Daniel W Erdman Foundation Inc
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.
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
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
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
The largest 2024 recipient was Uw Foundation ($525K). Together the top 10 received $705K.
Grant Size Distribution
65 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 65 (92%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Uw Foundation Madison, WI | General Operating | $525,000 |
| One City Madison, WI | General Operating | $50,000 |
| Bayview Foundation Madison, WI | General Operating | $25,000 |
| The Nature Conservancy Madison, WI | General Operating | $25,000 |
| Rural Behavioral Health Institute Livingston, MT | General Operating | $25,000 |
| CXC Madison, WI | General Operating | $22,127 |
| Museum of Wisconsin Art West Bend, WI | General Operating | $17,500 |
| Madison Museum of Contemporary Art Madison, WI | General Operating | $5,000 |
| Access Community Health Centers Madison, WI | General Operating | $5,000 |
| Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens Madison, WI | General 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 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 4, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 21, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 28, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- 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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