Kolaga Family Charitable Trust
The Kolaga Family Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. It made 33 grants totaling $138,925 in 2025, supporting charitable organizations that include food providers, health-care organizations, social-service agencies, and arts and cultural organizations.
Kolaga Family Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Kolaga Family Charitable Trust gave $139K across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Wisconsin. 36% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $138,925
- -40.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 33
- -58.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,210
- +43.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $4,635,007
- +6.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (12 of 33, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (97% 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 Kolaga Family Charitable Trust
- How to Apply
-
Submit an application that describes the charitable organization and its purpose, subject to the stated 501(c)(3) restriction.
- Contact
Application contact: Sue Kolaga Trustee Kolaga Family Ch
Mailing address: 21140 Capitol Drive 8, Pewaukee, WI 53072
Phone: (414) 783-4340
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Kolaga Family Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Feeding America ($18K). Together the top 10 received $94K.
Grant Size Distribution
293 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 293 grants of 293 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to Wisconsin recipients. Florida, Virginia, and Tennessee each accounted for 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Kolaga Family Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 33 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 64% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 55% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 96% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $139K (2025) to $310K (2022). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $139K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Feeding America Milwaukee, WI | operating expchristmas food purchases | $18,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of WI Milwaukee, WI | Operating exp | $16,000 |
| The Womens Center Waukesha, WI | Operating Exp | $11,000 |
| The Salvation Army Milwaukee, WI | Operating expbest use | $8,500 |
| Milwaukee Rescue Mission Milwaukee, WI | greatest Need | $8,000 |
| Lutheran Social Services B 2 Three Waukesha, WI | Operating exp | $7,500 |
| Pathfinders Milwaukee, WI | Operating Exp | $7,500 |
| Hope House of Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI | Operating expn Youth program | $6,000 |
| Vince Lombardi Cancer Center Brookfield, WI | Operating Exp | $6,000 |
| Lake Area Free Clinic Oconomowoc, WI | operating expdental clinic | $5,475 |
Ready to take the next step with Kolaga Family Charitable Trust?
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 | $4,635,007 | $576,042 | $291,617 | $138,925 | 33 | $257,110 | $547,572 | $268,152 |
| 2024 | $4,350,582 | $368,195 | $255,838 | $232,203 | 79 | $233,147 | $347,264 | $248,185 |
| 2023 | $4,238,225 | $221,772 | $276,246 | $254,469 | 63 | $254,535 | $201,211 | $234,665 |
| 2022 | $4,292,699 | $295,970 | $342,957 | $310,153 | 59 | $310,218 | $274,100 | $251,126 |
| 2021 | $4,339,686 | $474,198 | $301,526 | $272,100 | 59 | $272,100 | $451,514 | $262,106 |
| 2020 | $4,167,014 | $226,077 | $282,429 | $262,000 | 60 | — | $206,292 | $245,100 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Kolaga Family Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $268K 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
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grantees describe a range of activities: The Women’s Center says it provides safety, shelter, and support to people impacted by domestic abuse, sexual violence, child abuse, and trafficking; Hope House of Milwaukee says its mission is to end homelessness and create healthy communities; and Lake Area Free Clinic says it provides comprehensive medical and dental care to people in need. Other supported organizations include food pantries, a cancer center, a rescue mission, and an art museum.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust made 33 grants totaling $138,925. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $18,000, with a median award of $2,000. Its largest awards included $18,000 to Feeding America, $16,000 to Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, $11,000 to The Women’s Center, $8,500 to The Salvation Army, and $8,000 to Milwaukee Rescue Mission.
The 2024 filing states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applications should include a description and purpose of the charitable organization. Grants are limited to organizations described as section 501(c)(3) charitable organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Suzette M. Kolaga and Molly Ann Paasdera as trustees.
Kolaga Family Charitable Trust's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Molly Ann Paasdera
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Suzette M Kolaga
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Kolaga Family Charitable Trust
How much does Kolaga Family Charitable Trust give each year?
Kolaga Family Charitable Trust gave $139K across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $232K across 79 grants.
What is Kolaga Family Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Kolaga Family Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $4,210, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Kolaga Family Charitable Trust that year got $3K on average.
Where does Kolaga Family Charitable Trust give grants?
Kolaga Family Charitable Trust gives mostly in Wisconsin: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Milwaukee, WI (18 grants), Brookfield, WI (3 grants) and Waukesha, WI (2 grants).
Does Kolaga Family Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 82% of Kolaga Family Charitable Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (27 of 33) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Kolaga Family Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Kolaga Family Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Feeding America ($18,000), Planned Parenthood of WI ($16,000) and The Womens Center ($11,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Kolaga Family Charitable Trust?
Kolaga Family Charitable Trust reported $4.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $257K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $268K (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 Kolaga Family Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Kolaga Family Charitable Trust?
Submit an application that describes the charitable organization and its purpose, subject to the stated 501(c)(3) restriction. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Kolaga Family Charitable Trust's EIN?
Kolaga Family Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-6281716. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 17, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 22, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Kolaga Family Charitable Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Kolaga Family Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/kolaga-family-charitable-trust-morg_0fdc251a65854068993728c7b6e9730d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_396281716_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Kolaga Family Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/kolaga-family-charitable-trust-morg_0fdc251a65854068993728c7b6e9730d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Kolaga Family Charitable Trust'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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