Bargains Unlimited grants provide critical support for charities that sustain the quality of life for senior citizens and those who work in Door County.

Supported by the proceeds of Bargains Unlimited, the beloved Sister Bay resale shop, the Bargains Unlimited Charitable Fund grant program will fund projects that support working people in Door County or enrich the quality of life for our community’s aging population.

Bargains Unlimited Grant Guidelines

The proposed activities should accomplish at least one of the following:
1. Serve the working people of Door County
2. Enrich the quality of life for seniors in Door County
3. Enhance the lives of residents of Serenity Spring Senior Living

Grant awards are expected to average $25,000, with requests of up to $100,000 considered for exceptional projects that align with the program’s goals. Preference will be given to projects that benefit residents of Northern Door County – defined as the area including the towns of Egg Harbor and Sevastopol, and all municipalities to the north.

The following do not qualify for a Bargains Unlimited Charitable Fund Grant:

• Retiring debt or budget deficits
• Loans or re-granting programs
• Multi-year commitments (charities may reapply in future cycles for the same idea)
• Activities that advance a particular religious belief (religious organizations should contact the Community Foundation to discuss specific project ideas before applying)
• Individuals or groups that are not qualified public charities or units of government

While we recognize the importance of all of these activities, the Board has made a strategic decision to focus the priorities of the grants elsewhere.

We generally do not make grants to pay for activities that have been contracted or that occur prior to the awarding of a grant.

Fundraising expenses, capital campaigns and grants to an endowment are generally not supported by grants unless the applicant can articulate special circumstances which make their request particularly important.

Each charity is limited to one application per cycle. However, charities may submit applications in successive grant cycles or to the other granting programs of the Community Foundation that might be open at the same time.

Application

Please complete the Community Foundation’s Common Grant Application and submit via email to applications@givedoorcounty.org.

The Chief Executive of your organization must review the entire Application Packet and sign the Application Form accordingly. This is an important step in the process as on occasion we have received applications that were submitted without the knowledge of the charity’s senior management. To protect your organization and ours, we now require that your Chief Executive review your Application Packet before we will consider it.

For purposes of this application, the “Chief Executive” is generally the highest ranking paid staff person in your organization. In many charities it is the Executive Director or President & CEO. For schools, the Principal must sign the Application Form. For units of government, the highest ranking official such as a Mayor or Village Administrator must sign.

For an all volunteer organization, the Board President should sign the Application Form.

We will accept the typed name and email address of the Chief Executive typed on the Application Form as an “electronic signature” if the Application Packet is submitted by email. However, please note that if it is not an original signature, we may contact the Chief Executive listed on the form to confirm their electronic signature.

While it’s permissible to combine multiple projects with a strong and natural correlation into a single application, the budget on the application should separate the individual line-item expenses by project.  For instance, rather than adding up the total design, equipment, and labor costs for all three projects into single line items, instead, list them by individual project.

Application Deadlines

Grant applications will be accepted through the Door County Community Foundation’s regular winter and summer grant cycles.

Winter Sustainability Grant Cycle
Applications Due: 4th Monday of December at 4:00 p.m.

Summer Sustainability Grant Cycle
Applications Due: 4th Monday of June at 4:00 p.m.

Please provide your contact information if you would like to receive emails announcing when applications become available for the various grant programs of the Community Foundation.

Submit your completed Common Grant Application via email to applications@givedoorcounty.org.

On occasion, our spam filters inadvertently screen out email from some charities. You should receive an email within 3 business days of our receipt of your application confirming its receipt. If you do not receive this confirmation, please call (920) 746-1786 to confirm that we received your application materials.

Applicants will be notified of a decision about seven (7) weeks after the application deadline.

Please email us, or call (920) 746-1786, if you have any questions or would like an informal assessment of your idea prior to the submission of a formal application.

Final Report

Grant recipients agree to provide a Final Report as a condition of receiving a grant.

All grantees must submit a completed Final Report via email to grants@givedoorcounty.org within 60 days of the expenditure of the Community Foundation’s grant funds. 

