Emily Franz Memorial
Emily Franz Memorial is a private foundation based in Shullsburg, Wisconsin. It funds scholarships for Shullsburg High School graduates pursuing postsecondary education, with its primary focus on graduating seniors.
Emily Franz Memorial at a glance
In short: Emily Franz Memorial gave $100K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Wisconsin. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $100,033
- +67.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +27.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,349
- +31.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,250
- Total assets
- $3,029,569
- +5.9% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Emily Franz Memorial
- How to Apply
-
Current Shullsburg High School seniors can request an application packet from the school guidance counselor and mail the application and supplemental materials to the fund. The filing states that awards are for students who have graduated from Shullsburg High School in Shullsburg, Wisconsin. The website says the scholarship must be used within the first two academic years after high school graduation. For continuing education scholarships, additional requirements may be posted with the application when funds are available.
- Review Cycle
- The Class of 2026 application period has ended. The website says Class of 2027 applications are expected to become available in January 2027 and likely due in February 2027; the exact due date is to be set by the committee.
- Deadline
- The Class of 2026 application period has ended.
- Contact
Application contact: Emily Franz Scholarship Committee
Mailing address: PO Box 487, Shullsburg, WI 53586
Phone: (608) 558-2801
Website: https://emilyfranzscholarship.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Emily Franz Memorial funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top recipient in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Layne Burgess ($3K).
Organizations only. It also paid 22 individual scholarships ($97,533), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
134 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 134 grants of 134 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Wisconsin. The funder’s scholarship programs focus on graduates of Shullsburg High School.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $29K (2019) to $103K (2022). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $100K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 22 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $97,533 |
| Layne Burgess Shullsburg, WI | Shullsburg | $2,500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,029,569 | $280,985 | $110,215 | $100,033 | 23 | $338,944 | $176,915 | $191,607 |
| 2024 | $2,861,945 | $239,585 | $106,676 | $59,623 | 18 | $297,337 | $139,919 | $181,972 |
| 2023 | $2,695,159 | $196,196 | $120,952 | $76,282 | 31 | $294,206 | $114,204 | $169,987 |
| 2022 | $2,587,673 | $162,409 | $80,089 | $102,598 | 34 | $247,499 | $80,389 | $166,726 |
| 2021 | $2,548,498 | $137,913 | $6,202 | $79,635 | 28 | $195,063 | $79,402 | $158,629 |
| 2020 | $2,502,229 | $219,923 | $98,953 | $85,267 | 25 | — | $86,115 | $146,289 |
| 2019 | $2,370,409 | $195,853 | $99,683 | $28,793 | 12 | — | $82,954 | $133,660 |
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.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The funder awards scholarships to current Shullsburg High School seniors planning to attend a college or other postsecondary program of at least one year. Its website says the selection committee considers applicants as whole persons and reviews each application item without placing particular emphasis on any one item.
The funder may also offer continuing education scholarships to past graduates for postsecondary education expenses when funds are available. Its website says applicants for these awards must be at least two years past high school graduation. The website states that no continuing education scholarships will be available in 2026.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 23 grants totaling $100,033. Awards ranged from $1,750 to $9,486, with a median of $4,250. All reported grant dollars went to individual recipients in Wisconsin, and the listed purposes were scholarships. The largest awards included $9,486, $6,750, $6,000, $5,768, and $5,600.
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.
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.
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).
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 funder awards scholarships to current Shullsburg High School seniors planning to attend a college or other postsecondary program of at least one year. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Emily Franz Memorial?
Current Shullsburg High School seniors can request an application packet from the school guidance counselor and mail the application and supplemental materials to the fund. 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 October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
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
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