Friendship House of Milwaukee
Friendship House of Milwaukee is a private foundation based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It operates a transitional living facility and temporary housing program for single women and families through a partnership with Cathedral Center Inc., and its 2025 grants supported Wisconsin organizations working in housing, case management, legal services, and related programs.
Friendship House of Milwaukee at a glance
In short: Friendship House of Milwaukee gave $295K across 5 grants in 2025 (avg $59K), mostly in Wisconsin. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $295,000
- +6.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 5
- -44.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $59,000
- +92.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $23,182,763
- +3.3% 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 September 2026.
How to apply to Friendship House of Milwaukee
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1029 N Marshall Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Phone: (414) 276-2633
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Friendship House of Milwaukee funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 5 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Habitat for Humanity ($125K). Together the top 5 received $295K.
Grant Size Distribution
40 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 23 grants of 40 (57%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Wisconsin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 5 itemized grants.
Cities
How Friendship House of Milwaukee gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−10%). 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 $276K (2024) to $503K (2020). In 2025 it made 5 grants totaling $295K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Habitat for Humanity Milwaukee, WI | Rehabs and Construction of Homes | $125,000 |
| Cathedral Center Milwaukee, WI | Case Management Services | $75,000 |
| Legal Action of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI | Eviction Defense Project | $50,000 |
| Hope Street Ministry Inc Milwaukee, WI | Baby Acorn Fund | $30,000 |
| Franciscan Peacemakers Milwaukee, WI | Social Enterprise Program | $15,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $23,182,763 | $1,634,608 | $1,073,193 | $295,000 | 5 | $1,071,793 | $1,517,325 |
| 2024 | $22,452,802 | $1,277,644 | $1,080,308 | $276,250 | 9 | $1,078,958 | $1,164,782 |
| 2023 | $19,331,242 | $1,397,453 | $1,088,107 | $332,250 | 11 | $1,086,807 | $1,254,003 |
| 2022 | $18,694,747 | $887,289 | $1,166,058 | $326,250 | 6 | $1,163,758 | $756,194 |
| 2021 | $21,347,371 | $1,530,150 | $1,057,841 | $327,750 | 9 | — | $1,421,536 |
| 2020 | $19,390,939 | $1,136,916 | $1,178,037 | $502,800 | 23 | — | $1,025,908 |
| 2019 | $19,509,201 | $933,627 | $890,107 | $310,100 | 17 | — | $819,723 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s 2023 filing describes its direct charitable activity as operating a transitional living facility and temporary housing program for single women and families at Friendship House through its partnership with Cathedral Center Inc.
Its 2025 grants included home rehabilitation and construction, case management, eviction defense, the Baby Acorn Fund, and a social enterprise program. The grantees describe their work in these terms: Habitat for Humanity says it builds and repairs housing for families in need; Cathedral Center says it provides a safe environment for women and families while working to end homelessness; Legal Action of Wisconsin says it provides legal representation for low-income people and advocates for empowerment and systemic change; Hope Street Ministry says it provides housing and healing to people affected by trauma, difficult life circumstances, or substance abuse; and Franciscan Peacemakers says it provides a pathway to a sustainable, healthy, safe, and productive life for women engaging in prostitution due to trauma, trafficking, or drug addiction.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded five grants totaling $295,000. Awards ranged from $15,000 to $125,000, with a median of $50,000. Its largest grants were $125,000 to Habitat for Humanity for home rehabilitation and construction, $75,000 to Cathedral Center for case management services, and $50,000 to Legal Action of Wisconsin for an eviction defense project. It also awarded $30,000 to Hope Street Ministry for the Baby Acorn Fund and $15,000 to Franciscan Peacemakers for its social enterprise program.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joy Koops as president; Mary Kay Mark as vice president; Sarah Seitz as secretary; Amy Jeninga as treasurer; and Laurie Smith, Nancy Vander Velde, Jane Brasser, and Jennifer Shiller as directors.
Friendship House of Milwaukee is led by Joy Koops, President since 2024 (on filings since 2021); none of the 8 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joy Koops
President
Director → Vice President, 2023
Vice President → President, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laurie Smith
Director
President → Past President, 2024
Past President → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Vander Velde
Director
Vice President → Secretary, 2020
Secretary → Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jane Brasser
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Shiller
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Jeninga
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary Kay Mark
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Seitz
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Obiageli Nwabuzor (2019–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Konita Jude (2023) — Director
- Former: Danette Buikema (2019–2022) — Vice President
- Former: Rachael Vander Heide (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Vicki Schroeder (2019–2021) — Director
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 Friendship House of Milwaukee
How much does Friendship House of Milwaukee give each year?
Friendship House of Milwaukee gave $295K across 5 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $276K across 9 grants.
What is Friendship House of Milwaukee's typical grant size?
Friendship House of Milwaukee's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $59,000, across 5 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Friendship House of Milwaukee give grants?
Friendship House of Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee, WI (5 grants).
Does Friendship House of Milwaukee give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 5 grants with a stated purpose on Friendship House of Milwaukee's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Friendship House of Milwaukee's largest grantees?
Friendship House of Milwaukee's largest 2025 grantees include Habitat for Humanity ($125,000), Cathedral Center ($75,000) and Legal Action of Wisconsin ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 85% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Friendship House of Milwaukee?
Friendship House of Milwaukee reported $23.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $1.6M.
What does Friendship House of Milwaukee fund?
The foundation’s 2023 filing describes its direct charitable activity as operating a transitional living facility and temporary housing program for single women and families at Friendship House through its partnership with Cathedral Center Inc. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Friendship House of Milwaukee?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Friendship House of Milwaukee's EIN?
Friendship House of Milwaukee's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-0837518. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Friendship House of Milwaukee accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 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 February 5, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 22, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 30, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 27, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS December 19, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Figures come from Friendship House of Milwaukee'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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