Redefining support for those

who make it all possible

The Inclusa Foundation is a new grantmaking organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with disabilities and older adults in the State of Wisconsin. The Foundation was formed using the proceeds from the sale of assets of Inclusa, Inc. – a nonprofit Medicaid Managed Care Organization with decades of long-term care experience, supporting the Family Care program. While the Foundation is an independent entity with no ties to any current Managed Care Organization, our mission to build diverse and inclusive communities continues through our available grant opportunities. 

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The Inclusa Foundation operates within the Commonunity® framework, the philosophy through which Inclusa, Inc. approached its work. Emphasizing choice, home, contribution, accessibility, and belonging, Commonunity® guides the approach to enhancing full citizenship for all. Through this lens, the Inclusa Foundation will work to evolve how Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) are delivered and managed over time, including:

  • Expanding access to competitive integrated employment,

  • Transitioning toward independent community living and other non-congregate approaches, and

  • Exploring value-based purchasing to ensure that service-delivery yields tangible results for people with disabilities and older adults.

Grant Amounts and Duration

The Inclusa Foundation is open to a broad range of potential proposals, anticipating funding between $2 and $3 million in its first year of operations with the likelihood of more in the years ahead.

  • Successful proposals focusing on transformative provider practices and innovative service delivery will likely range between $50,000-$500,000.

  • Successful proposals in leadership development and public policy education may range between $25,000-$250,000.

The Foundation caps indirect expenses at no more than 15% of the total grant amount. We will accept proposals for 12-36 months of funding; all multi-year proposals should include detailed budget information for each year of operations.

2024 Grant Process Timetable

Round #1

Round #2

What We Fund

As a Foundation, we pursue a multi-pronged strategy for systems change, including provider innovation, leadership development, and public policy education. We support organizations rather than individuals. All applicants must be a 501(c)(3) organization or other tax-exempt entity as designated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Applications are open May and August 2024: This is an open call - the Foundation is open to a broad range of proposals; see below for a variety of examples.

    • Piloting transformative models* for supporting people with disabilities and older adults in the community – focusing on one or more of the following areas:

      • Diverting individuals from institutionalization,

      • Exploring non-congregate settings, including assisting persons to transition from group homes to supported living or host home arrangements,

      • Expanding access to competitive integrated employment, particularly for persons with significant cognitive, communication or behavioral challenges, and/or

      • Increasing workforce retention and quality in home and community-based services.

    • Testing the impact of value-based purchasing and risk-sharing across multiple providers and payers.

    • Scaling well-validated models for disability and aging service-provision in a manner that will eventually be supported by public funding.


    *Projects that entail piloting new or emerging models of service-delivery should be accompanied with recommendations for an independent evaluation strategy. Where appropriate, the Foundation will select an evaluator and fund evaluation separately from grants to pilot programs. Applicants need not include independent evaluation costs in their proposed grantmaking budget.

    • Leadership development programs to train self-advocates and family members to be effective agents of change in their local communities.

    • Leadership development programs geared at preparing providers to lead their organizations to establish new programming and evolve legacy programs to be better aligned with best practices for community integration.

    • Internships and fellowship programs that support self-advocates, family members and service-providers to participate in public policy activities in state legislative offices, executive branch agencies, and organizations devoted to promoting positive systems change in disability and aging policy.


    The Foundation is also interested in bringing well-established national program models for leadership development to Wisconsin. We would welcome applications from both Wisconsin-based organizations applying alone and partnerships between Wisconsin-based organizations and external organizations that have developed an existing program model for which they can share expertise.

    • Disability and aging stakeholder organizations working to educate policymakers and the public on the impact of various public policy choices.

    • Thinktanks and academic institutions seeking to rigorously analyze the impact of public policy change on LTSS for people with disabilities and older adults.

    • Data collection and monitoring projects that provide transparency on outcomes for people with disabilities and older adults that depend on Wisconsin’s publicly funded LTSS programs (e.g.: Family Care and IRIS).

