Friendship House of Milwaukee

Private foundation · Grantmaker Milwaukee, WI EIN: 39-0837518

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.

Key facts about Friendship House of Milwaukee

In short: Friendship House of Milwaukee gave $295K across 5 grants in 2025 (avg $59K), mostly in Wisconsin. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
39-0837518
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$295,000
Grants made (2025)
5
Average grant
$59,000
Median grant
$50,000
Total assets
$23,182,763
Primary geography
Wisconsin (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓

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

$23.2M

+3.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$295K

+6.8% YoY

Grant Count

5

-44.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$59K

+92.2% YoY

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.

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.

How to Apply

The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Wisconsin.

Grant Distribution by State

2states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 5 itemized grants.

Cities

MilwaukeeWaukeshaBrookfieldFitchburgMemphisWalworthWauwatosa

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$200K$400K$600K17 grants2019 23 grants2020 9 grants2021 6 grants2022 11 grants2023 9 grants2024 5 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $276K (2024) to $503K (2020). In 2025 it made 5 grants totaling $295K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 5 recipients in 2025

Habitat for Humanity: $125KHabitat for Humanity$125KCathedral Center: $75KCathedral Center$75KLegal Action of Wisconsin: $50KLegal Action of Wisconsin$50KHope Street Ministry Inc: $30KHope Street Ministry Inc$30KFranciscan Peacemakers: $15KFranciscan Peacemakers$15K

The largest 2025 recipient was Habitat for Humanity ($125K). Together the top 5 received $295K.

Grant Size Distribution

40 grants across all recorded years

23<$50K12$50–100K5$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 23 grants of 40 (57%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Habitat for Humanity Milwaukee, WIRehabs and Construction of Homes$125,000
Cathedral Center Milwaukee, WICase Management Services$75,000
Legal Action of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WIEviction Defense Project$50,000
Hope Street Ministry Inc Milwaukee, WIBaby Acorn Fund$30,000
Franciscan Peacemakers Milwaukee, WISocial Enterprise Program$15,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Grant total Number of grants
2025 $295,000 5
2024 $276,250 9
2023 $332,250 11
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$500K$1M$1.5M$2M2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$23,182,763$22,452,802$19,331,242
Revenue$1,634,608$1,277,644$1,397,453
Expenses$1,073,193$1,080,308$1,088,107
Qualifying Distributions$1,071,793$1,078,958$1,086,807
Net Investment Income$1,517,325$1,164,782$1,254,003

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 5, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 22, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 17, 2021)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 30, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 27, 2024)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS December 19, 2024)
  7. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 4, 2026)
  8. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025

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.

Contact

Mailing address: 1029 N Marshall Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Phone: (414) 276-2633

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.

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