2026 grant guidelines cycle 2

Arts and culture

Background 

A strong arts sector is crucial for a vibrant Greater Milwaukee area. Intentional efforts to unify arts and culture with inclusive community and economic development will help to overcome decades of disinvestments, particularly in communities of color.  

Grantmaking focus 

Strengthen art and natural history museums, symphonies and theaters, dance companies and arts education programs, public sculptures, murals and more to honor and celebrate the vibrant cultures in and across greater Milwaukee.  

General operating, capital/facilities, and project/program grants are available. 

Examples of potential applications include but are not limited to those seeking funds for one or more of the following: 

• Foster arts education: Provide arts education programs for children and youth from birth to high school, cultivating creativity and cultural understanding. 
• Engage communities through creation: Support the creation and exhibition of art that engages the community and reflects diverse perspectives and experiences. 
• Integrate artists in communities: Embed artists-in-residence within community-based settings to facilitate creative exploration, cultural expression and the documentation of community narratives. 
• Promote cultural appreciation and preservation: Develop programming that cultivates and supports an appreciation of diverse cultures and art forms, including preserving cultural heritages through archiving and documentation. 
• Cultivate creative community development: Integrate arts into community planning, development and historical preservation. 
• Activate performance art in Halyard Park, Harambee, and Brewers Hill: Engage young people, families, and neighborhood residents in building community.

Contact Carrie Scholz to learn more about this priority area.

Basic Needs

Background 

Access to food and shelter are basic human rights. Due to inequitable systems, many of our neighbors experience food insecurity and homelessness. Meeting basic needs is essential for the health and well-being of individuals and families. We are partnering with nonprofits throughout the greater Milwaukee area to leverage existing community strengths and assets to increase access to healthy, local food systems and shelter. 

Grantmaking focus 

• Support food pantries and meal sites in reducing food insecurity and supporting access to healthy food.  
• Support for Emergency Shelters in working towards stable housing for those who are experiencing homelessness, are precariously housed, or on the verge of experiencing homelessness.  

General operating requests are encouraged. 

Contact Dani Breen to learn more about this priority area.

Early childhood education

Background   

High quality Early Childhood Education (ECE) is key to giving every child the start in life they need and deserve. It has been shown to have a significant impact on a child’s long-term academic, social and developmental success, and enables parents to participate in the workforce so that they may pursue career advancement, with the peace of mind that their children are in a safe, nurturing, and enriching environment. Recognizing that educators play an essential and critical role in the quality of early learning, Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s ECE cycle two discretionary funding prioritizes strengthening the ECE workforce through strategic investments in the recruitment, professional development, and retention of skilled educators.

Grantmaking strategy

Strengthening the Early Childhood Education workforce directly supports positive outcomes for children, families, and communities.  

Project/program and general operating funds are available for Early Childhood Education professional development, recruitment, and retention.   

This funding opportunity seeks grant applications for projects that advance one or more of the following: 

• Recruitment: Initiatives that strengthen and expand the pipeline of qualified educators entering the early childhood field. 
• Professional Development: Programs that increase educators’ knowledge, instructional practices, and capacity to support children’s foundational language and literacy skills, as well as their social-emotional and behavioral development. 
• Retention: Strategies designed to improve workforce stability, support educator well-being, and reduce turnover across early childhood settings.  

Contact Jeannie Fenceroy to learn more about this priority area.

Background  

Our communities are brimming with talent and assets, but in too many places, disinvestments have limited individuals’ employment, career advancement, and opportunities to accumulate wealth.    

Grantmaking focus  

• Support training, credentialing, reskilling, and upskilling programs with a focus on opportunity youth, unemployed individuals, and others seeking to build the skills needed for employment or career advancement. 
• Increase access to financial literacy programs that help participants build foundational money-management skills, stabilize their finances, and prepare for long-term financial well‑being as they enter or re-enter the workforce. 

General operating, capital/facilities, and project/program grants are available.  

Contact Theresa Scott to learn more about this priority area.