Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report: Moving Health Forward Since 2004
Celebrating 20 Years of Moving Health Forward
The Wisconsin Partnership Program has been moving health forward since 2004 — creating community partnerships, driving research and discovery, and enhancing medical and health education.
In 2024, we were proud to commemorate 20 years of grantmaking and supporting partners, projects and achievements that are improving health and advancing health equity for the state of Wisconsin and beyond. The impact of our work and that of our grantees reaches broadly across the state, positively impacting a wide range of communities, populations and geographic areas.
Since 2004, the Wisconsin Partnership Program has awarded 636 grants totaling $301 million. These awards have resulted in a remarkable return on investment, with grantees leveraging more than $876.8 million in additional funding from other sources to sustain the projects.
View 20th anniversary stories and event highlights
This report covers program activities and expenditures July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024:
Fiscal Year 2024 Overview
Message From Dean Robert N. Golden and Dr. Amy Kind
It is our privilege to present the Wisconsin Partnership Program’s (WPP) Fiscal Year 2023–2024 Annual Report. This report is particularly significant: It highlights the progress and achievements of the past year, while also commemorating the Wisconsin Partnership Program’s 20th anniversary. We celebrate two decades of moving health forward through our grantmaking and the remarkable work of our grant partners throughout Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Partnership Program was established at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) as the result of a generous endowment gift from Blue Cross and Blue Shield United of Wisconsin. As responsible stewards of this gift, SMPH and WPP have the tremendous opportunity to create partnerships, propel medical research and enhance health education and workforce development in ways that will benefit the people of Wisconsin now and for years to come.
Since WPP began making grants in 2004, it has awarded 636 grants totaling $301 million aimed at improving health and advancing health equity. Our vision is to reach all corners of Wisconsin in a true embodiment of the Wisconsin Idea.
This principle is evident across WPP-funded initiatives, some of which are highlighted in this annual report. These initiatives include strengthening the public health workforce to serve our state and communities, improving birth outcomes for mothers and babies, and driving innovation to tackle persistent health problems, such as diabetes and obesity. These examples represent just a fraction of the work currently supported by grants from the Wisconsin Partnership Program.
While 20 years is a milestone worth celebrating, we recognize that much work remains. The Wisconsin Partnership Program has not — and will not — shy away from the difficult health challenges that our state continues to face. Whether addressing stubborn and persistent health disparities, striving to understand and treat complex diseases, or preparing future physicians and health care leaders for an ever-changing environment, the Wisconsin Partnership Program is dedicated to the long game. If we work together, we will continue to improve health and advance health equity in Wisconsin and beyond.
Whether you are a recent collaborator or a part of our early history, thank you for the opportunity to work together over the past 20 years. It is a privilege to partner with you.
Sincerely,
Robert N. Golden, MD Robert Turell Professor in Medical Leadership
Dean, UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Vice Chancellor of Medical Affairs, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Amy JH Kind, MD, PhD
Executive Director, Wisconsin Partnership Program
Associate Dean, Social Health Sciences and Programs, UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Fiscal Year Grants
Grants awarded
Dollars awarded
Total active grants
*Data from July 1, 2023–June 30, 2024
Fiscal Year 2024 Grants Awarded
Education and Research Grants
- 4 Collaborative Health Sciences Program grants
$4.8 million awarded - 8 New Investigator Program grants
$1.2 million awarded - 3 Strategic Research grants
$1.4 million awarded
Community Grants
- 3 Level One Community Impact grants
$750,000 awarded - 7 Level Two Community Impact grants
$3.5 million awarded
Selected Grant Highlights
The work of the Wisconsin Partnership Program and its grantees touches all corners of the state, across a wide range of health challenges, communities, populations and geographic areas. Learn how Wisconsin Partnership Program grantees are positively impacting health and advancing health equity across our state through these selected examples:
- A Clinic-Community Collaboration to Improve Birth Outcomes
- Addressing the Epidemic of Prescription Opioid Misuse
- Advancing Treatment for Melanoma
- Creating a Healthy, Culturally Vibrant Food System
- Engineering a Healthier Calorie
- Improving Maternal and Infant Health in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Population Health Service Fellowship Turns 20
- WPP Celebrates Twenty Years of Health Impact
Building Capacity and Connection
Convening Events
In fiscal year 2024, WPP continued to expand its efforts to provide learning and outreach events and networking opportunities for WPP grantees and potential applicants. During spring 2024, WPP held six events — five in person, one virtual — across the state that were attended by 279 participants from 28 different counties. Event programming focused on health equity leadership, forming community-academic partnerships and WPP community grant funding opportunities.
Community Connections outreach events were launched in 2024 to provide a forum for learning about upcoming community grant funding opportunities and connecting with local public health and nonprofit professionals in the region. WPP staff traveled to Ashland, Fennimore, River Falls and Wisconsin Rapids to host these events in partnership with local grant partners and public health, university and community partners. As a result of these outreach events, this year’s Community Impact Grant Programs saw a significant increase in applications compared to previous years.
Evaluation Support
Evaluation is critical for researchers and community organizations to expand or sustain their efforts. In order to be eligible for larger federal, foundation or state grants, applicants are often required to demonstrate proof-of-concept supported by past results and/or evaluation data. However, many smaller organizations lack the skills or capacity to fully evaluate their work. To bridge this gap and help promote sustainability, WPP provides evaluation support at the start of all community grants. For smaller community grant recipients, WPP advises on the design of the evaluation plan. Additionally, evaluation support for all grantees is available from WPP’s evaluation staff on an as-needed basis.
Reporting Outcomes and Impact
WPP publishes outcome reports for concluded grants to highlight the progress, achievements and impact of our grant partners. View the Funded Projects page for information about new awards, active grants and results of concluded grants.
Leveraged in funding derived from WPP-funded projects
Articles, presentations and other media sharing findings of WPP projects
Attendees at WPP-hosted learning and networking events
*Data from July 1, 2023–June 30, 2024