What is the Basic Needs Giving Partnership region?
The Partnership funds organizations working in Brown County, Calumet County, Green Lake County, Kewaunee County, Oconto County, the Oneida Nation, Outagamie County, Shawano County, Waupaca County, Waushara County, and Winnebago County.
How can my organization apply for a grant? Who is eligible?
Information about how to apply for grants can be found here. Grant guidelines with specific details and priorities for each grant cycle will be shared on our grants page.
The Basic Needs Giving Partnership will accept applications from organizations that meet all of the following basic eligibility requirements:
- The geographic focus of your work is in at least one of the following areas: Brown County, Calumet County, Green Lake County, Kewaunee County, Oconto County, the Oneida Nation, Outagamie County, Shawano County, Waupaca County, Waushara County, or Winnebago County.
- Have a 501(c)(3) designation, have a fiscal sponsor with a 501(c)(3) designation, or are a governmental body such as a school or municipality. We’ll also consider organizations with documentation of a pending 501(c)(3) application with the IRS.
- Work within that grant cycle’s specific priority areas.
What is the connection between the Basic Needs Giving Partnership and the region’s three community foundations?
The Partnership began in 2007 as a fund at the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, and the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation. Through 2022, Basic Needs Giving Partnership funds were granted through the community foundations.
In January 2023, we became a separate 501(c)(3). In this new structure, grant applications, decisions, and awards are handled through the Basic Needs Giving Partnership directly. We’re also continuing to work in close relationship with the community foundations as we collaborate to support organizations in our community addressing the root causes of poverty.
If your organization has a multi-year Basic Needs Giving Partnership grant awarded in 2022 or prior through one of the community foundations, that commitment will be honored in accordance with the terms laid out in your grant award letter. This transition does not impact your award in any way. If you have any questions about a multi-year award you received through one of the community foundations, you can reach out directly to the community foundation administering your grant.
My organization applied for a grant through the U.S. Venture/Schmidt Family Foundation. Can we also apply for a Basic Needs Giving Partnership Grant?
Absolutely! The Basic Needs Giving Partnership and the U.S. Venture/Schmidt Family Foundation are separate entities that make granting decisions independent of one another.
Does the Basic Needs Giving Partnership have a nondiscrimination policy?
The Basic Needs Giving Partnership does not knowingly fund organizations, projects, and programs that discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other legally protected characteristics. BNGP will consider funding faith-based organizations whose work falls within our grant priorities for a given cycle if the work/project being proposed is open to all and does not include activities such as religious worship, instruction, or proselytization.