Grants

Creativity By Kids (CBK) Small Grant Program – Now Accepting Applications

The Kenosha Community Foundation is now accepting applications for 2025 awards from the Creativity By Kids (CBK) Small Grant Program. The purpose of the grant program is to provide funds: “To groups offering programs in the arts or the understanding of our natural world. It will emphasize cross-cultural and multi-generational programs in both areas, whenever possible.” Based on the purpose, the Foundation welcomes requests for funding for projects/initiatives in one or more of the following areas: The arts, culture, nature and the environment.

The deadline to apply is Friday, January 17, 2025.

Apply HERE for The 2025 CBK Small Grant program

Unrestricted Grants

Application will open March 2025. 

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.

Successful proposals from past recipients of the unrestricted grants have ranged from responsive educational, arts and nature-based programming, to “bricks and mortar” building repairs.  KCF encourages those with diverse organizational and operational needs to apply.

KCF stands honored to host the following component funds that provide Unrestricted Grants:

  • A. Allan and Isabel M. Jankus Unrestricted Endowment Fund
  • Advantage Bank / Charles Vignieri Fund
  • Edna Mae Orvis and C. Wesley Orvis Fund
  • Elaine K. and Dr. Steven A. Azuma Fund
  • Enroth Family Fund
  • Fred and Jessie Hopf Fund
  • Kenosha News Charitable Fund
  • M&I/Ben-Ami Chemerow Fund
  • Mary Frost Ashley Fund
  • Ralph L. and Frances A. Jaeschke Fund
  • The Kathleen Stuemke Legacy Fund

Field of Interest Grants

Application will open June 2025. 

The Foundation manages several Field of Interest Funds – each fund was established by the Foundation’s Board of Directors for a particular philanthropic interest as specified by its creators and donors.

With a portion of their annual investment income, the Foundation awards grants from several Field of Interest Funds to non-profit organizations within their defined area of interest:

  • ANVK Field of Interest Endowment Fund supports services for elderly and/or disabled residents of Kenosha, particularly homebound, with the goal of enhancing a person’s health and safety to assist them to live and remain in their home.
  • Kenosha Arts Fund supports projects that enhance Kenosha’s culture, economy, and quality of life and impact the arts and community at large.
  • OMC Legacy Fund supports programs and activities designed to improve the general welfare and enhance the quality of life for youth in the Kenosha community.
  • LaFave Family Fund supports programs that further education – particularly by promoting the humanities, the arts, tolerance, and communication.
  • Women’s Fund supports programs and organizations that create opportunities for women and children.
  • The following two Field of Interest endowment funds support the CBK Small Grant program: The Clark-Barber Family Fund and The Kubasiewicz Family Trust.
  • Other Field of Interest Funds at the Foundation, including the Mary Lou and Arthur F. Mahone Fund and the Grace Kolakowski Fund, have not established competitive grant-making programs.

For each Field of Interest Fund, the Foundation, with the aid of committees of community volunteers, operates a thoughtful, responsive, and community-based grant-making program that annually awards grant funds to local non-profit organizations. Though the purposes of the Field of Interest Funds are focused, they remain flexible enough to meet community needs in the interest area—even as they change over time. All Field of Interest funds accept donations from the public. 

2024 Field of Interest Grant Recipients

From the ANVK Field of Interest Endowment (NEW in 2024), three grants were made to organizations for programs that support services for elderly and/or disabled residents of Kenosha, particularly homebound, with the goal of enhancing health and safety to assist them to live and remain in their home:

 

From the Foundation’s Kenosha Arts Fund, three grants were made to organizations offering arts programming with the purpose of enhancing the culture, economy, and quality of life in Kenosha County:

 

From the LaFave Family Fund (established by the estate of Susann LaFave), eight grants* were made to organizations for programs that further education – particularly to promoting the humanities, the arts, tolerance, and communication:

*NOTE: In addition to the grants awarded to non-profit organizations, each year the LaFave Family Fund supports a scholarship at Marquette University’s College of Communications (Susann LaFave’s alma mater).

From the Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC) Legacy Fund, four grants targeting youth programs to:

 

From the Foundation’s Women’s Fund, six grants to programs that benefit women and children to:

2024 CBK Grant Recipients

From the The Clark-Barber Family Fund and The Kubasiewicz Family Trust, 5 grants have been awarded to support arts or the understanding of our natural world while emphasizing cross-cultural and multi-generational programs, whenever possible:
 

Unrestricted Grants

2024 Unrestricted Grants Recipients

From the foundation’s pool of unrestricted endowment funds, there was a total of 19 grants awarded
including (with a sample description of funded program/project):

Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation: Training and technical assistance for current and potential entrepreneurs in Kenosha County targeting women, people of color, lower-wealth individuals, and veterans with access to quality business training and one-on-one coaching.

Kenosha YMCA: Super All Stars Adaptive Sports programs for those youth with special needs.

ELCA Outreach Center: Safe spaces for grade school children to learn and participate in new experiences during a six-week summer camp.

Kenosha County Food Bank: A cloud-based software program “Food Bank Manager” that tracks
donations and improves compliance with state/federal reporting rules/regulations while ensuring equitable food distribution to/from local food pantries.

Shepherd’s College: A scholarship program that serves economically disadvantaged young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to gain independent living skills and vocational training in Culinary Arts, Horticulture, and Technology.

Peace Learning Circles: Ongoing training in peacemaking strategies in diverse schools and community centers focused on bullying prevention, mindfulness strategies, racial equality, resiliency, teamwork.

Hawthorn Hollow: Prairie restoration and invasive species management efforts.

The Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha: Extended programming hours for youth who require care during non-school days.

Girls on the Run Southeastern Wisconsin: Joyful, healthy and confident experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates exercise, healthy relationships and positive connections to community.

Kenosha Literacy Council: English and Civics education project that works to increase literacy skills by providing a unique experiential learning environment that helps students learn about their community.

Kenosha Area Business Alliance Foundation / Building Our Future: Interviews of Kenosha County parents/caregivers assessing homebased literacy programming opportunities to inform strategies for enhancing children’s reading skills beyond school.

Kenosha Area Family and Aging Services, Inc.: Senior Nutrition Program through “Meals On Wheels” program for congregate dining sites.

Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast: Summer Camp with access to an outdoor experience that develops leadership skills, STEM exploration and promotes healthy relationships.

KUFI Farm: Educational Swiss Bee Chalet to improve honeybee survivability—the first accessible to the public for educational purposes.

The Shalom Center: Community Rental Assistance Initiative (CRAI) that provides financial aid to low-income individuals and families facing housing insecurity, ensuring stable housing, preventing homelessness, and promoting
economic resilience.

Giving to the Nations: Hygiene products to reach a local unmet need.

Hospice Alliance: A virtual reality headset and software to improve health outcomes and will impact quality-of-life for community veterans.

United Way of Kenosha County: The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides IRS-certified volunteers who prepare free tax returns for low to moderate income individuals and families.

The Sharing Center: Emergency food and housing stability programs and equipment (homelessness, impending homelessness).