Emily Franz Memorial
The Emily Franz Memorial Scholarship Fund, Inc. is a private foundation based in Shullsburg, Wisconsin. It primarily awards scholarships to graduating seniors of Shullsburg High School for postsecondary education.
Key facts about Emily Franz Memorial
In short: Emily Franz Memorial gave $100K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Wisconsin. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 39-1317293
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $100,033
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- Average grant
- $4,349
- Median grant
- $4,250
- Total assets
- $3,029,569
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Contact the Emily Franz Scholarship Committee for a scholarship application. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The Class of 2026 application period has ended.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. 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-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.0M
+5.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$100K
+67.8% YoY
Grant Count
23
+27.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$4K
+31.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Emily Franz Memorial reported a distributable amount of $192K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Emily Franz Memorial gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−3%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 177% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The fund awards scholarships to Shullsburg High School graduates. Current seniors planning to attend a college or other postsecondary institution for at least one year may apply. The selection committee says it considers each applicant as a whole person, without placing particular emphasis on any one application item.
In years when funds are available, the fund may also offer continued-education scholarships to past graduates for postsecondary education expenses. Applicants for these awards must be at least two years past high school graduation. Availability is not guaranteed each year.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the fund reported 23 grants totaling $100,033. Awards ranged from $1,750 to $9,486, with a median of $4,250. The largest listed awards went to Ella Paquette ($9,486), Owen Fennell ($6,750), and Jamie Hoppman ($6,000); each was designated for a scholarship. All reported 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin.
Review Cycle
annually.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for filing year 2025 went to recipients in Wisconsin. The fund’s scholarship program is for graduates of Shullsburg High School.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 23 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
134 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ELLA PAQUETTE Shullsburg, WI | SCHOLARSHIP | $9,486 |
| OWEN FENNELL Shullsburg, WI | SCHOLARSHIP | $6,750 |
| JAMIE HOPPMAN Shullsburg, WI | SCHOLARSHIP | $6,000 |
| TREVOR ANDREWS Shullsburg, WI | SCHOLARSHIP | $5,768 |
| FAITH BURGESS Shullsburg, WI | SCHOLARSHIP | $5,600 |
| PEYTON TIMMERMAN Shullsburg, WI | SCHOLARSHIP | $5,500 |
| ELSIE ENNIS Shullsburg, WI | SCHOLARSHIP | $5,396 |
| CAMDEN RUSSELL Shullsburg, WI | SCHOLARSHIP | $4,500 |
| HAILEY DUERST Shullsburg, WI | SCHOLARSHIP | $4,500 |
| HEATH POPPY Shullsburg, WI | SCHOLARSHIP | $4,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,029,569 | $280,985 | $110,215 | $100,033 | 23 |
| 2024 | $2,861,945 | $239,585 | $106,676 | $59,623 | 18 |
| 2023 | $2,695,159 | $196,196 | $120,952 | $76,282 | 31 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,029,569 | $2,861,945 | $2,695,159 |
| Revenue | $280,985 | $239,585 | $196,196 |
| Expenses | $110,215 | $106,676 | $120,952 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $338,944 | $297,337 | $294,206 |
| Net Investment Income | $176,915 | $139,919 | $114,204 |
| Distributable Amount | $191,607 | $181,972 | $169,987 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS September 1, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 7, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Thomas Lethlean as president; Larry Teasdale as vice president; Michael Woodworth as treasurer; and Kathy Lacke as secretary. Directors listed are Lynne Kruser-Ranum, Kenneth Curtis, Jeff Russell, Joseph Diedrich, Mary Gensler, and Anne Doyle.
Emily Franz Memorial is led by Thomas Lethlean, President since 2023 (on filings since 2019); none of the 12 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Thomas Lethlean
President
Director → President, 2023
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Anne Doyle
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Jeff Russell
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Joseph Diedrich
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Kenneth Curtis
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Lynne Kruser-Ranum
Director
Secretary → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Mary Gensler
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Mark Doyle
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Anna Reichling
Director
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Kathy Lacke
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Larry Teasdale
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Michael Woodworth
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: David Popp (2019–2023) — Vice President
- Former: Dixie Paquette (2019–2022) — President
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.
Contact
Application contact: Emily Franz Scholarship Committee
Mailing address: PO Box 487, Shullsburg, WI 53586
Phone: (608) 558-2801
Email: mwoodworth34@gmail.com
Website: https://emilyfranzscholarship.com
Frequently asked questions about Emily Franz Memorial
How much does Emily Franz Memorial give each year?
Emily Franz Memorial gave $100K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $60K across 18 grants.
What is Emily Franz Memorial's typical grant size?
Emily Franz Memorial's median grant in 2025 was $4,250, and its average grant was $4,349, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Emily Franz Memorial give grants?
Emily Franz Memorial gives mostly in Wisconsin: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Shullsburg, WI (23 grants).
Does Emily Franz Memorial give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on Emily Franz Memorial's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (22 grants).
Who are Emily Franz Memorial's largest grantees?
Emily Franz Memorial's largest 2025 grantees include Ella Paquette ($9,486), Owen Fennell ($6,750) and Jamie Hoppman ($6,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Emily Franz Memorial?
Emily Franz Memorial reported $3.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $339K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $192K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Emily Franz Memorial fund?
The fund awards scholarships to Shullsburg High School graduates. Current seniors planning to attend a college or other postsecondary institution for at least one year may apply. The selection committee says it considers each applicant as a whole person, without placing particular emphasis on any one application item. In years when funds are available, the fund may also offer continued-education scholarships to past graduates for postsecondary education expenses. Applicants for these awards mus…
How do I apply for a grant from Emily Franz Memorial?
Contact the Emily Franz Scholarship Committee for a scholarship application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Emily Franz Memorial's EIN?
Emily Franz Memorial's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1317293. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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