The categories listed above are intended for illustration only and are not exhaustive. We encourage any organization with an innovative proposal likely to contribute to Wisconsin’s LTSS ecosystem to consider applying. We are especially interested in ideas related to housing, community living, integrated employment, workforce, integrating medical and long-term care needs, and/or peer support.

For any proposal, the Foundation welcomes applications from both individual organizations and consortia of multiple organizations. We are especially interested in collaborations that include organizations run by people with disabilities as a core partner in the funded work. Applications should also indicate how they will ensure that their work addresses the needs of underserved populations, including Tribal Nations.

What We Do Not Fund

The Foundation does not support any of the following activities:

  • Lobbying

  • Grants to individuals, including individual scholarships

  • Biomedical research

  • Capital campaigns or endowments

  • Programs for the purpose of religious education

  • Financial deficits or debt reduction

  • Activities that are duplicative of Family Care, IRIS or other available public funding streams

  • Local fundraising campaigns unconnected to a specific project or activity

Grant FAQ

  • The Inclusa Foundation is an independent grantmaking foundation that seeks to support innovation and leadership in disability and aging services, with particular focus on the State of Wisconsin. The Inclusa Foundation was formed with the proceeds of the sale of the assets of Inclusa Inc., a nonprofit Medicaid Managed Care Organization in Wisconsin’s FamilyCare program.

  • No. The Foundation is an independent entity with no ties to any Managed Care Organization or other external entity. Our grantmaking is wholly separate and independent.

  • The Foundation is interested in grant proposals that support the development of high-quality services for people with disabilities and older adults in Wisconsin. We have a particular interest in proposals that pilot and evaluate innovative program models for supporting the inclusion of people with disabilities and older adults in the community. We are also open to proposals in other areas, including leadership development programming, public policy education, and support for self-advocate and family-led activities. In general, we see our role as supporting targeted investments in the health of Wisconsin’s long-term services and supports ecosystem, rather than providing indefinite support for services that are also supported by public payers.

  • Applicants must have a 501(c)(3) or other nonprofit tax-exempt status as designated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

  • At the present time, the Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications for general operating support. At the discretion of the Board, we may choose to provide grants for this purpose after the Foundation has developed a relationship with a grantee over a longer period of time after supporting specific projects.

  • The Foundation is open to both short-term (1-2 year) or long-term (3-5 year) grant proposals. Longer-term grant proposals should include specific budget projections for each year that the program would be in operation. Long-term projects are most likely to be supported when an initiative requires a longer duration to demonstrate effectiveness and impact. Otherwise, the Foundation will also consider proposals in consecutive years to renew funding for a successful project.

  • For grant proposals where multiple years of funding is requested, it is recommended to align the project’s annual budget with the Funding Decisions date as displayed on the Foundation’s Grant Process Timetable. Approved funding is distributed approximately two weeks after the funding decision is made and all Grant Award Agreements are completed. The following year’s funding is then scheduled to be distributed one year from the initial payment date, and each subsequent year thereafter.

    For more information on the Grant Process Timetable, visit the section titled “Grant Amounts and Duration” at www.inclusafoundation.org/grant-information.

  • Inclusa Foundation will offer multiple grant cycles each year. Click Here to view our current grant opportunities.

  • The Foundation welcomes pre-submission inquiries. You can e-mail us at info@inclusafoundation.org.

  • At the present time, the Foundation is primarily considering proposals within the State of Wisconsin or that will have a substantial impact on Wisconsin’s long-term services and supports ecosystem. Successful proposals must demonstrate a clear relationship between project activities and outcomes for people with disabilities and older adults residing in the State of Wisconsin.

  • The Foundation does not support any of the following activities:

    • Lobbying

    • Grants to individuals, including individual scholarships

    • Biomedical research

    • Capital campaigns or endowments

    • Programs for the purpose of religious education

    • Financial deficits or debt reduction

    • Activities that are duplicative of Family Care, IRIS or other available public funding streams