Messmer Foundation Inc
Messmer Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It made 19 grants totaling $78,000 in filing year 2025, with listed grants supporting organizations primarily in Wisconsin.
Messmer Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Messmer Foundation Inc gave $78K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Wisconsin. 56% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $78,000
- -1.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- +35.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,105
- -27.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $590,524
- -0.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 56% first-time grantees (10 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (99% 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 Messmer Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations, so it accepts unsolicited requests. Applicants should send a letter stating the uses to which the requested grant would be applied. The filing lists no restrictions on awards and no deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: David A Affeldt
Mailing address: 8741 W National Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53227
Phone: (414) 321-4560
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Messmer Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was VMP Foundations Inc ($10K). Together the top 10 received $60K.
Grant Size Distribution
71 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 71 grants of 71 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing shows that 99% of grant dollars went to Wisconsin recipients and 1% to Indiana recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Messmer Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
56%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 18 grantees (56%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 22% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 117% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 119% 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 $21K (2021) to $82K (2023). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $78K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| VMP Foundations Inc Milwaukee, WI | Public Support | $10,000 |
| Veterans Memorial Committee Hales Corners, WI | Public Support | $8,500 |
| Myso Milwaukee, WI | Public Support | $5,000 |
| VMP Foundation Inc Milwaukee, WI | Public Support | $5,000 |
| The Conservancy for Healing Herit Franklin, WI | Public Support | $5,000 |
| Morning Glory Ministries Milwaukee, WI | Public Support | $5,000 |
| Medical College of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI | Public Support | $5,000 |
| First United Methodist Church WA Milwaukee, WI | Public Support | $5,000 |
| First United Methodist Church Milwaukee, WI | Public Support | $5,000 |
| Milwaukee Rescue Mission Milwaukee, WI | Public Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Messmer Foundation Inc?
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 | $590,524 | $104,067 | $107,051 | $78,000 | 19 | $78,000 | $76,153 | $65,634 |
| 2024 | $593,357 | $73,187 | $104,441 | $79,200 | 14 | $79,200 | $53,048 | $64,548 |
| 2023 | $624,611 | $42,881 | $103,566 | $82,000 | 19 | $82,000 | $24,223 | $57,506 |
| 2022 | $1,149,757 | $100,802 | $55,536 | $36,000 | 10 | $36,000 | $81,266 | $60,247 |
| 2021 | $1,513,078 | $60,518 | $44,134 | $21,000 | 9 | $21,000 | $40,437 | $66,833 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Messmer Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $66K 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 own filing does not state a mission. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Artists Working in Education describes its mission as providing Milwaukee-area youth with arts enrichment programs to enhance human potential, advance learning, and cultivate community. Hear Wisconsin says it helps infants, children, and adults overcome communication and language barriers through personalized services, technology, and education. VMP Foundation says it solicits and controls assets for the benefit of three Methodist Manor organizations.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $78,000 through 19 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, with a median of $5,000. Listed recipients included VMP Foundations Inc. ($10,000), Veterans Memorial Committee ($8,500), and MYSO, VMP Foundation Inc., The Conservancy for Healing Herit, Morning Glory Ministries, Medical College of Wisconsin, First United Methodist Church WA, First United Methodist Church, Milwaukee Rescue Mission, and Womens Care Center ($5,000 each). HEAR Wisconsin received $3,000, and Artists Working in Education received $2,500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists David A Affeldt as president, director, and treasurer; Steven A Affeldt as director; and Tom Tuttle as vice president and secretary.
Messmer Foundation Inc's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Steven A. Affeldt
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
David A. Affeldt
Presidentdirectortreasurer
President, Director & Trs → Presidentdirectortreasurer, 2022
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Tom Tuttle
Vice President & Secretary
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 Messmer Foundation Inc
How much does Messmer Foundation Inc give each year?
Messmer Foundation Inc gave $78K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $79K across 14 grants.
What is Messmer Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Messmer Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $4,105, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Messmer Foundation Inc that year got $4K on average.
Where does Messmer Foundation Inc give grants?
Messmer Foundation Inc gives mostly in Wisconsin: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Milwaukee, WI (15 grants).
Does Messmer Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on Messmer Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Public Support" (17 grants).
Who are Messmer Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Messmer Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include VMP Foundations Inc ($10,000), Veterans Memorial Committee ($8,500) and Medical College of Wisconsin ($6,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Messmer Foundation Inc?
Messmer Foundation Inc reported $591K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $78K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $66K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Messmer Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s own filing does not state a mission. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Messmer Foundation Inc?
The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations, so it accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Messmer Foundation Inc's EIN?
Messmer Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6117571. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Messmer Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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 January 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 21, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 26, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Messmer Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Messmer Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/messmer-foundation-inc-morg_5fe8968d997d4118b3c311e46b07baef
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366117571_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Messmer Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/messmer-foundation-inc-morg_5fe8968d997d4118b3c311e46b07baef},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Messmer Foundation Inc'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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