Oshkosh Area Community Foundation

Oshkosh Area Community Foundation Call today to learn how you can make an impact! For 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝. For 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫.

Serving Winnebago, Waushara, and Green Lake counties, and the city of Ripon, we strengthen our communities by providing leadership through grantmaking and fund development.

What Does Support for Older Adults Look Like? πŸ’œA wheelchair that makes it easier to get around. A safe place to stay. Fr...
10/05/2026

What Does Support for Older Adults Look Like? πŸ’œ
A wheelchair that makes it easier to get around. A safe place to stay. Fresh food. Dental care. Counseling. A garden that brings people together.

These are just a few of the ways grants from the π˜“π˜’π˜₯π˜ͺ𝘦𝘴 π˜‰π˜¦π˜―π˜¦π˜·π˜°π˜­π˜¦π˜―π˜΅ 𝘚𝘰𝘀π˜ͺ𝘦𝘡𝘺: 𝘈π˜₯𝘷𝘰𝘀𝘒𝘡𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 π˜–π˜­π˜₯𝘦𝘳 𝘈π˜₯𝘢𝘭𝘡𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘯π˜₯ made a difference in the Oshkosh area in the past year, and now a new round of funding is available!

More than $36,000 was awarded to local organizations. Here’s what those grants helped make possible:

🍎 ADVOCAP,Inc: Personal items and services to improve quality of life for 15 older adults who receive home-delivered meals.
🏠 Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services, INC.: 33 nights of safe shelter for older adults experiencing domestic or elder abuse.
πŸ”‘ COTS: Transitional housing and individualized support for older adults experiencing homelessness.
🧴 Day By Day Shelter: Health and hygiene supplies for more than 45 older adults experiencing homelessness.
🦽 Evergreen Retirement Community: 10 wheelchairs to help meet residents’ mobility needs.
πŸ₯• Oshkosh Area Community Pantry: More than 2,000 pounds of food for Oshkosh adults age 55+.
β˜• Oshkosh YMCA: Free Memory CafΓ© gatherings for older adults living with dementia and their caregivers.
🌱 Park View Health Center: Tools for a therapeutic garden club that encourages relaxation and connection.
πŸ’œ Reach Counseling: Trauma-specific counseling and advocacy for older adults who have experienced sexual violence.
πŸ”¨ Rebuilding Together Fox Valley: No-cost home safety modifications and repairs to help older adults prevent falls.
🧠 Samaritan: 25 mental health counseling sessions for older adults experiencing anxiety, depression, grief, and isolation.
🦷 Tri-County Dental Clinic: Dental care for at least 40 underserved older adults.
πŸ—£οΈ Winnebago Area Literacy Council: Language learning and community experiences to help older adults build practical English skills and social connections.

πŸ“£ Does your organization make a difference for older adults in the Oshkosh area? Applications for the next round of funding are now open.

Learn more and apply before the 10/15 deadline: https://www.oshkoshareacf.org/apply-for-grants/ladies-benevolent-older-adults/

πŸ“Έ: Day By Day Shelter. In 2025, 1 in 4 shelter guests were 55 or older.

What happens when a college student, a small business owner, and a professional musician share the same stage? 🎢 At the ...
10/02/2026

What happens when a college student, a small business owner, and a professional musician share the same stage? 🎢

At the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra (OSO), they don’t just make music. They learn from one another, form connections, and create something that reflects the community around them.

That’s the idea behind OSO’s community-centered model, which brings students, community musicians, and professionals together to perform side by side. 🎻

And local donors are helping it grow. Support from funds at your Community Foundation is helping create opportunities for musicians while keeping concerts affordable and free for youth.

This month, those musicians will take the stage in a newly renovated and accessible Music Hall at UW-Oshkosh as OSO opens its 85th season on October 17.

