JF Ahern CO Foundation
JF Ahern CO Foundation is a private foundation based in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Its 2025 filing reports 15 grants totaling $1,089,000, with recipients including education, healthcare, youth, and community organizations.
JF Ahern CO Foundation at a glance
In short: JF Ahern CO Foundation gave $1.1M across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $73K), mostly in Wisconsin. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,089,000
- +1022.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- -16.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $72,600
- +1247.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,899,899
- +0.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (99% 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 JF Ahern CO Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing says the foundation accepts unsolicited requests. It asks applicants to contact Adam J. Wunderlin and submit a written request describing the charitable purpose of the organization. The filing lists the restriction as “ADAM J. WUNDERLIN PUBLIC CHARITY.”
- Review Cycle
- N/A, according to the 2024 filing.
- Deadline
- N/A, according to the 2024 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Adam J Wunderlin
Mailing address: 855 Morris St, Fond Du Lac, WI 54935
Phone: (920) 921-9020
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who JF Ahern CO Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was St Mary's Springs Academy ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
78 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 77 grants of 78 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin and 1% to recipients in Iowa.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Is JF Ahern CO Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 13 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. How we count
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 1278% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 812% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $65K (2020) to $1.1M (2025). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Mary's Springs Academy Fond Du Lac, WI | SMSA Annual Fund | $1,000,000 |
| Agnesian Healthcare Foundation Fond Du Lac, WI | Annual Appeal | $25,000 |
| Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, WI | Hermann viets tower & robert spritzer dinning commons renovation | $10,000 |
| American Heart Association Des Moines, IA | Sponsor Hard Hats FY25 Milwaukee | $7,500 |
| Badgerland Youth for Christ Fond Du Lac, WI | Annual Appeal | $7,500 |
| YMCA of Fond Du Lac Fond Du Lac, WI | Annual Campaign | $7,500 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Fond Du Lac Fond Du Lac, WI | Annual Appeal | $5,000 |
| Cops for Kids Foundation Fond Du Lac, WI | Annual Appeal | $5,000 |
| Hayli Kohlman - Moraine Park Techni Fond Du Lac, WI | Michael Krueger Scholarship | $5,000 |
| Keegan Holzman - Fox Valley Technic Appleton, WI | Michael Krueger Scholarship | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with JF Ahern CO Foundation?
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 | $1,899,899 | $1,127,271 | $1,117,438 | $1,089,000 | 15 | $1,081,656 | $102,527 | $133,253 |
| 2024 | $1,890,170 | $1,071,637 | $120,681 | $97,000 | 18 | $84,504 | $54,345 | $86,960 |
| 2023 | $940,068 | $227,462 | $110,364 | $96,000 | 18 | $88,340 | $115,217 | $47,176 |
| 2022 | $826,960 | $104,312 | $95,274 | $79,000 | 13 | $81,132 | $36,656 | $52,967 |
| 2021 | $818,077 | $114,155 | $102,185 | $87,500 | 14 | — | $47,877 | $50,750 |
| 2020 | $806,150 | $95,643 | $77,749 | $65,000 | 14 | — | $31,074 | $45,021 |
| 2019 | $788,186 | $94,571 | $93,960 | $80,000 | 11 | — | $29,906 | $42,790 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, JF Ahern CO Foundation reported a distributable amount of $133K 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 2025 grants included support for a Catholic education fund, healthcare philanthropy, a university renovation, youth services, and other charitable appeals and campaigns. These examples describe the organizations and purposes supported; they do not establish a stated foundation mission.
St. Mary’s Springs Academy describes its mission as safeguarding and distributing funds for Catholic elementary and secondary education in the Fond du Lac area. Agnesian Healthcare Foundation says it develops, manages, and grants philanthropic support to a group of hospitals, care homes, and related organizations. Boys & Girls Club of Fond du Lac describes its work as youth development programs offering academic, social, and emotional support.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $1,089,000 through 15 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $1,500 to $1,000,000, with a median grant of $5,000.
The largest grants included $1,000,000 to St. Mary’s Springs Academy for its SMSA annual fund; $25,000 to Agnesian Healthcare Foundation for its annual appeal; and $10,000 to Milwaukee School of Engineering for renovation of the Hermann Viets Tower and Robert Spritzer Dining Commons. Other listed grants included $7,500 each to American Heart Association for “Sponsor Hard Hats FY25 Milwaukee,” Badgerland Youth for Christ for its annual appeal, and YMCA of Fond du Lac for its annual campaign; and $5,000 each to Boys & Girls Club of Fond du Lac and Cops for Kids Foundation for annual appeals.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John E. Ahern III as president and director; Anthony J. Ahern as vice president and director; Krista J. Ebbens as secretary and director; and Adam J. Wunderlin as treasurer and director.
JF Ahern CO Foundation is led by John E. Ahern III, President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John E. Ahern III
President & Director
On filings since 2019
0 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Adam J. Wunderlin
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2019
0 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anthony J. Ahern
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
0 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Krista J. Ebbens
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2019
0 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 JF Ahern CO Foundation
How much does JF Ahern CO Foundation give each year?
JF Ahern CO Foundation gave $1.1M across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $97K across 18 grants.
What is JF Ahern CO Foundation's typical grant size?
JF Ahern CO Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $72,600, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does JF Ahern CO Foundation give grants?
JF Ahern CO Foundation gives mostly in Wisconsin: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Fond Du Lac, WI (9 grants).
Does JF Ahern CO Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 7% of JF Ahern CO Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Annual Appeal" (8 grants).
Who are JF Ahern CO Foundation's largest grantees?
JF Ahern CO Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include St Mary's Springs Academy ($1,000,000), Agnesian Healthcare Foundation ($25,000) and Milwaukee School of Engineering ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 95% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is JF Ahern CO Foundation?
JF Ahern CO Foundation reported $1.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $133K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does JF Ahern CO Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2025 grants included support for a Catholic education fund, healthcare philanthropy, a university renovation, youth services, and other charitable appeals and campaigns. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from JF Ahern CO Foundation?
The 2024 filing says the foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is JF Ahern CO Foundation's EIN?
JF Ahern CO Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1667434. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does JF Ahern CO Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 25, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 19, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 22, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 21, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). JF Ahern CO Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/jf-ahern-co-foundation-morg_fb7b82fd4e1e4df6884e34e6197a4b14
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_391667434_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{JF Ahern CO Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/jf-ahern-co-foundation-morg_fb7b82fd4e1e4df6884e34e6197a4b14},
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 JF Ahern CO Foundation'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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