Please consider incorporating a gift to this Fund in your estate plans. Speak with your attorney, accountant or other estate planning professional. Or just contact the Door County Community Foundation and we’d be glad to help facilitate your generosity. The Door County Community Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Hence your gift is deductible to the fullest extent as allowed by law. Your contribution will be used consistent with the terms and conditions of the Fund to which it was directed (if applicable). For more information, please contact us.

Return to the Non-Profit Endowment List

Door County Trails Fund
doorcountytrails.org

Door County Trails is leading a once-in-a-generation effort to create a safe, scenic, and connected network of bicycle and pedestrian trails linking our Door County communities. These multi-use trails are not just recreational—they are essential infrastructure that enhance daily life and long-term community well-being.

Trails support healthier communities, access for all, stronger local economies, and environmental stewardship. They connect people to work, school, and vital services. They provide safe, active transportation for residents of all ages and abilities, reduce car dependence, and help preserve the natural beauty that defines Door County.

Your gift to the Door County Trails Fund supports trail planning, design, and construction—along with the essential tools and coordination needed to keep this effort strong and sustained.

Together, we can build something lasting—connecting people and places for generations to come.

October 28, 2025 – Children First Development Center, Inc./dba Doorway to Learning, has launched a campaign to relieve old debt from its merger with Door Community Child Development Center. Fulfilling the campaign goal will enable the center to offer working families affordable and accessible quality child care for the years to come. Please visit the campaign website for more information.

November 12, 2024 – Children First Development Center, Inc. and Door Community Child Development Center, Inc. announced they are merging on December 1, 2024. These two independent Door County childcare centers currently provide high standards of development and learning for children, from newborns to four-year-olds, and are combining into the newly formed Doorway to Learning, Inc.

The Door County Community Foundation is collecting contributions for Doorway to Learning, Inc. through the Childcare Centers Assistance Fund until they able to put their own donation system in place.

This merger was necessary to keep both centers from closing due to their financial challenges. By combining resources, expertise and staff, it creates a unified organization that promotes the highest standards of child development and learning. Following the merger, Doorway to Learning, Inc. will only strengthen the commitment to providing a nurturing, safe, and stimulating environment for all children.

Operations will be combined initially at the Gordon Road facility in Sturgeon Bay. The Egg Harbor Road facility in Sturgeon Bay will close temporarily but the Board anticipates reopening it as future childcare needs warrant. The merger’s economies of scale will allow the newly formed Doorway to Learning, Inc. to continue to provide the best care for children, while remaining sustainable for the future.

Devin Vandertie, Board President of Doorway to Learning Inc., said, “Our combined teams will work collaboratively to ensure a seamless transition and continued commitment to excellence.”

Once integrated, their plan is to conduct fundraising efforts that will allow the newly consolidated organization to offer additional enrichment experiences and enhance the quality care our families deserve. The Board also understands that childcare can be a huge financial burden and another long-term goal with fundraising is to subsidize a portion of the tuition for families in need. You can give online to the consolidated center through the Community Foundation’s Childcare Centers Assistance Fund.

The Door County Community Foundation was instrumental in forging the alliance. Its President & CEO Bret Bicoy said, “Finally, sustainable, high-quality childcare in Sturgeon Bay can become a reality. I hope Door County’s generous community supports this critical element of stabilizing our workforce.”

The combined teams will work collaboratively to ensure a seamless transition and continued commitment to excellence. The Board expresses its appreciation and support of the families, teachers, and the community during this exciting transition. Doorway to Learning, Inc. is grateful for the continued opportunity to teach and watch the future leaders of tomorrow bloom into their extraordinary selves.

Make a contribution to support childcare in Door County!

The Door County Community Foundation is playing a leading role helping ensure that sustainable childcare is available to working families in Door County. Please consider giving to either of these two very worthy efforts:

Doorway to Learning, Inc. primarily serves the southern half of Door County. Please consider making a gift online or send a contribution to Doorway to Learning, Inc., c/o Door County Community Foundation, Inc., 222 N. 3rd Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235. Contact Doorway to Learning at 920-818-0877.

Northern Door Children’s Center primarily serves the northern half of Door County. To learn more about their campaign to expand childcare availability in their Sister Bay facility, visit www.EssentialDoorCounty.org.

9 Tools of Speak Your Peace

https://doorcountycommunityfoundation.org/6412-2/

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