Nearly $250,000 awarded to improve life in Northeast Wisconsin

Announcing the summer 2023 Funds for Greater Green Bay grant recipients

October 23, 2023 – The Greater Green Bay Community Foundation awarded $249,600 in grants during the Funds for Greater Green Bay summer grant cycle. The awards will support the work of 22 nonprofit programs and initiatives in Brown, Kewaunee, and Oconto counties.

Funds for Greater Green Bay is a collection of funds, held at the Community Foundation, that aims to improve the quality of life by supporting work to meet evolving needs. In addition to the funds distributed by the Community Foundation, Community Foundation fundholders contributed $41,000 of the total amount awarded to increase available grant dollars through co-investment.

The following programs are recipients of a summer 2023 Funds for Greater Green Bay grant:

• Awaken | Awaken: Awaken’s mission is to increase awareness and education on the issue of commercial sexual exploitation and to provide housing and restoration for its victims. Funding will help Awaken meet the needs of sex trafficking victims in the greater Green Bay area. Learn more at awakenjustice.org.
• Baird Creek Preservation Foundation | Bumblebee Habitat Restoration: Funding will be used to purchase native seeds to restore the habitat of the Rusty Patched Bumblebee, as well as maintenance to ensure the native plants will thrive. Learn more at bairdcreek.org.
• CASA of Brown County | Transitioned Age Youth Program: Funding will support a pilot mentoring program for 18- to 21-year-olds who have aged out of foster care. Participants will work with their CASA volunteer mentors to develop essential life skills and become more self-efficient. Learn more at casabc.org.
• Children’s Museum of Green Bay | Bilingual Story Time: Funding will support a monthly Bilingual Story Time in partnership with Casa ALBA Melanie. Learn more at gbchildrensmuseum.org.
• Ducks Unlimited | Sensiba Unit Habitat Enhancement: Funding will build on past collaborative efforts at the Green Bay West Shores Wildlife Area and will improve 147 acres of coastal marsh and 50 acres of spawning habitat. Learn more at ducks.org.
• Encompass Early Education and Care | Affordable and Accessible Childcare: Funding will provide tuition assistance to families in need so parents can work and children can access early education and care to promote healthy development. Learn more at encompasswi.org.
• Foundations Health & Wholeness | Wellness & Empowerment Groups: Funds will support the continuation and expansion of regular mental health therapy and support groups for people experiencing homelessness. Learn more at wearefoundations.org.
• Kewaunee Health and Fitness | Pool and Locker Room Improvements: Funds will be used to apply slip-resistant coating to floors to enhance health and safety and ensure continued operation of the pool area. The center is a gathering space that offers programming for community members of all ages, from kids and teens to adults and seniors. Learn more at kewauneefitness.org.
• Kingdom Come | Healthy Eating: Funds will be used to purchase, distribute, and store healthy foods for distribution to food pantry clients in Oconto County. Learn more at kingdomcomefoodpantry.org.
• Lakes Country Public Library | Children’s Librarian: Funding will provide support for the Children’s Librarian position for the continuation of programs that feature kid-friendly, hands-on activities to meet the needs of families in Northern Oconto County. Learn more at lakescountrylibrary.org.
• Legal Action of Wisconsin | Tenant Education and Community Improvement: Funds will provide regular educational presentations in Brown County to ensure renters can gain and maintain housing stability. Learn more at legalaction.org.
• Lovin’ the Skin I’m In | Lovin’ the Skin I’m In: Funding will support the organization’s mission of empowering and uplifting girls of color. Learn more at lovinmyskinwi.org.
• N.E.W. Community Clinic | Mental Health First Aid: Funding will support mental health first aid training to equip staff with the tools to help individuals work through mental health concerns. Learn more at newcc.health.
• Neville Public Museum Foundation | Telling Our Stories Exhibit: Funds will support the “Telling Our Stories: LGBTQ+ Voices of Northeast Wisconsin” exhibit from February-October 2024. Learn more at nevillepublicmuseum.org.
• Rainbow House Domestic Abuse Services | Secure Digital Forensic Imaging Expansion: Funding will allow expansion of the Secure Digital Forensic Imaging Program to ensure every law enforcement officer in Oconto County has access to technology to document injuries when responding to domestic violence calls. Learn more at therainbowhouse.us.
• Safe Families for Children | Safe Families for Children – Northeast Wisconsin: Funding will expand outreach to families in crisis and provide funding for the purchase of car seats and other needed items. Learn more at safefamilieswi.org.
• Safe Shelter | Property Enhancements: Funds will support the addition of a vinyl fence to enhance the privacy, safety, and security of residents. Learn more at safesheltergb.org.
• Unity Recovery Services | Oconto Recovery Center: Funding will support the expansion of services into Oconto County to provide direct peer support services, recovery meetings, and connections to community resources. Learn more at unityrecoveryservices.org.
• Urban Cultural Arts | Urban Cultural Arts: Funds will support Urban Cultural Arts and its mission to provide accessible and affordable arts education and programming including visual arts, music, dance, theater, and literary arts. Learn more at urbanculturalarts.com.
• We All Rise: African American Resource Center | We All Rise: African American Resource Center: Funding will support the We All Rise mission and the continuation of youth services, residential services, victim services, mental health services, and healing and partner services. Learn more at weallriseaarc.org.
• Wello | Wello: Funds will support Wello in achieving three key objectives: improving heart health in Black men ages 25-40; reducing food insecurity in marginalized populations and communities of color in Brown County; and making it safer and more accessible to be active in the community. Learn more at wello.org.
• Wise Women Gathering Place | Wise Women Gathering Place: Funds will support the work of Wise Women Gathering Place and its program services including victim advocacy, healing, and programs to prevent domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking. Learn more at wisewomengp.org.

Community Foundation grants are awarded based on a competitive application process, which includes review by a grants team of community volunteers. The Funds for Greater Green Bay grants program offers two application cycles per year. Applications for the next cycle will open November 1, 2023. Applications are due January 11, 2024.

More information about available grants programs and the grants application process can be found at ggbcf.org/nonprofits.