Impact Grant Program

Cream City Foundation has developed three elevated priorities that guide our fundraising and grant-making efforts, as well as our proactive convening work to shine a light on the most critical issues that need to be address in our communities, collectively. The three elevated priorities are Equity, Health and Prosperity.

Before beginning your application, please click the link below to see the grant RFP and read about the guidelines and application materials. You will not be able to save and return to your application once you have started, so it is very important that you have all of the materials to complete your application when you start it:

Example Grant Guidelines from 2019

The Tenets

EQUITY

Creating opportunities to bridge our understanding that the LGBTQ+ community is not one monolithic community, but one that is comprised of multiple communities with intersecting identities, experiences and oppressions. This priority also focuses on full inclusion; the idea of bringing your whole self to your daily activities and being safe to do so.

HEALTH

Creating opportunities to fairly access physical and mental healthcare services, finding welcoming and culturally-competent healthcare providers and having access to health insurance, without fear or discrimination.

PROSPERITY

Creating equal opportunities for families and individuals to earn a living. We will address economic justice issues to secure access to housing, food, education and employment in fair and inclusive workplaces.

The Study

Background

In the fall of 2015, Cream City Foundation convened leaders and stakeholders from southeastern Wisconsin in the LGBTQ+ and allied communities to better understand the issues facing our community post-marriage equality.

In 2016, the Marquette University Center for Gender and Sexualities Studies was selected to help the Foundation complete a strategic needs assessment. An environmental scan of the LGBTQ+ community was completed, which included in-depth interviews with 27 community leaders from 25 organizations in southeastern Wisconsin and Madison to identify where gaps in services lie, which communities are underserved and which services are most needed.

The research found that LGBTQ+ people continue to face disproportionate economic and health disparities, in addition to issues of safety and equity for LGBTQ+ families.

Key Findings

There is not one singular LGBTQ+ community, but several communities; there is great diversity in gender identity, sexuality, race and ethnicity, class and religion among LGBTQ+ people.

The greatest needs of LGBTQ+ people in southeastern Wisconsin center around themes of health education, employment, poverty and rural issues.

People of color, in particular black LGBTQ+ people (regardless of gender, identity, age and class), experience the most discrimination and poverty and are in the most need in LGBTQ+ communities.

All trans* people, especially trans* people of color, experience the greatest discrimination and the greatest levels of poverty and violence.
Issues facing LGBTQ+ people take on different levels of complexity based on age, with our most vulnerable being youth or older adults.
There is a strong desire and need for collaboration among LGBTQ+ organizations and between LGBTQ+ and allied organizations.

Current State

Utilizing the research and feedback collected in the multiple convening sessions and one-on-one interviews with various LGBTQ+ and allied organizations, Cream City Foundation will focus on creating opportunities for LGBTQ+ people in southeastern Wisconsin to live prosperous and fulfilling lives with the equal opportunity to participate in American life. We dream of a day when our people have positive visibility and dignity that will make them safe in the world, more employable and healthy.

The Foundation’s work will address the issues that prevent our communities from achieving the dream of full inclusion and acceptance. As a result, the Foundation’s work will not be single-issue driven. It will focus on creating whole lives where the economic, health, safety and equity needs of our LGBTQ+ communities are met and individuals can flourish.