Milwaukee Bucks Foundation distributing $250K grants to 20 Wisconsin-based nonprofits

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Milwaukee Bucks Foundation announced Tuesday, Aug. 9, it is distributing $250,000 worth of grants to 20 Wisconsin-based nonprofit organizations as part of its summer grant cycle.

According to a news release, aligning with the foundation’s five pillars of health and wellness, economic and individual empowerment, education, civic engagement and criminal justice and law reform, funding this cycle will be used to support mental health initiatives, voting and justice reform work. Specifically, these initiatives include funding for youth sports, pro bono civil legal aid, therapy for marginalized groups, youth empowerment programming and environmental change.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to provide grants to these 20 organizations, whose hard work and dedication to the community we want to amplify and support,” said Milwaukee Bucks Foundation Executive Director Arvind Gopalratnam. “We look forward to strengthening our relationship with these grantee recipients so that together, we can continue to make a positive impact on our community.”

The Bucks Foundation will celebrate the 20 grantee recipients during a reception and panel discussion at Fiserv Forum on Thursday, Aug. 11. 

The 20 Wisconsin-based nonprofits receiving grants as part of the Milwaukee Bucks Foundation’s summer grant cycle are:

• 100 Black Men of Greater Milwaukee, an organization dedicated to creating motivational environments and overcoming cultural and financial obstacles for African-American youth, is receiving a grant to help fund its 100 Summer Academy.
• All Hands Boatworks creates an opportunity for young people to promote youth development, STEM understandings, character growth, and craftmanship through boat building. The Bucks Foundation is supporting general operating efforts for All Hands Boatworks to continue its work supporting Milwaukee youth in a unique way.
• Black Space, an organization that works to destigmatize mental health and provide free group therapeutic experiences for Black and Brown communities, is receiving funding to help execute its Group Therapeutic Experience sessions.
• Boys and Girls Club of Dane County is a youth development organization that works to empower the young people of Dane County. Support from the Bucks Foundation will go towards the Vel R. Phillips statue at the Wisconsin State Capitol.
• Groundwork aims to improve the environment through community-based partnerships by promoting environmental, economic and social well-being. The Bucks Foundation is providing a grant to support its Greenspace Action program.
• Maroon Calabash is an organization that benefits Black birth-workers in Milwaukee County to practice liberatory Reproductive Justice. The Bucks Foundation will be providing funding to pilot the Little Elders Growers club.
• Ma’Ruf, a Muslim nonprofit that is dedicated to improving the quality of life and well-being of disenfranchised and marginalized communities in Milwaukee, is receiving funding for its Creative Author Jam, Reading-Writing Jam and Creative Illustrator Jam programs.
• Mentor Greater Milwaukee is a program that establishes mentor and mentee relationships to improve connections and development for Milwaukee youth. The Bucks Foundation is providing a grant to assist in general operating.
• Milwaukee Public Libraries provide the community with resources to help people read, learn and connect. It will be receiving a grant for its Super Reading Summer Reading Squad and Teen Summer Challenge programs.
• MYSA, a program that provides high quality sports programs for the young people of Milwaukee, is receiving a grant for sports-based youth development programs.
• My Way Out is an organization that works with employers to provide jobs for formerly incarcerated individuals. The Bucks Foundation is providing funding for its Bridging the Tech Gap for Returning Citizens program.
• PRISM offers access to resources to expand sustained economic growth and personal achievement. PRISM is receiving a grant for its Brigade MKE program.
• Purpose Driven Sisters impacts the lives of young women through sisterhood, faith and empowerment. It is receiving a grant for its It’s My Dad for Me program and Summer Summit.
• The Benedict Center works to help women in the criminal justice system so they can live safer and healthier lives. Support from the Bucks Foundation will go towards its pre-arrest diversion program.
• The Community, an organization that works to develop and showcase the full potential of those with a criminal record, is receiving funding for its Correcting the Narrative campaign.
• The Literacy Lab focuses on offering individualized reading instruction to children from low-income families to further their literacy and educational success. It will be receiving funding for the Leading Men Fellowship program.
• True Skool uses hip-hop culture as a positive and empowering force to provide opportunities to Milwaukee youth. True Skool is receiving funding for after school programming.
• Wisconsin Conservation Voices is an organization that unites people to improve public health, protect natural resources and promote democracy in Wisconsin. The Bucks Foundation is supporting the Wisconsin Native Vote Initiative, which focuses on improving policies that impact Native communities’ access to the polls.
• Wisconsin Equal Justice Fund provides funding for pro bono civil legal aid to ensure equal access to legal support in Wisconsin. It is receiving a grant for general fund support.
• Wisconsin Voices, an organization that focuses on eliminating racial, ethnic and other barriers to achieve democracy for all Wisconsin citizens, is receiving funding for its Youth Advocates for Change program.