Oshkosh Area Community Foundation

08/28/2026

Congratulations to The Teachers' Closet on 1️⃣5️⃣ years of supporting local educators! 🎉

As a new school year begins, teachers are once again filling classrooms with fresh ideas and excitement for their students. The Teachers' Closet, Inc. has been there to help, providing free books, markers, classroom décor and other essentials to Winnebago County teachers so they can spend less out of their own pockets and students have the tools they need to learn and thrive.

And their impact is built to last. ❤️ In 2022, this volunteer-powered organization established a permanent fund at the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, helping ensure their support for local teachers continues for generations to come.

Happy 15th anniversary, The Teachers' Closet! Thank you for all you do for the educators—and students—who make our community such a special place to call home. ✏️🍎

08/26/2026

A fishing lesson is even better when you get to cast a line AND take home the gear to do it again! 🎣 Oshkosh-area Scouts recently spent an evening at Winnebago County Park learning the skills they need to enjoy fishing on their own.

With support from the 𝘏𝘪𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘢 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥, Learn 2 Fish With Us gave Scouts hands-on experience with casting, bait selection, safe fish handling, and more. New participants went home with their own fully rigged fishing rod and reel, while returning Scouts received tackle boxes to keep building their fishing gear.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources added to the fun with an interactive demonstration, bringing along their shocking boat and showing Scouts how biologists safely survey and tag fish. Scouts got an up-close look at the process and learned how this work helps keep local fish populations healthy.

💙 Thank you to the generous donors to the 𝘏𝘪𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘢 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥 and Bergstrom Automotive for helping more local kids get outside, try something new, and discover the joy of fishing!

08/24/2026

Music at the Market in Omro 🎶 Stop by the Thursday Night Market sponsored by Future Omro - A Chamber-Main Street Program on Thursday, August 27, from 4–7 p.m. and enjoy live music from Strategic while you shop your way through the market.

Pick up fresh produce, discover handmade goods from local artisans and crafters, and support local vendors—all with live music as the backdrop. 🎸

📍 New location for 2026: Due to construction, the market is at 125 W. Huron St., in the old Dollar General parking lot.

Music at the Market is supported in part by a grant from the 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘌. 𝘛𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘈𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥 of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation.

08/20/2026

From Here. Give Anywhere. 💙
A donor advised fund is more than a giving tool. It’s a way to stay connected to the place you call home while supporting the causes you care about, wherever they are.

You have choices. National commercial providers offer convenience and scale. But the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation offers something more: local knowledge, personal partnership, and a commitment to this community.

We live and work here. We know the nonprofits, the needs, and where your giving can make the greatest impact. And we take time to understand what matters most to you—so your philanthropy reflects your values and goals.

Whether you’re supporting a favorite nonprofit close to home, staying connected while you’re escaping Wisconsin winters, or giving across the country, your fund is flexible and easy to use. From simple gifts to more complex strategies, we’re here to help every step of the way.

Learn how to start your donor advised fund
👉https://www.oshkoshareacf.org/start-a-fund/

📸: Donor Advised Fundholder Randy Van Ness

08/19/2026

What happens when you turn a town’s history into a giant scrapbook? You get a wall like this. 🖼️

Look closely and you’ll find pieces of Princeton’s past woven throughout this new mural—from old business logos and burial mound imagery to ferry boats, beer labels, and an almost 20-foot black letter "P” taken from a scan of an old Princeton Times-Republic newspaper.

The Princeton Art Collective - PARC and Princeton WI Historical Society recently partnered to bring the mural to the side of the Folklore Museum, created by artists Jake Reeder and Liz Masterson.

Jake and Liz spent six weeks in Princeton as artists in residence, becoming part of the community through shared meals, local events, ribbon cuttings, and process videos that invited residents to watch the mural come to life.

