Community Vision Fund- Annual Responsive Grants ​

The Community Vision Fund (CVF) is an unrestricted fund within the Community Foundation with the ability to be agile due to its discretionary nature. ​​Granting through this fund remains committed to fulfilling community needs and advancing the well-being for all in Calumet, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, and the Neenah-Menasha area of Winnebago counties.
Focus:
Grants play a vital role in strengthening nonprofit resilience by giving organizations the flexible, timely support they need to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities. These cycles honor the reality of day-to-day mission work, allowing nonprofits to direct resources where they will have the greatest impact.
The Annual Responsiveness grant is our pilot effort at being more open to hearing what nonprofits need in the moment. The 2025 nonprofit survey demonstrated that overall, nonprofits desire “general, responsive funding.” The Annual Responsiveness grant allows nonprofits to share an overall picture of opportunity: You can submit for general operating and/or a specific program.
​Grant Deadlines:
With recognition of the cyclical nature of philanthropy, we will have three cycles. Applicants are encouraged to apply to the cycle that best aligns with their needs:​
​Grant Ranges:

• Grant awards will range from $1,000 to $15,000 for a one-year award​.
• ​Grant Considerations:

Annual responsive grants support flexible, general operating support and the applications will reflect a more general approach to understanding the mission, current work being done, and financial need. ​

Eligibility

An organization must be able to demonstrate service to and within our geographical scope of Calumet, Outagamie, Shawano, and Waupaca, and the Neenah-Menasha area of Winnebago counties in order to be considered for funding from the Community Vision Fund.  Organizations eligible to receive grants from the Foundation are generally those determined by the IRS to be public charities. Most charitable, scientific, social service, educational, and religious organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1), (a)(2), or (a)(3) of the tax code, as well as private operating foundations.(The Foundation will not typically make grants to private non-operating foundations.)Grants may also be made to government entities and instrumentalities (this includes schools, municipalities, and Native American tribal governments) for public purposes.Organizations that do not fall in these categories are generally ineligible unless they apply through a fiscal sponsor.  In some circumstances, grants may be made to other types of organizations as long as the grant is restricted and structured for charitable purposes.