Madison Investments Foundation Inc
MADISON INVESTMENTS FOUNDATION INC is a private foundation based in Madison, Wisconsin. It makes grants for charitable, educational, or scientific purposes, with its 2024 grants supporting organizations working in areas including arts, education, community services, and food and housing security.
Key facts about Madison Investments Foundation Inc
In short: Madison Investments Foundation Inc gave $111K across 39 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), mostly in Wisconsin. 46% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 82-3835195
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $110,780
- Grants made (2024)
- 39
- Average grant
- $2,841
- Median grant
- $1,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 46% first-time grantees (18 of 39, 2024)
- Total assets
- $415,909
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (83% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Written applications should include the agency’s name and location, mission, basic needs with a brief explanation, specific focus for the grant, and a brief explanation of the grant’s public benefit for Madison. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- None.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$416K
+10.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$111K
+9.5% YoY
Grant Count
39
+14.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$3K
-4.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Madison Investments Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $22K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Madison Investments Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
46%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 18 of 39 grantees (46%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 41% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+17%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 502% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing describes its purposes as charitable, educational, or scientific. Its grants include support for a range of organizations. For example, Children’s Theater of Madison says its mission is to spark imagination and build community through theater; The Playing Field says it works to reduce barriers to high-quality early care and education for low-income families; and Literacy Network says it helps adults in Dane County build skills, reach goals, and connect communities.
Other 2024 recipients describe work in community transformation and support services, integrated arts education, higher education, children’s and family healthcare and social services, and food and housing security. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a separate statement of the foundation’s priorities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 39 grants totaling $110,780. Grants ranged from $100 to $10,080, with a median grant of $1,000. Among the larger awards were Goodman Community Center ($10,080), Children’s Theater of Madison ($10,000), Heart of the Brain ($10,000), The Playing Field ($10,000), Goodwill of South Central Wisconsin ($9,000), and Thea’s Table/The River Food Pantry ($9,000). Other awards included Literacy Network ($7,000), Urban Triage ($7,000), Statement Arts ($3,600), University of Wisconsin Foundation ($3,500), KVC Health Systems ($2,500), and Madison Public School Foundation ($2,500).
Review Cycle
** None.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Madison, Wisconsin. In 2024, 83% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin; other recipient-state shares were California (9%), New York (3%), Kansas (2%), and Missouri (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 39 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
168 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| GOODMAN COMMUNITY CENTER Madison, WI | TO SUPPORT THE WORK DONE BY GOODMAN COMMUNITY CENTER. | $10,080 |
| CHILDREN'S THEATER OF MADISON Madison, WI | TO SUPPORT THE WORK DONE BY CHILDREN'S THEATER OF MADISON. | $10,000 |
| HEART OF THE BRAIN Los Angeles, CA | TO SUPPORT THE WORK DONE BY HEART OF THE BRAIN. | $10,000 |
| THE PLAYING FIELD Madison, WI | TO SUPPORT THE PLAYING FIELD. | $10,000 |
| GOODWILL OF SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN Madison, WI | TO SUPPORT THE WORK DONE BY GOODWILL OF SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN. | $9,000 |
| THEA'S TABLE CO THE RIVER FOOD PANTRY Madison, WI | TO SUPPORT THE WORK DONE BY THEA'S TABLE. | $9,000 |
| LITERACY NETWORK Madison, WI | LITERACY NETWORK HELPS ADULTS IN DANE COUNTY BUILD SKILLS, REACH GOALS, AND CONNECT COMMUNITIES. | $7,000 |
| URBAN TRIAGE Madison, WI | EMPOWER BLACK FAMILIES TO EXCEL AND BELIEVE IN THEIR ABILITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY WAY OF CRISIS RESPONSE, ADVOCACY, PSYCHO-EDUCATION, COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES, INTERVENTION, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND SYSTEMS TRAINING. | $7,000 |
| STATEMENT ARTS New York, NY | STATEMENT ARTS BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF AN INTEGRATED ARTS EDUCATION TO CULTIVATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS WHO CAN INSPIRE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CHANGE | $3,600 |
| UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN FOUNDATION Madison, WI | UW FOUNDATION, DOING BUSINESS AS THE WISCONSIN FOUNDATION AND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, EXISTS TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF AND ADVANCE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINMADISON BY ENCOURAGING THE INTEREST, ENGAGEMENT, AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF ALUMNI, DONORS, AND FRIENDS IN THE LIFE OF THE UNIVERSITY AND WITH EACH OTHER. | $3,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $415,909 | $152,270 | $111,430 | $110,780 |
| 2023 | $375,069 | $158,795 | $101,559 | $101,138 |
| 2022 | $399,733 | $151,316 | $111,493 | $111,350 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $415,909 | $375,069 | $399,733 |
| Revenue | $152,270 | $158,795 | $151,316 |
| Expenses | $111,430 | $101,559 | $111,493 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $111,180 | $101,138 | $111,350 |
| Net Investment Income | $20,240 | $15,270 | $11,816 |
| Distributable Amount | $22,161 | $18,863 | $16,604 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Leslie Oliversen as president; Patrick Ryan as secretary-treasurer; and Maya Bittar, Steve Carl, and Sarah Morken as vice-presidents.
Madison Investments Foundation Inc is led by Leslie Oliversen, President since 2023 (on filings since 2022); none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Leslie Oliversen
President
Vice President → President, 2023
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maya Bittar
Vice President
President → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patrick Ryan
Secretary-Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steve Carl
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Morken
Vice President
New on the 2024 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Jay Sekelsky (2020–2023) — Vice President
- Former: David Geisler (2022–2023) — Vice President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Application contact: Mark Henrickson
Mailing address: 550 Science Drive, Madison, WI 53711
Phone: (608) 274-0300
Email: markh@madisonadv.com
Frequently asked questions about Madison Investments Foundation Inc
How much does Madison Investments Foundation Inc give each year?
Madison Investments Foundation Inc gave $111K across 39 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $101K across 34 grants.
What is Madison Investments Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Madison Investments Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $2,841, across 39 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Madison Investments Foundation Inc that year got $2K on average.
Where does Madison Investments Foundation Inc give grants?
Madison Investments Foundation Inc gives mostly in Wisconsin: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Madison, WI (22 grants), Middleton, WI (4 grants) and Milwaukee, WI (2 grants).
Does Madison Investments Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 10% of Madison Investments Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 39) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Madison Investments Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Madison Investments Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Goodman Community Center ($10,080), Children's Theater of Madison ($10,000) and Heart of the Brain ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Madison Investments Foundation Inc?
Madison Investments Foundation Inc reported $416K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $111K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $22K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Madison Investments Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s filing describes its purposes as charitable, educational, or scientific. Its grants include support for a range of organizations. For example, Children’s Theater of Madison says its mission is to spark imagination and build community through theater; The Playing Field says it works to reduce barriers to high-quality early care and education for low-income families; and Literacy Network says it helps adults in Dane County build skills, reach goals, and connect communities. Other…
How do I apply for a grant from Madison Investments Foundation Inc?
Written applications should include the agency’s name and location, mission, basic needs with a brief explanation, specific focus for the grant, and a brief explanation of the grant’s public benefit for Madison. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Madison Investments Foundation Inc's EIN?
Madison Investments Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3835195. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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