Opening the Door Wider

Madison Community Foundation strives to live out its values in its work. Sometimes, this means re-evaluating or making changes our programs to ensure we are having the greatest impact across Greater Madison while remaining aligned with our values.

For this reason, we have made changes to our Field of Interest grantmaking program process. These changes will help our grantmaking better reflect our commitment to equity and transparency.

What’s changing, and why?

Historically, most of our Field of Interest grantmaking relied on an invitation-only process. This unintentionally created barriers, particularly for nonprofits without established relationships with MCF.

Instead, we are adopting an open, online application process to give all eligible nonprofits serving Greater Madison equitable access to Field of Interest funding. Any organization whose work aligns with a Field of Interest fund’s purpose can apply, regardless of size or prior connection to MCF. (You can find MCF’s current Field of Interest funding categories on the Field of Interest Grants page on our website.)

In addition, this approach will allow MCF to hear directly from a broader range of organizations doing important work in our community.

The new online application portal will be open year-round, which allows nonprofits to apply at any time throughout the year. This flexibility better reflects the realities nonprofits face – where opportunities, challenges and community needs don’t follow a schedule.

The applications will then be reviewed quarterly, which allows us to:

• Respond more quickly to emerging or time-sensitive needs,
• Align funding decisions more closely with nonprofit timelines, and
• Reduce pressure on organizations to fit their work into a set application window.

Ultimately, this change supports stronger partnerships and more effective use of charitable resources.

You can find the online application portal, which will open on February 3, and the 2026 decision dates on our website.

Thoughtful review at every step

Inclusivity also depends on how decisions are made. Field of Interest grant applications will now be reviewed by both MCF staff and MCF’s Community Impact Committee, ensuring thoughtful analysis that includes both professional expertise and community perspective. MCF’s Board of Governors makes final funding decisions.

This layered review process helps ensure that Field of Interest grants honor the intent of the donors who created them, while also expanding the pool of potential projects that are considered to meet community need.

Looking ahead

This evolution of our Field of Interest grantmaking program is part of MCF’s broader commitment to continuous learning and improvement. We believe that philanthropy is most effective when it is transparent, accessible and rooted in trust – and when it reflects the diversity, creativity and resilience of the community it serves.

We look forward to partnering with nonprofits across Greater Madison through this more open and inclusive approach, and to learning alongside them as we work together to create lasting community impact.