2026–2027 Changes to the NMF Grant Cycles

The Nonprofit Management Fund (NMF) will offer two grant application cycles in 2026:

• Cycle 1 — March 30–April 10, 2026: Program period of June–December 2026

• Cycle 2 — November 2–13, 2026: Program period of January–May 2027

 

To better meet the growing demand for capacity-building support, NMF is piloting a new timeline and several changes to the application process beginning in 2026. As a result, NMF has modestly increased the availability of funds for Technical Assistance grants and cohort opportunities, enabling more organizations to be supported in 2026.

Key changes include the following:

• Organizations may receive only one grant award in 2026.

• Grant funds may be used to support multiple projects within the grant period.

  • Applicants are no longer limited to a single project during the grant period.

• Organizations accepted into an NMF cohort in 2026 may not apply for grant funds in the same focus area (e.g., strategic planning, fund development). Likewise, organizations that receive grant funding in a specific area may not apply for a cohort in that same area.

 

The maximum request remains $10,000 per grant cycle.

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Due to continued increases in requests, the NMF has been able to support only approximately one-third of the grant requests received each year. These changes are intended to allow the NMF  to serve more organizations while providing greater flexibility in how and when the grant funds can be used.

 

The NMF will also continue to expand support for nonprofit applicants and grantees by offering additional cohort opportunities in 2026 and is continually working with strategic partners to provide new resources and engagement opportunities. 

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Applying for a Grant

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All grant applicants must have a completed organizational profile at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation portal. First-time applicants will need to create a new organizational profile before receiving access to the grant application. Not to be confused with the application itself, the profile provides necessary general information about your agency that is not contained in the grant application. For questions regarding the grant process or proposal development, please contact Eloiza Altoro, Fund Advisor, at at advisor@nonprofitmanagementfund.org 

 

​​The Fund Advisor does not provide consultation or other contract services to organizations that are eligible to apply to the Nonprofit Management Fund.

 

​Review eligibility and the policies and guidelines for application requirements and limitations. 

 

​​Applications that include a request greater than $10,000 may automatically be denied. Grant requests over $8,500 will require an organizational financial contribution, in addition to the funds provided by the Nonprofit Management Fund.

 

​​Grant decisions are made approximately 30 days following the closing of the online application. Applicants will be contacted for clarification when needed. Funds will be distributed within a few weeks of the grant start date. Please plan accordingly for the grant start date and payment of vendor invoices. Grant funds for retroactive requests will not be considered. The Fund will not pay for Consulting work done prior to the approved grant request.

 

​Note: As of July 1, 2022, the Nonprofit Management Fund (NMF) will be using a new online application system. You will need to create a new individual account and connect to an existing organization if the organization has applied or received a grant from the Nonprofit Management Fund in the past. If you are an organization that has never applied for an NMF grant, you will need to create a new organizational profile in addition to an online account. Please contact advisor@nonprofitmanagementfund.org  if you have any questions or require technical assistance.