Exploring what's possible for Wisconsin's children and families
Wisconsin has a strong history of investing in children and families. Yet many of the investments that support their well-being, including childcare, out-of-school time, and youth mental health, depend on funding that can change from one budget cycle to the next. This creates uncertainty for families, communities, and the organizations working to meet their needs.
What if Wisconsin could build on these investments in ways that provide greater stability and opportunity for generations to come?
Wisconsin Funders for Children & Families (WIFCF), a collaborative of ten philanthropic organizations, has come together to explore that question. Drawing on research, fiscal analysis, and lessons from other states, the collaborative has developed a collection of resources and interactive tools to help people better understand Wisconsin's current investments, explore sustainable funding approaches, and consider what a long-term commitment to children and families could look like.
The opportunity is to move from short-term investments toward lasting solutions. These tools are intended to inform discussion, encourage new perspectives, and invite policymakers, community leaders, funders, and others to explore what's possible for Wisconsin's future.
These educational resources are nonpartisan and do not endorse a specific bill, dollar amount, candidate, or political party.
Wisconsin has an opportunity to build on its existing investments in children and families and create a more sustainable approach for the future. Doing so requires understanding where resources are going today, exploring potential funding strategies, and considering the choices and trade-offs involved in making these commitments last.
WIFCF has developed four interactive tools to help policymakers, community leaders, funders, and others explore these opportunities, evaluate different approaches, and contribute to an informed conversation about Wisconsin's future.
Explore the tools below. Start with the question that matters most to you.
What each one is, and when to reach for it.
A five-minute walk-through tailored to your role: legislator, business leader, funder, provider, or local leader. It starts with what Wisconsin already invests, then explains why lasting public investment matters and the options available.
Open Talking PointsYou're talking with someone new to the issue and want language that fits what they care about.
An interactive model showing how different sources of long-term public funding could add up, alone or together, against two benchmarks: about $351 million a year to stabilize these programs, and about $1.54 billion a year to fund them at full scale.
Open the BuilderA conversation turns to "what would it take?" or "how would we pay for it?"
A closer look at one promising option, a permanent fund: how it could be sized, governed, and protected, and what each choice would produce over 20 years. A fund can be a strong part of a broader solution, though it would not meet every need on its own.
Open the Design StudioSomeone is curious about a permanent fund and wants to test how different designs would work.
An interactive guide to how the state budget is decided: the Five Moments that shape the outcome, what a funder can legally do at each one, case studies, and a glossary.
Open the PlaybookYou or your board want to understand the budget process, when to engage, and where the legal lines are for foundations.