Community Foundation of Southern
The Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin (CFSW) is a 501(c)(3) public charity and community foundation established in 1991. Based in Janesville, Wisconsin, with additional offices in Monroe and Platteville, CFSW serves as a philanthropic grantmaking organization that administers charitable funds for individuals, families, and corporations. The foundation operates as a repository for over 870 component funds and serves as a vehicle for donors to direct charitable giving to support community needs.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$92.3M
+12.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.6M
+27.1% YoY
Grant Count
108
+33.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$24K
-4.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: Matching Personal Philanthropy With Community Need.
CFSW supports a broad range of charitable interests including:
- Education
- Arts and culture
- Health and human services
- The environment
- Historic preservation
- Animal welfare
- Public safety
- Community development
- Economic development
Grantmaking
CFSW administers approximately 35 competitive grant programs alongside donor-advised and non-competitive grants directed by donors.
Review Cycle
May 1 and September 15 (timing varies by specific fund)
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
CFSW serves a nine-county region of Southern Wisconsin:
- Crawford
- Grant
- Green
- Iowa
- Lafayette
- Rock
- Sauk
- Vernon
- Walworth
Primary grantmaking focuses on Wisconsin, with some activity in Illinois and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $92,270,332–$105,461,928 (varies by reporting year)
Annual Activity:
- Total revenues: $8.82M–$9,712,688
- Total expenses: $5,366,566–$6,343,362
- Component funds: 821–871 funds
Staffing: 13–15 employees
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $92,270,332 | $81,784,950 | $72,404,533 |
| Revenue | $9,712,688 | $8,816,357 | $12,866,517 |
| Expenses | $6,343,362 | $5,442,482 | $4,893,247 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $3,498,982 | $1,505,171 | $5,296,548 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
77 open opportunities from Community Foundation of Southern
Albrecht Memorial Scholarship Grant
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SOUTHERN
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Argyle Community Fund Grant
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SOUTHERN
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Argyle Excellence In Education Fund Grant
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SOUTHERN
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| TODD SCHLUESCHE | CHAIR | 2 | — |
| MARY JO VILLA | VICE CHAIR | 2 | — |
| FRED KOSTER | TREASURER | 2 | — |
| GINNY BEAN | SECRETARY | 2 | — |
| TIM MIDDLETON | IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR | 2 | — |
| ELLE SWART | MEMBER AT LARGE | 1 | — |
| KELLY BAUER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ERIN OGDEN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JIM CRIPE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DAN WINTER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RON SPIELMAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PAUL MAIR | DIRECTOR (THRU NOV 2023) | 2 | — |
| NANCY NELSON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KIM MARKHAM | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JENNIFER PALZKILL | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SCOTT GELZER | DIRECTOR (BEG NOV 2023) | 1 | — |
| WYATT JACKSON | PRESIDENT/CEO | 40 | $129,583 |
Recent Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Recent grant distributions include awards exceeding $735,000 to nonprofit organizations in the service region, demonstrating continued active grantmaking to support charitable activities across the nine-county area.
Finding Solutions: Community Foundation awards more than $735,000 to nonprofitsSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with Community Foundation of Southern on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities