Community Impact Grants

Madison Community Foundation has awarded $100,000 in new proactive grants to Dane County nonprofits working to support parents and families during the pandemic.

These grants, made primarily from MCF’s Community Impact and COVID-19 Priority funds, join several other grants made earlier in the year to area organizations, bringing the total grants awarded to more than $400,000 so far this year.

“At a time when so many residents of Dane County are facing deep challenges, Madison Community Foundation is fortunate to be in a position to mitigate hardship and provide support,” said Bob Sorge, MCF’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “The generosity of our community continues to be a bright spot in this pandemic.”

October 2020 Grant Awards

Helping Parents Manage Virtual School

$50,000 to the Urban League of Greater Madison to expand its Parent Instructional Support Program, which provides help to families trying to navigate virtual schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Preparing Pantries for Winter

$50,000 to Middleton Outreach Ministry, St. Vincent de Paul, The River Food Pantry, and Badger Prairie Needs Network to help build heated, permanent outdoor structures to continue the safe distribution of much-needed food and other supplies throughout the winter.

These grants are the most recent awarded by MCF in 2020.

Grants awarded earlier in 2020 include:

Protecting Wisconsin’s Natural Treasures

$50,000 to Gathering Waters to support their work on the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, which supports projects in communities throughout Wisconsin.

Supporting the Overture Center and its Resident Companies

$100,000 to the Overture Center and its 10 resident companies to provide support during this period where the pandemic has eliminated the ability to have live performances.

Bridging the WiFi Gap for MMSD Families

$50,000 to Madison Metropolitan School District to help provide WiFi hotspots to families lacking reliable internet access, making virtual learning possible for those students.

Helping Nonprofits Tap Into Federal Relief Funds

$50,000 to hire Scholz Nonprofit Law to help area nonprofit organizations navigate the requirements and application process for federal relief funds provide through the CARES Act.

Providing Grantwriting Assistance to Nonprofit Organizations

$25,000 to hire grantwriting consultants to work with nonprofit agencies to help them apply for regional and national pandemic relief grants.

Helping One City School Find Room to Grow

$50,000 to One City Schools to secure space for the expanding One City Elementary School, a tuition-free public charter school working to bridge the achievement gap in education, currently serving children in 4K through 2nd grade.

Making Sure Everyone Counts

$50,000 for Census Outreach to people in vulnerable communities to help ensure that the counts for Dane County are as accurate as possible. Funding went to several community centers during the pre-pandemic push, and to support the outreach efforts of the Latino Workforce Academy, African American Council of Churches, and Freedom Inc.

Interested in MCF's grantmaking program? Apply for a Grant