The Partners in Equity Grant (PIE Grant) was approved by the County Board of Supervisors and County Executive and piloted in 2015 to address systemic racial inequalities in health, education, employment or criminal justice. During the pilot period the grant was administered by the Department of Human Services and the Office for Equity and Inclusion.

The Partners in Equity Grant Program of the Dane County Office for Equity and Inclusion supports Dane County-based community groups that propose to use funding to address systemic racial inequities in the criminal justice system, with a preference for proposals that address issues identified by the Criminal Justice Workgroup Recommendations in the September 2015 white paper titled  “Investigating Solutions to Racial Disparities and Mental Health Challenges in the Dane County Jail and throughout Dane County’s Criminal Justice System”.      

Grants are awarded to Dane County based community group(s) that will use the funding to address systemic racial inequities in the following areas:

• Health (including post-pandemic health related responses)
• Education
• Employment
• Criminal Justice (areas to be addressed may be associated with the recommendation of the criminal justice workgroup.)

To qualify for the grant, your group must desire to address systemic racial inequities in the criminal justice system, with a preference for proposals that address issues identified by the Criminal Justice Workgroup Recommendations. For more about these recommendations, please click here.

To be eligible to request funding under this grant program, the applicant must be a Dane County-based community group or Dane County-based non-profit with a Federal Tax ID number.   The organization must be working to address systemic racial inequities in the areas of health, education, employment or criminal justice.

Applicants that may have received a previous award must show evidence of project completion and satisfactory progress.  Applicants past performance may impact eligibility, please see application for more details.  

Individual organizations may apply for up to $15,000.  Partnerships or collaborations of two or more eligible organizations may apply for up to $50,000.   A total of $50,715 is available for 2024.