2023 Report to the Community Highlights $32 million in Grants

Our recently released 2023 Report to the Community features $32 million in grants and scholarships awarded to nonprofit organizations and students, taking the total grants awarded in our 37-year history to $485 million. In 2023, 1,548 nonprofits locally and beyond received grants in areas of human services, community improvement, education, health care, environment, arts and culture, and more. The $32 million grant total includes 510 scholarships totaling $1.5 million awarded from scholarship funds.

Curt Detjen, President/CEO and Beth Flaherty, 2023 Board Chair

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to work with so many caring, generous people, passionate nonprofit organizations and dedicated volunteers and community leaders who, together, are seeking to make a difference to help everyone flourish,” said Curt Detjen, President and CEO. “The word Community in our name is central to our mission, and all of us in the Fox Valley region continue to be needed to help create vibrant communities today and for generations to come.”

Atlas Science Center’s Wisconsin Industry Innovations Exhibit

“The Community Foundation was involved with several community-wide issues, including childcare, mental health and housing and will likely be for some time,” said Board Chair Beth Flaherty. “We remain committed to working on these issues and more in partnership with dedicated donors, nonprofit organizations, and Foundation team members and volunteers.”

The Community Foundation, together with our five affiliate partners based in Brillion, Chilton, Clintonville, Shawano and Waupaca, helps people, businesses and organizations make a difference in their communities by supporting nonprofits working on the causes they care about most, during and after their lifetimes. They create charitable funds with the Foundation that generate grants to nonprofit organizations across its service region of Calumet, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca counties, the Neenah/Menasha area of Winnebago county and beyond. 

We manage 1,835 charitable funds totaling $549 million in assets and received $39 million in contributions in 2023. The Himebaugh Legacy Circle, which grew to 315 members, recognizes people who have made after-lifetime plans for their favorite charitable causes through a bequest or similar deferred gift to the Community Foundation. 

More details about our 2023 year, that ended December 31, including lists of grant recipients and charitable funds are available on our Report to the Community webpage.

Examples of 2023 Grant Recipients 

• The Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass in Neenah received 12 grants totaling $137,566 from several funds within the Community Foundation to support art exhibitions, operational costs and educational programs, including taking a small portable glass furnace to area libraries, schools and festivals to show people how glass can be blown into art pieces. 
• The Thompson Center on Lourdes, which is dedicated to the mental, physical and emotional well-being of people over age 50, received $148,374 from multiple funds to support its work.  
  

  Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

• The SAC Developmental Disabilities Fund and the Community Vision Fund provided $24,500 in grants to 14 nonprofit organizations to improve the lives of people with differing abilities, including Reflections of Grace Performing Arts School’s Dance 4 All program, equine therapy and installing inclusive, accessible playground equipment. 
• A $50,000, multi-year grant from the Community Vision Fund to support the Atlas Science Center in Appleton as it educates students on possible career paths using virtual technology.  
• The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, which protects and restores water resources and water quality in the Fox-Wolf Basin, received several grants from charitable funds within the Community Foundation to support its annual spring cleanup day, which brings together 1,600 volunteers at 16 locations to remove trash and debris from public land and waterways.   

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