Derse Foundation Inc
Derse Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Its 2024 filing states that it terminated its private foundation status effective December 31, 2024, and distributed all remaining assets to qualifying public charities.
Derse Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Derse Foundation Inc gave $159K across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), mostly in Wisconsin. 31% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $158,736
- -73.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 16
- -30.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,921
- -61.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $750
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (5 of 16, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (67% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Derse Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists Judith Derse as the contact and calls for a written proposal describing what the funds would be used for. It states that there are no deadlines and no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Judith Derse
Mailing address: 3424 Walnut Trail, Waukesha, WI 53188
Phone: (262) 354-2488
Website: https://derse.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Derse Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Boundless Brilliance ($50K). Together the top 10 received $157K.
Grant Size Distribution
74 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 66 grants of 74 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 67% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin and 32% to recipients in California. The filing also lists grants to organizations in Illinois. The largest listed grants went to recipients in Wisconsin and California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Derse Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 16 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $611 first-time, $889 repeat.
- 63% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 68% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2024). 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $56K (2020) to $591K (2023). In 2024 it made 16 grants totaling $159K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boundless Brilliance Los Angeles, CA | Educational Support | $50,000 |
| UWM Foundation Inc Milwaukee, WI | Doris Derse Scholarship | $25,000 |
| Bread of Healing Milwaukee, WI | General Support | $25,000 |
| Zoological Society of Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI | General Support | $20,000 |
| International Crane Foundation Baraboo, WI | Environmental Support | $16,618 |
| Milwaukee PBS Milwaukee, WI | Educational Support | $11,200 |
| Aldo Leopold Foundation Baraboo, WI | Environmental Support | $7,574 |
| Milwaukee Repertory Theater Milwaukeee, WI | Arts & Culture Support | $889 |
| Huntington Library Art Gallery BG San Marino, CA | General Support | $611 |
| Pasadena Playhouse Pasadena, CA | Arts & Culture Support | $520 |
Ready to take the next step with Derse Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2024 filing states that the foundation terminated its private foundation status effective December 31, 2024, and distributed its remaining assets to qualifying public charities.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | $11,575 | $185,320 | $158,736 | 16 | $182,008 | $8,782 | $3,615 |
| 2023 | $175,025 | $51,646 | $616,692 | $590,571 | 23 | $611,072 | $46,026 | $28,930 |
| 2022 | $740,196 | $33,206 | $117,308 | $83,518 | 14 | $106,843 | $22,941 | $42,021 |
| 2021 | $824,726 | $56,613 | $123,273 | $94,291 | 12 | $111,403 | $46,047 | $49,139 |
| 2020 | $891,931 | $89,292 | $83,505 | $55,606 | 9 | — | $76,516 | $47,666 |
| 2019 | $886,144 | $51,925 | $107,512 | $79,030 | 11 | — | $40,048 | $48,564 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Derse Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $4K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants included educational support, a scholarship, general support, environmental support, and arts and culture support. The supported organizations’ missions illustrate the range of work funded: Bread of Healing provides free primary health care to people without health insurance; the International Crane Foundation works to conserve cranes and the ecosystems on which they depend; and Milwaukee Repertory Theater creates theater experiences intended to entertain, provoke, and inspire dialogue.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 16 grants totaling $158,736. Grant amounts ranged from $62 to $50,000, with a median of $750. Its largest listed grants were $50,000 to Boundless Brilliance for educational support; $25,000 to UWM Foundation Inc for the Doris Derse Scholarship; $25,000 to Bread of Healing for general support; and $20,000 to Zoological Society of Milwaukee for general support. Other notable grants included $16,618 to International Crane Foundation for environmental support and $11,200 to Milwaukee PBS for educational support.
The filing reports 23 grants totaling $590,571 in 2023 and 14 grants totaling $83,518 in 2022. The 2024 filing states that there were no application deadlines or award restrictions, and that the foundation did not limit giving to preselected organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Judith Derse as President, Diane Dressler as Vice President, and James Derse as Secretary.
Derse Foundation Inc is led by Judith Derse, President on every filing since 2022; 2 of 3 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Judith Derse
President
On filings since 2022
10 hrs/week
$5K (2022) → $5K (2024)
James Derse
Secretary
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
$5K (2019) → $5K (2024)
Diane Dressler
Vice President
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Judith Langenbach (2019–2021) — President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $5K, to Judith Derse (President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Derse Foundation Inc
How much does Derse Foundation Inc give each year?
Derse Foundation Inc gave $159K across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $591K across 23 grants.
What is Derse Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Derse Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $750, and its average grant was $9,921, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Derse Foundation Inc that year got $9K on average.
Where does Derse Foundation Inc give grants?
Derse Foundation Inc gives mostly in Wisconsin: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (32%). The most frequent recipient cities were Milwaukee, WI (6 grants) and Baraboo, WI (2 grants).
Does Derse Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 31% of Derse Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (5 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Environmental Support" (4 grants), "Arts & Culture Support" (3 grants) and "Educational Support" (3 grants).
Who are Derse Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Derse Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Boundless Brilliance ($50,000), UWM Foundation Inc ($25,000) and Bread of Healing ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
What does Derse Foundation Inc fund?
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants included educational support, a scholarship, general support, environmental support, and arts and culture support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Derse Foundation Inc?
The filing lists Judith Derse as the contact and calls for a written proposal describing what the funds would be used for. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is Derse Foundation Inc required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Derse Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $4K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Derse Foundation Inc's EIN?
Derse Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1540822. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 12, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 10, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Derse Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Derse Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/derse-foundation-inc-morg_d7dccc1eec2b47fe879e4ce8ae2f001f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_391540822_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Derse Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/derse-foundation-inc-morg_d7dccc1eec2b47fe879e4ce8ae2f001f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Derse Foundation Inc'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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