The Loop

Hi there! My name is Kristy Bloedow, and I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve recently joined the Community Foundation as a Database Specialist – Grants. In this role, I will support database operations by processing grant and scholarship transactions. I’m excited to be contributing to the organization’s mission by ensuring the effective management and utilization […]

Hello! My name is Amy MacKenzie, and I recently joined the Community Foundation as the Director of Marketing and Communications. My role is to help provide strategic direction, planning guidance, and managing the execution of all internal and external communication and marketing functions of the Foundation. Most of my career experience has been working within […]

Our Waupaca Area Community Foundation partner awarded grants totaling $102,300 to 17 area nonprofit organizations from its Waupaca Area Community Foundation Fund to help enhance the quality of life in the greater Waupaca area.  “After 21 years of giving back to the community, the generosity of our donors never ceases to amaze me. These grants […]

By: Hope Schaefer, Executive Director, Nonprofit Leadership Initiative It may be September, but end-of-year giving appeals are coming, and at the Nonprofit Leadership Initiative we are thinking about how we tell our stories. Are we telling empowering stories? Are we telling them in an ethical way? Storytelling is embedded into all that we do in […]

The Community Foundation has distributed $3 million in grants to 79 nonprofit organizations in the region from the Otto Bremer Trust Community Responsive Fund with the Community Foundation.  Selected as a partner in Otto Bremer Trust’s (OBT) 2024 Community Responsive Fund pilot program, the Community Foundation was one of six intermediary partners chosen across the […]

Thompson Center on Lourdes in Appleton is dedicated to the mental, physical and emotional well-being of adults over age 50 by offering more than 200 diverse programs and activities for this growing population in the Fox Valley. In 2023 Thompson Center received grants from 18 funds within the Community Foundation totaling $148,374 in support of […]

By: Carolyn Desrosiers, Director of Community Engagement On the night of August 16th in the alley behind the Appleton YMCA, as upbeat music and the smell of good food filled the air, so did a sense of community pride and belonging. It was the culmination of “Paint the City 3,” a mural project led by […]

  On July 29, the Chilton community came together to celebrate the grand opening of Matt’s Field of Dreams at Nennig Park. This new playground honors Matt Kolbe, a cherished local resident who was known for his boundless enthusiasm and support for Chilton Tiger sports. Despite facing significant health challenges throughout his life, Matt’s positive […]

Linda Blohowiak shares why she created the Henn Family Fund within the Shawano Area Community Foundation. What inspired you to give back to your community? I inherited money from my parents. My parents were very generous people and I wanted to honor them by using some of the funds to give back to the community […]

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, […]