Welcome to the Kenosha Community Foundation, where we believe in the power of philanthropic giving to create meaningful and lasting change.
At KCF, we are dedicated to establishing and carefully managing permanent endowment funds that express the ambitions and values of our generous donors. Through their gifts, we provide grants to local nonprofits and award scholarships to deserving students.
By choosing to join us as a donor, you become a catalyst for positive transformation across the communities of Kenosha County and beyond. Seize the opportunity to shape your legacy. How do you envision positive change? What community issues matter to you? How can we support your philanthropy?
Supporting Kenosha County Families During the SNAP Benefit Delay
Kenosha Community Foundation stands with the Kenosha County Food Bank to ensure our neighbors have access to food during this period of delayed federal benefits.
As the federal SNAP benefit (FoodShare in Wisconsin) delay continues, many Kenosha County households are facing uncertainty about where their next meal will come from.
We are proud to support the Kenosha County Food Bank (KCFB), our community’s central hub for food sourcing and distribution. Established in 2018 as a KCF fiscal sponsorship, KCFB now leads coordinated efforts with local pantries and service agencies to meet growing food needs.
KCFB works closely with local partners to distribute food to families and individuals through organizations including Kenosha Welcome Center, Salvation Army, Shalom Center, and Twin Lakes Food Pantry. These partnerships ensure that support reaches all corners of the community efficiently and equitably.
Through generous community giving, including recent grant support through the BMO Donor Advised Fund, KCF has helped ensure KCFB can respond quickly and effectively to this urgent situation. Every donation helps provide meals for children, seniors, and families who rely on these critical services.
A Bold Step Toward a Stronger Future
We’re proud to share a major milestone in the Kenosha Community Foundation’s journey: the creation of a new, unrestricted endowment—The Fund for Kenosha.
Launched through the generosity of an anonymous donor, this visionary fund is the cornerstone of our Centennial Campaign, commemorating 100 years of service to Kenosha County. Designed as a permanent, flexible funding source, the Fund for Kenosha empowers KCF to respond to the community’s evolving needs—today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.
Why It Matters
Unlike restricted funds, this endowment gives us the agility to meet emerging challenges and seize new opportunities as they arise. Through an annual, competitive grant process guided by our trusted volunteer committee and Board, we ensure these funds are used where they’re needed most.
A Legacy of Impact
By contributing to the Fund for Kenosha, you’re becoming part of a collective force for good—joining a legacy of local leaders and changemakers. Contributions are pooled with 13 named component funds, currently distributing over $60,000 annually across the county. Together, we amplify our impact.
Be a Founding Partner
Join us in shaping the future of Kenosha County. Your gift to the Fund for Kenosha will support a stronger, more resilient community for years to come.
Learn how to become a founding partner in this transformative initiative.
Kenosha Murals Project: Community, History, and Art Unite
Kenosha Community Foundation is proud to serve as the fiscal sponsor for the Kenosha Murals Project, a vibrant initiative using public art to celebrate Kenosha’s history, diversity, and community spirit.
Led by local artists and supported by local residents and community partners, the project transforms walls across our city into powerful visual stories. Each mural is a collaboration — honoring the past, reflecting the present, and inspiring future generations.
2025 Unrestricted Grants Recipients
17 grants have been awarded from a pool of KCF Unrestricted Funds. This array of grant awards demonstrates the breadth of programming that KCF can support to meet donors’ philanthropic aims and intents. Congratulations to the following Kenosha County nonprofit organizations
- Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha
- Carthage College Community Literacy Center
- Girls on the Run Southeastern Wisconsin
- Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast
- Kenosha Achievement Center
- Kenosha County Food Bank
- Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood
- Kenosha Literacy Council
- Kenosha Welcome Center
- Prevent Blindness Wisconsin
- Pringle Nature Center
- Racine Kenosha Vocational Ministry
- Wisconsin Humane Society Kenosha Campus
- Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation
- Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network / Kenosha Regenerative Producers Group
- Shepherd’s College
- Southport Park Association
Kenosha Community Foundation Unrestricted Grants derive from an investment pool reserved for unrestricted grantmaking, that is—grantmaking that does not conform to historical, donor-designated agreements. These select group of legacy donors had the foresight to direct their financial gifts toward unrestricted endowment funds so that KCF has this perpetual source of funds for competitive grant cycles that are responsive to the needs of a dynamic, everchanging community context.
KCF and Kenosha Literacy Council On The WGTD Morning Show
A new endowment fund has been created at the Kenosha Community Foundation that could potentially help local non-profits at least partially fill the gap created by federal cuts. A large donation has been secured to kick off the fundraising campaign. Learn why the Kenosha Community Foundation’s Amy Greil gives the Kenosha Literacy Council high marks.
Kenosha Philanthropist establishes an endowment for KSO
The path that led Grace Kolakowski to the doorstep of the Kenosha Community Foundation for help in setting up a fund for the Kenosha Symphony is a fascinating story told here. Watch the entire discussion as part of the WGTD Morning Show with host Gregory Berg.