State University: $19,863
Audubon Minnesota: $7,500
Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center: $10,000
Big Brothers/Big Sisters-Winona Area: $5,000
Habitat for Humanity Restore: $6,000
Houston County Women’s Resources: $5,000
Project FINE: $8,500
*returned $4,732 - 2007 Foundation Directed Grants
Great River Shakespeare Festival: $3,875
Polish Cultural Institute of Winona: $6,000
Winona Symphony Orchestra Association: $1,500
Winona Area Public Schools Foundation: $2,500
Pickwick Mill, Inc.: $9,500
Madison Elementary School: $1,000
Ridgeway Community School: $5,000
Winona State University Foundation: $7,000
Parks & Trail Council of Minnesota: $6,000
Elder Network: $2,000
Home & Community Options: $7,500
Project FINE: $7,500
Winona Volunteer Services: $5,000 - 2008 Foundation Directed Grants
Theatre du Mississippi: $3,000
University of Minnesota Extension: $2,500
City of Winona: $7,500
Garvin Brook Disaster Relief Fund: $ 2,500
Pickwick Mill, Inc: $2,600
Winona County Historical Society: $6,900
Winona State University: $500
Big Brothers /Big Sisters: $5,000
Project FINE: $5,000
Rock Solid Youth Center: $3,000
United Way of Greater Winona: $10,000
Winona ORC Industries, Inc: $4,500
Women’s Resource Center of Winona: $1,200 2009 Foundation Directed Grants
Great River Shakespeare Festival
Theatre du Mississippi$7,000
St. Mary’s University of Minnesota-Nordic Ski Club
$2,000
Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center
National Inventors Hall of Fame
St. Mary’s University of Minnesota
Winona County-Ready Set School$5,687
Project Get Outdoors, Inc.
$5,000
ABLE Foundation, Inc.
Catholic Charities-Winona Diocese
Rock Solid Youth Center
Winona Health Foundation$12,447
Project FINE
Second Chance Jail Ministries
Winona County DAC
Winona ORC Industries, Inc$21,000
Thomas H. Laken Administrative Endowment
(Founders)$1,000
2010 Foundation Directed Grants
Winona Area Public Schools
$2,940
Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center
$5,000
Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Home and Community Options
Project FINE
Semcac
Winona Volunteer Services
Women’s Resource Center
Winona County DAC
Winona ORC Industries, Inc$32,000
Central Lutheran Church
$1,000
2011 Foundation Directed Grants
Great River Shakespeare Festival
Polish Cultural Institute of Winona$550
Let’s Go Fishing – Winona Chapter
MS Tram / Community Fund$3,400
Camp Invention
Camp Winnebago
Ridgeway Community School
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota$8,550
Family and Childrens Center
Winona Volunteer Services
Winona County DAC
Winona ORC Industries, Inc.$12,000
2012 Foundation Directed Grants
Beyond Tough Guise
Family & Children’s Center
Habitat for Humanity
Home & Community Options
Live Well Winona
Ready Set School
Winona Volunteer Services$15,000
2013 Foundation Directed Grants
Hiawatha Valley Education District
Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center
Let’s Go Fishing – Winona Chapter
Project FINE
Riverfront Foundation
Sports Mentorship Academy
Winona Area Catholic Schools
Winona County DAC
Winona County Historical Society
Winona ORC
Winona Park Development – Lake Bike Path$26,500
2014 Foundation Directed Grants
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Winona
Family & Children’s Center
Home & Community Options
Project FINE
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
Winona County
Winona Family YMCA
Winona Oratorio Chorus
Winona State University Foundation
Winona Volunteer Services$22,300
2015 Foundation Directed Grants
City of Winona
Cotter Schools
Great River Shakespeare Festival
Let’s Go Fishing
Ready Set School
Winona Area Public Schools
Winona County DAC
Winona Park Fund
Winona Symphony Orchestra$19,815
2016 Foundation Directed Grants
Project FINE
Wesley United Methodist Church
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Winona
Junior Achievement
Winona Area Mountain Bikers
Winona Arts Center
Winona Area Public Schools
Ready Set School
Women’s Resource Center
Winona Friendship Center
St. John’s United Church of Christ
Foundation for Winona Area Public Schools
Winona ORC$32,328
2017 Foundation Directed Grants
Habitat for Humanity
Cotter School’s Theatre Dept.
Winona Parks & Recreation
Elder Network
Manitou Center
Catholic Charities
Great River Shakespeare Festival
Big Brother Big Sisters
SAIL / CC of Winona$27,903
2018 Foundation Directed Grants
Engage Winona: $7,000
Home & Community Options: $8,627
Islamic Center: $1,500
Winona Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation: $6,683
Winona County DAC: $7,090
Winona Friendship Center: $5,000
Winona Park Development – Every Child’s Dream Park: $9,000
Winona Police Department: $2,600
WinonARTS/City of Winona: $10,000
Family and Children’s Center: $5,000
Habitat for Humanity: $9,500
River Arts Alliance (Mister James and Mister Jeff): $7,000
Miscellaneous Support: $1,0002019 Foundation Directed Grants
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Coulee Region: $7,805
Great River Shakespeare Festival: $5,000
Manitou Center: $10,000
Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota: $5,000
Frozen River Film Festival: $3,500
Winona ORC: $3,500
Mid West Music Fest: $7,500
Winona County Historical Society: $2,970
Habitat for Humanity Winona-Fillmore: $8,340
Apple Tree Dental: $10,000
Elder Network: $2,000
River Arts Alliance: $4,0002020 Foundation Directed Grants
Great River Shakespeare Festival: $5,500
Habitat for Humanity Winona-Fillmore: $7,500
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota: $2,500
Ready Set School: $5,000
Mid West Music Fest: $7,500
Minnesota Marine Art Museum: $4,000
Semcac: $5,000
Buffalo County Land and Trails Trust: $8,200
Elder Network: $5,000
Family and Children’s Center: $10,000
Project FINE: $9,512
Winona Family YMCA: $5,000
Hope Harbor: $5,000
Winona Symphony Orchestra: $3,000
Bridges Health: $7,300
Grace Place: $5,000
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.
