Basic Needs Giving Partnership awards $1.8 million for work on the causes of poverty in northeast Wisconsin
The 2026 awards come in two rounds: $1,074,340 in one-year planning grants to 18 organizations working on early childhood, housing, mental health and substance use, and $750,050 in technical assistance grants to 47 nonprofits.
Basic Needs Giving Partnership grants for 2026, by round
Appleton. The Basic Needs Giving Partnership has announced two rounds of grants for 2026 totaling $1.8 million for nonprofits that work on the root causes of poverty across its 10-county region of northeast Wisconsin, WBAY-TV in Green Bay reported on Oct. 19.
The larger round, $1,074,340, goes to 18 organizations as one-year grants for planning and capacity building. Each award addresses one or more of this cycle's priorities: early care and education for children from birth to age 5, access to housing, mental health and substance use. The money is meant to help an organization understand the causes of a problem, build relationships and collaboration, engage the community and test whether solutions are feasible with partners.
The second round, $750,050 in technical assistance grants, goes to 47 nonprofits to strengthen their operations, strategy and programs. The largest of those awards are $20,000.
Housing, shelter and mental health
Several of the planning grants go to housing. Pillars Inc. of Appleton receives $75,000 and, with the City of Appleton and the Wisconsin Partnership for Housing Development, is building the first accessory dwelling unit under the city's ordinance for such units. Habitat for Humanity of Oshkosh receives $75,000 to lead planning with the City of Oshkosh and other partners for affordable housing suited to several generations. The Outagamie County Conflict Resolution Center receives $50,000 to expand free housing mediation before cases reach court in Outagamie, Calumet and northern Winnebago counties.
Day by Day Warming Shelter in Oshkosh receives $47,000 for a reentry system that links street outreach with the Oshkosh Police Department, corrections, counseling and an employment program. Howe Community Resource Center in Green Bay receives $75,000 to pilot mental health support for families from before birth through age 4. Solutions Recovery Inc. of Oshkosh receives $75,000 to evaluate its recovery housing model, and the Northeast Wisconsin Rainbow Collective, formed after a university LGBTQ+ center closed, receives $69,000 to build its organization.
Where the money comes from
The partnership's grants are paid from the U.S. Venture Open, an annual one-day charitable event, which raised $5.4 million for the partnership in 2026, according to the organization. In the event's 41 years, more than $65 million has been granted to nonprofits in the region, it said. A grantmaking match of $600,000 from the J.J. Keller Foundation and $200,000 from Oshkosh Corporation, ThedaCare and the Thrivent Foundation helped lead this year's effort.
“By supporting planning, collaboration, and capacity building, we are helping partners move from ideas to action in ways that can strengthen families and communities for the long term.”
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