James and Christine Speaker Family
The James and Christine Speaker Family is a private foundation based in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Its 2024 filing reports 10 grants totaling $210,000 to charitable organizations in Wisconsin and Illinois.
James and Christine Speaker Family at a glance
In short: James and Christine Speaker Family gave $210K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $21K), mostly in Wisconsin. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $210,000
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- Average grant
- $21,000
- Median grant
- $17,500
- Total assets
- $8,240,158
- +6992.9% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (71% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to James and Christine Speaker Family
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation contributes only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4529 Columbia Road, Cedarburg, WI 53012
Phone: (414) 916-2111
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who James and Christine Speaker Family funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin Inc ($40K). Together the top 10 received $210K.
Grant Size Distribution
10 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 10 grants of 10 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 71% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin and 29% to recipients in Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
How James and Christine Speaker Family gives
- In 2024 it paid out 55% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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
In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $210K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin Inc Milwaukee, WI | General Fund | $40,000 |
| Urban Ecology Center Milwaukee, WI | General Fund | $35,000 |
| Sojourner Family Peace Center Inc Milwaukee, WI | General Fund | $30,000 |
| Alzheimers Association Chicago, IL | General Fund | $25,000 |
| Refugeeone Chicago, IL | General Fund | $20,000 |
| Family Promise of Ozaukee County Port Washington, WI | General Fund | $15,000 |
| The Guest House of Milwaukee Inc Milwaukee, WI | General Fund | $15,000 |
| Hope Street Ministry Inc Milwaukee, WI | General Fund | $15,000 |
| Alliance for the Great Lakes Chicago, IL | General Fund | $10,000 |
| German Shepherd Rescue Inc Skokie, IL | General Fund | $5,000 |
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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 | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,240,158 | $8,355,358 | $231,367 | $210,000 | 10 | $220,684 | $757,069 | $401,070 |
| 2023 | $116,174 | $116,174 | — | — | — | — | — | $246 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, James and Christine Speaker Family reported a distributable amount of $401K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations whose stated missions include hunger relief, connecting people in cities with nature, addressing domestic violence, supporting refugees, helping families experiencing homelessness, providing housing and services to people affected by homelessness, protecting the Great Lakes, and supporting people affected by Alzheimer’s disease. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a stated mission of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $210,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $40,000, with a median of $17,500. The largest grants were $40,000 to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, $35,000 to Urban Ecology Center, $30,000 to Sojourner Family Peace Center, $25,000 to the Alzheimer’s Association, and $20,000 to RefugeeOne. The filing lists each grant’s purpose as general fund.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists James E Speaker, Christine Speaker, Melissa S Bartlett, and Alex Speaker as trustees.
James and Christine Speaker Family's 2024 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Alex Speaker
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christine Speaker
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James E. Speaker
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Melissa S. Bartlett
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2024. "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 James and Christine Speaker Family
How much does James and Christine Speaker Family give each year?
James and Christine Speaker Family gave $210K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
What is James and Christine Speaker Family's typical grant size?
James and Christine Speaker Family's median grant in 2024 was $17,500, and its average grant was $21,000, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does James and Christine Speaker Family give grants?
James and Christine Speaker Family gives mostly in Wisconsin: 71% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Illinois (29%). The most frequent recipient cities were Milwaukee, WI (5 grants) and Chicago, IL (3 grants).
Does James and Christine Speaker Family give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of James and Christine Speaker Family's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are James and Christine Speaker Family's largest grantees?
James and Christine Speaker Family's largest 2024 grantees include Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin Inc ($40,000), Urban Ecology Center ($35,000) and Sojourner Family Peace Center Inc ($30,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is James and Christine Speaker Family?
James and Christine Speaker Family reported $8.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $221K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $401K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does James and Christine Speaker Family fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from James and Christine Speaker Family?
The foundation contributes 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 James and Christine Speaker Family's EIN?
James and Christine Speaker Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-4588172. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2024.
Does James and Christine Speaker Family accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2024
Live grants for the work James and Christine Speaker Family funds
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Gardner Foundation
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). James and Christine Speaker Family funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/james-and-christine-speaker-family-morg_4eddf1604b7945ddbec19ba28f195c96
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_934588172_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{James and Christine Speaker Family funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/james-and-christine-speaker-family-morg_4eddf1604b7945ddbec19ba28f195c96},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 James and Christine Speaker Family'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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