Church Mutual Insurance Company
Church Mutual Insurance Company Foundation, Inc., known as CM CARES®, is a private foundation based in Merrill, Wisconsin. Established by Church Mutual in 2016, it supports charitable, educational, and religious causes that advance and elevate others.
Church Mutual Insurance Company at a glance
In short: Church Mutual Insurance Company gave $464K across 256 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Wisconsin. 55% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $463,887
- +7.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 256
- +33.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,812
- -19.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $172,197
- -47.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 55% first-time grantees (129 of 235, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (77% 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 Church Mutual Insurance Company
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2025 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists Dwayne Gantz as the application contact and says applicants should submit a completed application, a brief organizational history and description of the previous year’s accomplishments, the purpose of the funding request, names and brief descriptions of project partners’ roles, project and organizational budgets, and the organization’s IRS determination letter. The foundation’s website provides an application for CM CARES® donations or event sponsorships and says it can only donate to or sponsor verifiable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. The filing lists no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- None listed in the 2025 filing.
- Deadline
- None listed in the 2025 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Dwayne Gantz
Mailing address: 3000 Schuster Lane, Merrill, WI 54452
Phone: (715) 536-5577
Website: https://churchmutual.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Church Mutual Insurance Company funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Merrill Area United Way ($100K). Together the top 10 received $274K.
Grant Size Distribution
1,002 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 985 grants of 1,002 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that 77% of grant dollars went to Wisconsin recipients, 5% to Pennsylvania, 2% each to Florida and Indiana, and 1% to Ohio. The listed grants also include recipients in other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 256 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Church Mutual Insurance Company open to new grantees?
55%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 129 of 235 grantees (55%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $500 repeat.
- 31% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $431K (2024) to $1.0M (2020). In 2025 it made 256 grants totaling $464K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Merrill Area United Way Merrill, WI | Matching United Way Employee Gift | $99,967 |
| Northcentral Technical College Foundation Inc Wausau, WI | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI | General Operating Support | $35,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of the Wausau Area Wausau, WI | Merrill Technology Center Sponsorship | $20,000 |
| United Way of Dane County Madison, WI | Matching United Way Employee Gift | $12,812 |
| United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County Inc Milwaukee, WI | Matching United Way Employee Gift | $10,096 |
| Bethesda Mission of Harrisburg Mechanicsburg, PA | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Community Food Pantry of Merrill Inc Merrill, WI | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Fellowship Open Inc Milwaukee, WI | Youth Support Group | $10,000 |
| Kinship MKE Milwaukee, WI | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
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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 | $172,197 | $319,680 | $472,191 | $463,887 | 256 | $472,516 | $14,680 | $19,554 |
| 2024 | $324,708 | $268,936 | $441,787 | $431,206 | 192 | $442,012 | $18,936 | $22,173 |
| 2023 | $497,559 | $277,815 | $683,872 | $643,475 | 194 | $686,972 | $27,815 | $38,434 |
| 2022 | $903,616 | $1,146,657 | $587,621 | $485,308 | 167 | $587,621 | $6,657 | $35,262 |
| 2021 | $344,580 | $1,000,030 | $797,036 | $707,896 | 193 | $797,035 | $30 | $34,985 |
| 2020 | $141,586 | $405,267 | $1,170,273 | $1,005,301 | 701 | — | $2,767 | $30,202 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Church Mutual Insurance Company reported a distributable amount of $20K 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
CM CARES® says its purpose is to support charitable, educational, and religious causes that advance and elevate others. Its website names the United Way, Feeding America, the Salvation Army, and Meals on Wheels among the nonprofit causes it supports.
The 2025 grants included general operating support, United Way employee gift matching, youth support, and sponsorships. Grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported: Kinship MKE says it works to address hunger, isolation, and poverty; Fellowship Open says its mission is to support organizations making a meaningful difference in the lives of Milwaukee-area low-income youth; and Lincoln County Humane Society says it works to prevent cruelty and abuse to animals, birds, and wildlife.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 256 grants totaling $463,887. Awards ranged from $100 to $99,967, with a median grant of $500.
