Northwoods Affiliate Network

Founded in 1987 and previously called the Wausau Area Community Foundation, the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin took on their current name in 2002. Donors wanted to expand the impact of their gifts beyond Wausau, and their focus has slowly continued to expand into the Northwoods.

Through careful and intentional collaboration, the Northwoods Affiliate Network began when the Boulder Junction Community Foundation partnership was formed to accelerate regional impact. “We envision a region where everyone prospers and succeeds. Community is at the center of our work, and we are delighted to welcome the Boulder Junction Community Foundation as of December 30, 2022. When we dream big and work together, our potential is limitless. We see this as the first of many partnerships that will propel philanthropy into the future, helping the entire Northwoods thrive,” says Tim Parker, CEO and President of the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin.

The formalization of the partnership between the two foundations set a model for additional affiliate partnerships in the Northwoods and the continued realization of a common goal to strengthen our region by connecting the generosity of donors with impactful solutions that will last for generations.

That model was leveraged with the addition of the Merrill Community Foundation into the network. While we’ve partnered with the Merrill Community Foundation in various ways throughout the years, we are thankful to include them in the Northwoods Affiliate Network.
The Northwoods Affiliate Network’s newest addition is the Phelps Area Community Foundation. Their vision is to improve the quality of life, the services, and opportunities for their community.

The network’s overarching goal is to link arms with like-minded organizations in the Northwoods of Wisconsin to impact the region for more good than we could do alone. As the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin, our unique role within the network is to alleviate our affiliate partners of the bulk of their administrative tasks of running a community foundation so they can be more present in their communities, focusing their efforts on building relationships and supporting initiatives.