Competitive Grants

La Crosse Area Community Foundation welcomes grant applications from charitable organizations with missions aimed at enhancing the quality of life in La Crosse County Wisconsin. Our competitive grants program has quarterly grant cycles that include programs such as micro grants, mini grants, standard grants, and capacity building grants. In 2024, we awarded $1,052,149 in competitive grants across our eight impact areas: Arts & Humanities, Community Improvement, Culture & Diversity, Education, Environment, Faith, Health & Human Services, and Recreation & Wellness.

Current Grant Opportunities

Micro Grants

Application opens January 13, 2025 and will close on October 31, 2025 (or earlier if funding is used)

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Defining the Grant Programs

Click here to view the mini/micro grant webinar.

Eligibility for Grants

Applicant organizations must be a public charity, exempt from federal income taxes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Governmental bodies, including schools and municipalities, may also apply as long as the project is above and beyond regular budgeted items and does not filled budget gaps. Applicants that do not meet this criteria may seek a formal fiscal sponsor relationship with a 501(c)(3) public charity to be eligible. Applicants must be located in and/or primarily serve residents of La Crosse County Wisconsin and agree to all LACF grant awardee requirements and expectations including the DEIB Appendix. Finally, no applicant may have past due grant reports for the same category of grant (i.e. Standard Follow Up – Pasted Due = Unable to Apply for a Standard Grant until that is completed).

Micro Grants Program

Micro grants are designed to be responsive to the needs of nonprofit organizations serving La Crosse County who may otherwise have limited access to resources. These funds are for organizations with an annual organizational budget of $500,000 or less and awards are $250 – $3,000 with about a three week turnaround.

Mini Grants Program

Mini grants are part of our historic competitive grants program to be responsive to the needs of nonprofit organizations serving La Crosse County. Preference will be given to applications that focus on building opportunities for community engagement and building of social capital across differences. Mini Grants are award range is $1,000 – $15,000.

Nonprofit Capacity Building Program Grants (NCBP)

Capacity-building grants aim to invest in the health and sustainability of nonprofit organizations serving La Crosse County. This grant program is for nonprofits who need investment in their internal infrastructure to create a more sustainable and effective organization. Individual awards are expected to range from $50,000 – $90,000 for two consecutive years and will be paired with significant in-kind support through robust, ongoing technical assistance offered throughout the entire grant award period.

Standard Grants Program

Standard grants are part of our historic competitive grants program to be responsive to the needs of nonprofit organizations serving La Crosse County. Preference will be given to applications that focus on building opportunities for community engagement and building of social capital across differences. Standard grants are a MINIMUM request of $15,000.

Zielke Grants Program

The Corinne Zielke Fund (est. 2007) baseball grant is available to any nonprofit baseball and/or softball program in La Crosse County.

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Commonly Used Phrases and Resources

Capital Expense Examples – Buildings, Vehicles, Equipment, Property (if you have a specific question, please reach out)

Diverse Funding Sources – Individual Giving, Earned Income, Corporate Partnerships, Grants, Government, etc.

LOS – Letters of Support

Mission Drift – Occurs when a nonprofit organization’s activities and resources begin to move away from its original goals (intended purpose)

RFP – Request for Proposal

Sample Budget – Sample Budget Template

Social Capital

Bonding – Strong relationships that develop between people who are similar in backgrounds, interests and resources

Bridging – Connection between people with different backgrounds, experiences, or perspectives

Linking – Involves relationships between people at different levels of power or authority

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Grant Application Support

All applications must be submitted through LACF’s online grant portal. Each grant program includes specific application steps and timelines.

Questions? Never hesitate to reach out to Grants Specialist Ellen Heydon. Her position is dedicated to providing responsive technical assistance with the aim to help all eligible applicants submit the most competitive request possible.

Ellen is available to help on Monday, Tuesday from 8 am to 4 pm and Wednesday from 8 am to 3 pm.

CALL 608-782-3223 x 29

EMAIL ellen@lacrosseareafoundation.org

CALENDLY Schedule directly to her calendar