Homegrown Grants

Herb Kohl was Wisconsin through and through. From his earliest days driving around the state opening his iconic grocery and department stores, to the countless trips he made as a U.S. Senator to meet with Wisconsinites in their distinctive hometowns, he spent his life looking for and finding ways to support local communities. In that spirit, this grant program aims to help make communities stronger. We provide general support in the form of a homegrown grant to local people, inclusive organizations and innovative ideas striving to solve, rather than serve a need.

Example of past Homegrown Grants include:

  • A nonprofit in northern Wisconsin that provides basic needs services to youth and their families via a community-wide collaboration to provide groceries and food vouchers. The organization received a grant to expand their programming to reach more families.
  • In order to appropriately serve their youth patients and support family health and well-being in their community, a dental nonprofit needed to purchase two specific dental tools to serve their younger patients.
  • A Milwaukee arts nonprofit is combining education and community beautification by teaching local history to students and community members and using this newfound knowledge to create murals in the city.
  • Expanding internships to include sustainable opportunities in the agriculture industry in Dane County is one way a nonprofit is working to improve financial stability for youth heading into the workforce.

Homegrown Grants Grants range from $1,000 – $10,000/year and should be considered one-time grants. Receipt of prior grants do not guarantee future awards.

Homegrown Grant proposals should focus on:

Helping children and youth achieve their potential through education, building family health and well-being, helping families and individuals become financially stable and self-sufficient, or providing a direct, safety net resource or basic need. Collaboration with local partners is encouraged. The proposal or organization must do the following:

  • Invest in people - increase skills, abilities, knowledge, and/or well-being
  • Engage people it serves
  • Strengthen community connections and/or resources

Organization Eligibility:

  • Applicants must apply online through our application portal.
  • Proposals that serve K-12 or early childhood do not need to be school-based.
  • If recommended for funding, the organization must provide electronic payment information to complete the approval process. All grants are disbursed through electronic payment.
  • Grants are made only to nonprofit organizations that have federal tax-exempt status, or if they fall under the umbrella of a parent nonprofit with tax exempt status as a section 501(c)(3) public charity. The applicant must provide services within Wisconsin communities and funding requested may only be used to benefit Wisconsin residents.

Restrictions:

  • These grants are not for after-the-fact support, or operating deficits.
  • An organization may only receive one grant per fiscal year (July 1- June 30).
  • Organizations must comply with all regulations of the local, state and federal government pertaining to proper licensing, health and safety requirements, and operate in the State of Wisconsin.
  • All grant applicants commit to complying with the program’s terms and conditions. Submission of an application does not guarantee funding. Funding exclusions include: organizations that deny service, membership or other involvement on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, veteran, or disability status.

The Homegrown Grant Committee accepts and reviews applications on a rolling basis from July 1 – March 31. Each application is evaluated with emphasis placed on efforts that create the greatest positive impact through innovation and collaboration. Organizations receiving a homegrown grant are required to provide a report within 2 months of project or program completion. Acceptable reporting includes pictures of an event, news or media coverage, testimonials from participants, or a brief report from the Program or Executive Director.

Apply Here

Application Questions:

  • Describe the hometown challenge (500 words). What is the need facing your community?
  • Describe the opportunity to help (500 words). How does the proposal invest in people, engage the people it serves, and strengthen community connections and/or resources? Will the project have collaborators in solving, rather than serving the challenge? What makes this an innovative opportunity?
  • Applicants are asked to provide financial information that helps us understand the intended use of funds, the financial need, and the anticipated impact of this grant.

The Foundation awards grants exclusively to organizations recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3). We do not fund individuals, non-charitable entities, or Private Foundations.