We appreciate your interest in applying for a grant from The Brico Fund. Please note we have a two-step process.
The first step in the application process is completing the Online Preliminary Application form. We require this form from all organizations seeking grants, including former grantees and current grantees seeking renewal. Preliminary Applications are due January 15 and July 15. If, through a competitive process, the Preliminary Application fits within The Brico Fund’s current funding priorities, the applicant will move to the second step of the process, being invited to submit a Full Proposal. Please note, organizations must be invited to submit Full Proposals.
Within our program areas of interest, The Brico Fund considers grants for the following: general operating; program expansion or improvement; project start up; policy and advocacy, including community organizing; technical assistance needs including planning, fundraising and management assistance; and strategies to strengthen organizational leadership.
At this time, The Brico Fund does not make multi-year commitments.
The Brico Fund considers itself a place-based funder. Most of The Brico Fund’s funding supports organizations in Wisconsin, with most resources being spent locally in Milwaukee and southeast Wisconsin, as defined by each program area. The Brico Fund considers requests from national organizations - or place-based organizations in different locales - ONLY IF the funding request relates directly and strategically to local programming in southeast Wisconsin.
No grants are made outside the United States.
While we enjoy long relationships with some grantees, we watch carefully for the sustainability of or creation of a diversified base of income so that The Brico Fund funding is not an inappropriately large percentage of an organization’s revenue base. We are unlikely to initiate or continue long term funding for those organizations unable or unwilling to diversify their funding base.
Conversely, some compelling issues are short lived, only fit our funding priorities for a short time, or are not influencing the systemic change we expect to impact strongly enough. No assumptions should be made about continued financial support.
Generally, The Brico Fund does not accept requests for additional support during the period in which an organization has a grant in effect. We prefer to receive a request from an organization only once in a twelve month period.