Forward Community Investments is in the business of making connections. We connect mission-driven organizations with the resources they need to change communities and change lives. We connect leaders and board members with the knowledge they need to run their organizations effectively. We connect investors and donors with projects that align with their own values. For 20 years, FCI has provided the tools organizations and investors need to connect their communities to a more just, equitable, and sustainable future. Together, we are working to transform Wisconsin, one project at a time.

FCI helps build stronger, healthier communities by working with other organizations to understand the root causes of social problems, and providing the support our partners need to address those root causes. Our support may come in the form of loans, grants, or expert guidance in financial, organizational, or strategic decision-making. We also help forge connections within communities to leverage the strengths of different organizations.

FCI was founded as the Dane Fund in 1994, but the concept of community investing has been around for centuries. It’s a relatively simple idea: Community members pooling their resources to invest in projects aimed at improving the lives of their less fortunate neighbors. It revolves around the recognition that the entire community benefits when all members have the opportunity to thrive socially and economically.

Since then, FCI has grown into a statewide organization, helping facilitate community development and positive change all across Wisconsin. In addition to the loan fund we started out as, FCI now offers a strong menu of advising services, and through our 2012 merger with the Wisconsin Community Fund we have added a grantmaking arm as well.

FCI has always been committed to transforming communities to make them healthier and more equitable. But we’re now taking that commitment to a new level. In early 2014, our board of directors approved a new vision and mission for our organization that clarify and make explicit the kinds of change we aspire to help bring about in Wisconsin’s communities: We support organizations and initiatives working to reduce social, economic, and racial disparities. This commitment is the focus of everything we do moving forward.

We invite you to join us in pursuing this ambitious agenda, whether in the role of investor, client, partner, or simply interested ally. Working together, we truly can transform communities and move Wisconsin forward toward greater fairness, opportunity, and shared prosperity.