Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc
The Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc is a public charity based in Janesville, Wisconsin. Established in 1991, it administers charitable funds and makes grants and scholarships to support communities across nine Southern Wisconsin counties.
Key facts about Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc
In short: Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc gave $3.2M across 96 grants in 2025 (avg $34K), mostly in Wisconsin. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 39-1711388
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,241,944
- Grants made (2025)
- 96
- Average grant
- $33,770
- Median grant
- $11,368
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (25 of 94, 2025)
- Total assets
- $105,461,928
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (96% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The foundation directs Community Fund applicants to submit applications through its online grant-management portal. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$105.5M
+14.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.2M
+23.9% YoY
Grant Count
96
-11.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$34K
+39.3% YoY
Is Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 25 of 94 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $41K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $15K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to match personal philanthropy with community needs through grants and scholarships from endowed and non-endowed funds. Its website describes grantmaking across education, community development, economic development, health and human services, arts and culture, the environment, animal welfare, and public safety.
The foundation’s filing describes component funds supporting interests including arts, education, the environment, health and human services, and historic preservation. Its grants include support for projects and programs at nonprofits, schools, and governmental bodies. For example, the Boys & Girls Club of Janesville describes its mission as helping youth realize their potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. The Children’s Museum of Rock County says it helps families grow through play and encourages learning through play. FISCC Inc says it raises awareness and private donations in support of the Woodman’s Sports and Convention Center.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 96 grants totaling $3,241,944. Grant amounts ranged from $5,012 to $795,429, with a median of $11,368. The largest listed award was $795,429 to the Village of New Glarus for library land purchase, construction costs, general support, and books. Other large grants included $212,725 to the City of Lancaster, $195,324 to the Boys & Girls Club of Janesville, and $125,750 to the Children’s Museum of Rock County.
The foundation’s website describes both donor-advised and other non-competitive grants, as well as approximately 35 competitive grant programs. It says competitive proposals are evaluated by staff and board members, with awards announced approximately six weeks to two months after the deadline. Its application guidance calls for materials such as the applicant’s most recent Form 990, current-year income and expense statements, organizational background, fiscal information, board approval, a project budget, and a description of the need, goals, audience, location, and other support. Community Fund guidance says individuals are not eligible; it generally calls for a 501(c)(3) applicant, while certain program listings also identify schools and local government entities as eligible.
How to Apply
The foundation directs Community Fund applicants to submit applications through its online grant-management portal. Its listed an individual recipient Community Fund and Platteville Community Fund Spring Grants Cycle deadlines of April 30 and April 15, 2026, respectively, have passed.
Open Grants
74 open opportunities from Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc
Albrecht Memorial Scholarship Grant
Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Argyle Community Fund Grant
Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Argyle Excellence In Education Fund Grant
Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Ready to take the next step with Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation serves Crawford, Grant, Green, Iowa, Lafayette, Rock, Sauk, Vernon, and Walworth counties in Southern Wisconsin. In 2025, 96% of its grant dollars went to Wisconsin recipients; the remaining shares went to New York (2%), Illinois (1%), Iowa (1%), and Minnesota (0%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 96 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.6M (2022) to $3.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 96 grants totaling $3.2M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Village of New Glarus ($795K). Together the top 10 received $1.8M.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($15,480), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
451 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 395 grants of 451 (88%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Village of New Glarus New Glarus, WI | Library land purchase, library construction costs, general support, books | $795,429 |
| City of Lancaster Lancaster, WI | Theater sound system, ash tree replacement, fire station renovation, shade canopy installation | $212,725 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Janesville Janesville, WI | Building support, operations support, capital campaign support, educational programming | $195,324 |
| Children's Museum of Rock County Janesville, WI | Building Support | $125,750 |
| Fiscc Inc - Friends of the Woodman's Center Janesville, WI | Woodman's Center Capital Campaign | $122,036 |
| Rotary Botanical Gardens Janesville, WI | General Support | $91,398 |
| County of Green Monroe, WI | Renovation Costs, Respite Care Program, Home Delivered Meals | $83,297 |
| Village of Benton Benton, WI | Community building project, park swing, community center, library, museum, | $71,201 |
