2026 CRF Grant Application Guidelines

CRF Grant Application Overview  |  2026 CRF Grant Application Guidelines  |  2026 CRF Grant Application

If you have questions about the grant application, contact Liz Hawley, Education and Outreach Coordinator, at 608-512-6801 or by email at l.hawley@willystreet.coop. 

How To Submit An Application

Organizations may submit only one grant application. Applications that do not include all pertinent information, as follows, will be disqualified.

1. Complete application form.
2. Email separately crf@willystreet.coop your project budget. Please see the requirements directly below:

Preparing Your Project Budget

1. Explain specifically how funds from the Co-op’s grant program will be used. 
2. On your budget sheet, indicate the full cost of your proposed project. If possible, include line items for what parts of the project will be funded by the Co-op’s grant program and what parts will be funded by other sources, if any. Name other sources of funding AND indicate if the funding is confirmed or pending. 
3. If you request in-kind donations from the Co-op (such as snacks, seeds, gift cards, water bottles), indicate that it is an “in-kind request.” Please know, all requesting organizations looking for in-kind donations are capped yearly at $250. This includes requests made throughout the year via the Donations Form found on our website. 
4. Important! Indicate which items in your request are your highest priority for funding if the committee is only able to partially fund your request. 
5. Finally, check your arithmetic to be sure the numbers add up!

(If you prefer to drop off your application at our Central Office, contact Liz Hawley at 608-512-6801 or l.hawley@willystreet.coop to make arrangements.)

The deadline for applications is January 15, 2026 at 11:59 pm. No exceptions.

You will get an email confirmation when we receive your application. The email will be time-stamped with the time that your application was sent, which confirms that we received it. Print or save the confirmation for your records. Applications submitted after the deadline will be excluded from consideration.

Organization Verification

Our grants support documented non-profit organizations and cooperative organizations. Applicants must include a copy of their Internal Revenue Service determination letter indicating 501(c)(3) IRS status for your organization OR articles of incorporation indicating Wisconsin Chapter 185 cooperative status. A State of Wisconsin Tax Exemption Certificate is not proof of 501(c)(3) status. 

If you are not a non-profit or co-op, as defined, you may apply for a grant using a fiscal sponsor. A fiscal sponsor is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or a Wis. Chapter 185 cooperative that is willing to partner with an organization that does not have one of these statuses to receive a grant award and disburse it to the organization completing the project. Organizations who must use a fiscal sponsor:

1. 170(c)(1) government entities are not eligible to apply directly for Community Reinvestment Fund grants and must use a fiscal sponsor with proof of the proper status as a non-profit or co-op. 
2. Public schools and other organizations that do not have proof of 501(c)(3) IRS or Wis. Chapter 185 cooperative status must apply for a grant using a fiscal sponsor. For schools, in many cases, parent-teacher organizations have proper 501(c)(3) certifications to act as fiscal sponsor.

Important! If you are applying using a fiscal sponsor, we require proof of the agreement with your fiscal sponsor. An attached letter or email from your fiscal sponsor’s Executive Director or President or Board Chair indicating the fiscal sponsor’s agreement will suffice. 

Organizations making requests and their parent organizations (if applicable) must have a nondiscrimination policy. Any form of discrimination against any class including and not limited to those protected by local, state, or federal law is contrary to the principles and policies of Willy Street Co-op. 

Organizations and their parent organizations (if applicable) that engage with animals as part of achieving their mission must have a policy of humane animal treatment. Willy Street Co-op refrains from funding organizations that use animals for the purposes of product testing or other research.

Willy Street Co-op Grant Awards

Grant applications are reviewed by a panel composed of members from the Board of Directors, staff, and Co-op Owners-at-Large, typically a group of 6-8. The review panel makes recommendations to the Willy Street Co-op Board of Directors. After the Board of Directors approves grant awards, applicants will be emailed notification of their award status during the week of March 23, 2026. 

For organizations awarded a grant, an informal gathering with board members and the review panel will be held in April at Aubergine, 1226 Williamson Street. The date will be announced when awards are made. 

Organizations receiving an award will also be informed of final report requirements for their grant project, including: 

• Did the project fulfill the intended outcomes you expected when you wrote the proposal? How? Please include any reporting that is linked to the benchmarks you cited in the proposal.
• Did any unusual stories or fulfilling relationships develop in the process?
• Will this project continue, or has it influenced other programming that you will offer in the future?
• Are there ways for the community to become involved with your project?