Johnson Family Foundation
The Johnson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including youth development, education, food access, disability services, and community programs.
Johnson Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Johnson Family Foundation gave $1.2M across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $44K), mostly in Massachusetts. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,221,350
- +12.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $43,620
- +12.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $12,710,691
- +15.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (4 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (71% 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 Johnson Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 0634, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0634
Phone: (513) 632-4633
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Johnson Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Partners for Youth with Disabiities ($100K). Together the top 10 received $629K.
Grant Size Distribution
141 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 85 grants of 141 (60%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts (71%), Ohio (19%), Maryland (6%), Washington, D.C. (2%), and Kentucky (2%). The listed grantees include organizations in areas such as youth development, education, food access, and community services.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Johnson Family Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 28 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $41K; repeat grants $44K. How we count
Medians: $40K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 86% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 22% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 113% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $936K (2021) to $1.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Partners for Youth with Disabiities Somerville, MA | General Operating | $100,000 |
| Leadership Brainery Boston, MA | General Operating | $100,000 |
| MIT Office of Engineering Outreach - Boston, MA | General Operating | $60,000 |
| Spoonfuls Inc Newton, MA | General Operating | $60,000 |
| Break Through Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH | General Operating | $55,000 |
| Camp Starfish Inc Stow, MA | General Operating | $53,500 |
| Boston Area Gleaners Waltham, MA | General Operating | $50,000 |
| Next One up Foundation Baltimore, MD | General Operating | $50,000 |
| Families 1ST Parenting Programs Inc Watertown, MA | General Operating | $50,000 |
| More Than Words Inc Waltham, MA | General Operating | $50,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $12,710,691 | $3,077,512 | $1,383,775 | $1,221,350 | 28 | $1,232,716 | $2,984,507 | $1,087,148 |
| 2024 | $11,016,982 | $787,295 | $1,189,667 | $1,085,100 | 28 | $1,095,396 | $701,118 | $997,338 |
| 2023 | $11,419,464 | $670,954 | $1,182,280 | $1,083,000 | 30 | $1,093,102 | $588,892 | $941,925 |
| 2022 | $11,930,813 | $437,630 | $1,122,866 | $1,005,200 | 28 | $1,018,220 | $345,319 | $1,130,108 |
| 2021 | $12,616,179 | $965,818 | $1,027,797 | $935,500 | 27 | — | $883,277 | $947,466 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Johnson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.1M 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 available information does not state the foundation’s own mission. Its 2025 grants included general operating support for organizations whose missions span several areas. For example, Spoonfuls works to recover and distribute healthy perishable food that would otherwise be discarded, while Boston Area Gleaners focuses on fresh-produce access, regional farms, and reducing food waste. Camp Starfish conducts a therapeutic summer camp for children with emotional, behavioral, and learning disabilities. More Than Words empowers young people facing challenges including foster care involvement, homelessness, or being out of school through participation in a business.
Other 2025 grantees included Next One Up Foundation, which supports the academic, athletic, and social development of young men in Baltimore, and The Welcome Project, which builds immigrant communities’ capacity to participate in and shape decisions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 28 grants totaling $1,221,350. Grants ranged from $22,050 to $100,000, with a median of $50,000. The largest listed grants included $100,000 each to Partners for Youth with Disabilities and Leadership Brainery; $60,000 each to MIT Office of Engineering Outreach and Spoonfuls; and $55,000 to Break Through Cincinnati. These grants were reported for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists these directors: Patricia L Johnson Lipcon, Jesse Lipcon, Gwendolyn Kess Johnson, David B Hamilton, Charlotte Johnson Lilly, Crosley Johnson Sigmon, Johanna Theiss Johnson Brun, Zachary Johnson, Lauren Lipcon Dale, and Scott Lipcon.
Johnson Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 11 officers; none of the 11 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Charlotte Johnson Lilly
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Crosley Johnson Sigmon
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
David B. Hamilton
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Gwendolyn Kess Johnson
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Jesse Lipcon
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Johanna Theiss Johnson Brun
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Lauren Lipcon Dale
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Patricia L. Johnson Lipcon
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Scott Lipcon
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Todd Lipcon
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Zachary Johnson
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Johnson Family Foundation
How much does Johnson Family Foundation give each year?
Johnson Family Foundation gave $1.2M across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.1M across 28 grants.
What is Johnson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Johnson Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $43,620, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Johnson Family Foundation that year got $41K on average.
Where does Johnson Family Foundation give grants?
Johnson Family Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 71% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Ohio (19%) and Maryland (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cincinnati, OH (6 grants), Boston, MA (5 grants), Somerville, MA (2 grants) and Waltham, MA (2 grants).
Does Johnson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Johnson Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (28 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Johnson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Johnson Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Partners for Youth with Disabiities ($100,000), Leadership Brainery ($100,000) and MIT Office of Engineering Outreach - ($60,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 21% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Johnson Family Foundation?
Johnson Family Foundation reported $12.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Johnson Family Foundation fund?
The available information does not state the foundation’s own mission. Its 2025 grants included general operating support for organizations whose missions span several areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Johnson Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Johnson Family Foundation's EIN?
Johnson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1542859. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Johnson Family Foundation 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 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Johnson Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/johnson-family-foundation-morg_f4c79c0c89ca43d386a3c8ddcd7ef1c2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311542859_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Johnson Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/johnson-family-foundation-morg_f4c79c0c89ca43d386a3c8ddcd7ef1c2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Johnson Family 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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