| Evansville Community School District Evansville, WI | General support, school district community events, on-site energy generation - solar, arts center upgrades, emotional screener for high school students | $68,170 |
| Monroe Arts Center Inc Monroe, WI | General Support, Children's Performace Programs, | $61,260 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $105,461,928 | $15,936,756 | $7,155,028 | $3,241,944 |
| 2024 | $92,270,332 | $9,712,688 | $6,343,362 | $2,617,382 |
| 2023 | $81,784,950 | $8,816,357 | $5,442,482 | $2,059,515 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $105,461,928 | $92,270,332 | $81,784,950 |
| Revenue | $15,936,756 | $9,712,688 | $8,816,357 |
| Expenses | $7,155,028 | $6,343,362 | $5,442,482 |
| Net Investment Income | $6,954,866 | $3,498,982 | $1,505,171 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 31, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 4, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 24, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 18, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mary Jo Villa as chair, Scott Gelzer as vice chair, Fred Koster as treasurer, and Ginny Bean as secretary. It also lists Todd Schluesche as immediate past chair; Elle Swart as member at large; and Kelly Bauer, Erin Ogden, Jim Cripe, and Dan Winter as directors. The filing notes that Jim Cripe served through October.
Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc is led by Wyatt Jackson, President & CEO on every filing since 2019; 1 of 16 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Wyatt Jackson
President & CEO
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$67K (2019) → $140K (2025)
Mary Jo Villa
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
Vice Chair → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dan Winter
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Erin Ogden
Director
Chair → Immediate Past Chair, 2022
Immediate Past Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jim Cripe
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kelly Bauer
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ron Spielman
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tim Middleton
Director
Chair → Immediate Past Chair, 2024
Immediate Past Chair → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kim Markham
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Nelson
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Palzkill
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Fred Koster
Treasurer
Secretary → Director, 2023
Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ginny Bean
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2020
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elle Swart
Member at Large
Director → Member at Large, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Todd Schluesche
Immediate Past Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
Chair → Immediate Past Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Scott Gelzer
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (11)
- Former: Paul Mair (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: John Downing (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Jennifer Revels (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Richard Busch (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Joe Krantz (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Curt Bisarek (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Ken Klass (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Alan Dunwiddie (2019–2020) — Director Emeritus
- Former: Carol Hatch (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Cindy Tang (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Jenny Revels (2019–2020) — Chair
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 $140K, to Wyatt Jackson (President/CEO).
Contact
Mailing address: 121 N Parker Dr, Janesville, WI 53545
Phone: (608) 758-0883
Website: https://cfsw.org
Frequently asked questions about Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc
How much does Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc give each year?
Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc gave $3.2M across 96 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.6M across 108 grants.
What is Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc's typical grant size?
Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc's median grant in 2025 was $11,368, and its average grant was $33,770, across 96 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc that year got $17K on average.
Where does Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc give grants?
Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc gives mostly in Wisconsin: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Janesville, WI (19 grants), Monroe, WI (15 grants), Lancaster, WI (7 grants) and New Glarus, WI (5 grants).
Does Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 32% of Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (31 of 96) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc's largest grantees?
Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Village of New Glarus ($795,429), City of Lancaster ($212,725) and Boys & Girls Club of Janesville ($195,324), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($15,480), which are not listed by name. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc?
Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc reported $105.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $15.9M.
What does Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to match personal philanthropy with community needs through grants and scholarships from endowed and non-endowed funds. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc?
The foundation directs Community Fund applicants to submit applications through its online grant-management portal. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc's EIN?
Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1711388. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Here's the math on researching Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin Inc by hand.
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