Racine Community Foundation

10/23/2026

What would you want your legacy to make possible?

It's a big question - but it starts with a simple one: what do you love about this place?

Maybe it's the kids who deserve a shot at college. The families working their way toward a home of their own. The arts that make life richer, the parks that give us room to breathe, the neighbors who show up for one another when it matters most. Whatever it is you'd want to protect and grow, the Racine Community Foundation can help you carry it forward - long after your lifetime, for the people of Racine County you'll never meet but will help all the same.

A legacy gift is, in the end, an answer to that first question. It's a way of saying: this is what I loved, and I wanted it to last.

This Estate Planning Awareness Month, take a moment to imagine it. Then let's talk about how to make it real.

Reach out to President & CEO Liz Powell at [email protected], or explore planned giving at racinecommunityfoundation.org/donate.

10/22/2026

Yes! If you'll be 18 by the date of the next election, you can register to vote in advance. And even if you're 17 right now, you can go ahead and pre-fill your voter registration application so you're all set when Election Day arrives.

It's never too early to get a head start and be ready for your first time at the polls.

Thanks to the City of Racine, Wisconsin Government for helping young voters prepare to make their voices heard. Register or pre-fill your application at myvote.wi.gov.

10/21/2026

For the most adorable PSA of your life, give Alonte 90 seconds of your time. 😍

Thank you, Racine Unified Schools, for this important message. And PS to Alonte: we keep books in the bathroom, too.

10/20/2026

Racine's own WRJN is turning 100, and the Racine Heritage Museum recently toured the station to dig into its history and the fascinating ways radio actually works. All of it is fuel for a brand-new exhibit the museum is building to honor WRJN's centennial.

There's something special about a hometown station that's been part of daily life here for a hundred years - the voices, the news, the music, the memories woven through generations of Racine listeners.

We can't wait to see what the Racine Heritage Museum puts together. Stay tuned - literally.

10/19/2026

Here's something a lot of people don't realize: leaving a legacy isn't only for the wealthy.

At the Racine Community Foundation, a legacy can start small and grow over time. Through our Acorn Fund, you can begin with as little as $50 a month - contributions that grow, tax-free, until they blossom into a fund that makes grants for generations to come. Little by little, an ordinary gift becomes an extraordinary one.

Because caring about Racine County has never been about how much you have. It's about wanting this place to thrive long after you’re gone - and knowing you did something to make sure it would.

Big or small, every legacy leaves a mark. What will yours be?

To learn how to start, reach out to President & CEO Liz Powell at [email protected], or explore your options at racinecommunityfoundation.org/donate.

10/16/2026

No veteran who served our country should have to wonder where their next meal is coming from.

That's the quiet, essential work of the Veterans Marketplace at Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin - a free grocery store, right here in Racine, serving all veterans and surviving spouses of veterans. The shelves are stocked with fresh produce, meat, bakery items, canned goods, and personal care products, so those who gave so much can shop with dignity for what they need.

Getting started is simple. Veterans can drop in during shopping hours - Tuesday 10 AM to 4 PM, Wednesday noon to 5 PM, or Thursday noon to 4 PM - at 1609 Yout Street, bringing a DD214, VA card, or driver's license marked "Veteran" to register. Once registered, they can shop every week.

Want to help? The Marketplace welcomes donations of non-perishable food and household goods during business hours, with a 24/7 drop-off box on the west side of the building. Pantry staples, toiletries, paper products, and new towels and bedding are always needed.

We're proud to support Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin, thanks to the generosity of our donors - because caring for those who served us is one of the clearest ways a community says thank you.

10/15/2026

Think about the moments we've shared with you this year.

A grandmother holding the keys to her first home. A nursing student crossing a graduation stage. A senior citizen who found a friend after too many quiet days. A child who wasn't hungry this summer. And so many more, some of which you can see again here.

None of those moments happened by accident. Each one was made possible by people who gave - many of whom will never see the full reach of what they set in motion.

That's the beauty of a legacy gift. When you include the Racine Community Foundation in your estate plan, you're not just giving once. You're planting something that keeps growing - supporting the causes you love for generations of Racine County residents you'll never meet, but who will feel your care all the same.

What would you want your legacy to make possible?

To learn more, reach out to Liz Powell at [email protected], or visit racinecommunityfoundation.org/donate.

10/14/2026

Some people find their calling. Karen lived hers long before it became her job.

Growing up, Karen watched her step-dad - functionally illiterate, with dyslexia, from a family of English Language Learners - build and run his own business, because he had the support to do it. She saw firsthand what literacy, and the help to reach it, can do for a family.

Today, Karen directs the Family Literacy program at the Racine Literacy Council, working to lift up whole families through education and connection. "I feel like this job was made for me," she says. "There's never a day I get up and don't want to come to work."

That kind of passion is exactly what makes this work transformative - meeting learners of every background and making education accessible and equitable for all of them.

We're proud to support the Racine Literacy Council's Family Literacy program, thanks to the generosity of our donors - because when you lift up a family's ability to learn, you change their future for good.

10/13/2026

There's a particular kind of magic to a Wisconsin farm in October - crisp air, golden light, and the slow, satisfying wind-down of the growing season.

You can find all of it at the Eco-Justice Center. Spend a Saturday morning wandering the farm, visiting the animals, and watching autumn settle over the fields. Then swing by the farm stand, where the week's harvest is waiting: fresh produce, cut flowers, and the prettiest farm-fresh eggs you'll find anywhere.

The stand is open Saturdays from 9 AM to 2 PM - self-serve, and stocked with whatever the garden offered up that week. Half the fun is seeing what's there.

It's a simple, lovely way to spend a fall morning - and a reminder of how good it feels to eat something grown right down the road.

10/12/2026

Leadership isn't something kids are born with - it's something they build, with the right people believing in them along the way.

That's the heart of the Racine Family YMCA's Young Leaders Academy, and we're proud to support it. Through the program, young people build leadership skills, strengthen relationships, and discover just how much they're capable of - growing into confident, community-minded leaders ready to make a difference in their schools, families, and neighborhoods.

We're honored to invest in this work, thanks to the generosity of our donors - because when you believe in a young person and give them room to grow, there's no telling how far they'll go.

Thank you, Racine Family YMCA, for empowering the next generation of leaders in Racine County.

We are deeply grateful to the Racine Community Foundation for its generous grant support of the YMCA’s Young Leaders Academy (YLA) program.

This investment helps us continue creating meaningful opportunities for young people to grow as confident, capable, and community-minded leaders. Through YLA, participants build leadership skills, strengthen relationships, explore their potential, and gain experiences that prepare them to make a positive difference in their schools, families, and community.

Thank you, Racine Community Foundation, for believing in our youth and helping the YMCA empower the next generation of leaders in Racine. Your partnership makes a lasting impact.