Recent Grants From Field of Interest Funds
Madison Community Foundation stewards nearly 70 different Field of Interest funds, encompassing a variety of donor-directed focus areas. MCF staff facilitates grantmaking from these funds, based on guidelines established by the donor when the fund was created. Here are some of the field of interest grants we made in 2024.
Aging
AgeBetter
Flip the Script on Aging Event – $1,500
IP Ministries
Memory Collectors Storytelling Project – $3,500
Lussier Community Education Center
Senior Brunch Program – $5,460
Madison Senior Center Foundation
Audio & Visual Upgrades for the Community Room – $15,000
Midwest Mujeres
Voices and Dreams Academy – $15,000
Arts & Culture
American Players Theatre
Youth Focused Career Development – $10,000
ARTS for ALL Wisconsin
Friday Night Dance Party Program – $4,365
Capital City Theatre
Assassins Production– $25,000
City of Madison
The Wisconsin Mosaic by Arnold Zweerts (1918–2009) – $2,800
Dane Dances
Celebration of Cultures Programming – $5,000
Four Seasons Theatre
2025–2026 Season Support – $55,000
Madison Contemporary Dance Company
Voices Collaboration Project – $5,000
Madison Youth Choirs
Tuition Assistance Program – $10,000
Maestro Productions
Ringing Badgers Handbell Ensemble – $2,500
Music Theatre of Madison
Trevor Production – $12,000
Opera for the Young
Family Opera Days – $15,000
Suzuki Strings of Madison
String Instrument Lessons – $8,000
TNW Ensemble Theatre
Time is Rhythm/Rhythm is Time – $7,900
Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra
Music Makers – $8,000
Children & Youth
Lighthouse Education Foundation
A Multilingual Model for Academic and Community Excellence – $15,000
Little Picassos
Art Enrichment Program for Underserved Children – $10,000
Madison Public Library Foundation
Expanding the Children’s Dream Bus Program – $1,445
Natural Circles of Support
Summer Mentoring and Literacy Support for Students at East High School – $5,000
Neighborhood House Community Center
Neighborhood House Elementary Youth Programming – $10,000
Wil–Mar Community Center
Violence Prevention Through Movement – $5,000
Community Development
Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County
Abundant Life Christian School Emergency Recovery Fund – $5,000
Braille Library & Transcribing Services
Braille Lending Library – $2,500
Community Immigration Law Center
Legal Services – $25,000
Dane County Planning and Development
Dane County Regional Housing Strategy – $4,703
People Building Opportunity Through Grace and Action (PEBOGA)
The HerStory Experience: “From Pain to Power” High School Girls Conference – $1,000
United Way of Dane County
Anticipated Impacts of Federal Policy Changes Review and Analysis – $4,000
Environment
Heartland Farm Sanctuary
Heartland Permaculture Garden Project – $10,000
Midwest Environmental Advocates
Securing the Rights of Wisconsin Youth to Stable Climate – $14,000
University Houses Preschool
Compost Corner – $1,000
Essential Services
Catalyst Project
Wellness Space Pilot – $8,000
Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS)
Children in Shelter – $5,000
Felicia’s Donation Closet
Support for Delivery of Furniture & Housewares to Stable Homes – $4,000
Progress Center for Black Women’s Wellness
Satellite Programming at The Meadowlands – $8,000
Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan
Off the Square Club Upgrades – $10,000
Madison Public Schools Foundation
Winter Gear Access for MMSD Students – $5,000
Sleep in Heavenly Peace
No Kids Sleep on the Floor in Our Town! WI–Madison Chapter 2025 – $5,000
The Village Diaper Bank
Dane County Diaper Gap – $5,000
UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence
Emergency Assistance Program – $4,000
Women’s Place and Resource Center
Purse with a Purpose Program – $3,500
Faith Communities
Lake Edge Lutheran Church
Active Aging Upgrades for Safety and Accessibility – $23,000
Messiah Lutheran Church
Safe Transportation for Unhoused Students & Family Support – $21,825
Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ
Personal Essentials Pantry–Atwood – $20,000
St. Patrick Catholic Church
St. Patrick Faith Formation Initiative – $24,950
St. Paul’s Liberty Lutheran Church
Updating the Church’s Community Message Board – $21,000
Food
Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin
Distribution of Resources to SNAP (FoodShare) Eligible Families – $25,000
Creekside Community School
Freezer for Food Storage to Expand School Food Pantry – $1,600
Focused Interruption
Madison Community Food Delivery Program – $5,000
Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin
Distribution of Resources to SNAP (FoodShare) Eligible Families – $25,000
WayForward Resources
Food Pantry Leadership Coalition – $5,000
Health & Vision
Aravind Eye Foundation
Spectacles for Scholars – Pathway to Prosperity – $22,500
Combat Blindness International
Adaya Initiative Support Project – $75,000
VisionSpring
Unlocking Potential with Eyeglasses for Underserved Communities in India – $27,000
Learning
Horizon High School of Madison
Computers for Horizon High School’s 2025–2026 Academic Year – $1,800
House Urban Arts Initiative
Enhancing Youth Programming – $6,000
Lakeview Public Library
Expanding ESL, Elderly and Homeless Services, $5,450
Madison Public Library Foundation
Systemwide Technology Improvement – $25,000
Miscellaneous
Madison Public Library Foundation
Central Library Upgrades – $3,660
Henry Vilas Zoo
Giraffe Habitat Enhancement Project – $90,000
Nonprofit Capacity Building
Wisconsin Philanthropy Network
Scholz Nonprofit Law – Federal Law Compliance – $7,000
Sports & Recreation
Girls on the Run of South Central Wisconsin
Camp GOTR – $4,000
Sun Prairie Parks Friends
Wyndham Hills Pickleball Complex – $4,000
Unhoused
America Red Cross
Wisconsin Region: Service to Armed Forces – $10,000
The Road Home Dane County
Employment and Education Fund – $7,000
Connecting Values to High-Impact Opportunities
MCF offers many ways to support the community and the causes you love. A field of interest fund may be the right choice for you if:
- You want to simplify your giving by supporting a specific area of interest.
- You want to provide support for generations to come, where it is most needed, within your chosen area of interest.
- You trust MCF to select specific organizations that are having an impact to receive grants.
With a field of interest fund, you determine the area your fund will support. MCF invests the money, and staff will distribute grants each year to organizations working in the areas you have determined. We monitor the changing needs of our community and ensure your grants continue to have the highest impact possible.
Start your own field of interest fund. We can help.
Create Your Own Field of Interest Fund
If you would like to learn more about creating a field of interest fund at MCF, we would be happy to help.
Or you can make a gift to one of MCF’s field of interest funds. MCF has funds focused on:
- Women
- Arts and Culture
- Basic Needs/Social Services
- Children and Youth
- Community Development
- The Environment
- The Elderly
- Learning
- Nonprofit Capacity Building
