Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn
Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn is a private foundation based in Eagan, Minnesota. It reported making 11 grants totaling $473,550 in 2025, including grants for general operating support and scholarships.
Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn at a glance
In short: Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn gave $474K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $43K), mostly in Wisconsin. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $473,550
- +5.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $43,050
- +5.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $43,050
- Total assets
- $7,867,684
- +1.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (1 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (73% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 64193, Eagan, MN 55164
Phone: (888) 265-7962
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Sheboygan County Humane Society ($43K). Together the top 10 received $431K.
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, 73% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin, 18% to Virginia, and 9% to Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 11 grantees (9%) 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 $43K; repeat grants $43K. How we count
Medians: $43K first-time, $43K repeat.
- 27% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 104% 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 $418K (2019) to $499K (2022). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $474K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sheboygan County Humane Society Sheboygan, WI | General Operating | $43,050 |
| St James United Church of Christ Newton, WI | General Operating | $43,050 |
| Lakeland University Plymouth, WI | Scholarship | $43,050 |
| Uw-Sheboygan County Foundation Sheboygan, WI | Scholarship | $43,050 |
| Aurora Health Foundation Sheboygan, WI | General Operating | $43,050 |
| Alzheimers Association Milwaukee, WI | General Operating | $43,050 |
| Unity Christian Church Sheboygan, WI | General Operating | $43,050 |
| Children's Hospital & Health Milwaukee, WI | General Operating | $43,050 |
| United Way Worldwide Alexandria, VA | General Operating | $43,050 |
| Muscular Dystrophy Association Chicago, IL | General Operating | $43,050 |
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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 | $7,867,684 | $658,999 | $580,532 | $473,550 | 11 | $484,843 | $573,859 | $465,551 |
| 2024 | $7,790,679 | $828,610 | $558,948 | $451,000 | 11 | $462,257 | $744,208 | $442,650 |
| 2023 | $7,521,056 | $679,542 | $516,295 | $425,018 | 11 | $435,760 | $593,193 | $414,752 |
| 2022 | $7,357,706 | $353,136 | $603,731 | $498,674 | 11 | $508,919 | $280,916 | $431,861 |
| 2021 | $7,609,057 | $1,034,549 | $554,946 | $472,582 | 11 | $482,626 | $962,080 | $474,574 |
| 2020 | $7,129,454 | $341,291 | $516,672 | $436,205 | 11 | — | $277,387 | $426,848 |
| 2019 | $7,304,927 | $444,757 | $495,484 | $417,901 | 11 | — | $378,769 | $420,797 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn reported a distributable amount of $466K 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 is provided. The 2025 grants show support for scholarships and general operating expenses at charitable organizations, including educational, health, religious, and community organizations. Lakeland University describes its mission as educating people of diverse backgrounds and preparing them for professional and purposeful lives. The Muscular Dystrophy Association says it works to accelerate research, advance care, and advocate for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. United Way Worldwide describes its work as bringing people and resources together to address community challenges through education, health, financial freedom, and disaster preparedness.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 11 grants totaling $473,550 in 2025. Each grant was $43,050. It reported 11 grants totaling $451,000 in 2024 and 11 grants totaling $425,018 in 2023.
In 2025, recipients included Lakeland University and UW-Sheboygan County Foundation for scholarships, and Sheboygan County Humane Society, Aurora Health Foundation, and Children’s Hospital & Health for general operating support. Other recipients included Alzheimer’s Association, Unity Christian Church, St James United Church of Christ, United Way Worldwide, Muscular Dystrophy Association, and The Salvation Army; each received $43,050 for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Tim Ellis, Jim Kitzinger, Delores Slesrick, and Robin J Callan as co-trustees, and US Bank N A as trustee.
Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn's 2025 filing lists 5 officers; all 5 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Delores Slesrick
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2019
20 hrs/week
$3K (2019) → $3K (2025)
Jim Kitzinger
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2019
20 hrs/week
$3K (2019) → $3K (2025)
Robin J. Callan
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2019
20 hrs/week
$1K (2019) → $3K (2025)
Tim Ellis
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2019
20 hrs/week
$4K (2019) → $3K (2025)
US Bank N A
Trustee
Co-Trustee → Trustee, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$58K (2019) → $74K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: US Bank NA (2023) — Trustee
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $74K, to US Bank N a (Trustee). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn
How much does Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn give each year?
Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn gave $474K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $451K across 11 grants.
What is Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn's typical grant size?
Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn's median grant in 2025 was $43,050, and its average grant was $43,050, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn that year got $43K on average.
Where does Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn give grants?
Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn gives mostly in Wisconsin: 73% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Virginia (18%) and Illinois (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Sheboygan, WI (4 grants), Milwaukee, WI (2 grants) and Alexandria, VA (2 grants).
Does Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn give general operating support?
Yes: 82% of Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn's largest grantees?
Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn's largest 2025 grantees include Sheboygan County Humane Society ($43,050), St James United Church of Christ ($43,050) and Lakeland University ($43,050), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn?
Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn reported $7.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $485K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $466K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for scholarships and general operating expenses at charitable organizations, including educational, health, religious, and community organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn?
The foundation 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 Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn's EIN?
Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-6129125. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 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 July 7, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 5, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/melvin-f-and-ellen-l-wagner-fdn-morg_5d74640b906a43c48e28469df7c56887
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_396129125_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/melvin-f-and-ellen-l-wagner-fdn-morg_5d74640b906a43c48e28469df7c56887},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Melvin F and Ellen L Wagner Fdn'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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