Among the largest reported grants were $99,967 to Merrill Area United Way for matching United Way employee gifts; $50,000 to Northcentral Technical College Foundation for general operating support; $35,000 to Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee for general operating support; and $20,000 to Boys & Girls Club of the Wausau Area for Merrill Technology Center sponsorship. Other $10,000 grants included support for Bethesda Mission of Harrisburg, Community Food Pantry of Merrill, Fellowship Open, Kinship MKE, River Food Pantry, and The Center for Black Excellence and Culture.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Alan S. Ogilvie as president and director; Pamela J. Rushing as executive vice president and director; Dwayne A. Gantz as treasurer and director; and David J. Endres as secretary and director. Other directors listed are Stephanie I. Lynn, Kevin D. Root, Janet L. Selnes, Pamela W. Stampen, Andrew J. Bloechl, and Carolyn Schamberger.
Church Mutual Insurance Company is led by Alan S. Ogilvie, President & Director since 2025 (on filings since 2021); none of the 10 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Alan S. Ogilvie
President & Director
Director → President, 2023
President → President & Director, 2025
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kevin D. Root
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dwayne A. Gantz
Treasurer & Director
Treasurer → Treasurer & Director, 2025
On filings since 2021
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pamela W. Stampen
Director
Senior Vice President → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrew J. Bloechl
Director
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pamela J. Rushing
Executive Vice President & Director
Director → Executive Vice President, 2024
Executive Vice President → Executive Vice President & Director, 2025
On filings since 2023
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Janet L. Selnes
Director
On filings since 2024
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie I. Lynn
Director
On filings since 2024
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn Schamberger
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David J. Endres
Secretary & Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (15)
- Former: Elizabeth L. Hans (2020–2024) — Foundation Administrator
- Former: Michael M. Smith (2020–2024) — Secretary · Filing note: Began 11/2023
- Former: Heather A. Renzelmann (2023–2024) — Foundation Administrator
- Former: Cynthia M. Brandt (2020–2023) — Secretary · Filing note: Ended 11/2023
- Former: Laurie J. Thiel (2020–2023) — Director · Filing note: Ended 11/2023
- Former: Richard V. Poirier (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Robert M. Buckley (2020–2023) — Director · Filing note: Ended 10/2023
- Former: Scott W. Steele (2020–2023) — Director · Filing note: Ended 10/2023
- Former: Alexandra Oles (2021–2023) — Director · Filing note: Ended 423
- Former: Neal W. Smith (2022–2023) — Director · Filing note: Ended 11/2023
- Former: John R. Tribble (2023) — Director
- Former: Laura E. Huggins (2023) — Director
- Former: Jeffrey D. Steffen (2020–2022) — Director · Filing note: Ended 11/2022
- Former: Angela K. Bailey (2020) — Vice President
- Former: Linda L. Voelz (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Church Mutual Insurance Company
How much does Church Mutual Insurance Company give each year?
Church Mutual Insurance Company gave $464K across 256 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $431K across 192 grants.
What is Church Mutual Insurance Company's typical grant size?
Church Mutual Insurance Company's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $1,812, across 256 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Church Mutual Insurance Company that year got $1K on average.
Where does Church Mutual Insurance Company give grants?
Church Mutual Insurance Company gives mostly in Wisconsin: 77% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Pennsylvania (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Milwaukee, WI (23 grants), Wausau, WI (15 grants), Merrill, WI (13 grants) and Madison, WI (10 grants).
Does Church Mutual Insurance Company give general operating support?
Yes: 69% of Church Mutual Insurance Company's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (177 of 256) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Annual Employee Charitable Gift" (14 grants) and "Matching United Way Employee Gift" (4 grants).
Who are Church Mutual Insurance Company's largest grantees?
Church Mutual Insurance Company's largest 2025 grantees include Merrill Area United Way ($99,967), Northcentral Technical College Foundation Inc ($50,000) and Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Church Mutual Insurance Company?
Church Mutual Insurance Company reported $172K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $473K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $20K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Church Mutual Insurance Company fund?
CM CARES® says its purpose is to support charitable, educational, and religious causes that advance and elevate others. Its website names the United Way, Feeding America, the Salvation Army, and Meals on Wheels among the nonprofit causes it supports. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Church Mutual Insurance Company?
The foundation’s 2025 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Church Mutual Insurance Company's EIN?
Church Mutual Insurance Company's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-4690250. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Church Mutual Insurance Company's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Church Mutual Insurance Company funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/church-mutual-insurance-company-morg_5d9509597b0c45f6b2a4b334a0a8dd52
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_474690250_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Church Mutual Insurance Company funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/church-mutual-insurance-company-morg_5d9509597b0c45f6b2a4b334a0a8dd52},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 Church Mutual Insurance Company'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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