MADISON, WI (October 29, 2026)—In its sixth year of supporting nonprofits that serve people with disabilities across Wisconsin, the Wispact Foundation has awarded $1,514,837.71 in total funding. This includes 166 grants to nonprofit organizations across the state. This year, additional funding of $47,500 will go to a continuing scholarship initiative to support a group of non-profits through a yearlong capacity-building cohort in 2027.
Wispact Legacy Grants, ranging from $236.27 to $10,000.00, support initiatives that promote the well-being of people with disabilities in areas such as mental and physical health, housing, transportation, education, and recreation. The 2026 grantees represent a wide geographic and demographic spectrum of Wisconsin, spanning communities across Wisconsin’s urban and rural communities.
“The Wispact Foundation’s 2026 grant cycle represents the growth of not only our capacity for community impact but the commitment of our staff and Board of Directors to support the evolving needs of nonprofits and specifically disability services,” said Eric DeGroot, Foundation Director of Wispact, Inc. “Our ongoing capacity-building cohort program strengthens Wisconsin’s nonprofit sector by investing in the long-term growth and sustainability of organizations serving people with disabilities.”
“Since the Wispact Foundation began in 2021, it has provided more than $5 million in granted funds,” said Eric DeGroot. “Having visited with many of our grantee partners throughout the years. I’ve seen the positive impact these grants and programs have made in the lives of many across the state.”
Established in 2021 and managed by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, the Wispact Foundation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wispact, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides pooled and community special needs trusts (SNT). Since its inception in 2003, Wispact Inc. has grown to serve more than 5,500 beneficiaries, making it one of the largest SNT administrators in the United States. For more on the Wispact Foundation, see https://www.wispactfoundation.org/ and for more on Wispact Special Needs Trust management, see https://www.wispact.org/
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2026 Grant Recipients
| Company | Name |
| First Stage | First Stage’s Next Steps and Sensory Friendly Accommodations |
| Paintings for Pediatrics, Inc. | Art Supplies Operational Funding |
| Milwaukee Ballet Company | Pilot Program – Adaptive Ballet Classes for Adults Served by GiGi’s Playhouse |
| Jeremiah’s Crossing, Inc. | Equestrian Riding Helmets |
| Jeremiah’s Crossing, Inc. | Adjustable Saddle Pads |
| Cedar Springs Therapeutic Ranch | New materials for therapeutic riding program |
| Forte Theatre Company | Pilot Sensory Friendly Production: Annie for Everyone |
| Opportunity Development Center, Inc (ODC) | Art Enrichment |
| Milwaukee Ballet Company | Audio Description for Milwaukee Ballet’s Family-Friendly Productions |
| Madison Contemporary Dance | Our Story in Motion |
| YMCA of Fox Cities | YMCA of the Fox Cities’ Camp Hope & Inspiration Program Materials |
| St. Monica’s Senior Living | Accessible Community Engagement Outings |
| Skylight Music Theatre | ASL Interpretation of 2026-2027 Season |
| Monroe Street Arts Center | Aspiring Artists and Musicians |
| Center for Deaf-Blind Persons, Inc. | Center for Deaf-Blind Persons Virtual Leisure and WISH Programs |
| Skylight Music Theatre | Sensory Friendly Performance |
| Cedar Springs Therapeutic Ranch | Therapeutic Horse |
| Balance Inc | Adult Family Home – Weekend and Evening Activities |
| Opportunity Development Center, Inc (ODC) | Exploring Wisconsin |
| North Country Independent Living DBA indiGO | indiGO 2026- 3-D printer Adaptive Equipment |
| Cerebal Palsy Inc | CP: Flex Farm POD Unit (Fox Cities) |
| Cerebal Palsy Inc | CP: Flex Farm POD Unit (Lakeshore) |
| Cerebal Palsy Inc | CP: Flex Farm POD Unit (Suamico) |
| St. Monica’s Senior Living | Serving Seniors with Necessary Assistive Devices |
| Madison Reading Project | Booked for Summer |
| Kettle Moraine YMCA | ADA Push Buttons for Universal Locker Room |
| Sun Prairie Civic Theater | ASL Interpretation for SPCT 2027 Season |
| Betty Brinn Childrens Museum | BBCM Accessibility & Inclusion Initiative |
| Crohns & Colitis Foundation | Camp Oasis Wisconsin |
| Eastside Senior Services | Transportation Services & Supportive Equipment |
| Happy Place Cooking Space | Cooking Accessibility: Tools and Technology |
| Gigi’s Playhouse Milwaukee | GiGi’s Playhouse Milwaukee – Accessible Learning and Independence Initiative |
| Mequon Nature Preserve | Mequon Nature Preserve Disability Programming |
| Jewish Family Services | Sandy Naimon Breakfast Club (SBNC) |
| Epilepsy Foundation of Wisconsin | Young Adult and Adult Retreat |
| Children’s Wisconsin Foundation | Center for Child Development (CCD) ‘Bug in Ear’ System Upgrades |
| Penfield Children’s Center | Penfield Outdoor Play for All Abilities |
| Washington Island Community Health | Washington Island Community Health Program-Medical Travel Fund |
| Common Threads Family Resource Center | Sensory Exploration Kits |
| Tenant Resource Center | Improving Website Accessibility to Support Housing Stability |
| The Arc Fond du Lac and The Arc Wisconsin | Self-Advocacy and Digital Literacy Initiative |
| ARTS & LITERATURE LABORATORY INC | ALL Digital Accessibility Initiative |
| Penfield Children’s Center | Penfield First Connections Scholarship Fund |
| Penfield Children’s Center | Penfield Respite Care Medical Equipment |
| Immanuel Lutheran Church School and Child Care | Success For EVERY Student |
| Milwaukee Repertory Theater | 2026/27 Live Theater Captioning |
| Shepherds College | Technology for Learning: Updating Essential Student Equipment |
| In Control WI | SD Conference Scholarship Project |
| Happy Place Cooking Space | Cooking Scholarship Fund for Young Adults with Disabilities |
| Haven for Special People, Inc. | Haven Resident Accessibility and Assistive Devices |
| Gigi’s Playhouse Milwaukee | GiGi’s Playhouse Milwaukee: Satellite Programming |
| Wisconsin Parkison Association | Wisconsin Parkinson Association: ACTIVATOR™ Poles |
| Independence First | Innovation for Independence: 3D Printing Lab |
| EasterSeals of Southeast Wisconsin | ADA Shaded Seating for Wil-O-Way Grant & Underwood Parks |
| Logan James Herr Foundation Inc dba Logan’s Heart and Smiles | 2026 Home Modifications |
| Special Olympics | Access and Infrastructure: Inclusive Transportation |
| Trinity Lutheran Schools – Freistadt | Access for All 2026 |
| Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association | Accessibility through Adaptive Sport Equipment |
| Balance Inc | Accessibility to Fitness Activities for Adult Day Program participants |
| Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association | Accessible Adaptive Sports – Scholarship |
| Ability Adventures Inc. | Accessible Transportation for Ability Adventures Programs |
| Zoological Society | ADA Train Car Project |
| St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School | Adaptability for auditory and visual needs at St. Paul’s |
| United Training Foundation | Adaptive Fitness Equipment |
| Jeremiah’s Crossing, Inc. | Adaptive Therapeutic Equine Riding Lessons |
| St. Coletta of Wisconsin, Inc. | Aging in Place at St. Coletta of Wisconsin |
| Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Foundation | All-User Playground: Rubberized Surface |
| ARTS for ALL Wisconsin | Art, Music, and Choir Classses for Adults with Disabilities |
| Special Olympics | Athlete Leadership and Empowerment |
| Marcus Performing Arts Center | Audio Description Modernization in Uihlein Hall |
| Children’s Theater Madison (CTM) | Audio Description Services |
| Betty Brinn Childrens Museum | BBCM Sensory Friendly Sessions |
| Innovative Care Services | Beyond Barriers Music for All |
| St. Francis Children’s Center | Birth to 3: Vital Early Intervention Support |
| Bloom 360 Learning Center | Bloom360 BizPath Scholarship Fund |
| Bloom 360 Learning Center | Bloom360 Day School Tuition Scholarships |
| Bloom 360 Learning Center | Bloom360 Roots Program Scholarship |
| Blossom IDD | Blossom IDD Day Bloom |
| Marcus Performing Arts Center | Broadway ASL Interpretation Services |
| Marcus Performing Arts Center | Broadway Touch Tours |
| Islands of Brillance | Building the Mentor Pipeline: IOB Campus Fellows at MIAD |
| STRYV 365 | Building Youth Resiliency – Brown Deer School District |
| STRYV 365 | Building Youth Resiliency – Richardson School – Cudahy |
| Penfield Children’s Center | Camp Wilder: Inclusive Play for Every Ability |
| Overture Center Foundation, Inc. | Captioning Services through CC Theater |
| Children’s Wisconsin Foundation | Center for Child Development (CCD) Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy Sensory-Motor Equipment P |
| Elsie Shaw Parent Scholarship Fund | Circles of Life Conference Scholarships for Families |
| LifeStriders, Inc. | Closing the Gap |
| Friends of Wehr Nature Center, Inc. | Connecting Through Nature: Expanding Accessible Outdoor Recreation at Wehr |
| Opportunity of North Central WI, Inc. | Connections to Independence: Living Beyond Home |
| Explore Childrens Museum of Sun Prairie | Create Without Limits |
| Edgewood University | Cutting Edge Program at Edgewood University |
| Elsie Shaw Parent Scholarship Fund | Dancing for Individuals with Disabiliites |
| Dor-Tran, Inc. DBA Door-Tran | Door County Transportation Services 2026-27 |
| Adaptive Mobility Providers | Driftless Cycling Pilot |
| Easterseals Wisconsin | Easterseals Wisconsin Camps Communication Access Initiative |
| Green Bay Botanical Garden | Education Center Accessibility Project |
| St. Francis Children’s Center | Ensuring Safe Access to Pediatric Therapy Services |
| Ex Fabula | Equal Access Storytelling |
| Community Support Network | Expanding Community Access for Adults with Disabilities |
| Morgans Caring Connection | Family Support Giving Fund |
| Broadscope Disability Services | Fostering Indepenence of Individuals with Disabilities |
| Family Voices of Wisconsin | Future Ready |
| Gigi’s Playhouse Madison WI | GiGi’s Playhouse Madison Kitchen |
| GPS Education Partners | GPS Education Partners – Chromebooks – Northern Region |
| Independence First | Growing Independence: Empowering Through Gardening and Entrepreneurship |
| St. Marcus School | Growing Special Education Services |
| Opportunity Development Center, Inc (ODC) | Guardians of Hope |
| Movin’ Out, Inc. | Homestead Fund for Housing Stability |
| Wisconsin Coalition of Independent Living Centers | IL Days Interpretation Services |
| WI FACETS | Inclusive Education Workshops |
| Living our Visions Inclusively (LOV Inc.) | Inclusive Educational & Recreational Programming for People with Disabilities |
| Special Olympics | Inclusive Sports and Program Growth: Track and Field and Cornhole |
| Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, Inc. | Inclusive Technologies & Special Spaces Initiative for JA Finance Park |
| Disability Rights Wisconsin | Increased Access through Advocacy Support Hub |
| Autism Society of Wisconsin | Increasing Accessibility of the Autism Society of Wisconsin Annual Conference |