As Music Director Dylan T. Chmura-Moore says, β€œPeople make music, and it rings more true when your neighbor is the one making it with you.” ❀️

Read how local donors are helping OSO bring people together through music:
https://www.oshkoshareacf.org/grant-stories/building-community-through-music/

πŸ“Έ Photo by Michael J. Cooney

Congratulations to the Twentieth Century Club of Oshkosh on an incredible 1️⃣3️⃣0️⃣ years!Founded in 1896 by Mary Jewell...
09/28/2026

Congratulations to the Twentieth Century Club of Oshkosh on an incredible 1️⃣3️⃣0️⃣ years!

Founded in 1896 by Mary Jewell Sawyer and a group of education-minded Oshkosh women, the club was created to foster art, music, education, philanthropy, and community engagement. From advocating for women on the school board to helping to establish ice skating rinks and tennis courts in recreational areas, its members have been making a difference in Oshkosh for generations.

That spirit continues today. The club supports numerous local organizations each year through charitable giving and has partnered with the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation since 1999 through the π˜›π˜Έπ˜¦π˜―π˜΅π˜ͺ𝘦𝘡𝘩 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘡𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘣 𝘍𝘢𝘯π˜₯.

Perhaps founder Mary Jewell Sawyer said it best in 1905:
β€œWe are here to help others β€” not to advance ourselves.”

What a wonderful legacy to carry forward 130 years later. Happy anniversary to the Twentieth Century Club, and thank you for your continued commitment to our community! ❀️

Another group of neighbors is stepping up to help tornado-affected families. ❀️A big thank you to Guys Who Give – Winneb...
09/26/2026

Another group of neighbors is stepping up to help tornado-affected families. ❀️

A big thank you to Guys Who Give – Winnebago County for choosing the Community Response Fund – 2026 Tornado Relief as the recipient of its latest quarterly gift!

Every organization supported by Guys Who Give is nominated and pitched by one of its members, then voted on by the group. At their August meeting, Michael Scott nominated the tornado relief effort, and it received an overwhelming majority of member votes.

Their gift comes at an important time. More than 840 families have already received direct financial assistance, with more than 700 additional requests and scheduled appointments still ahead. We are working to raise another $4 million so help can continue reaching tornado-affected households.

We’re grateful to Michael for bringing the tornado relief effort forward and to every Guys Who Give member who contributed. Every gift helps more tornado-affected families move forward.

Guys Who Give currently has about 35 members and would love to grow toward its goal of 100+ men pooling their gifts to make an even bigger impact right here in Winnebago County.

Thank you for showing what happens when neighbors come together to help neighbors. ❀️

Learn more or make a gift: https://www.oshkoshareacf.org/news-stories/help-tornado-families/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/winnebagocountygwg

Congratulations to this year’s Educational Foundation of Neenah Outstanding Teacher Award recipients! πŸš€We were proud to ...
09/25/2026

Congratulations to this year’s Educational Foundation of Neenah Outstanding Teacher Award recipients! πŸš€

We were proud to celebrate these educators at our Rocketing Ahead event. Each day, they bring care, creativity and dedication to their classrooms, making a lasting difference for Neenah students.

Sara Klawikowski (Alliance), Alyssa Lamont (Clayton), Marnie Schneider (Coolidge), Jamie White (Horace Mann), Corey Knudsen (Lakeview), Chelsea Germait (Spring Road), Crystal Schalliol (Taft), DaNay Stedjee (Tullar), Scott Dohms (Washington), Andrew Mayer and Hannah McLeod (Neenah Middle School), and Ryan Walter and Gabe Retzlaff (Neenah High School).

Thank you for all you do for your students and our community!

πŸ’¬ β€œGood to breathe deep for once.” That’s how one Oshkosh student described being surrounded by young people and mentors...
09/24/2026

πŸ’¬ β€œGood to breathe deep for once.” That’s how one Oshkosh student described being surrounded by young people and mentors who understood his experiences during SEPO ’s first Balaeli Leadership Lab.

This summer, 15 local youth came together to build leadership skills, find their voices, and learn from one another.

They talked about identity and belonging. They practiced advocating for themselves and others. They worked through real-life challenges they face at school. And they did it SEPO-style: with plenty of food, laughter, dancing, and honest conversation. ❀️

Another student shared that having the opportunity to help others helped her see herself as someone who had something to offer, not just someone who needed help.

