Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated
Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated is a private foundation based in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. In its 2025 filing, it reported giving $155,200 through 31 grants.
Key facts about Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated
In short: Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated gave $155K across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Wisconsin. 3% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 39-1919852
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $155,200
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- Average grant
- $5,006
- Median grant
- $1,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 3% first-time grantees (1 of 31, 2025)
- Total assets
- $3,412,777
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (82% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; 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 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.4M
+2.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$155K
+24.0% YoY
Grant Count
31
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$5K
+24.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated reported a distributable amount of $166K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated open to new grantees?
3%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 31 grantees (3%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 97% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+19%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in several areas. Yerkes Future Foundation describes its mission as advancing understanding of the universe and nurturing connection with the planet and one another. Our House Grief Support Center says it provides grief support services, education, and resources. Geneva Lake Sailing School says it teaches students sailing, while Geneva Lake Conservancy says it works to preserve and advocate for local waterways, natural areas, and working lands. These are the grantees’ stated missions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 31 grants totaling $155,200. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $98,000, with a median of $1,000. The largest grants included $98,000 to Yerkes Future Foundation, $10,000 each to Holiday Home Camp and Our House Grief Support Center, and $3,500 to Kishwauketoe Nature Conservancy.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Wisconsin recipients received 82% of grant dollars. Other recipient-state shares were California, 6%; Illinois, 5%; Florida, 4%; and Minnesota, 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $78K (2020) to $155K (2025). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $155K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Yerkes Future Foundation ($98K). Together the top 10 received $134K.
Grant Size Distribution
154 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 150 grants of 154 (97%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Yerkes Future Foundation Williams Bay, WI | Public Charity Gift | $98,000 |
| Holiday Home Camp Williams Bay, WI | Public Charity Gift | $10,000 |
| Our House Grief Support Center Woodland Hills, CA | Public Charity Gift | $10,000 |
| Kishwauketoe Nature Conservancy Williams Bay, WI | Public Charity Gift | $3,500 |
| Shirley Ryan Ability Lab Chicago, IL | Public Charity Gift | $3,000 |
| Geneva Lake Water Safety Comm Inc Lake Geneva, WI | Public Charity Gift | $2,500 |
| Nazareth Academy La Grange Park, IL | Public Charity Gift | $2,500 |
| Geneva Lake Sailing School Fontana, WI | Public Charity Gift | $2,000 |
| Geneva Lake Level Corporation Lake Geneva, WI | Public Charity Gift | $1,500 |
| Hazeldon Foundation St. Paul, MN | Public Charity Gift | $1,200 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,412,777 | $352,349 | $174,508 | $155,200 |
| 2024 | $3,344,395 | $145,982 | $145,460 | $125,200 |
| 2023 | $2,942,019 | $608,503 | $135,413 | $119,400 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,412,777 | $3,344,395 | $2,942,019 |
| Revenue | $352,349 | $145,982 | $608,503 |
| Expenses | $174,508 | $145,460 | $135,413 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $155,200 | $125,200 | $119,400 |
| Net Investment Income | $352,349 | $32,108 | $33,380 |
| Distributable Amount | $166,172 | $152,646 | $125,316 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Karl G Otzen as president/director, Liza E Gianares as director, Leigh W Otzen as secretary/director, and Donald J Parker Jr as treasurer/manager.
Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated is led by Karl G. Otzen, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Karl G. Otzen
President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Leigh W. Otzen
Secretary\director
Director → Secretary\director, 2025
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Liza E. Gianares
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Donald J. Parker Jr.
Treasurer & Manager
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Judy Steininger (2020–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Lucy T. Otzen (2020–2022) — Vice President & Director
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.
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 190, Lake Geneva, WI 53147
Phone: (262) 248-7878
Frequently asked questions about Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated
How much does Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated give each year?
Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated gave $155K across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $125K across 31 grants.
What is Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated's typical grant size?
Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $5,006, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated that year got $10K on average.
Where does Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated give grants?
Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated gives mostly in Wisconsin: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lake Geneva, WI (8 grants), Key Largo, FL (4 grants), Williams Bay, WI (3 grants) and Chicago, IL (2 grants).
Does Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 31 grants with a stated purpose on Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Public Charity Gift" (31 grants).
Who are Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated's largest grantees?
Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated's largest 2025 grantees include Yerkes Future Foundation ($98,000), Holiday Home Camp ($10,000) and Our House Grief Support Center ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 76% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated?
Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated reported $3.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $155K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $166K (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 Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in several areas. Yerkes Future Foundation describes its mission as advancing understanding of the universe and nurturing connection with the planet and one another. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated's EIN?
Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1919852. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Otzen Family Foundation Incorporated 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.
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