Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd
Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd is a private foundation based in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. It reported 62 grants totaling $2,119,125 in 2024, with the largest award supporting education at the University of Wisconsin Foundation.
Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd at a glance
In short: Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd gave $2.1M across 62 grants in 2024 (avg $34K), mostly in Wisconsin. 14% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,119,125
- +89.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 62
- +17.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $34,179
- +62.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $14,127,089
- -2.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (8 of 57, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (92% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd
- How to Apply
-
The filing describes a paper application submitted to the Support Service main office at Nathan Hale High School in West Allis, Wisconsin, which mails applications to the foundation. The application asks about colleges applied to, ACT and SAT scores, extracurricular activities, community involvement, and awards. Applicants must attach an official high school transcript and student essay. The stated eligibility requirements are that the student graduate from Nathan Hale High School, be accepted and enrolled at a four-year University of Wisconsin campus for the following fall semester, and choose a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics major leading to a bachelor of science degree in four years, while maintaining a cumulative 3.0 GPA each semester.
- Review Cycle
- Applications are due by the first Monday in April each year.
- Deadline
- Applications are due by the first Monday in April each year.
- Contact
Application contact: Susan Getzel
Mailing address: PO Box 425, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54238-0425
Phone: (262) 796-1177
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of Wisconsin Foundation ($1.3M). Together the top 10 received $1.8M.
Organizations only. It also paid 5 grants to individuals ($45,625), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
285 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 266 grants of 285 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin, 5% to Florida, and 1% each to North Carolina and Virginia. The filing also reports a 0% share for New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 62 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 57 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $27K; repeat grants $38K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 77% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 95% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 257% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.1M (2020) to $2.1M (2024). In 2024 it made 62 grants totaling $2.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin Foundation Madison, WI | For Education | $1,300,000 |
| Lutheran Home Foundation Wauwatosa, WI | For Assisting the Elderly | $100,000 |
| Lutheran Homes of Oconomowoc Inc Oconomowoc, WI | For Assisting the Elderly | $100,000 |
| American Red Cross Milwaukee, WI | For Disaster Relief | $55,000 |
| Children's Hospital Wisconsin Foundation Milwaukee, WI | For Assistance to Ill Children | $55,000 |
| Haiti Partners Vero Beach, FL | For Educational Programs | $50,000 |
| Rogers Memorial Hospital Foundation Oconomowoc, WI | For Medical Research | $35,000 |
| Broom Tree Ministries Delafield, WI | For General Operations | $30,000 |
| Doxology Brookfield, WI | For Stability of Ministry | $30,000 |
| United Way of Milwaukee & Waukesha County Milwaukee, WI | For Health and Human Service Program | $30,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $14,127,089 | $2,189,400 | $2,595,325 | $2,119,125 | 62 | $2,211,012 | $1,677,296 | $860,035 |
| 2023 | $14,533,014 | $478,576 | $1,608,261 | $1,117,661 | 53 | $1,207,295 | — | $813,098 |
| 2022 | $15,662,699 | $809,082 | $1,537,418 | $1,102,068 | 61 | $1,188,782 | $281,660 | $826,935 |
| 2021 | $16,391,035 | $2,415,908 | $1,507,699 | $1,088,286 | 57 | $1,173,888 | $2,011,319 | $908,680 |
| 2020 | $15,482,826 | $167,429 | $1,529,479 | $1,087,035 | 52 | — | — | $809,904 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd reported a distributable amount of $860K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied purposes. For example, the University of Wisconsin Foundation says its mission is to advance the objectives of the University of Wisconsin–Madison by encouraging engagement and financial support. The Lutheran Home Foundation says it raises and distributes funds to sustain the Christian mission of organizations serving older adults, while Lutheran Homes of Oconomowoc says it provides homes and resources for seniors.
Other recipients describe missions that include helping Haitians change Haiti through education (Haiti Partners), advocating for mental health care and access to treatment (Rogers Memorial Hospital Foundation), and training and mentoring Lutheran pastors (Doxology).
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 62 grants totaling $2,119,125. Awards ranged from $500 to $1,300,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest listed awards were $1,300,000 to the University of Wisconsin Foundation for education, $100,000 each to Lutheran Home Foundation and Lutheran Homes of Oconomowoc for assisting the elderly, and $55,000 each to the American Red Cross for disaster relief and Children’s Hospital Wisconsin Foundation for assistance to ill children.
Other listed grants included $50,000 to Haiti Partners for educational programs, $35,000 to Rogers Memorial Hospital Foundation for medical research, and $30,000 each to Broom Tree Ministries for general operations, Doxology for stability of ministry, and United Way of Milwaukee & Waukesha County for a health and human service program.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Duane H. Bluemke as president, Dorothy M. Bluemke as vice president, and Christine A. Miller as director.
Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd is led by Duane H. Bluemke, President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Duane H. Bluemke
President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christine A. Miller
Director
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
$48K (2020) → $48K (2024)
Dorothy M. Bluemke
Vice President
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $48K, to Christine a Miller (Director).
Frequently asked questions about Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd
How much does Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd give each year?
Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd gave $2.1M across 62 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.1M across 53 grants.
What is Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd's typical grant size?
Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $34,179, across 62 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd that year got $27K on average.
Where does Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd give grants?
Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd gives mostly in Wisconsin: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Milwaukee, WI (13 grants), Vero Beach, FL (7 grants), Waukesha, WI (4 grants) and Madison, WI (2 grants).
Does Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd give general operating support?
Yes: 19% of Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 62) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "For Education" (4 grants), "For Education on Public Policy" (3 grants) and "For Mentoring Services" (3 grants).
Who are Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd's largest grantees?
Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd's largest 2024 grantees include University of Wisconsin Foundation ($1,300,000), Lutheran Home Foundation ($100,000) and Lutheran Homes of Oconomowoc Inc ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 5 grants to individuals ($45,625), which are not listed by name. Together they received 71% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd?
Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd reported $14.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $860K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied purposes. For example, the University of Wisconsin Foundation says its mission is to advance the objectives of the University of Wisconsin–Madison by encouraging engagement and financial support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd?
The filing describes a paper application submitted to the Support Service main office at Nathan Hale High School in West Allis, Wisconsin, which mails applications to the foundation. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd's EIN?
Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-2058965. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/duane-and-dorothy-bluemke-foundation-ltd-morg_9ba48e7352ca4faf997e4556a24225ea
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_202058965_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Duane \& Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/duane-and-dorothy-bluemke-foundation-ltd-morg_9ba48e7352ca4faf997e4556a24225ea},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Duane & Dorothy Bluemke Foundation Ltd'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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