Foundations that fund organizations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Worked out from where the grants went, not where the foundations sit.
Funding landscape for Milwaukee nonprofits
1,430 private foundations gave $465M to Milwaukee organizations in their latest filings; 38 of the 100 that say either way accept applications.
6,520 grants in total, with a typical foundation's median grant to Milwaukee around $60K. 62 of these funders are based in Wisconsin; the rest give here from elsewhere.
- Foundations giving here
- 1,430
- Accept applications
- 38
- of 100 that state a policy
- Dollars to Milwaukee
- $465M
- latest filings
- Grants
- 6,520
- Typical median grant
- $60K
- Based in WI
- 62%
- of funders listed
Funders, by dollars given to Milwaukee organizations
| Foundation | Based in | Grants here | Dollars here | Median | Accepts applications | Typical purposes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred and Isabel Bader 2014 Charitable Trust | Milwaukee, WI | 1 | $92M | $92M | Preselected only | General |
| Husco Foundation | Milwaukee, WI | 3 | $52M | $274K | Yes | Event sponsorship; General operating support; General operating support, event sponsorship |
| Northwestern Mutual Life Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 1 | $27M | $27M | Yes | For charitable, religious, educational, & scientific purpos… |
| Joseph and Vera Zilber Family Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 207 | $15M | $10K | Yes | Gratitude grant; General operations; Holiday giving 2024 |
| Tosa Foundation C/O Tashia Morgridge | Portola Valley, CA | 7 | $15M | $600K | Preselected only | Education; Art |
| The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 82 | $14M | $75K | Yes | To support general operations; To support a capital campaign; To support the Healing Center |
| Herbert H Kohl Charities Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 142 | $12M | $7,500 | Preselected only | To fund approved public charities |
| The Robert D and Patricia E Kern Family Foundation Inc | Waukesha, WI | 7 | $9.3M | $500K | Preselected only | General operating support; Embedding em institutionally; Support leadership development program |
| The Carl Victor Page Memorial Foundation | Palo Alto, CA | 1 | $8.0M | $8.0M | Preselected only | General operating support |
| The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation | Princeton, NJ | 9 | $8.0M | $457K | Yes | 80536 general operating support for 9to5, national associat…; 82323 expanding leadership capacity and building the power…; 80832 supporting family values @ work in a co-design proces… |
| The Cudahy Foundation C/O Kevin L Lindsey Co-Trustee | Mequon, WI | 14 | $7.0M | $40K | Preselected only | Community; Education; Education/community |
| Otto Bremer Trust | St Paul, MN | 13 | $5.8M | $150K | Yes | Food programs; Community responsive fund; Hospital bed tower campaign |
| Emerson Family Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | 2 | $4.4M | $2.2M | Preselected only | General use to accomplish the purposes of this 501(c)3 orga… |
| Kellogg Family Foundation C/O Godfrey & Kahn Sc | Milwaukee, WI | 6 | $4.3M | $42K | Preselected only | General operating support; Provide approximately 650 acres of land and buildings in bo… |
| Kelben Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 21 | $4.2M | $5,000 | Yes | Donation; Social service agency; College education support |
| Levalley Foundation | Eagan, MN | 1 | $4.2M | $4.2M | Preselected only | General operating |
| The Roots and Wings Foundation Inc | Seattle, WA | 61 | $4.2M | $10K | Preselected only | Unrestricted grant; Foundation gathering honorarium; Unrestricted funds for capacity building |
| Glacs Endowment Fund | Honolulu, HI | 1 | $4.1M | $4.1M | Preselected only | General exempt function programs |
| Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation | Redmond, WA | 1 | $4.0M | $4.0M | Preselected only | To provide general support |
| Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 60 | $3.9M | $40K | Yes | General operations; Art blaze; Summerfest art installation |
| Rockwell Automation Charitable Corp | Milwaukee, WI | 27 | $3.7M | $45K | Yes | General Operating; Program support; General Operating, Education support |