Confidence. Connection. Belonging. And young people beginning to see themselves as leaders. ✨ That’s what a Youth Program Grant from your Community Foundation helped make possible this summer.

A historic transfer of wealth is underway across Northeast Wisconsin, with an estimated $16.8 billion expected to pass f...
09/23/2026

A historic transfer of wealth is underway across Northeast Wisconsin, with an estimated $16.8 billion expected to pass from one generation to the next over the coming decade.

The Oshkosh Area Community Foundation is proud to partner with three other regional community foundations to launch Give Forward, an initiative encouraging individuals and families to consider how their legacy can strengthen the communities they love for generations to come.

Learn more and explore ways to give forward at GiveForwardWI.org, or contact our team to start a conversation.

Three years after a divorce, one Menasha homeowner was getting back on her feet. Then the tornado hit.Her home (pictured...
09/16/2026

Three years after a divorce, one Menasha homeowner was getting back on her feet. Then the tornado hit.

Her home (pictured) was badly damaged. Her recently purchased car was totaled before she had even made the first payment. Much of what she owns is now being scooped up and hauled away. And she has been staying in a hotel she can’t afford.

Tomorrow, she has an appointment with LEAVEN to find out what help may be available.

Her story is one of hundreds showing us that tornado recovery is about much more than repairing a home.

More than 500 families have already received help, and LEAVEN Fox Cities and People of Progression are currently working through more than 600 additional requests and scheduled appointments. Based on what they’re seeing, at least another $4 million is needed to keep assistance reaching tornado-affected families.

A donor has already stepped forward with $500,000 toward that goal.

❀️ 100% of your gift will go directly to tornado-affected households.

Read more about what families are facing and how you can help:
https://www.oshkoshareacf.org/news-stories/help-tornado-families/

Join us for an informative session about the transfer of wealth currently underway and why thoughtful estate planning co...
09/15/2026

Join us for an informative session about the transfer of wealth currently underway and why thoughtful estate planning conversations are more important than ever for nonprofits.

Choose the date and location that work best for you:

πŸ“… October 15 | 7:45–9:00 a.m.
πŸ“ UW Oshkosh – Culver’s Family Welcome Center

πŸ“… October 27 | 7:45–9:00 a.m.
πŸ“ Green Lake Town Square Community Center

RSVP today to reserve your spot: https://oacf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list/ticket

πŸŽ‰ For 4️⃣0️⃣ years, the Friends of Oshkosh Seniors Center have been showing up for older adults in our community, raisin...
09/11/2026

πŸŽ‰ For 4️⃣0️⃣ years, the Friends of Oshkosh Seniors Center have been showing up for older adults in our community, raising millions of dollars and helping make the Oshkosh Seniors Center the welcoming, active and connected place it is today.

The Friends got their start in 1986, when the Seniors Center was still growing from its early days in the basement of First Presbyterian Church and later Marian Manor. As more older adults found their way to the Center, the need for more space and more community support grew right along with it.

And the Friends stepped up in a BIG way. ❀️

Over the years, they helped raise $1.2 million to build the South building and, together with the Oshkosh Committee on Aging, another $750,000 to purchase and renovate the North building, adding 30,000 square feet for fitness and other activities.

But their impact is about so much more than buildings. It’s in the friendships made over cards and mahjong, the people staying active together, and even a ukulele group that started when one person simply needed a place to practice.

We’re especially proud that the Friends chose the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation to steward their endowment fund, established in 2000, helping ensure their care for this community continues well into the future.

Now it’s time to celebrate 40 amazing years, and all the people who made them possible!

πŸ“… Thursday, September 17 | 4:00–6:30 p.m.
πŸ“ Oshkosh Seniors Center
🎢 Music β€’ Magic β€’ Food Trucks β€’ Raffles β€’ Fun
🎟️ Tickets $5

Congratulations to the Friends of the Oshkosh Seniors Center, and here’s to the next chapter together!

Address

230 Ohio Street, Ste 100
Oshkosh, WI
54902

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 12pm

Telephone

+19204263993

Website

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