Madison Community Foundation

Madison Community Foundation and the City of Madison announced yesterday a plan that will accelerate the implementation of body-worn cameras for the Madison Police Department. In this plan, Madison Community Foundation will award the City a $350,000 grant to cover the software and civilian personnel costs associated with implementing the program, removing a financial barrier and accelerating the current three-year plan to achieve a full rollout in 2027.

“As the community’s foundation, we try to identify needs and opportunities where philanthropy can make a meaningful impact, and utilize our resources to do so,” said Bob Sorge, President and CEO of Madison Community Foundation. “In this case, the community has made clear that greater transparency in interactions between police and residents is crucial to building trust. The City and Madison Police Department had already created a path forward, but cost was a significant barrier limiting how quickly they could act. We saw an opportunity for MCF to help.”

Read more about this grant on our website at: https://madisongives.org/about/publications/

Thank you to Madison Public Library Foundation for an excellent evening on Friday at the Imagination Center Opening Gala. MCF staff had a great time exploring the new library and all the exciting features it has to offer!

This library is positioned to support the growing Madison community. Located on the isthmus, the Imagination Center will increase library access for several of Madison's largest neighborhoods. MCF is proud to have supported the construction of the library with a $250,000 grant from the Community Impact Fund in 2024.

For more than 80 years, Madison Community Foundation has been privileged to support neighbors helping neighbors and our community rallying around causes and projects that matter to us all. Every day, generous people from across our community come together for the city they love and to strengthen the organizations doing important work here.

MCF is joining the Council on Foundations to explore and share what generosity looks like in our community, and what it helps build. It’s a celebration of what giving has helped create here in the Greater Madison area, and an invitation for you to be part of what it builds next.

Visit our website to read stories of what generosity has built in our community at: https://madisongives.org/generosity-builds/

Cap Times Idea Fest kicks off this weekend, running September 18 - 26! Don't miss out on another great lineup of speakers. Hear from some of the nation’s leading voices on a range of topics, from American history to politics, the arts, technology, health care, education and more!

Madison Community Foundation is proud to sponsor Eddie Glaude Jr.'s book signing of “America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation’s Anniversaries". The signing will take place after the discussion between Glaude and Rev. Alex Gee at the Center for Black Excellence and Culture on September 18.

For ticket details and a full Idea Fest schedule visit: https://captimesideafest.com/2026-fest/cap-times-idea-fest-2026-schedule/

We’re just one week away! Join us on September 15 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Tenney Park Pavilion, for an evening of connection, conversation and community at the Goodman Nonprofit Center’s first Young Nonprofit Professionals Networking Event.

Whether you’re just getting started in your nonprofit career, considering a path in the sector or simply looking to grow your professional network, we’d love to have you there. Come enjoy a relaxed evening and meet fellow nonprofit professionals.

For more information and to RSVP visit: https://gnpc.org/event/young-nonprofit-professionals-networking-event/

Fred and Nancy Risser already have given a lifetime of service to the Madison community, Fred as the longest serving member of the State Legislature and Nancy as a public school teacher in the Madison Public Schools. But the Rissers aren't done giving back.

They plan to leave a gift to support Madison Community Foundation's Community Impact Fund through their estate so that the Foundation can continue to support the things that make our community great.

Watch the full video of Fred and Nancy sharing their giving journey on our website: https://madisongives.org/stories-of-impact/fred-and-nancy-risser/

Registration for Madison Community Foundation's Annual Advisor Seminar, "Giving Smarter, Inheriting Better: Tax Strategies for IRAs," is officially open!

Please join us on September 24, 2:30 – 5:00 p.m., at Monona Terrace for two presentations by Professor Christopher Hoyt from the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law: “Charitable Tax Incentives Changed in 2026” and “Inherited IRA Rules Made Simple.”

This program is a complimentary event, but space is limited, so please register in advance at https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=4yc0l0KljUCoB0sHOF9RbhqdqGMezdVMqXQd0zP1081UMzVNWDBFN09GME9ONlRTSkxaVEc3RENRQi4u&route=shorturl

We hope to see you there!

MCF is currently seeking an Office Coordinator to join the Operations team. This role is ideal for a highly organized, self-motivated professional who is comfortable managing a variety of administrative responsibilities with limited supervision.

Our ideal candidate is enthusiastic about providing reliable support to the team, has at least three years of experience in an office environment, demonstrates exceptional customer service and communication skills, and values the opportunity to work independently.

Interested applicants please send a résumé and cover letter to [email protected]. View the full job description and candidate profile on our website at madisongives.org/about/jobs

For 15 years, the Irwin A. and Robert D. Goodman Foundation carried forward the remarkable legacy of two brothers who deeply loved Madison and believed in giving back to the community they called home. Irwin and Bob Goodman were known for their humility, generosity and quiet commitment to making a difference.

They supported causes ranging from education and athletics to health, wellness and community organizations. Through their Foundation, the brothers’ generosity grew into more than $67 million in investments across the Greater Madison area, touching countless lives and strengthening the institutions that make our community what it is today.

At Madison Community Foundation, we are especially grateful for the Goodman Foundation’s $5 million lead gift that made the Goodman Nonprofit Center possible and will help sustain it into the future. While the Foundation may be closing, the Goodmans’ legacy will continue through the organizations, leaders and relationships they helped build. We are honored to carry a small part of that legacy forward and grateful for all Irwin and Bob Goodman gave to Madison.

We are grateful to the steadfast commitment of E.G. Schramka and the Goodman Foundation Board for ensuring this legacy was carried out with commitment, integrity and keen insights into the needs of our community. Thank you to the Goodman Foundation for believing in Madison and investing so generously in its future.

RESCHEDULED DATE: The Goodman Nonprofit Center is hosting its first Young Nonprofit Professionals Networking Event on September 15 from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. at the Tenney Park Pavilion.

We’re excited to create new opportunities for connection, collaboration and career growth for emerging professionals across the nonprofit sector.

Come meet new people, expand your network and be part of building community within Madison’s nonprofit field.

RSVP today at https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/DnUK38yg3T