Grantmaking

Grantmaking through listening and learning

Two of the greatest gifts you can give a child are roots to grow and wings to fly. To help children grow strong from the roots up, we look for opportunities to address Social Drivers of Health and prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences and partner with nonprofit organizations that support low-income children and their families in reaching their full potential.

For children to have a strong start in life, they must be healthy, safe, loved and learning. Therefore, we invest in four program areas: basic needs, early learning, health, safety & justice. Across these program areas, we support direct services, as well as advocacy. When possible, we prioritize prevention and early-intervention strategies.

Early Learning

Madison Reading Project

For us, grantmaking is so much more than just funding the great work nonprofits are doing. It is about spending time listening to them and learning from their expertise. It is about being accountable and responsive to those we are supporting. It is about sharing our insights from our unique vantage point as a national funder, and mobilizing our resources and connections to advance our partners’ missions.

We learn about prospective nonprofit partners through ongoing research, community outreach, and our introduce yourself form. Given the capacity constraints of our small team, we do not accept or respond to unsolicited proposals or letters of inquiry.

Learn about our Grantmaking

“Roots & Wings’ support allows us the freedom to think more creatively and expansively, which is critical to innovation and growth.”


Lana Shklyar Nenide
Executive director, Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health