Racine Community Foundation Grants

The Racine Community Foundation Grants support nonprofit organizations and students in Racine County through a competitive grants process. Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent by January 31 each year, and only those with accepted LOIs can apply. The Foundation has an endowment exceeding $78 million, allowing it to distribute over $3.2 million annually to strengthen community projects in areas like education, healthcare, and the arts. This initiative aims to foster collaboration and ongoing support for local needs.

NOTE:
Before you may apply, all organizations must first submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) by January 31 of the calendar year. All grant cycles follow the calendar year. You may only apply if your LOI is accepted. You will be notified by email whether or not your LOI is accepted. If January 31 has passed and you have not submitted your LOI for the calendar year, you must wait until the next calendar year to do so. You will be notified by email if your LOI is accepted and you are invited to apply. At this time, you will be assigned a specific grant cycle (spring, summer or fall) in which your application will be reviewed. You will also receive an invitation to create your application in our online portal, and you will be provided a specific range of dates during which you may apply. You will be mailed a letter notifying you if your grant is funded or denied.
Providing funding to Racine County's hard working nonprofit organizations and students, and Responsibly stewarding our endowment and all gifts entrusted to it, so we may continue to partner with our donors to provide this funding forever.
Over the last several decades, we’ve increased our endowment to over $78 million and are now able to award over $3.2 million in grants every year to local nonprofits. Following this prudent model, we’ll be able to continue providing much needed funding to Racine County’s nonprofits and students forever.
Our work is funding the people who make Racine County better.
Through our competitive grants process, we provide financial support to the nonprofit organizations strengthening our Racine County community. Our mission is to forever provide this funding to support their essential projects and programs, and to always be a collaborative partner to these hardworking organizations.
Our Areas of Focus
Arts & CultureCommunity DevelopmentEducationEnvironmentHealthcareHuman Services

Eligibility

501 (C)(3) or Fiscal Sponsorship:Organizations applying for a grant from the Racine Community Foundation must be not-for-profit with 501(c)(3) status and must have received their tax-exempt determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service. We require a copy of this letter in your application package. If you do not have 501(c)(3) status, you may still apply if your fiscal sponsor is a 501(c)(3) and you follow the steps in our fiscal sponsorship certification form.Racine County:All organizations seeking funding must be located in, or provide services in, Racine County.

Ineligibility

The Foundation will not fund grant proposals for:Lobbying efforts or political action groupsLabor unionsIndividualsMultiple-year projectsAnnual fund drives or fund-raising eventsEndowment-building campaignsThe Foundation may decline grant proposals for:Building fundsCapital improvementsGrant-making foundationsUnanticipated short-term deficitsFraternal organizationsRequests to defray travel/transportation or lodging expenses for either individuals or groupsThe Foundation reserves the right to decline a request if it does not meet eligibility requirements or for any other reason as determined by the Foundation. All decisions to decline a grant request are made at the sole discretion of the Foundation and may not be appealed.