Brand Family Foundation
Brand Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Madison, Wisconsin. In 2025, it reported eight grants totaling $1,505,000, with most grant dollars going to Wisconsin recipients. Its listed support included University of Wisconsin–Madison-related funds, basketball, children’s museum programming, and community and charitable programs.
Brand Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Brand Family Foundation gave $1.5M across 8 grants in 2025 (avg $188K), mostly in Wisconsin. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,505,000
- -3.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 8
- -11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $188,125
- +8.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $5,870,928
- +2.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Brand Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2 E Mifflin St 901, Madison, WI 53703
Phone: (608) 257-2535
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Brand Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 8 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Wisconsin Foundation ($1.0M). Together the top 8 received $1.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
40 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 25 grants of 40 (63%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to Wisconsin recipients and 1% to Florida recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 8 itemized grants.
Cities
How Brand Family Foundation gives
- Giving grew 67% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 182% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $100K (2019) to $2.0M (2020). In 2025 it made 8 grants totaling $1.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin Foundation Madison, WI | Football indoor practice facility fund, capital projects reserve fund, chazen museum of art excellence fund, paul shain graduate scholarship fund in business, odyssey project fund, andy north and friends cancer fund, special event entertainment fund | $1,027,000 |
| Varsity Collective Charitable Fund Inc Madison, WI | Men and Women's Basketball | $350,000 |
| First Tee South Central Wisconsin Madison, WI | General DONATION2025 First Tee Cup | $55,000 |
| Madison Children's Museum Madison, WI | Program Support | $50,000 |
| Balance and Believe Foundation Inc Madison, WI | Uw Carbone Cancer Center | $10,000 |
| United Way of Miami-Dade Inc Miami, FL | Community Programscoconut Grove Cares Inc | $10,000 |
| Coconut Grove Cares Inc Miami, FL | Program Support | $2,000 |
| Agrace Foundation Inc Madison, WI | Memorials | $1,000 |
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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 | $5,870,928 | $3,741,784 | $1,508,095 | $1,505,000 | 8 | $1,506,545 | $313,084 | $826,965 |
| 2024 | $5,750,388 | $5,628,797 | $1,609,324 | $1,564,000 | 9 | $1,565,737 | $157,322 | $554,134 |
| 2023 | $2,900,269 | $2,184,118 | $1,157,019 | $1,137,000 | 9 | $1,138,325 | $1,799,913 | $351,053 |
| 2022 | $2,219,850 | $1,129,758 | $910,809 | $903,000 | 6 | $904,150 | $705,648 | $383,849 |
| 2021 | $2,000,880 | $309,722 | $1,049,658 | $1,047,300 | 8 | — | $308,597 | $443,255 |
| 2020 | $2,740,816 | $806,284 | $2,004,061 | $1,999,700 | 8 | — | $126,774 | $305,392 |
| 2019 | $3,938,593 | $1,834,821 | $105,201 | $100,050 | 12 | — | $120,556 | $241,385 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Brand Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $827K 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 a range of organizations and purposes. The University of Wisconsin Foundation describes its mission as advancing the objectives and welfare of the University of Wisconsin–Madison by encouraging alumni, donor, and friend engagement and support. Madison Children’s Museum says it connects children with families, communities, and the wider world through discovery learning and creative play. Coconut Grove Cares describes its work as serving children and families in West Coconut Grove through afterschool, summer camp, and family programs.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made eight grants totaling $1,505,000. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $1,027,000, with a median grant of $30,000.
The largest award was $1,027,000 to the University of Wisconsin Foundation for several named funds and projects, including a football indoor practice facility, the Chazen Museum of Art Excellence Fund, and the Odyssey Project Fund. Other notable awards were $350,000 to Varsity Collective Charitable Fund for men’s and women’s basketball; $55,000 to First Tee South Central Wisconsin for a general donation and the 2025 First Tee Cup; and $50,000 to Madison Children’s Museum for program support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Dora S Brand as trustee through January 2025, Nathan S Brand as trustee, and Dorothea B Kennedy as trustee.
Brand Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Dora S. Brand
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dorothea B. Kennedy
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nathan S. Brand
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Brand Family Foundation
How much does Brand Family Foundation give each year?
Brand Family Foundation gave $1.5M across 8 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.6M across 9 grants.
What is Brand Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Brand Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $30,000, and its average grant was $188,125, across 8 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Brand Family Foundation give grants?
Brand Family Foundation gives mostly in Wisconsin: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Madison, WI (6 grants) and Miami, FL (2 grants).
Does Brand Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 13% of Brand Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 8) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Brand Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Brand Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Wisconsin Foundation ($1,027,000), Varsity Collective Charitable Fund Inc ($350,000) and First Tee South Central Wisconsin ($55,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 95% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Brand Family Foundation?
Brand Family Foundation reported $5.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $827K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Brand Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations and purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Brand Family Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Brand Family Foundation's EIN?
Brand Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-2043572. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Brand Family 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 January 20, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 18, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 10, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 21, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Live grants for the work Brand Family Foundation funds
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