# Incourage Community Foundation

Incourage Community Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in Wisconsin Rapids, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Wisconsin Rapids, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Wisconsin Rapids, WI, United States
- **Founded:** 1994
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** incouragecf.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/incourage-community-foundation

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Incourage Community Foundation formed in March 1994 as the South Wood County Community Foundation, launched by Virginia Brazeau in response to the region's economic dislocation. Unlike a private family office deploying a single fortune, Incourage pools and directs community assets — grant dollars, donor-advised funds, and direct real estate holdings — to rebuild Wisconsin Rapids on a model of shared stewardship. The foundation's strategy blends traditional grantmaking with direct place-based investment. Its portfolio includes the Tribune Building, a mixed-use downtown redevelopment at 478 E Grand Ave, and the Centralia Center at 421 17th Ave S — both owned and operated to catalyze local economic activity rather than maximize rent. The Tribune Building also houses a collection of site-specific artworks: a steel-handrail piece referencing the region's cranberry heritage, landscape oil paintings, projection-sail installations, and colored intaglio prints. Incourage further supports a performing arts center in Wisconsin Rapids, reflecting a priority on cultural infrastructure alongside commercial and community spaces. Co-Managing Directors Linda Schill and Betsy Wood lead day-to-day operations, with Kristopher Gasch serving as Board Chair. The organization participates in the Council on Foundations and Wisconsin Philanthropy Network, and it maintains a supporting entity, Community Property, Inc., to hold real assets. Not a philanthropic spigot for a single donor, Incourage relies on aggregated local capital — a structure that has drawn national recognition as a replicable anchor-institution model. What separates Incourage from most community foundations is its posture as a direct developer and long-term asset owner. Where peers typically function as grantmaking intermediaries, Incourage holds physical downtown property on its own balance sheet, blurring the line between a philanthropic endowment and an operating real estate vehicle — all governed by a board drawn from the same geography it redevelops.

## Sectors

- Place-Based Philanthropy
- Community Development
- Real Estate
- Arts & Culture

## People

- Virginia Brazeau — Founder
- Kristopher Gasch — Board Chair
- Linda Schill — Co-Managing Director
- Betsy Wood — Co-Managing Director

## Questions

### Who leads investment and program decisions at Incourage Community Foundation?

Co-Managing Directors Linda Schill and Betsy Wood oversee day-to-day operations and programming. Board Chair Kristopher Gasch provides governance oversight. Founder Virginia Brazeau serves in a visionary capacity but does not handle routine investment decisions. The foundation's asset allocation and community investment priorities are directed by the board and staff leadership in concert.

### How is Incourage different from a typical community foundation?

Incourage directly owns and operates commercial real estate — the Tribune Building and Centralia Center — as a core redevelopment strategy, rather than acting solely as a grantmaking intermediary. It controls a supporting entity, Community Property, Inc., to hold physical assets. This developer-owner posture is distinct among community foundations, most of which limit their economic engagement to donor-advised grants and fund management.

### Does Incourage deploy capital only through grants, or does it make direct investments?

Beyond traditional grant cycles, Incourage makes direct place-based investments by acquiring, owning, and operating property in downtown Wisconsin Rapids. Its mixed-use Tribune Building redevelopment and the Centralia Center serve as both community amenities and balance-sheet assets. The foundation does not take equity stakes in private companies or commit to third-party venture funds.

### What geographies does Incourage serve?

The foundation's mission is geographically bounded to South Wood County, Wisconsin, centered on Wisconsin Rapids. All real estate holdings, programming, and grant dollars stay within that footprint. Incourage does not make grants or investments outside the region.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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