Shawano County nonprofits receive $449K in grants

Eleven Shawano County nonprofit organizations recently received grants totaling $449,000 to serve the needs of area residents.

The Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region has distributed $3 million in grants to 79 nonprofit organizations in the Fox Valley region of northeast Wisconsin from the Otto Bremer Trust (OBT) Community Responsive Fund with the Community Foundation.

In November 2023, the area foundation was selected by the St. Paul, Minnesota-OBT to serve as a partner for the trust’s new pilot program.

Local groups receiving grants included:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Wisconsin (Shawano), $24,000, to support the youth mentoring program taking place throughout Shawano County.

• Boys and Girls Clubs of the Bay and Lakes Region (Shawano), $50,000, to provide general operating support in service of providing an environment in Shawano where children can connect, thrive and be who they are today.

• Bridge the Gap for Autism-Shawano, $75,000, to provide general operating support to continue offering highly skilled and sought-after programming for clients on the autism spectrum and those with all other varying abilities.

• CORE Treatment Services Inc., $50,000, to expand services in Shawano County, creating a healthier community through comprehensive behavioral health care and recovery services.

• Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin Inc., $40,000, to provide support for programming and early childhood programs in Shawano County.

• Newcap Inc., $25,000, to support Newcap’s interim housing facility in Shawano.

• Safe Haven, $60,000, to provide general operating support in service of the organization’s mission to encourage a safe community free of physical and sexual violence and emotional abuse through shelter, caring, advocacy and education.

• Salvation Army of Shawano County, $5,000, to provide general operating support in service of the organization’s work in Shawano.

• Shawano Area Matthew 25, $60,000, to provide general operating support in service of the organization’s mission to help those affected by poverty improve their circumstances to become self-sufficient.

• Tigerton Food Pantry, $30,000, to provide general operating support in service of the organization’s mission to provide nutritious food to Tigerton School District residents.

• The FRESH Project, $30,000, to provide general operating support in service of the organization’s mission to bridge food resources to secure local needs through partnerships with rural farmers and community organizations.

“The Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region is honored to have been chosen as an Otto Bremer Trust partner,” said Curt Detjen, president and CEO of the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region. “We are proud of the many nonprofits who serve so capably every day and to be a bridge between a generous donor and these impact-makers in our region.”

Nonprofit organizations serving residents in Calumet, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca and the Neenah/Menasha area of Winnebago counties were eligible to apply for grants of up to $75,000. To qualify, requests needed to align with one or more of the fund’s four focus areas: basic needs, community asset building, health and well-being, or restorative and emergency services.

Upon completion of an application, review and recommendation process conducted by the community foundation, 79 nonprofit organizations were approved by OBT to receive grants.

“The response to this opportunity was extraordinary, with 137 applications totaling $7.8 million in grant requests, underscoring the significant need for nonprofit support in the Fox Valley region,” Detjen said.

The community foundation was one of six intermediary partners chosen across the trust’s four-state region and one of two in Wisconsin.

Three million dollars in funding was provided from OBT to the community foundation for the pilot program.

At the heart of this fund is OBT’s belief that intermediary partners rooted in communities are best positioned to identify and invest in approaches that are not only relevant and timely, but also highly effective.

The Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, an Appleton-based nonprofit founded in 1986, helps people provide long-term support for charities through endowments and other charitable funds. Its donors have enabled it to award $485 million in grants since 1986 to nonprofit organizations from 1,835 charitable funds.

It partners with affiliated community foundations in Brillion, Chilton, Clintonville, Shawano and Waupaca. For information, go to www.cffoxvalley.org.

kpasson@newmedia-wi.com