| The Yabuki Family Foundation | Milwaukee, WI | 11 | $3.5M | $25K | Preselected only | General use |
| Reiman Foundation Inc | Pewaukee, WI | 9 | $3.3M | $50K | Preselected only | General Operations; General Operations Global Health |
| Daniel M Soref Rvoc Tr | Milwaukee, WI | 41 | $2.9M | $40K | Preselected only | General operations; General operations in milwaukee; Home ownership and opening doors campaign |
| The Ford Foundation | New York, NY | 5 | $2.5M | $350K | Yes | General support; General support and core support for institutional strength…; Matching gift |
| David Bader Charitable Trust | Milwaukee, WI | 1 | $2.5M | $2.5M | Preselected only | General |
| Daniel Bader Charitable Trust | Milwaukee, WI | 1 | $2.5M | $2.5M | Preselected only | General |
| Eugene J Eder Charitable Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 14 | $2.4M | $13K | Preselected only | To promote community well being |
| Sweeney Family Foundation | Chicago, IL | 5 | $2.3M | $13K | Preselected only | General; Charitable family fund |
| The Lubar Family Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 18 | $2.1M | $19K | Preselected only | Arts, Culture, and the Outdoors; Jewish Related; Community, Health, and Welfare |
| Baird Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 212 | $2.1M | $1,355 | Preselected only | Health and human services; Education; Ethnic and religious |
| Richard L Boland Love for Life Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 5 | $2.1M | $20K | Preselected only | General purpose; General purposes |
| The Tepper Foundation | New York, NY | 1 | $2.0M | $2.0M | Preselected only | General support |
| A O Smith Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 1 | $1.9M | $1.9M | Yes | Various |
| Siebert Lutheran Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 42 | $1.9M | $33K | Yes | Operating support-employee match; All peoples neighborhood minister, operating support; Beautiful savior youth programs |
| Ladish Co Foundation | Elm Grove, WI | 28 | $1.9M | $25K | Preselected only | General support; Educational programs/rhino habitat; Emergency food pantries |
| Nicholas Family Foundation Trust C/O Lynn S Nicholas | Mequon, WI | 21 | $1.8M | $50K | Yes | Annual campaign. to provide relief to victims of disasters…; Annual campaign. to advance the work of pediatric patient c…; Annual campaign. provide exceptional, professional theater… |
| The Ros Foundation | Greenfield, WI | 64 | $1.8M | $20K | Yes | General operating purposes |
| Anon Charitable Trust | Milwaukee, WI | 101 | $1.7M | $10K | Yes | Unrestricted charitable grant |
| The Skoll Foundation | Palo Alto, CA | 2 | $1.6M | $800K | Yes | General operating support |
| The Gerald D and Helen M Stephens Foundation | Wilmington, DE | 2 | $1.6M | $800K | Preselected only | Grainger Hall Capital Improvement Fund; Football Indoor Practice Facility Fund |
| Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Inc | New York, NY | 3 | $1.5M | $250K | Preselected only | General operating support; Advancing women's rights |
| Lynn S Nicholas Family Foundation Inc | Mequon, WI | 4 | $1.4M | $350K | Yes | Advance the work of pediatric patient care, research and te…; Supports research into the effective treatment and cure for…; Supporting a private medical school, pharmacy, and graduate… |
| Wells Fargo Foundation | Minneapolis, MN | 11 | $1.4M | $50K | Preselected only | Milwaukee WORTH Implementation Grant; General Operating/Capital Catalyst Fund; JA Wisconsin K-12 Financial Literacy |
| The Lori and David Nicholas Family Foundation Inc | Mequon, WI | 10 | $1.4M | $60K | Yes | To support the universal park project.; Designated for the schlitz audubon environmental education…; Designated for the restoration/renovation project |
| Fotsch Family Foundation | Nashotah, WI | 21 | $1.3M | $45K | Preselected only | Charitable contribution |
| Charter Manufacturing Company Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 24 | $1.3M | $10K | Preselected only | General operating support; Linda t and john a mellowes endowed innovation and discover…; General operating support / capital campaign |
| Four-Four Foundation Inc C/O Bessemer Trust Company Na | New York, NY | 35 | $1.3M | $19K | Preselected only | General exempt purpose |
| Harri Hoffmann Family Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 75 | $1.3M | $10K | Yes | Program support |
| The Everydaygood Foundation Inc | Mequon, WI | 14 | $1.2M | $50K | Preselected only | General; Walker's point clinic; Integrative health program |
| Fitzsimonds Charitable Trust | Milwaukee, WI | 8 | $1.2M | $28K | Preselected only | General; Historic haymarket milwaukee |
| Harley-Davidson Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 22 | $1.2M | $5,500 | Preselected only | Grant |
| Wk Kellogg Foundation | Battle Creek, MI | 4 | $1.2M | $250K | Yes | Early Care and Education; Promise of an Equitable Future |
| Society of Clinical Ultrasound Fellowships Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 1 | $1.2M | $1.2M | Preselected only | Scuf granted eufac on 8/30/2024 |
| Stimac Family Foundation | Houston, TX | 5 | $1.0M | $154K | Preselected only | Presidential scholarshipshope scholars programvolleyball se…; General fund; Annual fund |
| Ralph Evinrude Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 96 | $1.0M | $6,000 | Yes | General operating support; General program support; Annual campaign |
| Ghr Foundation | Minneapolis, MN | 1 | $1.0M | $1.0M | Preselected only | Engineering for the Difference |
| The Tracking Foundation | New York, NY | 1 | $1.0M | $1.0M | Preselected only | General support |
| Betty Wold Johnson Foundation | West Palm Beach, FL | 1 | $1.0M | $1.0M | Preselected only | General support |
| Feigin Foundation | Wilmington, DE | 1 | $1.0M | $1.0M | Preselected only | Program support |
| Merkel Foundation Inc | Brookfield, WI | 15 | $982K | $25K | Preselected only | General operating support |
| Dr Ralph & Marian Falk Medical Research Tr | Dallas, TX | 3 | $981K | $330K | Yes | Pain therapy - sensory; New drugs to treat; Improve diagnosis of breast |
| Evan & Marion Helfaer Foundation | Elm Grove, WI | 73 | $977K | $1,500 | Yes | Program support |
| Perkins Malo Hunter Foundation | Holland, MI | 5 | $975K | $240K | Preselected only | Academic program expenses; General operating expenses; Academic Program Expense |
| Smarelli Charitable Trust | Milwaukee, WI | 3 | $975K | $100K | Preselected only | Charitable; Educational |
| Sixsibs Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 41 | $960K | $5,000 | Yes | The sixsibs foundation makes contributions for the general… |
| Hauske Family Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 32 | $935K | $7,063 | Yes | Education support; Community support; Arts support |
| Jane Bradley Pettit Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 1 | $906K | $906K | Yes | See Statement |
| Raynor Father John P Charitable Tr | Milwaukee, WI | 1 | $890K | $890K | Preselected only | Education |
| Isabel Bader 2021 Charitable Trust | Milwaukee, WI | 3 | $880K | $150K | Preselected only | General operations; Gitel bas moshe fund |
| Martin Family Foundation | Saratoga, CA | 9 | $878K | $20K | Preselected only | Unrestricted charitable grant |
| The Andrew W Mellon Foundation | New York, NY | 2 | $875K | $438K | Yes | To continue to support the education preparedness program a…; To support the final phase of knowledge management infrastr… |
| Windhover Foundation Inc | Wilmington, DE | 31 | $860K | $10K | Preselected only | General & Unrestricted; Charitable Event; Annual Fund |
| Manpowergroup Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 22 | $858K | $10K | Yes | Elmer winter scholarship; Support for youth; Corporate gift for support of safe & stable homes program;… |
| Marguerite Casey Foundation | Seattle, WA | 2 | $850K | $425K | Preselected only | Community organizing; General operating support |
| Treffert Family Foundation Inc | Brookfield, WI | 1 | $800K | $800K | Preselected only | Charitable gifting |
| Hf Foundation Inc | Hartland, WI | 2 | $800K | $400K | Preselected only | Charitable donation 501(c)(3) organization |
| Leonard Gigowski Catholic Education Foundation Inc | Oak Creek, WI | 1 | $776K | $776K | Preselected only | To support scholarships |
| Jpmorgan Chase Foundation | New York, NY | 63 | $740K | $720 | Preselected only | Matching contribution (general operating support); In support of neighborhood revitalization; In support of creating economic mobility and career pathways |
