Community Connections Small Grants Program
Community Connections Small Grants Program is a non-profit that awards $50–$600 micro-grants to Milwaukee and Waukesha residents for neighborhood projects, funded jointly by three foundations and reviewed by resident committees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2025
- HeadquartersMilwaukee, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Community Connections Small Grants Program does
Community Connections Small Grants Program is a non-profit, resident-led grants initiative headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that awards micro-grants of $50 to $600 to fund neighborhood improvement projects, events, and activities. The program is jointly funded by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, and Zilber Family Foundation, and serves adults and youth residing in 11 specific Milwaukee zip codes (53204, 53205, 53206, 53208, 53209, 53210, 53212, 53215, 53216, 53218, 53224) plus the Dunbar Oaks and Tower Hill neighborhoods in Waukesha. Eligible residents may apply as individuals with a community partner or as groups, with each group limited to one grant per year. All applications are reviewed and scored by panels of residents drawn from the same targeted geographies, ensuring community-driven decision making.
The program's technology stack is intentionally lightweight and consists of a SurveyMonkey-based online application portal, downloadable Word and PDF templates for application questions and final reporting, an electronic final-report expense sheet, and—for the youth track—video submissions delivered by email. Distribution and outreach rely on a website (ccsmallgrants.org), a Facebook page (CCSGMilwaukee), an explainer video on YouTube, and structured application assistance dates where staff help residents complete submissions. The youth track operates on two formal cycles per year, each with its own application release, application assistance, deadline, grantee orientation, and project completion milestones.
Economically, the entity does not generate commercial revenue; capital inflows are philanthropic grants from the three foundation partners, and outflows are capped at $600 per award. The organization's 11–50 headcount supports program administration, resident outreach, application assistance, and final-report review. Given the absence of disclosed financials beyond a single $40,000 Zilber Family Foundation grant dated 2022-06-23, the program's scale is best characterized as a stable, foundation-funded operating initiative rather than a growth-stage enterprise.
Community Connections Small Grants Program firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Community Connections Small Grants Program
- Legal name
- Community Connections
- Website
- https://ccsmallgrants.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2025
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Community Connections Small Grants Program is a non-profit that awards $50–$600 micro-grants to Milwaukee and Waukesha residents for neighborhood projects, funded jointly by three foundations and reviewed by resident committees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Community Connections Small Grants Program industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Grant Programs
- NAICS
- Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)
Keywords
Where Community Connections Small Grants Program is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Milwaukee
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Community Connections Small Grants Program business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Foundation Grant Funding: The program is funded through partnerships with Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, and Zilber Family Foundation. These foundations provide capital that is then distributed as small grants ($50-$600) to resident-led neighborhood projects. The program itself does not generate revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Small grants ranging from $50 to $600 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Community Connections Small Grants Program product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Community Connections Small Grants Program is a non-profit grant-making initiative that awards $50-$600 grants to resident-led neighborhood projects, events, and activities in targeted Milwaukee zip codes and Waukesha neighborhoods. The program is jointly funded by three philanthropic foundations and operates through a resident-driven review process where applications are scored by committees of residents from the same eligible areas.
Product overview
The Community Connections Small Grants Program is a unified grants initiative offering two application tracks: the core Adult Residents Program and the Youth Residents Program. Both programs award grants ranging from $50-$600, utilize SurveyMonkey for applications, require final reporting, and are funded by the same three foundation partners. The program serves specific zip codes in Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha neighborhoods, with resident review committees evaluating all applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Community Connections Small Grants Program
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Community Connections Small Grants Program technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Community Connections Small Grants Program partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Community Connections Small Grants Program competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Robin Hood Foundation: Robin Hood Foundation funds poverty-relief and community projects in New York using philanthropic capital with structured review processes. Comparable in grantmaking intermediary function, though at much larger scale and focused on poverty alleviation rather than neighborhood improvement.
- Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): LISC is a national community development financial institution that funds resident-led neighborhood improvement initiatives in Milwaukee and other cities. It is comparable because it channels philanthropic and corporate capital into hyper-local community projects, though at a much larger scale and broader scope than CCSG.
- Northwestern Mutual Foundation: Northwestern Mutual Foundation is one of CCSG's three co-funders and is a corporate foundation that runs employee volunteer and community grant programs in Milwaukee. Comparable as a Milwaukee-based philanthropic funder, though broader in scope than CCSG.
Direct peers
- Baltimore Community Foundation: Baltimore Community Foundation operates neighborhood-level small-grant programs in defined Baltimore geographies with community-driven review. Comparable community foundation running similar resident-facing grantmaking programs.
- The Chicago Community Trust: The Chicago Community Trust runs resident-led small grant programs across Chicago neighborhoods using community review panels. Directly comparable in model, mechanism, and intended outcomes to CCSG's resident review approach.
- The Cleveland Foundation: The Cleveland Foundation operates neighborhood-level small-grant programs funded by donor-advised and corporate foundation partners, with resident review structures similar to CCSG. Comparable as a community foundation running grassroots grantmaking in defined geographies.
- Cities of Service (Love Your Block): Cities of Service's Love Your Block program funds resident-led neighborhood improvement projects in U.S. cities using small grants and volunteer engagement. Closely mirrors CCSG's grant size, resident-led application model, and neighborhood beautification/safety outcomes.
- Greater Milwaukee Foundation: The Greater Milwaukee Foundation is one of CCSG's three co-funders and is a community foundation that runs multiple resident-facing grant programs across the same Milwaukee geography. It is directly comparable as a community grantmaking entity serving the same target ZIP codes.
- Zilber Family Foundation: The Zilber Family Foundation is one of CCSG's three co-funders and operates multiple community grant programs in Milwaukee's targeted ZIP codes. Directly comparable as a Milwaukee-focused grantmaking entity with similar resident-led programming.
Regional players
- United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County: United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County funds community programs across the same Milwaukee/Waukesha geography as CCSG through grants to nonprofits and community initiatives. Comparable as a regional community funder, though typically operating through nonprofit intermediaries rather than direct resident grants.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Community Connections Small Grants Program social profiles
Digital presenceCommunity Connections Small Grants Program financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Community Connections Small Grants Program leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Community Connections Small Grants Program funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Community Connections Small Grants Program M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Community Connections Small Grants Program
What does Community Connections Small Grants Program do?
The Community Connections Small Grants Program is a non-profit grant-making initiative that awards $50-$600 grants to resident-led neighborhood projects, events, and activities in targeted Milwaukee zip codes and Waukesha neighborhoods. The program is jointly funded by three philanthropic foundations and operates through a resident-driven review process where applications are scored by committees of residents from the same eligible areas.
Is Community Connections Small Grants Program a public or private company?
Community Connections Small Grants Program is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Community Connections Small Grants Program founded?
Community Connections Small Grants Program was founded in 2025. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Community Connections Small Grants Program based?
Community Connections Small Grants Program is headquartered in Milwaukee, United States, in the North America region.
How does Community Connections Small Grants Program make money?
One revenue line is on record: foundation Grant Funding.
Who are Community Connections Small Grants Program's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Robin Hood Foundation, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and Northwestern Mutual Foundation. Direct peers are Baltimore Community Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, The Cleveland Foundation, Cities of Service (Love Your Block), Greater Milwaukee Foundation and Zilber Family Foundation. United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County is listed as a regional player.
Does Community Connections Small Grants Program have an API?
No public API is recorded for Community Connections Small Grants Program.
What industry is Community Connections Small Grants Program in?
Community Connections Small Grants Program's product category is Community Grant Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAE, Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries, with a secondary code of BPADAOAB, Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors). Its NAICS code is 813219 and its SIC code is 8300.