Community Foundation launches Women’s Fund for Marathon County

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - The Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin is launching a new fund to help women and girls in Marathon County.

The Women’s Fund for Marathon County is expected to help nonprofits in the area that promote leadership and economic stability for women. The Community Foundation is looking to give back to places that promote safety and economic stability.

They’re also looking into places that revolve around childcare.

“That is a quick way for a brighter community,” said Michelle Gleason, Development Director at The Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin.

Strategic investment in women and girls

The Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin’s mission is to make it easier for women and girls to live and thrive in Marathon County.

Gleason says the fund was designed to strategically invest in women and girls.

“There’s so much research that shows when you do that, a whole community rises, a whole community benefits when money is strategically invested in women and girls. It’s good for families, good for the community,” Gleason said.

The organizations they hope to help include many areas in the community.

“Organizations and initiatives that help women pursue opportunities in education. It will help with programs and opportunities that promote safety, leadership opportunities, mentorship and economic stability,” Gleason said.

Focus on childcare needs

Gleason said the advisory committee is talking a lot about childcare because it’s such a nationwide issue.

There are no recipients set in stone yet. Right now, they’re focused on raising the rest of the money.

So far, they’ve hit a total of $420,000. The goal is a little more than $1 million to raise for an endowment.

“An endowment really is a specialty of the Community Foundation,” Gleason said. “It’s a type of fund that is meant to live on forever. So it’s managed in a way where it will provide grants in this community forever.”

The $150,000 they hope to have on top of that will go to grants throughout 2026.

“We really think that this fund can accomplish solving a little bit of the problem, and we want the support of the community to do that,” Gleason said.

Gleason said she looks forward to the work they hope to accomplish next year and sharing who the recipients are as they make that decision.

To learn more about the fund, click here or email Michelle at michelle@cfoncw.org.