| Journeys Lutheran School | Internship Program |
| Collect & Gather Inc | Invisible Scars |
| Journey 21 | Journey21’s Life Academy – WCTC Tuition |
| KANDU Industries, Inc. | KANDU Independence Through Assistive Technology Initiative |
| Independence First | Leadership Through Advocacy (NCIL and IL Days) |
| Madison Area Rehabilitation Centers (MARC, inc.) | MARC Community Engagement |
| IP Ministries/ The Creator’s Cottage | Memory Collectors Storytelling Project: Fighting Alzheimer’s with Art |
| Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra | Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra 2026-27 Sensory Inclusive Initiatives |
| Portal Inc. | Mobile Bridge |
| Urban Ecology Center | Nature for All: Accessibility at the Urban Ecology Center |
| One City Schools | One City Schools Sensory Room |
| Midstate Independent Living Choices, Inc. | Opening Doors to Independence |
| Natures Edge Therapy Center, Inc. | Pathways to Communication and Independence |
| The Arc of Racine County | Pathways to Success Program |
| Pink Umbrella Theater Company | Pink Umbrella Theater Company: Accessible Lift |
| Above and Beyond Children’s Museum | Play for All Programming |
| Braille Library & Transcribing Services, Inc. | Production of braille books for free braille lending library |
| Adaptive Mobility Providers | Program Expansion to Cascade Mt – Adaptive Alpine Skiing Adaptive |
| Royal Family Kids – Racine | Racine Royal Family KIDS Camp 2027 |
| AFAR Inc. d/b/aThe Ability Center | RampUp: Universal Recreation & Bradford Beach |
| Movin’ Out, Inc. | Rental Home Accessibility Improvements |
| Rides and Reins TEC, Inc. | Rides and Reins Horse Assisted Services |
| Racine Kenosha Community Action Agency | RKCAA Independence Without Barriers Initiative |
| Revitalize Milwaukee | Safe Homes for Individuals Living with Disabilities |
| Life Navigators | Self-Advocacy and Independence Program |
| Marcus Performing Arts Center | Sensory Friendly Student Matinee |
| Special Olympics | Sign Language Interpretation and Inclusive Navigation |
| SMILES Inc | SMILES – HEARTS Program |
| Society’s Assets | Society’s Assets Scholarship Fund |
| Independence First | SPARK Camp: Building Confidence, Community, and Independence |
| Fishing for the Heart | Special Needs Fishing |
| Community Smiles Dental | Special Smiles: Creating Accessible Sensory Treatment Spaces |
| Children’s Wisconsin Foundation | Speech Services – Center for Child Development |
| Spina Bifida Wisconsin | Spina Bifida Wisconsin Camperships |
| The Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi | Standing Strong: Living Safely with Independent Mobility |
| Friends of Wehr Nature Center, Inc. | Strengthening Connection to Nature: Accessible Signage for All Abilities at Wehr Nature Center |
| Wisconsin Lutheran Child & Family Service, Inc. | STRONG Milwaukee Center Scholarships |
| People First Wisconsin | Supporting Emerging Leaders in Self-Advocacy & Disability Rights |
| Audio & Braille Literacy Enhancement | Swell Form Embosser for Better Tactiles |
| Wisconsin Lutheran Child & Family Service, Inc. | Therapy Supplies |
| LifeStriders, Inc. | THRIVE |
| Curative Connections | Tovertafel: Magic Table Projector |
| OccuPaws | Training and Placing a Wisconsin Guide Dog |
| Creative Community Living Services, Inc. | Transportation for Good |
| Journey 21 | Transportation for Journey21’s Launch Academy |
| Portal Inc. | Wellness Your Way! |
| In Control WI | WI Self-Determination Conference Interpreter Support Project |
| Heaven’s Gait Ranch, Inc. | WisPact Foundation Grant |
| Blue Lotus Center | Wispact Foundation Week |
| Make-A-Wish Wisconsin | Wispact Makes Wishes Come True Project |