WPS Charitable Foundation gives $340,000 to 31 nonprofits

The WPS Charitable Foundation is awarding $340,000 in grants to 31 nonprofits in 2026 to support services for seniors, veterans, children and people seeking mental health care. The funding is aimed at strengthening community-based programs across Wisconsin and surrounding areas.

Why it matters: - The grants help local nonprofits keep delivering services that fill gaps in health, wellness and basic support. - The funding reaches organizations serving seniors, veterans, children, families and underserved communities. - The awards support program work that can expand mental health access, strengthen senior services and help children prepare for school.

What happened: - The WPS Charitable Foundation awarded $340,000 to 31 nonprofits in 2026. - The grants support programmatic needs for organizations serving communities across the region. - Vicki Bernards, WPS Charitable Foundation Board Secretary and Treasurer, said the foundation is committed to improving services for seniors, veterans and people seeking mental health support.

The details: - The 2026 grant recipients are Access Community Health Centers; Agrace; Aldo Leopold Nature Center; Arbor Place; Badger Prairie Needs Network, Inc.; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County; Boulder Crest Foundation; Clean Lakes Alliance; Community Support Network, Inc.; Coulee Recovery Center; Edgewood College; Franklin County Senior Services, Inc.; Friends of the Monona Senior Center; Girls on the Run of South Central WI; Kenosha Area Family and Aging Services, Inc.; Madison Area Rehabilitation Centers; Madison College; Madison Public Schools Foundation; Madison Reading Project; NAMI Wisconsin; Neighborhood House Community Center; Porchlight, Inc.; PsychArmor; Specialty Care Free Clinic; Stand Down Madison; The Road Home Dane County; United Way of Dane County; Village Diaper Bank; Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin; WI Medical Society Foundation; and WI Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf. - The foundation said each organization plays a role in fostering access and opportunity in the communities it serves. - The WPS Charitable Foundation was formed in 1986 to honor Ray Koenig, Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation’s first president. - The foundation focuses on health and wellness, with emphasis on women and children, seniors, veterans and underserved populations. - The foundation also funds the Ray Koenig Memorial Scholarship program for children of WPS employees and subsidiaries. - More information is available at the foundation website. - WPS Health Solutions also shared a LinkedIn page at its social media profile.

Between the lines: - The grant list shows WPS is spreading support across a wide range of community needs rather than concentrating on one issue. - The mix of health, education, food, housing and veteran-focused groups suggests the foundation is aiming at practical, immediate needs. - The announcement also reinforces WPS Health Solutions’ community-facing profile beyond insurance and health services.

What's next: - The recipient organizations are expected to use the grants to support ongoing programs and services in 2026. - The foundation will continue its charitable mission through nonprofit support and scholarship funding. - Community groups that were not selected this year may look to future grant cycles for support.