First Business Charitable Foundation Inc
First Business Charitable Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Madison, Wisconsin. Its 2025 filing describes restrictions on awards to local organizations engaged in nonprofit activities designed to improve the economic and social well-being of the community.
First Business Charitable Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: First Business Charitable Foundation Inc gave $339K across 63 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Wisconsin. 62% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $339,150
- +160.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 63
- +90.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,383
- +36.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $1,874,922
- -1.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 62% first-time grantees (39 of 63, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (87% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to First Business Charitable Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The filing describes submission by initial letter of inquiry with the name of a contact person.
- Contact
Application contact: Brian Spielmann Vp
Mailing address: 401 Charmany Drive, Madison, WI 53719
Phone: (608) 232-5977
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who First Business Charitable Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Boys and Girls Club of Dane County Inc ($125K). Together the top 10 received $247K.
Grant Size Distribution
210 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 208 grants of 210 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 87% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin, 7% to Iowa, 4% to Illinois, and 1% to Michigan; the share for Kansas was listed as 0%. The filing’s award restriction refers to local organizations.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 63 itemized grants.
Cities
Is First Business Charitable Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
62%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 39 of 63 grantees (62%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 30% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 68% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 294% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $130K (2024) to $339K (2025). In 2025 it made 63 grants totaling $339K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boys and Girls Club of Dane County Inc Fitchburg, WI | Program Support | $125,000 |
| United Way of Dane County Madison, WI | Program Support | $38,000 |
| American Heart Association Inc Boone, IA | Program Support | $25,000 |
| Steve Stricker American Family Insurance Madison, WI | Program Support | $15,000 |
| Envision Unlimited Chicago, IL | Program Support | $10,000 |
| Madison Public Library Foundation Inc Madison, WI | Program Support | $10,000 |
| American Cancer Society Inc Pewaukee, WI | Program Support | $9,100 |
| Stoughton Hospital Foundation Inc Stoughton, WI | Program Support - PMT 3 of | $5,000 |
| Community Smiles Dental Waukesha, WI | Program Support - PMT 1 of | $5,000 |
| Edgewood College Madison, WI | Program Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with First Business Charitable Foundation Inc?
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 | $1,874,922 | $326,228 | $341,868 | $339,150 | 63 | $339,650 | $67,460 | $115,456 |
| 2024 | $1,897,967 | $55,938 | $135,063 | $130,049 | 33 | $131,549 | $56,329 | $111,097 |
| 2023 | $1,979,851 | $1,047,538 | $215,490 | $212,125 | 37 | $213,125 | $63,796 | $87,218 |
| 2022 | $1,151,243 | $165,602 | $205,650 | $201,753 | 42 | $202,753 | $38,028 | $8,635 |
| 2021 | $1,191,373 | $173,388 | $166,792 | $164,558 | 35 | $165,558 | $80,505 | $71,578 |
| 2020 | $1,185,018 | $135,707 | $187,265 | $184,652 | 42 | — | $24,161 | $62,101 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, First Business Charitable Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $115K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing does not state a separate mission. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in youth development, community services, disability services, libraries, health, early childhood care and education, and the performing arts. These descriptions reflect the grantees’ missions: for example, Boys & Girls Club of Dane County says it aims to help young people reach their potential, while Community Coordinated Child Care says it works to ensure children have access to high-quality early care and education. Madison Public Library Foundation describes its role as supporting and improving Madison Public Library.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 63 grants totaling $339,150. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $125,000, with a median grant of $1,500. The largest grants included $125,000 to Boys and Girls Club of Dane County Inc for program support, $38,000 to United Way of Dane County for program support, and $25,000 to American Heart Association Inc for program support. Other notable awards included $15,000 to Steve Stricker American Family Insurance, $10,000 each to Envision Unlimited and Madison Public Library Foundation Inc, and $9,100 to American Cancer Society Inc; each was listed for program support.
The foundation’s 2025 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It accepts requests by initial letter of inquiry, including the name of the person the foundation should contact. The filing lists no deadline and restricts awards to local organizations engaged in nonprofit activities designed to improve the economic and social well-being of the community by First Business Financial Services, Inc.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists First Business Bank as trustee. Officers and directors listed are Jim Hartlieb, president and director; Brian Spielmann, vice president, treasurer, and director; Pauline Hittesdorf, secretary; and directors Corey Chambas, Mark Meloy, and David Seiler.
First Business Charitable Foundation Inc is led by Jim Hartlieb, President & Director on every filing since 2024; none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jim Hartlieb
President & Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
First Business Bank
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$2K (2021) → $0 (2025)
Corey Chambas
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Meloy
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Seiler
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brian Spielmann
Vice President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Pauline Hittesdorf
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Brendan Freeman (2020–2023) — President & Director
- Former: Ed Sloane (2020–2021) — Vice President & Treasurer
- Former: First Business Trust Investment (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 $2K, to First Business Bank (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about First Business Charitable Foundation Inc
How much does First Business Charitable Foundation Inc give each year?
First Business Charitable Foundation Inc gave $339K across 63 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $130K across 33 grants.
What is First Business Charitable Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
First Business Charitable Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $5,383, across 63 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from First Business Charitable Foundation Inc that year got $3K on average.
Where does First Business Charitable Foundation Inc give grants?
First Business Charitable Foundation Inc gives mostly in Wisconsin: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Iowa (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Madison, WI (23 grants), Milwaukee, WI (4 grants), Middleton, WI (4 grants) and Deforest, WI (3 grants).
Does First Business Charitable Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Occasionally: 3% of First Business Charitable Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 63) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (48 grants) and "Food Pantry" (7 grants).
Who are First Business Charitable Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
First Business Charitable Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Boys and Girls Club of Dane County Inc ($125,000), United Way of Dane County ($38,000) and American Heart Association Inc ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is First Business Charitable Foundation Inc?
First Business Charitable Foundation Inc reported $1.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $340K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $115K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does First Business Charitable Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s filing does not state a separate mission. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in youth development, community services, disability services, libraries, health, early childhood care and education, and the performing arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from First Business Charitable Foundation Inc?
The filing describes submission by initial letter of inquiry with the name of a contact person. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is First Business Charitable Foundation Inc's EIN?
First Business Charitable Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-1614475. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 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 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). First Business Charitable Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/first-business-charitable-foundation-inc-morg_3e29a23911db4d568b561373ad0908ba
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_421614475_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{First Business Charitable Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/first-business-charitable-foundation-inc-morg_3e29a23911db4d568b561373ad0908ba},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 First Business Charitable 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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