GMF: Cycle 3 - Project Support Grant

The Greater Milwaukee Foundation's GMF: Cycle 3 - Project Support offers grants up to $50,000 per year for three years, targeting projects that promote arts, culture, and racial equity. This funding supports nonprofits that enhance community engagement, particularly in underserved neighborhoods, and focuses on improving health outcomes, fostering intergenerational support, and enhancing early childhood education. Organizations must have diverse boards and demonstrate a commitment to racial equity to be eligible.

NOTE: Here are the pages for GMF: Cycle 3 - Capital Support and GMF: Cycle 3 - General Operating
The Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s discretionary grantmaking supports projects and programs that align with priorities that support our strategic vision of creating a Milwaukee for all. Learn more about our third grant cycle timeline, priorities, guidelines and the appropriate program officer to contact with any questions.
Priorities and Guidelines
Arts and Culture – The Greater Milwaukee Foundation supports targeted arts education and arts and culture strategies representing visual, performing and multidisciplinary art projects and programs.
Grantmaking focus:

• Arts education programs in traditional or nontraditional educational environments for children/youth from birth to high school
• Creation and exhibition of art that engages the community in creative and substantive ways
• Artists-in-residence within community-based settings
• Programming that cultivates and supports an appreciation of diverse cultures and art forms
• Projects that integrate arts and creativity into community planning and development

Access to appropriate health services and improving health outcomes are this portfolio's main priorities. Our grant investment strategy aims to shift power, representation and policy toward racial equity.
Grantmaking focus:

• Projects/organizations that help residents age in place in transforming or disadvantaged neighborhoods
• Projects/organizations that develop intergenerational support/cohesion
• Projects/organizations that build solidarity and collaboration among service providers and community in their sector/work
• Projects/organizations that build narrative and actual power for oppressed communities
• Projects/organizations engaged in advocacy efforts, including antiracist organizational development which transforms influence in their sector/work
• Projects/organizations addressing health impacts of racial inequity, particularly interventions that are disproportionately underfunded
• Projects/organizations that help residents age in place, especially within transforming neighborhoods facing multiple barriers.
• Projects/organizations which develop intergenerational support/cohesion/beloved community
• Underfunded health services

Early Childhood Education – High quality early childhood care and education is the key to giving every child the start in life they need and deserve. It has been shown to have a significant impact on a child’s long-term academic, social, and developmental success, and enables parents to participate in the workforce. Furthermore, research supports that physical learning environments matter. Facilities and the child-centered spaces within them can enhance children’s development by inspiring a range of social and cognitive learning experiences, as well as encouraging the development of gross motor skills. Indoor and outdoor spaces can increase students in a variety of hands-on learning experiences, collaboration, exploration, and play. That is why the Greater Milwaukee Foundation is prioritizing early childhood care and education.
Grantmaking focus:

• Facility upgrades

Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development - Through these grants, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation provides access to resources and technical assistance that help small businesses get to the next level.
Grantmaking focus:

• Small business growth and retention
• Access to capital
• Creative business solutions

Environment – Everyone should have access to quality and healthy green spaces in their communities. Due to historical industrial sites, redlining, disinvestment, and other systematic inequities, black and brown communities often lack access to quality green spaces in their communities. Green spaces improve mental and physical health, community cohesion, and help clean the air and water. Milwaukeeans have a history of investing in, advocating for, and caring for green spaces in their communities.
Grantmaking focus:

• Protection and conservation of environmental assets
• Strengthening local and community-based food systems
• Programming focused on youth engagement and conservation leadership development

Access to appropriate health services and improving health outcomes are this portfolio's main priorities. Our grant investment strategy aims to shift power, representation and policy toward racial equity.
Grantmaking focus:

• Projects/organizations that address Black maternal/child health disparities.
• Projects/organizations that decolonize maternal health care
• Projects/organizations that build solidarity and collaboration among service providers and community in their sector/work
• Projects/organizations that build narrative and actual power for oppressed communities
• Projects/organizations engaged in advocacy efforts, including anti-racist organizational development which transforms influence in their sector/work
• Projects/organizations addressing health impacts of racial inequity, particularly interventions that are disproportionately underfunded.
• Projects/organizations that address Black maternal/child health disparities
• Projects/organizations that provide culturally specific and integrative maternal and child health care.
• Grant amount

Requests for up to $50,000 per year for up to three years will be considered. Organizations are encouraged to apply for the funds and length of award necessary.
Grantmaking framework
Our grant investment framework aims: to ultimately support policies that benefit communities of color; to increase diverse representation (reflective of the racial and ethnic composition of communities served) in the decision-making bodies of institutions; and to change rules of engagement so that power is built, shared, and wielded equitably in order to produce just and sustainable outcomes.

Eligibility

Who may apply:501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and, on occasion, governmental agencies.Organizations working to obtain their 501(c)(3) may apply for a grant after securing an eligible fiscal sponsor. View the Fiscal Sponsor Agreement for more information.The Foundation is committed to awarding Community Impact grants to applicants promoting racial equity and inclusion in our community. Nonprofit board diversity is the first of many things we will consider. Eligible nonprofits must have at least four unrelated board members and membership that is at least 10 percent people of color. The term "people of color" refers to African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic/Latino and all other persons who are not categorized as white by the U.S. Census.Organizations that provide programs/projects that support Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington Counties.Nonprofits must have at least four unrelated board members

Ineligibility

An organization will be ineligible if it has an open grant. An organization’s grant is considered open if it has not submitted a final report or completed a final meeting with the grant’s program officer prior to submitting a grant application.What the Foundation does not fund:
Individuals or individual private businessesDebt reduction or agency endowmentsSectarian organizations for religious purposesFor-Profit organizationsPartisan political activities