Green Bay Packers Foundation awards $1.75 million in grants, including $1.4M to projects in Brown County

GREEN BAY – Green Bay Packers Foundation awarded impact grants that will help expand an ice center, improve child care, support the National Railroad Museum and increase college opportunities, among other projects in three counties.

The Packers Foundation gave $1.4 million to projects in Brown County, and $350,000 to organizations in Dane and Milwaukee counties. The $1.75 million was a record for the amount awarded at one time. The impact grant program, launched in 2013, directs money to organizations that serve their communities on a daily basis.

"From education, mentoring and community-building programs to providing care and support for our most vulnerable neighbors, the grant recipients will create direct and lasting impacts through the state of Wisconsin," said Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy.

The Packers Foundation has awarded $11.15 million since the program began in 2013. Overall, the foundation awarded more than $24 million since it was established in 1986.

Wednesday's awards were:

Brown County

• Brown County United Way received a $125,000 matching grant to support development, implementation and evaluation of programing offered to community members at the City East Center in Green Bay.
• Cornerstone Community Center Inc. in Ashwaubenon received a $200,000 matching grant for updating and expanding its facility to enhance ice availability and youth development, increase seating to attract more events, and provide a state-of-the-art facility for St. Norbert College men’s hockey.
• Encompass Early Education and Care Inc. received a $250,000 matching grant to expand child care opportunities in northeastern Wisconsin.
• Friends of Pals Youth & Families Inc. received a $250,000 matching grant to help expand and enhance its Family Center facility to provide a safe, home-like environment for court-ordered supervised visits.
• The National Railroad Museum in Ashwaubenon received a $200,000 matching grant for its Fox River Expansion Project, which will nearly double the size of the Museum’s Lenfestey Center.

In Dane County:

• Agrace Hospice Care Foundation received a $125,000 grant to expand dementia and Alzheimer’s services throughout Wisconsin through Agrace’s Institute of Dementia Excellence.
• The Nature Conservancy’s Wisconsin Chapter, headquartered in Madison, received a $150,000 matching grant to devote toward the East River Collaborative, which is building flood resilience within the East River Watershed in Brown County.

In Milwaukee County:

• College Possible received a $125,000 matching grant to grow its college-readiness strategy program to be more accessible statewide by helping implement new staffing strategies, providing career exploration and expanding support to students transitioning from a two-year to four-year degree-granting institution.
• MENTOR Greater Milwaukee received a $75,000 matching grant to enhance mentorship through community building and increased awareness to the surrounding areas.

In Brown and Milwaukee counties:

• Marian University, Inc., received a $250,000 matching grant to contribute to its Dr. George E. Koonce Scholars Program to provide support to first-generation, low-income students in Green Bay, Milwaukee, Kenosha and Racine. Koonce is a former Packers linebacker.

Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG