Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation
The Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Tomah, Wisconsin. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, all of them in Wisconsin, supporting activities that include community services, arts, history, and building repairs.
Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation gave $50K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Wisconsin. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $50,000
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,125
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $638,690
- -3.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 520 N Lawrence Avenue, Tomah, WI 54660
Phone: (608) 372-2264
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Area Community Theatre Inc ($10K). Together the top 10 received $42K.
Grant Size Distribution
78 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 78 grants of 78 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Wisconsin. The listed recipients were in Tomah, except the North American Squirrel Association, which was in Holmen.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 16 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. How we count
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 108% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $39K (2019) to $54K (2022). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $50K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Area Community Theatre Inc Tomah, WI | Building Repairs and Maintenance | $10,000 |
| First Congregational United Church of Christ Tomah, WI | General Supplies | $5,000 |
| Neighbor for Neighbor Inc Tomah, WI | FOOD | $5,000 |
| Tomah Concert Association Tomah, WI | Promotion of the Arts in Tomah Area | $4,000 |
| Veterans Assistance Foundation Inc Tomah, WI | General Supplies | $4,000 |
| Families First of Monroe County Tomah, WI | General Supplies | $3,000 |
| Kindness Community Inc Tomah, WI | General Supplies | $3,000 |
| Tomah Area Historical Society Tomah, WI | Building Repairs and Maintenance | $3,000 |
| Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1382 Tomah, WI | Repairs and Maintenance | $3,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of West Central Wisconsin Tomah, WI | General Supplies | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $638,690 | $46,456 | $67,827 | $50,000 | 16 | $53,848 | $32,841 | $49,921 |
| 2024 | $660,061 | $28,498 | $66,947 | $50,000 | 16 | $53,806 | $15,571 | $47,758 |
| 2023 | $698,510 | $3,022 | $65,959 | $50,000 | 16 | $53,461 | $5,909 | $44,160 |
| 2022 | $761,447 | $36,088 | $70,817 | $54,000 | 15 | $57,538 | $22,928 | $47,348 |
| 2021 | $796,176 | $9,450 | $73,117 | $54,000 | 15 | $57,954 | $8,595 | $54,308 |
| 2020 | $859,843 | $25,536 | $70,501 | $53,000 | 14 | — | $12,359 | $46,721 |
| 2019 | $904,808 | $113,726 | $56,039 | $39,000 | 7 | — | $41,579 | $46,448 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $50K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations serving community needs, arts and cultural activities, historical preservation, veterans, and other purposes.
Among its grantees, Neighbor for Neighbor describes its mission as providing food to people experiencing hunger with compassion and respect. The Veterans Assistance Foundation says it addresses issues faced by veterans and low-income people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Families First of Monroe County says it supports residents through financial and life challenges with respectful, empowering services. The Tomah Area Historical Society describes its purpose as collecting and preserving records of the Tomah area’s early years and local history.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $50,000 through 16 grants. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, with a median of $3,000.
The largest reported grants included $10,000 to Area Community Theatre for building repairs and maintenance; $5,000 each to First Congregational United Church of Christ for general supplies and Neighbor for Neighbor for food; and $4,000 each to Tomah Concert Association for promotion of the arts in the Tomah area and Veterans Assistance Foundation for general supplies. Other reported grants included $3,000 to Families First of Monroe County, Kindness Community, and Tomah Area Historical Society, and $2,000 to Boys & Girls Club of West Central Wisconsin, Mr Ed’s Community Thanksgiving Dinner, and Tomah Area Cancer Support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Charles M Schaeve as trustee.
Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation is led by Charles M. Schaeve, Trustee on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Charles M. Schaeve
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$6K (2019) → $6K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $6K, to Charles M Schaeve (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation
How much does Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation give each year?
Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation gave $50K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $50K across 16 grants.
What is Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $3,125, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation give grants?
Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Wisconsin: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Tomah, WI (14 grants).
Does Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 50% of Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Area Community Theatre Inc ($10,000), First Congregational United Church of Christ ($5,000) and Neighbor for Neighbor Inc ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation?
Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation reported $639K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $54K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $50K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations serving community needs, arts and cultural activities, historical preservation, veterans, and other purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-6538323. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 22, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 28, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 25, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bernadette-m-otto-charitable-foundation-morg_8d5572d3072c44fcbc335c6308ca4b7d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_826538323_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bernadette-m-otto-charitable-foundation-morg_8d5572d3072c44fcbc335c6308ca4b7d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Bernadette M Otto Charitable Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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