Mark a and Jean M Elste Family
The Mark a and Jean M Elste Family is a private foundation based in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. It made 11 grants totaling $12,575 in filing year 2025, with listed recipients primarily in Wisconsin.
Mark a and Jean M Elste Family at a glance
In short: Mark a and Jean M Elste Family gave $13K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), mostly in Wisconsin. 55% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $12,575
- +160.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,143
- +160.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $59,283
- -6.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 55% first-time grantees (6 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (94% 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 Mark a and Jean M Elste Family
- 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: 4339 Glidden Dr, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
Phone: (414) 640-2234
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mark a and Jean M Elste Family funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Doorway to Learning Inc ($5K). Together the top 10 received $12K.
Grant Size Distribution
55 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 55 grants of 55 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin, 4% to recipients in Washington, D.C., and 2% to recipients in Ohio.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Mark a and Jean M Elste Family open to new grantees?
55%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 11 grantees (55%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $565. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $500 repeat.
- 36% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−3%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 335% 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 $4K (2021) to $13K (2022). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $13K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Doorway to Learning Inc Sturgeon Bay, WI | General | $5,000 |
| Feed and Clothe My People Sturgeon Bay, WI | General | $3,000 |
| Door County Community Foundation Inc Sturgeon Bay, WI | General | $1,000 |
| Friends of PBS Wisconsin Madison, WI | General | $575 |
| Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Green Bay Inc Green Bay, WI | General | $500 |
| Door County Auditorium Fish Creek, WI | General | $500 |
| Wikimedia Foundation Inc Washington, DC | General | $500 |
| Midsummer's Music Sister Bay, WI | General | $500 |
| Diocese of La Crosse La Crosse, WI | General | $500 |
| Birch Creek Music Performancer Center Inc Egg Harbor, WI | General | $250 |
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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 | $59,283 | $7,170 | $13,846 | $12,575 | 11 | $12,575 | $7,066 | $3,757 |
| 2024 | $63,688 | $3,762 | $5,975 | $4,825 | 11 | $4,825 | $3,762 | $3,094 |
| 2023 | $66,592 | $3,850 | $7,297 | $5,355 | 10 | $5,355 | $3,850 | $3,062 |
| 2022 | $70,039 | $60,908 | $14,095 | $13,000 | 17 | $13,000 | $60,908 | $2,173 |
| 2021 | $8,325 | $-5,653 | $4,690 | $3,840 | 6 | $3,840 | $424 | $586 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mark a and Jean M Elste Family reported a distributable amount of $4K 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 filing does not state a mission. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied activities. For example, Door County Community Foundation describes its mission as administering charitable endowment funds and awarding grants to charitable organizations in Door County. Friends of PBS Wisconsin says it supports educational, cultural, and community broadcasting services. Midsummer’s Music describes its mission as presenting chamber music and expanding access to performances. New Life Clinic says it works to educate, encourage, and equip its community around parenting, pregnancy, healthy relationships, and sexual health. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a stated mission of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 11 grants totaling $12,575. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $5,000, with a median of $500. The largest listed grants were $5,000 to Doorway to Learning Inc. and $3,000 to Feed and Clothe My People, both in Sturgeon Bay. Other listed grants included $1,000 to Door County Community Foundation; $575 to Friends of PBS Wisconsin; and $500 each to Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Green Bay, Door County Auditorium, Wikimedia Foundation, Midsummer’s Music, and Diocese of La Crosse.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mark A. Elste as vice-president and Jean M. Elste as president.
Mark a and Jean M Elste Family is led by Jean M. Elste, President since 2025 (on filings since 2021); none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jean M. Elste
President
Secretary → President, 2025
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Mark A. Elste
Vice President
President → Vice President, 2025
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 Mark a and Jean M Elste Family
How much does Mark a and Jean M Elste Family give each year?
Mark a and Jean M Elste Family gave $13K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $5K across 11 grants.
What is Mark a and Jean M Elste Family's typical grant size?
Mark a and Jean M Elste Family's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $1,143, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mark a and Jean M Elste Family that year got $2K on average.
Where does Mark a and Jean M Elste Family give grants?
Mark a and Jean M Elste Family gives mostly in Wisconsin: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Sturgeon Bay, WI (3 grants).
Does Mark a and Jean M Elste Family give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Mark a and Jean M Elste Family's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Mark a and Jean M Elste Family's largest grantees?
Mark a and Jean M Elste Family's largest 2025 grantees include Doorway to Learning Inc ($5,000), Feed and Clothe My People ($3,000) and Door County Community Foundation Inc ($1,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 72% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Mark a and Jean M Elste Family?
Mark a and Jean M Elste Family reported $59K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $13K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Mark a and Jean M Elste Family fund?
The foundation’s filing does not state a mission. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied activities. For example, Door County Community Foundation describes its mission as administering charitable endowment funds and awarding grants to charitable organizations in Door County. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mark a and Jean M Elste Family?
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 Mark a and Jean M Elste Family's EIN?
Mark a and Jean M Elste Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5949996. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Mark a and Jean M Elste 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 6, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 27, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 23, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 21, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Live grants for the work Mark a and Jean M Elste Family funds
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Assets
—
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Total Given
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mark a and Jean M Elste Family funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mark-a-and-jean-m-elste-family-morg_2c093d7bf5ed4728910d4a9d10b2532c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_205949996_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mark a and Jean M Elste Family funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mark-a-and-jean-m-elste-family-morg_2c093d7bf5ed4728910d4a9d10b2532c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Mark a and Jean M Elste 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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