GREEN BAY, WI- (WGBW) – The Greater Green Bay Community Foundation awarded over $341,000 in grants to 35 nonprofit organizations during its winter grant cycle this year.
The nonprofits that serve Brown, Kewaunee and Oconto Counties will use the grants for everything from job training programs, youth mentoring, feeding those with food insecurity, providing dental care to uninsured children, helping refugees, environmental programs, literacy programs, to programs for the homeless, and many other worthy projects.
Funds for Greater Green Bay is a collection of endowed funds dedicated to improving the quality of life in the region by supporting work to meet evolving needs.
Grants are awarded twice a year, and in each cycle, the Community Foundation invites fundholders to co-invest in applications that align with their giving goals. During this cycle, fundholders contributed $105,550, significantly boosting the total amount awarded.
“These grants reflect the power of collective investment in our community,” said Amber Paluch, Senior Vice President of Community Impact of the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation. “By working together, we are helping to address critical and emerging needs and support the ongoing efforts of local organizations, strengthening Northeast Wisconsin for the future.”
Winter 2025 Greater Green Bay Grant Recipients
- Aging & Disability Resource Center | Grounded Café: Funds will strengthen the job training program and expand awareness to enhance community impact and visibility.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Wisconsin | One-to-one Youth Mentoring: Funding will expand the one-to-one youth mentoring program in Kewaunee County.
- Boys & Girls Club of Greater Green Bay | General Operating Support: Funding will support the mission of the Club to reach over 1,500 Green Bay youth.
- Bread by the Bay | Food Pantry: Funding will support the Bread by the Bay mission to address the health and well-being of in-need families in Oconto County.
- Brown County Oral Health Partnership | Hospital Care for the Uninsured: Funding will support uninsured children with accessing hospital-based dental care due to extreme oral health needs, disability, or medical issue.
- CASA of Brown County | Child Advocacy Program: Funding will help provide support and advocacy for children who have experienced abuse or neglect.
- COMSA | Bridges to Opportunity: Funding will provide support to sustain holistic, culturally responsive programs that address the critical needs of refugees and immigrants in Brown County.
- Downtown Green Bay | Community Mosaic Planter Project: Funds will support the community art project facilitated by a local artist during ArtFest to leave a lasting mark on the downtown districts.
- Ducks Unlimited | Addressing Wetland Loss: Funds will be used for developing, surveying, designing, and permitting wetland restoration, enhancement, and protection projects within Green Bay’s west shore.
- Einstein Project | Mobile Makerspace Programming: Funds will support Mobile Makerspace opportunities in neighborhoods with identified need.
- Encompass Early Education and Care | Childcare Access: Funds will provide tuition assistance to families in need allowing parents to maintain work while providing their children with access to education and care.
- Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance | Fox-Wolf Watershed Cleanup: Funds will support watershed cleanup to remove trash and debris at more than 65 locations.
- Freedom House Ministries | Barrier Removal: Funding will support efforts to empower families experiencing homelessness by equipping them with skills and resources to regain stability.
- GBASO | OnBoard Skateboarding Program: Funds will provide access to the mental and physical health benefits of skateboarding through an afterschool program for students in grades 3-5 within the Green Bay Area Public School District.
- Golden House | General Operating Support: Funds will ensure continued support for individuals and families experiencing domestic violence.
- Green Bay Botanical Garden | Washed Ashore Exhibition: Funds will support the Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea exhibit to raise awareness of pollution in waterways and promote sustainability.
- Green Bay Fringe | Green Bay Fringe Festival: Funds will support this initiative that brings innovative performances to unconventional spaces and fosters community connection.
- House of Hope Green Bay | General Operating Support: Funds will help House of Hope continue providing essential services for youth and families experiencing homelessness.
- Jackie Nitschke Center | Jackie’s Legacy Financial Assistance Program: Funds will help offset treatment costs for uninsured and underinsured clients.
- JOSHUA | Housing Advocacy Training: Funding will support a Housing Policy Institute training to further empower individuals who have experienced homelessness to advocate on their behalf at county and state levels.
- Journey to Adult Success | Residential Program: Funds will provide safe and stable housing along with coaching and supports to youth who age out of the foster care system.
- Kingdom Come | Food is Dignity Oconto County: Funding will be used to support the food pantry’s operational needs.
- Laundry Love Brown County | Laundry Love: Funding will support weekly washing events and one additional event per month for low-income seniors.
- Legal Action of Wisconsin | Outreach & Legal Services: Funds will be used to provide legal services for low-income households in Brown and Kewaunee counties related to housing issues, family law, consumer protection, barriers to employment, and public benefits.
- Literacy Green Bay | General Operating Support: Funding will assist in reducing waitlists by placing more students in classes for the upcoming fall and spring semesters.
- Lovin’ the Skin I’m In | Cultural & Educational Engagement: Funding will be used toward mentorship programs, school groups, and educational opportunities for 60 young girls across Brown County.
- MyTEAM TRIUMPH – Wisconsin Chapter | Adaptive Athletics: Funds will support the Adaptive Athletes Program to cultivate empowerment, belonging, and social connections for people with disabilities.
- NAMI Brown County | Support Groups: Funds will sustain and expand support group programs to provide vital resources for individuals and families affected by mental illness.
- NEW Bird Alliance | Oneida Bird Monitoring Program: Funding will support operational needs and provide new accessibility for the Oneida Bird Monitoring Program.
- OneDenmark | Improving Food Security & Connectedness in Denmark: Funds will increase access to nutritious food for families by relocating the Community Cupboard to the Denmark Community Center and adding a walk-in cooler and freezer.
- Oneida Nation | Oneida Reads: Funding will support collaborative efforts to ensure that Native students are proficient in 3rd grade reading.
- Service League of Green Bay | One Stop School Shop: Funds will supplement the purchase of backpacks, shoes, underwear and socks for over 4,000 elementary, middle and high school students this fall.
- Unity Hospice | General Operating Support: Funding will provide specialized medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support during the last months of life.
- Violence Intervention Project | Transitional Living Program: Funds will provide immediate safety to individuals and families experiencing domestic violence and sexual assault.
How Grants Are Awarded
Greater Green Bay Community Foundation grants are awarded based on a competitive application process, which includes review by a grants team of community volunteers. Applications for the next Funds for Greater Green Bay grants cycle will open May 1, 2025.
More information about available grant programs and the grants application process can be found at ggbcf.org/nonprofits.
