Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc

Private foundation · Grantmaker Milwaukee, WI EIN: 39-2012234

Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its 2024 filing records grants to charitable organizations, primarily in Wisconsin, for general operating purposes.

Key facts about Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc

In short: Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc gave $708K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $64K), mostly in Wisconsin. 36% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
39-2012234
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024)
$707,627
Grants made (2024)
11
Average grant
$64,330
Median grant
$22,127
New grantees (estimate)
36% first-time grantees (4 of 11, 2024)
Total assets
$4,478,362
Primary geography
Wisconsin (96% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; 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 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$4.5M

+9.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$708K

+302.9% YoY

Grant Count

11

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$64K

+302.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $353K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc open to new grantees?

36%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 4 of 11 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $29K; repeat grants $85K. How we count

Medians: $24K first-time, $5K repeat.

  • 45% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving grew 180% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 202% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations working in areas that include education, arts and culture, conservation, health care, food access, housing, and mental health. For example, Bayview Foundation describes its work as supporting culturally diverse, low-income families through affordable housing, arts, education, and recreation. Rural Behavioral Health Institute says its mission is to reduce youth suicide by building school-based mental health systems in rural America. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation gave $707,627 through 11 grants. Grants ranged from $3,000 to $525,000, with a median of $22,127. The largest grants included $525,000 to UW Foundation, $50,000 to One City, and $25,000 each to Bayview Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and Rural Behavioral Health Institute. The 2024 filing lists each grant’s purpose as general operating.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2024, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin and 4% to recipients in Montana.

Grant Distribution by State

4states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.

Cities

MadisonArlingtonLivingstonMononaReedsburgScottsdaleWest Bend

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$200K$400K$600K$800K13 grants2020 17 grants2021 13 grants2022 11 grants2023 11 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $176K (2023) to $708K (2024). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $708K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Uw Foundation: $525KUw Foundation$525KOne City: $50KOne City$50KBayview Foundation: $25KBayview Foundation$25KThe Nature Conservancy: $25KThe Nature Conservancy$25KRural Behavioral Health Institute: $25KRural Behavioral HealthInstitute$25KCXC: $22KCXC$22KMuseum of Wisconsin Art: $18KMuseum of Wisconsin Art$18KMadison Museum of Contemporary Art: $5KMadison Museum of ContemporaryArt$5KAccess Community Health Centers: $5KAccess Community HealthCenters$5KMadison Area Food Pantry Gardens: $5KMadison Area Food PantryGardens$5K

The largest 2024 recipient was Uw Foundation ($525K). Together the top 10 received $705K.

Grant Size Distribution

65 grants across all recorded years

60<$50K3$50–100K1$100–250K$250–500K1$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 65 (92%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Uw Foundation Madison, WIGeneral Operating$525,000
One City Madison, WIGeneral Operating$50,000
Bayview Foundation Madison, WIGeneral Operating$25,000
The Nature Conservancy Madison, WIGeneral Operating$25,000
Rural Behavioral Health Institute Livingston, MTGeneral Operating$25,000
CXC Madison, WIGeneral Operating$22,127
Museum of Wisconsin Art West Bend, WIGeneral Operating$17,500
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art Madison, WIGeneral Operating$5,000
Access Community Health Centers Madison, WIGeneral Operating$5,000
Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens Madison, WIGeneral Operating$5,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Grants given Number of grants
2024 $707,627 11
2023 $175,625 11
2022 $253,500 13
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$500K$1M$1.5M2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$4,478,362$4,103,082$3,731,617
Revenue$1,320,558$604,079$833,336
Expenses$768,108$231,707$307,803
Qualifying Distributions$714,170$181,066$258,827
Net Investment Income$787,154$159,573$491,052
Distributable Amount$353,025$295,025$274,072

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 4, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 27, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 21, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 28, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
  6. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Daniel W Erdman, Deborah Erdman-Luder, Darrell W Behnke, and Natalie Bock Erdman as directors.

Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc's 2024 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Daniel W. Erdman

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Darrell W. Behnke

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Deborah Erdman-Luder

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Natalie Bock Erdman

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Contact

Mailing address: PO Box 0634, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0634
Phone: (608) 252-4098

Frequently asked questions about Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc

How much does Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc give each year?

Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc gave $708K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $176K across 11 grants.

What is Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc's typical grant size?

Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $22,127, and its average grant was $64,330, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc that year got $29K on average.

Where does Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc give grants?

Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc gives mostly in Wisconsin: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Madison, WI (9 grants).

Does Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc's largest grantees?

Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Uw Foundation ($525,000), One City ($50,000) and Bayview Foundation ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 85% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc?

Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc reported $4.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $714K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $353K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations working in areas that include education, arts and culture, conservation, health care, food access, housing, and mental health. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc?

The foundation states that it 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 Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc's EIN?

Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-2012234. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Does Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc 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.

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