The design draws directly from Princeton’s own archives, transforming photographs, memorabilia, objects and other pieces of local history into a colorful, contemporary celebration of the community’s past. Even better, many of the objects depicted on the wall can be found inside the Folklore Museum, inviting visitors to discover the stories behind the images.

Located prominently along Highway 23, the mural also gives the recently renovated museum a bold new presence for people traveling through Princeton. It’s public art that celebrates local history while offering a colorful invitation to stop, explore and discover more.

Projects like this are possible because people believe in the power of the arts to bring communities together. Thank you to the donors to the 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘴, whose generosity helped bring this piece of Princeton’s history to life.

08/18/2026

Great news for the Menominee Park Train! 🚂 The new ADA-accessible caboose is officially up and running, made possible in part through support from a Donor Advised Fund at the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation.

Stop down to Menominee Park and enjoy a ride this summer!

We’re excited to share that the ADA-accessible caboose for the Menominee Park Train has arrived and is now fully operational!

The caboose includes a rear access platform that folds down to provide a ramped boarding option for guests using wheelchairs and other mobility devices. This enhancement helps ensure the Menominee Park Train experience is more accessible and welcoming for all riders.

Thank you for your patience as we worked with the manufacturer to bring the correct ADA-accessible caboose to Oshkosh.

08/18/2026

What does it look like when someone’s legacy lives on in the next generation? 🏈 For Fred Thurston, it looks a lot like Evan Vanevenhoven.

Fred established the 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥 to honor his father, Griff, by recognizing a Neenah student-athlete who shares the determination, discipline and character that defined Griff’s life.

In 2025, Evan became the scholarship’s first recipient, standing out among 22 applicants—a fitting number, since 22 was Griff’s football number at Neenah Joint School District.

But it wasn’t just Evan’s accomplishments that caught Fred’s attention. After one of Neenah’s biggest football wins, Evan gathered a few teammates and returned to the stands to clean up trash left behind by spectators.

“That moment of selflessness said everything,” Fred said.

What began as a way to remember Griff has become something more: a connection across generations and a legacy that continues to inspire.

💙 Read the full story: https://www.oshkoshareacf.org/scholarship-stories/thurston/

📸 Evan Vanevenhoven by MF Photography

08/17/2026

For some young sailors, getting on the water means trying something they never thought they could do. ⛵

This summer, youth with disabilities are getting the chance to take the helm, learn to sail, and experience the excitement of being out on the water.

Through a partnership between the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin - Fox Cities and Fox Valley Sailing School, participants are learning sailing techniques, water safety, and boat-handling skills. Along the way, they’re building confidence, learning new skills, and connecting with others.

Last year’s inaugural program welcomed 33 participants, including 12 youth with disabilities and their siblings and parents. One family summed up the experience perfectly when asked what they loved most: “Everything!”

Thank you to the 𝘓𝘺𝘭𝘦 𝘓. 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘔𝘢𝘦 𝘌. 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥 at the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation for helping make another summer of sailing, learning and adventure possible for local youth with disabilities. 💙⛵

08/14/2026

We’re proud to support the Oshkosh Back 2 School Fair and the many community partners working together to help local students start the school year feeling prepared and confident! 🎒📚

It’s incredible to see so many people come together to support Oshkosh students and families.

Indiana Pacers point guard, Tyrese Haliburton, distributed back-to-school essentials at the Oshkosh Back 2 School Fair Thursday.

08/13/2026

Helping Oshkosh students start the school year ready to learn! ✏️
The 2026 Oshkosh Back 2 School Fair wraps up today after two busy days of helping 1,400 local students get ready for the year ahead.

More than 20 community organizations come together to make the fair possible, providing students in 4K through 12th grade with clothing, school supplies, backpacks and other essentials for a strong start to the school year.

Among the many partners is the Community Clothes Closet, whose traveling closet is supported by a grant from the 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘭 𝘞. 𝘐𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥.

The fair is about more than supplies—it’s about helping students walk into the new school year feeling prepared, confident and ready to learn. ❤️