| Komatsu Mining Corp Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 1 | $733K | $733K | Yes | Various |
| The Argosy Foundation | Milwaukee, WI | 19 | $713K | $15K | Preselected only | General support; Employer match program; Community project |
| The Bruce Krier Charitable Foundation | Port Washington, WI | 1 | $695K | $695K | Yes | Campus renovation and endowment funding |
| The Brookhill Foundation | Milwaukee, WI | 5 | $688K | $30K | Preselected only | General operating; Be the bold capital campaign; Donation to inernship programs |
| Tate Family Foundation | Fox Point, WI | 7 | $685K | $42K | Preselected only | General fund |
| Public Welfare Foundation Inc | Washington, DC | 5 | $653K | $150K | Yes | Support for zero youth corrections milwaukee; Support for milwaukee freedom fund; Support for support for confronting mass incarceration |
| Wm Collins Kohler Foundation Inc | Milwaukee, WI | 9 | $651K | $50K | Preselected only | General operating |
| Gebhardt Foundation Inc | Mequon, WI | 10 | $645K | $30K | Yes | Charitable; Educational; General program support |
| The Wayland E Noland Foundation | Wilmington, DE | 1 | $627K | $627K | Preselected only | General & Unrestricted |
| Green Bay Packers Foundation | Green Bay, WI | 82 | $626K | $3,800 | Yes | Mentoring mindsets community building and support; I said i can; Empowering youth through sports-based afterschool programmi… |
| Ua for Helene Fuld Health Trust 10-205620 | New York, NY | 1 | $625K | $625K | Preselected only | Program support |
| The Shubert Foundation Inc | New York, NY | 8 | $610K | $48K | Yes | General operating support for theatrical productions and ac…; General operating support for dance productions and activit… |
| Kim and John Schlifske Family Foundation Inc | Elm Grove, WI | 8 | $605K | $37K | Preselected only | General support |
| John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation | Chicago, IL | 3 | $600K | $200K | Preselected only | In support of general operations; To support participation as an implementation site in the s… |
| Elmore & Alyce Kraemer Char Tr | Chicago, IL | 3 | $599K | $200K | Preselected only | Program support |
| Jerome J and Dorothy H Holz Family Foundation C/O Donald Tushaus | Milwaukee, WI | 29 | $599K | $10K | Yes | Homeownership program; Truck studio program; Braile transcription program |
| Laskin Family Foundation Inc C/O James N Phillips | Milwaukee, WI | 25 | $598K | $10K | Preselected only | General operating support |
| The Brookby Foundation | Milwaukee, WI | 21 | $584K | $10K | Yes | General support; General Support; Environmental Programming |
| The Galaxy Foundation Inc | Hartland, WI | 43 | $582K | $10K | Preselected only | Program support; Haggerty museum of art |
| The McKnight Foundation | Minneapolis, MN | 5 | $575K | $100K | Yes | for general operating support; to support the Milwaukee Midtown Voter Education and Voter…; to support the Environmental Justice Infrastructure Initiat… |
| The Topper Foundation | Allentown, PA | 1 | $560K | $560K | Yes | General charitable |
Source: IRS Form 990-PF Part XV, latest electronic return per foundation (2026-10-28). "Accepts applications" reflects the foundation's own checkbox on Part XV line 2. Grants to individuals excluded.
Common questions
Which foundations give to nonprofits in Milwaukee, Wisconsin?
Alfred and Isabel Bader 2014 Charitable Trust, Husco Foundation, Northwestern Mutual Life Foundation Inc, Joseph and Vera Zilber Family Foundation Inc, Tosa Foundation C/O Tashia Morgridge and 95 others reported grants to Milwaukee organizations on their latest Form 990-PF.
How do I approach a foundation that doesn't accept applications?
A foundation that checks "contributes only to preselected organizations" on its 990-PF won't review a cold proposal. Look at who it funds, find a shared board member, grantee or advisor, and ask for an introduction. Foundations that accept applications usually list a contact and deadlines in Part XV; we show that text on each foundation's page.
Is this list complete?
No. It covers private foundations (Form 990-PF filers) whose latest electronic return lists at least one grant to an organization in Milwaukee. Community foundations and corporate giving programs file different forms and are not included yet.