La Crosse Community Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The La Crosse Community Foundation supports arts and humanities, culture and diversity, education, environment, faith, health and human services, recreation and wellness and community improvement in Wisconsin.
FUNDING AREAS: Arts and humanities, culture and diversity, education, environment, faith, health and human services, recreation and wellness, community improvement
IP TAKE: This community funder wants to speak with nonprofits and qualify them as eligible to apply for starting any new grant application. Make contact as early as possible to get this process moving along.
PROFILE: Established in 1930, the La Crosse Community Foundation (LCCF) is a community foundation based in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It was originally called the La Crosse Community Trust, Alice O. Gordon was the first donor in 1942 and the foundation made its first grant in 1946. The foundation aims to "enrich the quality of life in the greater La Crosse area.” LCCF funds local efforts for arts and humanities, culture and diversity, education, environment, faith, health and human services, recreation and wellness and community improvement.
The La Crosse Community Foundation supports a wide variety of interests in the local community. It prefers to fund grant requests that meet new and growing needs, offering lasting value, are sustainable, promote collaboration and include additional funding partners. Current funding appears to prioritize rapid response for those affected by COVID-19. However, LCCF does not typically fund annual event sponsorships, capital campaigns, ongoing administrative and operating costs, endowments or continued funding for previously funded projects. Organizations can apply for mini grants of $7,500 or less once per quarter. However, grants over $7,500 are awarded only once per year for organizations.
Grants for Higher Education
The foundation also invests in scholarships benefitting local high school and college students. However, the foundation leaves scholarship decisions to students’ schools rather than making them itself, a unique approach that trusts schools to better identify deserving students.
Grantmaking Insights
Grants range between about $1,000 and $25,000. Learn more about this funder’s local giving by examining its recent tax records. Grantmaking focuses on the Greater La Crosse area in Wisconsin. Past local grantees include the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, Aging and Disability Resource Center of La Crosse County and Boys and Girls Club of Greater La Crosse.
This foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits for its mini grants and standard community grants. However, requests to our Mary Grace Sieber Fund, June Kjome Justice and Peace Fund and Global Awareness Fund are by invitation only. It is necessary to contact the LCCF program director to discuss a request before submitting an application. Grant application deadlines are the 15th of the months of January, April, July and October for decisions in the following months. The application process is conducted online. Direct general questions to the staff at 608-782-3223 or via online form.
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