Quarter 2 Mini Grant Awards
May 29, 2025
| By Lauren Journot, Impact Director |
The frigid weather is finally behind us and the sun is giving Vitamin D that is life-giving, warming, and energizing! As the pollinators and plants move into the next season, so does our competitive grantmaking. For Quarter 2, we received over $400K in requests and had approximately $100,000 to distribute for this round. However, that means we had to deny over $300,000 in requests, a large number of those being basic needs, community third places, and connections to systems of care for our community’s families, youth, and underserved populations.
Quarter 3 is well underway, with 13 nonprofits expressing interest in our Capacity Building Program grants. While the foundation has funding and human capacity to support just a couple, it’s a great indicator that there is an ever present need for unrestricted dollars and opportunities to stabilize an organization’s foundation. We celebrate the generosity that makes this work happen and recognize the scope of work we have yet to do to ensure our community is a welcoming, belonging, and rich place for all people in the greater La Crosse area. We invite you to join us in whatever capacity you can to build more capital for La Crosse area nonprofits. Click here to learn more about ways to make an impact.
3rd Quarter: Nonprofit Capacity Building Program Grants
Open: April 21, 2025 | Close: LOI’s due May 5, 2025
4th Quarter: Standard and Mini Grants
Opens: September 15, 2025 | Closes: October 15, 2025
| Organization Name | Project Name | Amount Awarded | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chileda | Supporting families and building connection | $11,640 | Franke Fund |
| Workforce Resource | Support services for formerly fostered and human trafficked young adults | $7,500 | Franke Fund - $6,300 Margery J. Stansfield Fund - $1,200 |
| Historical Society (Enduring Families) | 2025 Juneteenth Celebration | $6,000 | Community Giving Fund |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters | Empowering Minds: Building mental health through one-to-one youth mentoring | $7,500 | Payton Zietlow Memorial Fund - $500 Ostreng Fund for Children - $1,550 Harold E. Lemke Fund - $2,000 Franke Fund - $3,450 |
| Chariots4Hope | Vehicle Repair Program | $9,000 | Harold E. Lemke Fund - $2,700 Franke Fund - $3,450 |
| GROW | Collaborative Greenhouse | $6,000 | Franke Fund |
| Junior Achievement | Financial Education for Justice-Involved Adults | $9,000 | Franke Fund |
| Boy Scouts of America | Paul E. Stry Nature Center Renewal at Camp Decorah | $5,000 | Franke Fund |
| Center for Community Stewardship | La Crosse County Journalism Project | $5,000 | Harold E. Lemke Fund |
| Cia Siab | Hmoob Language Table Pilot Project | $15,000 | Kjome Justice & Peace Fund - $11,900 Ostreng Fund for the Elderly - $3,100 |
| West Salem Lions | Greene Park Project | $2,000 | Franke Fund |
| Planned Parenthood | Creating Healthy Community in La Crosse | $11,000 | Black Empowerment Fund |