Read Foundation Inc
Read Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its 2025 filing reports 20 grants totaling $85,900 to preselected charitable organizations; the filing states that the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Read Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Read Foundation Inc gave $86K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), top state Wisconsin. 30% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $85,900
- -71.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,295
- -71.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $607,602
- +28.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (6 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (49% 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 Read Foundation Inc
- 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: 1249 N Franklin Place 300, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Phone: (414) 291-8260
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Read Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Create Wisconsin ($20K). Together the top 10 received $77K.
Grant Size Distribution
107 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 104 grants of 107 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin (49%), Colorado (24%), Texas (12%), Washington (12%), and Illinois (2%), as reported in the filing.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Read Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 20 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 70% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 21% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 123% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $86K (2025) to $302K (2024). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $86K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Create Wisconsin Madison, WI | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| Mount Mary University Milwaukee, WI | General Purpose | $12,000 |
| Bat Conservation International Austin, TX | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Bloedel Reserve Bainbridge Island, WA | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Opera Colorado Englewood, CO | General Purpose | $6,000 |
| Central City Opera Wheatridge, CO | General Purpose | $5,000 |
| Colorado Ballet Denver, CO | General Purpose | $5,000 |
| Girl Scouts of Wisconsin SE Milwaukee, WI | General Purpose | $4,000 |
| St Anne's Episcopal School Denver, CO | General Purpose | $3,000 |
| Denver Center for the Performing Arts Denver, CO | General Purpose | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Read 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 | $607,602 | $232,109 | $96,888 | $85,900 | 20 | $85,900 | $224,148 | $69,913 |
| 2024 | $472,381 | $163,552 | $310,635 | $302,250 | 20 | $302,250 | $155,194 | $74,261 |
| 2023 | $619,464 | $122,319 | $166,528 | $158,850 | 13 | $158,850 | $114,662 | $68,774 |
| 2022 | $663,673 | $147,555 | $116,824 | $108,200 | 21 | $108,200 | $138,958 | $78,435 |
| 2021 | $632,942 | $88,974 | $125,486 | $111,100 | 33 | $111,100 | $79,596 | $87,708 |
| 2020 | $669,454 | $193,666 | $122,402 | $109,295 | 32 | — | $186,139 | $97,703 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Read Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $70K 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 available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants went to organizations in areas including cultural development, higher education, bat conservation, opera, ballet, performing arts, education, and advocacy. These are areas represented by the listed recipients, not a stated foundation focus.
For example, Create Wisconsin describes its mission as serving and enriching people and communities as Wisconsin’s community cultural development organization. Bat Conservation International says its mission is to conserve the world’s bats and their ecosystems. Opera Colorado describes using opera to connect its community through musical storytelling, while Colorado Ballet says it presents classical ballet and contemporary dance through performances, training, education, and community engagement.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave 20 grants totaling $85,900. Grants ranged from $100 to $20,000, with a median grant of $2,000. The largest listed grants were $20,000 to Create Wisconsin, $12,000 to Mount Mary University, $10,000 each to Bat Conservation International and Bloedel Reserve, and $6,000 to Opera Colorado. Other listed recipients included Central City Opera and Colorado Ballet ($5,000 each), Girl Scouts of Wisconsin SE ($4,000), St Anne’s Episcopal School ($3,000), and Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Law Foward, and Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin ($2,000 each). The filing lists each of these grants for general purpose.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Alice E Read as President/Director; V Ross Read III as Treasurer/Director; Gina Mittnacht as Secretary; Alexander R Read as Director; and Merrill Read as Vice President/Director.
Read Foundation Inc is led by Alice E Read, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Alice E Read
President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Alexander R Read
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
V Ross Read III
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Merrill Read
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Gina Mittnacht
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Thomas Merrill Read (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.
Frequently asked questions about Read Foundation Inc
How much does Read Foundation Inc give each year?
Read Foundation Inc gave $86K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $302K across 20 grants.
What is Read Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Read Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $4,295, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Read Foundation Inc that year got $8K on average.
Where does Read Foundation Inc give grants?
Read Foundation Inc's top state is Wisconsin, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Colorado (24%) and Texas (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Milwaukee, WI (5 grants), Denver, CO (3 grants), Madison, WI (2 grants) and Chicago, IL (2 grants).
Does Read Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Read Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Read Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Read Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Create Wisconsin ($20,000), Mount Mary University ($12,000) and Bat Conservation International ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Read Foundation Inc?
Read Foundation Inc reported $608K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $86K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $70K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Read Foundation Inc fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants went to organizations in areas including cultural development, higher education, bat conservation, opera, ballet, performing arts, education, and advocacy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Read Foundation Inc?
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 Read Foundation Inc's EIN?
Read Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1892801. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Read Foundation Inc 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 28, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 28, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Read Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Read Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/read-foundation-inc-morg_581ce19f0d414a579270d369cba060e3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_391892801_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Read Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/read-foundation-inc-morg_581ce19f0d414a579270d369cba060e3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Read 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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