Ending Homelessness in Our Community — One Person at a Time
For Goodness Sake is a movement to end homelessness in Eau Claire and Chippewa County through collaboration, innovation, and proven solutions. This is not a feel-good philosophy or a generic charity. It is a focused fund designed to support effective, measurable, and coordinated housing solutions that actually work.
We exist to close gaps in services, fund best practices, and ensure dollars are spent where they create real housing outcomes — not duplication, inefficiency, or temporary fixes.
Our Vision
End homelessness in our community — one person at a time — through effective collaboration and innovation.
Homelessness is solvable. Other communities have proven it. Our goal is to bring the strategies that work to Eau Claire — and fund them with transparency, accountability, and urgency.
We prioritize upstream prevention, helping vulnerable individuals stay housed before they lose their homes, because preventing homelessness is more effective — and far less costly — than recovering from it.
Why This Matters Now
Eau Claire faces a lack of coordination across agencies and government, leading to duplicated services and wasted resources. At the same time, rising rents, limited vouchers, and funding cuts have left many neighbors unable to secure stable housing.
For Goodness Sake was created to:
Fund gaps in current homeless services
Support innovation already working in other cities
Encourage collaboration among nonprofits and agencies
Track outcomes tied to permanent housing success
Provide transparent reporting so investors see real impact
We are committed to data, results, and accountability — not guesswork.
What We Fund
We provide grants to organizations that demonstrate:
Innovation — new or improved housing solutions
Collaboration — shared efforts with other community partners
Measurable outcomes — clear proof of housing success
Permanent impact — moving people toward long-term stability
We do not fund individual emergency payments.
We do fund systems, programs, and interventions that scale impact.
Grant cycles occur 1–2 times per year, with evaluations published publicly to support learning and community transparency. If you want to learn more, please fill out our contact form.
Next Steps
Our Funding Goal
We’re aiming to raise $5 million over the next three years to accelerate real, measurable housing solutions in our community.
In these early years:
90% of funds will go directly toward housing interventions
10% will be invested to ensure long-term sustainability
Administrative costs are estimated at ~8%, overseen by the Wisconsin Foundation UCC
Our priority is simple: maximize impact, minimize overhead, and stay accountable to the people who invest.
Join the Movement
For Goodness Sake is not about managing homelessness.
It’s about ending it.
If you want to invest in real solutions, measurable impact, and a stronger community, we invite you to be part of this effort.
Together, we can end homelessness — one person at a time.
What People Are Saying
Once we have raised and granted funds, expect to read the successes that Eau Claire has realized as a result of your investment in For Goodness Sake. You will be kept aware of how you impact the lives of our most vulnerable population. You will hear of the positive outcomes that our community experiences when we work together. As the community vision to end homelessness develops, you may see items that are “In the News” as possibilities, investments, or collaborations.
You may discover invitations to participate in activities, functions and celebrations of your investment in For Goodness Sake.
The following are testimonials from persons who have shared their lived experiences on Eau Claire Streets. Each one brings our attention to the challenges and insights of their experiences. Our community benefits from their experience to effectively support their personal efforts and abilities and minimize the barriers that we may unwittingly create that harm individuals who are already vulnerable.
Mara Langreck, Lived Experience Advisory Board of Eau Claire
I am happy to speak in support of For Goodness Sake. While I am still learning more about the organization's structure, I am encouraged by its vision, particularly the commitment to thoughtful proposal review and responsible fund distribution.
Raising funds is rarely the hardest part, ensuring they are deployed strategically and equitably is where the real impact is made. I am especially interested in how proposals will be evaluated and how outcomes will be measured.
Eau Claire needs fresh thinking. For too long, funding has circulated within the same initiatives. It is time to invest in promising ideas that generate measurable results and long-term community benefit.
Justin Fierke, Peer Specialist/Community Advocate
I am writing to express my strong support for the work and long-term vision of the For Goodness Sake initiative.
What stands out to me about For Goodness Sake is its commitment to persistence. Ending homelessness is not something that happens quickly. It requires years of steady work, collaboration between organizations, and the courage to continue even when change takes time. The commitment of For Goodness Sake to stay focused on this mission for the next five to ten years is incredibly important. Sustainable change in a community only happens when organizations are willing to remain engaged through the long process of building better systems and better opportunities for people.
Seth Champion, Homeless Activist, Eau Claire
My experiences while unhoused turned me into an activist in 2024. There are many unnecessary hardships that people living in poverty endure. Most don’t know what would truly solve their problems or address the underlying causes.
A “by-name” list—identifying everyone currently experiencing homelessness by name along with their specific needs—would streamline access to services. A regularly updated list could also help evaluate which services and providers are truly effective and provide a basic “call to action” for clients.
As I understand it, the funds raised from the community by For Goodness Sake are primarily intended for efforts that demonstrate what actually works in helping our homeless neighbors return to stable lives. This is at the top of my list.
Those of us on the street have been waiting a long time for the money and incentives to meet us where we are. A by-name list could bridge that gap. I like the idea that the funds be made available to those Service Providers who show clear intent to bridge the divide between mismatched incentives.
Get in Touch
If you’re interested in learning more, partnering, giving, or simply exploring how you can be involved, we’d love to connect. Fill out the form below, and someone from our board will follow up with clear next steps, honest answers, and ways to engage that align with your interests.
Whether you represent a church, business, organization, or are simply passionate about this mission — your voice and participation matter.