Kicking It with the Cows

Thrivent Charitable Impact & Investing

Appleton, WI

Thrivent Charitable Impact & Investing distributes donor-directed and program donations to a broad range of causes and organizations in local, national, and global communities. Its 2024 grants had a median of $11,520 and ranged from $5,006 to $5 million. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.

Dane Buy Local Foundation Inc

Madison, WI

Dane Buy Local Foundation supports buy-local education, collaboration, and programs that strengthen locally owned businesses and communities in Dane County and South Central Wisconsin; it also offers scholarships to area high school seniors pursuing post-secondary business or entrepreneurship studies. No typical award amount is stated, and the information does not say whether the Foundation accepts unsolicited funding requests.

Alliant Energy Foundation Inc

Madison, WI

Greater Milwaukee Foundation Inc

Milwaukee, WI

The Greater Milwaukee Foundation funds nonprofit programs, projects, general operations and capital needs, with priorities including early childhood education, housing, basic needs, health, arts and culture, and scientific research. Its competitive grants primarily serve Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties; in 2024, the median grant was about $27,800, though awards varied widely. It runs competitive grant cycles, but whether it accepts unsolicited requests is not stated.

Give Back Foundation

Madison, WI

Give Back Foundation distributes donor-designated contributions through workplace giving and other giving platforms to selected 501(c)(3) charities, rather than setting its own cause areas. In 2025, grants had a median of $9,066, with recipient organizations concentrated in Virginia, California, and Washington, D.C.; it does not accept unsolicited requests or work directly with charities.

United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County Inc

Milwaukee, WI

United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County funds local human services and community programs focused on housing stability, digital access, employment, teen mental wellness, and community resilience. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,000 to about $2 million, with a median of about $34,000, and most funding went to Wisconsin, especially its four-county region. It requires a Letter of Intent before a full application; the listed 2026–27 Letter of Intent deadline has passed.

Green Bay Packers Foundation

Green Bay, WI

The Green Bay Packers Foundation funds Wisconsin charities working in areas such as families, athletics, children’s safety and education, animal welfare, and other focus areas that vary by year. Its 2026 announcement describes typical awards of $3,000–$8,000, though some grants are larger; it accepts online applications during its stated cycle, February 2–April 1, 2026.

Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region Inc

Appleton, WI

The Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region funds arts and culture, education, health, human services, community improvement, the environment, and other community needs, primarily in four Wisconsin counties and the Neenah-Menasha area. Its 2024 grants had a median of $24,900, though awards varied widely; some donor-initiated funds accept grant requests, and the Community Vision Fund typically uses an application process.

Ab Nicholas Scholarship Foundation

Mequon, WI

The AB Nicholas Scholarship Foundation funds renewable, need-based college scholarships for Wisconsin high school seniors who played on or managed their school basketball team and plan to attend a University of Wisconsin System institution. Awards are typically $10,000 per year, renewable for up to four years; applications are submitted online during the stated February 1–April 30 application period.

Mufg Union Bank Foundation Ag

Milwaukee, WI

The foundation’s 2022 grants supported work in economic opportunity, entrepreneurship, affordable housing, conservation, small-business procurement, and education, with examples in Georgia and California. It gave 441 grants totaling $8,518,500 in 2022, including awards from $45,000 to $200,000, but reported no grants in its 2023 final return. It gives only to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.

Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Inc

Milwaukee, WI

The foundation funds educational excellence in Wisconsin, including student scholarships and awards for teachers, principals, schools, and classrooms; its 2025 grants ranged from $290 to $15,000, with a median of $6,000. It directs applicants to its program applications for application details; whether it accepts unsolicited requests is not stated.

Kelben Foundation Inc

Milwaukee, WI

Kelben Foundation supports social services, scholarships and college access, health care, and other community causes, with 98% of its 2024 grant dollars going to Wisconsin. Its 417 grants ranged from $411 to $4,005,983, with a median of $1,500; the application information provided is for a Milwaukee student scholarship, and whether it accepts unsolicited requests for other grants is not stated.