Daybreak Fund Releases Request for Proposals for 2024 Grant Cycle

The Daybreak Fund has announced its second annual request for proposals (RFP) for its 2024 round of funding. Through this competitive process, the Fund will invest approximately $1.7 million in grants to local nonprofits and community groups to help fight climate change, improve water quality, and address social inequities.

Launched in spring 2023, the Daybreak Fund, fiscally sponsored by Windward Fund, is a collaborative of 11 philanthropic partners seeking to protect the environment and support communities along the western shores of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin and Lake County, Illinois. The central goal of the Daybreak Fund is to improve the lives of people while safeguarding our environment.

“We were absolutely thrilled with the enthusiasm and amazing ideas so many applicants presented in our 2023 grant cycle,” said Amber Meyer Smith, Program Officer for the Daybreak Fund. “We’re very excited to see the innovative nature-based solutions to climate change and water quality issues put forward in response to this year’s RFP.”

With $1.4 million in grants last year, the Daybreak Fund supported 12 projects that offered creative solutions to address both environmental and societal challenges, and a similar number will be awarded in 2024. “In 2023, we focused our funding on innovative projects that can lead to systems change, with an emphasis on impressive partnerships and projects led by frontline organizations and people of color,” said Vicki Elkin, Executive Director of the Fund for Lake Michigan, a partner in the funding collaborative. “The Fund will once again prioritize projects sharing these goals.”

The Fund requires a pre-application, due April 10. From there, select potential grantees will be invited to submit a full proposal, with grants announced in late July. 501(c)3 non-profit organizations, municipalities and local government agencies, tribes, and educational institutions are eligible for funding. Collaborations are strongly encouraged.

For more details, please visit https://www.daybreak.fund.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.