Blog

2024 Spring Grant Award Announcement

March 25, 2024

By Megan Pierce, Donor Services Director

La Crosse Community Foundation is jumping into spring with a HUGE list of grant announcements! This year is unique because we are in the middle of revamping our grant making process to align with our new strategic plan. Please know, we’re not throwing out the entire grant process. We’re evolving to better meet the needs of our entire community. There have been lots of intentional steps already this year to begin the revamping process. There was an awesome nonprofit appreciation breakfast, numerous focus groups to gain feedback on the nonprofit community in La Crosse and grant making, and the La Crosse Community Foundation board officially approved the next stage of the strategic plan.

There are SO many exciting things happening, and we are thrilled to share the list of grant recipients! Please stay connected to learn of upcoming grant application timelines.

Check out the full list of spring grant recipients!

Corinne Zielke Fund Grants

Organization NameProject NameAmount AwardedFund
Boys & Girls ClubsBGC Baseball & Softball$4,000Corinne Zielke Fund
City of OnalaskaAddition of Baseball & Softball Pitching Machines$3,400Harold E. Lemke Fund
Onalaska School DistrictL Screens & Batting Helmets$1,250Harold E. Lemke Fund
Holmen Youth Baseball Parent AssociationHolmen Youth Baseball – Holland Field Renovation$4,000Corinne Zielke Fund
Friends of West Salem BaseballBaseball Uniforms$3,208.84Corinne Zielke Fund
School District of La CrosseField & Facility Maintenance Project$2,975Corinne Zielke Fund
West Salem School DistrictWest Salem High School Mound & Plate Tarp Project$2,472.75Corinne Zielke Fund
La Crosse Youth BaseballBluffview Park Backstop Fence Improvements$2,143Corinne Zielke Fund
School District of La CrosseNew Batting Cage & Field Maintenance$1,600Corinne Zielke Fund
Village of West SalemBaseball Helmet Project$1,500Corinne Zielke Fund
Aquinas Catholic Schools Foundation3 Protective Pitcher “L” Screens$1,200Corinne Zielke Fund

Unrestricted & Standard Grants

Organization NameProject NameAmount AwardedFund
YWCA La CrosseUnrestricted$50,000Community Giving Fund
Tellurian Behavioral HealthJackson House Crisis Stabilization/Hospital Diversion Facility$50,000Norman L. Gillette, Sr. Family Fund & Special Initiative Fund
Habitat for Humanity – La Crosse AreaReNew the Block$50,000 with $25,000 in 2024 and 2025Community Giving Fund
La Crosse Parks, Recreation, & Forestry2024 Ho-Chunk Nation Founders Day Pow-Wow$30,000Community Giving Fund
Riverside International Friendship Gardens, Inc.Ho-Chunk Garden$25,000Community Giving Fund
Coulee Children’s CenterHVAC System$17,425Community Giving Fund
HorseSense, Inc.Safe & Secure Barn & Stalls for Therapy Horses$11,991Norman L. Gillette, Sr. Family Fund
Down Syndrome Association of WIDaily Living Skills Training$10,000Norman L. Gillette, Sr. Family Fund
Gateway Area Council, BSALa Crosse County Pop-up Outdoor Skills & Character Camps$10,000Community Giving Fund
Black Leaders Acquiring Collective KnowledgeHarmony in Hope: MLK Jr. Celebration$7,500Community Giving Fund

Mini Grants

Organization NameProject NameAmount AwardedFunding
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the 7 Rivers RegionYouth Empowerment$7,500Harold E. Lemke Fund

Margery J. Stansfield Fund

Jean Gitz Bassett Fund
Black Leaders Acquiring Collective KnowledgeJuneteenth 2024$7,500Community Giving Fund
Causeway Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers, Inc.Expanding OASIS$7,500Ostreng Fund for the Elderly
Chariots4Hope Wisconsin CorpCommunity Shop Equipment$7,500Sandy Castek Fund for Empowering Women

Susan M. Quillin Fund
Climate Alliance for the Common GoodNonprofit Climate Action Toolkit & Workshop$7,500Lenna Campbell Fund
Friends of the BlufflandsPrairie Restoration$7,500Maureen Freedland Social and Environmental Justice Fund

Kerbaugh Family Fund

Roland Beranek Fund

Lenna Campbell Fund
Hope Restores CorporationFuel Costs for Programs & Support Groups 2024$7,500Susan M. Quillin Fund

Community Giving Fund
Kicking Bear FoundationCoulee Region Events$7,500Jean Gitz Bassett Fund
League of Women Voters of the La Crosse AreaEveryone Vote 2024$7,500Maureen Freedland Social and Environmental Justice Fund

Community Giving Fund
Make-A-Wish WisconsinLACF Makes Wishes Come True Project$7,500Ostreng Fund for Children

La Crosse Foundation Trust- Donald A. Gordon

Robert & Eleanor Franke Charitable Fund
Pump House Regional Arts CenterArtspire La Crosse 2024$7,500Fund for the Arts

Maureen L. Kinney Fund

Community Giving Fund
The Parenting PlaceDiapers for Strong Families$7,500Kerbaugh Family Fund

Rudy & Jean Schnurrer Fund

Ostreng Fund for Children
La Crosse Area Veterans Mentor ProgramAnnual Training for Treatment Court Professionals$7,478Dr. Frank Furlano Family Fund

Robert & Eleanor Franke Charitable Fund
GROW La Crosse Inc.Strategic Growth Planning for Sustainability$7,240Myrick Hixon EcoPark Fund

An Anonymous Fund
Norskedalen Nature & Heritage CenterTrail & Goat Prairie Rehab$7,000Community Giving Fund
Shoefly Empowered, Inc.Shoefly's Shoes for Kids! Program$6,343Harold E. Lemke Fund

PMJ Fund
La Crosse Lions CharitiesHearing Screening for Children$6,000Harold E. Lemke Fund

Robert & Eleanor Franke Charitable Fund
The Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis AssociationQuality of Life Grants for Individuals Living with ALS$6,000Robert & Eleanor Franke Charitable Fund
School District of La CrosseSensory Enrichment Library$5,857Ostreng Fund for Children
Da Capo Concert BandDa Capo Legacy Grant$5,000Community Giving Fund
Heart2Heart Pet Lifeline, Inc.Healthy Pets, Healthy Community$5,000Kerbaugh Family Fund

Animal Welfare Fund Aka Kitty Cat and Puppy Dog Fund

Norman L. Gillette, Sr. Family Fund
Junior Achievement of Wisconsin Coulee RegionWork Readiness Summer Pilot$5,000Margery J. Stansfield Fund
Kids From Wisconsin Ltd.Kids From Wisconsin - Larger Than Life, La Crosse$5,000Community Giving Fund
Northern Hills PTOPlayground Shade Grant$5,000Ostreng Fund for Children

PMJ Fund
Consumer Credit Counseling of La CrosseBuilding Financial Stability by Reducing Stress$4,937Susan M. Quillin Fund
Lightning LacrosseKeeping Lacrosse in La Crosse$4,635National Youth Sports Program Fund
Central High School Band AssociationCentral Marching Band Uniform Project$3,750The Anthony Fund

Community Giving Fund
Seven Rivers Robotics Coalition, Inc.FIRST Robotics Competition for 2023-24$3,500Margery J. Stansfield Fund
La Crosse Chamber Chorale Inc.Festival of Voices$3,300Lenna Campbell Fund
Rising AthletesAdaptive Sports League Equipment$3,065Coulee Region White Cane Club Fund

National Youth Sports Program Fund
WI FIRST Robotics, Inc.FIRST Robotics Seven Rivers Regional$2,900Lois I. Rehfuss Fund
La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce FoundationBelonging & Mattering Institute$2,500Community Giving Fund
La Crosse Jazz Orchestraft. Deborah Brown, int'l jazz singer$2,250Community Giving Fund
Sustainability Institute2024 Green Goose Chase$1,500Myrick Hixon EcoPark Fund
Holmen High School Thorobotics TeamHolmen High School Thorobotics$500Lois I. Rehfuss Fund
La Crosse Fire DepartmentMugs for Rugs La Crosse$500Ostreng Fund for the Elderly