Shawano Area Community Foundation Grant

Shawano Area Community Foundation Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region
Amount: Up to US $5,000
Last Updated: August 12, 2025

Summary

The Shawano Area Community Foundation Grant provides funding to enhance the quality of life in the Shawano area through flexible support for creative projects, strengthening existing services, and small capital investments. Eligible organizations include public charities and educational institutions, while ineligible entities include private non-operating foundations and requests for general operating support. The foundation seeks unique, community-oriented proposals that address unmet needs and promote sustainability.

Overview

Shawano Area Community Foundation Grant Grants from the Shawano Area Community Foundation's Shawano Area Fund come from fundraising activities and unrestricted funds that donors established intending that the boards of the SACF and the Community Foundation determine the best ways to use the grant money to meet ongoing community needs. The grants are intended to improve the quality of life in the greater Shawano area. The Foundation will continue to accept requests with greater flexibility as to the type of support provided. Applicants may request support for projects or programs benefiting residents of the Shawano area as they have in years past. What We Fund Creative new activities or services: New programs, one-time projects, events, exhibits, studies or surveys. Enhancement or strengthening of existing activities: Projects to enhance, expand or strengthen the range, quantity and/or quality of an organization’s programs and services. Small capital investments: Items that are directly related to program delivery or service to clients, such as a refrigerator for a food pantry or equipment to comply with ADA requirements. Recurring events: Exhibits, presentations, performances or non-fundraising events that occur on a periodic basis. Grants for recurring events will typically not exceed $2,500 annually per organization for a maximum of three years.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Organizations eligible to receive grants from the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region are those determined by the IRS to be public charities. This encompasses most charitable, scientific, social service, educational and religious organizations described in § 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1), (a)(2), or (a)(3) of the tax code, and private operating foundations.The Foundation will consider funding for public, charter and private/parochial Pre-K-12 schools and post-secondary educational institutions, when the request for support is judged to be an effective means to address a priority issue, particularly when the issue addresses the needs of a substantial or underserved portion of the community. Requests will only be considered if they are unique and community-oriented, or for pilot programs with potential to be sustainable and replicable.  Grants may also be made to units of government (this includes Native American tribal governments) for public purposes.The Foundation will consider funding for units of government when the request for support is judged to be an effective means to address a priority issue. A grant from the Foundation may help draw attention to a new issue, leverage additional funding, offer more flexible funds than are typically available in a governmental budget, or provide seed money until program funding can be included in the governmental budget.  Organizations that are not public charities may apply through a fiscal sponsor. The Foundation will consider funding for programs, services or initiatives that address unmet human needs through non-sectarian organizations or collective efforts of faith-based organizations that draw support from the community at large to meet a demonstrated community need, and that refrain from promoting a specific journey of faith. Requests will be considered from individual faith-based organizations or organizations with a specific journey of faith as an aspect of its mission only if the program, services or initiatives do not promote that specific journey of faith or include activities such as religious worship, instruction or proselytization.The Foundation encourages organizations to develop realistic plans for long-term sustainability that do not depend upon recurring support from Foundation competitive grant programs. The Foundation will consider multi-year requests within specific grant programs; and will identify any exception within each program's guidelines.The Foundation’s grant programs will consider supporting speaker costs for community education events when determined to be closely aligned with, or have an immediate impact on, a Foundation priority. Educational events that also serve to raise funds for the organizing agency may be considered but will be given greater scrutiny.

Ineligibility

The Foundation will not normally make grants to private non-operating foundations.The Foundation will not typically issue grants for the general operating support of a government program.The Foundation typically will not issue grants for the general operating support of a school system, school or school program.In general, the Foundation will not consider grant requests solely related to real estate, bricks and mortar, or other capital expenditures that are not directly related to program delivery, service to clients, or organizational capacity building, given the substantial funding normally associated with such initiatives and the Foundation's relatively limited resources for unrestricted grantmaking.The Foundation’s grant programs will not support annual fund drives, fund-raising events or endowment-building campaigns.The Foundation will not consider requests to support community-based research for the advancement of medicine. The Foundation will not consider requests solely to defray travel or lodging expenses for either individuals or groups. This includes travel to attend conferences, training or competitions, as well as trips for bands, sports teams, classes or similar groups.What We Don't Fund:Organizations that don't serve residents of Shawano County. Organizations or needs not eligible per the grant policies listed above.