Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF
Foundry Educational Foundation (FEF) is a public charity based in Schaumburg, Illinois. Established in 1947, it supports post-secondary education and partnerships among students, educators, and industry to strengthen the metalcasting industry.
Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF at a glance
In short: Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF gave $212K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), top state Wisconsin. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $211,570
- -36.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- -21.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $14,105
- -19.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $9,403
- Total assets
- $12,739,289
- +2.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (36% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF
- Contact
Mailing address: 1695 N Penny Lane, Schaumburg, IL 60173
Phone: (847) 490-9200
Website: https://fefinc.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Univ of Wisconsin - Platteville ($67K). Together the top 10 received $175K.
Grant Size Distribution
69 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 65 grants of 69 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
FEF is based in Illinois. Its 2025 grants went to recipients in several states; the largest reported shares of grant dollars went to Wisconsin (36%), Georgia (11%), Michigan (10%), Ohio (8%), and Alabama (6%). These reported grants also included recipients in other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 15 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. How we count
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $121K (2021) to $333K (2024). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $212K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Univ of Wisconsin - Platteville Platteville, WI | Discretionary Funds for program exp | $67,146 |
| Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA | internship development program | $22,681 |
| Michigan Tech Houghton, MI | various edu. grants | $14,146 |
| Univ of Alabama-Birmingham Birmingham, AL | discretionary funds for program exp | $13,208 |
| Tech Inst of Saltillo | discretionary funds for program exp | $12,318 |
| California State Polytechnic Pomona, CA | discretionary funds for program exp | $9,527 |
| Kent State University Kent, OH | internship development program | $9,517 |
| Univ of Wisconsin- Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI | grant to materials engineering fund | $9,403 |
| University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA | various edu. grants | $8,668 |
| The Ohio State University Columbus, OH | internship development program | $8,225 |
Ready to take the next step with Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $12,739,289 | $2,406,772 | $2,595,146 | $211,570 | 15 | $736,252 |
| 2024 | $12,472,975 | $1,826,279 | $2,023,577 | $332,648 | 19 | $530,792 |
| 2023 | $11,624,609 | $1,442,547 | $1,827,629 | $123,898 | 12 | $205,103 |
| 2022 | $12,053,232 | $1,988,861 | $1,725,755 | $163,101 | 16 | $518,881 |
| 2021 | $13,151,509 | $1,478,128 | $1,429,665 | $120,737 | 7 | $458,991 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
FEF’s mission is to strengthen the metalcasting industry by supporting partnerships among students, educators, and industry, helping students become future leaders. Its filing describes work with key professors and metalcasting companies to promote job fairs, networking events, scholarships, and technical careers in the industry.
FEF’s website says its scholarships are offered through colleges and universities in North America, with many recipients selected by Key Professors. Its donation materials also describe support for academic programs, foundry labs, internships, and co-ops. The filing describes FEF’s College Industry Conference as a career fair and peer-engagement event, with scholarships awarded to students.
The organizations receiving FEF grants in 2025 included universities and university-related foundations. For example, Georgia Southern University describes its mission as assisting and furthering research at the university. The University of Northern Iowa Foundation says its mission is to grow and sustain private resources and relationships in support of the university, its people, and its programs. Virginia Tech Foundation says it manages Virginia Tech’s endowment to advance the university’s mission and priorities.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, FEF reported 15 grants totaling $211,570. Grant amounts ranged from $5,860 to $67,146, with a median of $9,403. The largest reported grants included:
FEF’s website describes an AFS Student Chapter Grant offering requests of up to $2,000 per chapter per school year for recruitment, retention, and outreach activities at FEF-supported institutions. The application is a one-page document. A 1–2 paragraph report explaining the project, results, and use of funds is due after the project ends. The filing says grants are awarded through a detailed application process with a follow-up report from the grantee.
For scholarships, the website says applicants must have a complete and updated FEF profile. It lists scholarship dates including September 24, 2026, which has passed, and later dates from October 2026 through May 2027.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Brian Lewis as Executive Director; Jason Gutierrez as President; Tom Dempsey as Treasurer; and Ryan Brattrud, Les Brown thru 425, Johnny Hill, Peter Kim, David Clark thru 425, Paul Huffman, and Jacob Johnson as directors.
Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF is led by Brian Lewis, Executive Director on every filing since 2021; 1 of 36 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Brian Lewis
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$150K (2021) → $173K (2025)
Jason Gutierrez
President
Director → President, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brandon Kruse
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Doug Imrie
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joey Leonard
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Libby Ryder
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jacob Johnson
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jerry Thiel
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jim Wenson
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Johnny Hill
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jon Pollard
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kelley Kerns
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Huffman
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott Zandarski
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Fletcher
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eric Hanson
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Reece Ragsdale
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Trent Pearson
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tyler Eck
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brad Ohlrich
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Evan Letourneau
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maddie Smith
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter Kim
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ryan Brattrud
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andy Shea
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Corey Jarvis Joined
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kramer Pursell
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Hladki Joined
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike Kamin Joine
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Phil Eatherton Joined
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sandy Calabrese Joined
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lizeth Medina
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maureen P Lynn
Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike Petrus
Past President
2nd Vice President → 1st Vice President, 2024
1st Vice President → Past President, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tom Dempsey
Treasurer
President → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jim Kundratic
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (38)
- Former: Ben Hunsicker (2021–2025) — Director · Filing note: Thru 425
- Former: Chris Fetters (2021–2025) — Director · Filing note: Thru 425
- Former: David Clark (2021–2025) — Director · Filing note: Thru 425
- Former: Joe Costabile (2021–2025) — Director · Filing note: Thru 425
- Former: John Keough (2021–2025) — Director · Filing note: Thru 425
- Former: Les Brown (2021–2025) — Director · Filing note: Thru 425
- Former: Steve Sikorski (2021–2025) — Director · Filing note: Thru 425
- Former: Wil Tinker (2021–2025) — Director · Filing note: Thru 425
- Former: Michael Meyer (2024–2025) — Director · Filing note: Thru 425
- Former: Brad Masters (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Emily Shedlarski (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Jay Morrison (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Joe Muniza (2021–2024) — 2nd Vice President
- Former: Kathy Hayrynen (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Kirk Kallio (2021–2024) — President
- Former: Matt Jacobs (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Mattie Laprade (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Michelle Kerns (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Patrick O'Connor (2024) — Director
- Former: Andrew Iannettoni (2021–2023) — Director · Filing note: Thru 423
- Former: Brian Sunderland (2021–2023) — Director · Filing note: Thru 423
- Former: Corey Jarvis (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Don Craig (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Donald McLain (2021–2023) — Director · Filing note: Thru 423
- Former: Greg Tordoff (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: John Grahek (2021–2023) — Fmr. President · Filing note: Thru 423
- Former: Marty Putnik (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Mike Meyer (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Randy Smith (2021–2023) — Director · Filing note: Thru 423
- Former: Robert Steele (2021–2023) — Treasurer · Filing note: Thru 423
- Former: Tony Clark (2021–2023) — Director · Filing note: Thru 423
- Former: Tyler Richardson (2022–2023) — Director · Filing note: Thru 423
- Former: Andy Schelke (2023) — Director · Filing note: Thru 423
- Former: Amanda Groves (2021) — Director
- Former: Bryan Burton (2021) — Director
- Former: John Outten (2021) — Director
- Former: Terry McClellan (2021) — Director
- Former: Zeydi Gutierrez (2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $173K, to Brian Lewis (Executive Dir.).
Frequently asked questions about Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF
How much does Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF give each year?
Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF gave $212K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $333K across 19 grants.
What is Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF's typical grant size?
Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF's median grant in 2025 was $9,403, and its average grant was $14,105, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF give grants?
Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF's top state is Wisconsin, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Georgia (11%) and Michigan (10%).
Does Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Internship Development Program" (6 grants) and "Discretionary Funds for Program EXP" (5 grants).
Who are Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF's largest grantees?
Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF's largest 2025 grantees include Univ of Wisconsin - Platteville ($67,146), Georgia Southern University ($22,681) and Michigan Tech ($14,146), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF?
Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF reported $12.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.4M.
What does Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF fund?
FEF’s mission is to strengthen the metalcasting industry by supporting partnerships among students, educators, and industry, helping students become future leaders. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF?
Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check fefinc.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF's EIN?
Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-0714666. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 22, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 24, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS December 19, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/foundry-educational-foundation-dba-fef-morg_63c97b7c80d543d68dc7f976a206421c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_340714666_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/foundry-educational-foundation-dba-fef-morg_63c97b7c80d543d68dc7f976a206421c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Foundry Educational Foundation DBA FEF'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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