Ruth St John & John Dunham West
The Ruth St John and John Dunham West Foundation is a private foundation established in 1959 and located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The foundation provides grants to nonprofits and maintains West of the Lake Gardens, a historic six-acre estate featuring display gardens, manicured lawns, and horticultural facilities that are open to the public.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$4.8M
+25.3% YoY
Grant Count
148
-20.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$33K
+57.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary purpose is to provide grants to nonprofits. The foundation supports public charities as defined under the Internal Revenue Code.
The foundation also operates West of the Lake Gardens, established by John and Ruth West as their private residence in 1934. Over fifty years, Ruth West developed the estate to include numerous display gardens and manicured lawns that received national acclaim in the 1950s and 1960s. Beginning in 1957, the gardens were opened to the public each summer. Currently, West of the Lake Gardens is open daily from mid-May (weather permitting) until the area's first frost, with free admission according to Ruth West's wishes.
Grantmaking
The foundation made 101 grants in the most recent reporting year. The foundation considers grant applications from public charities with a valid IRS Tax ID for a minimum of two years.
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and supports charitable causes in the local community.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total assets: $124,918,169
- Total revenues: $14,518,501
- Total expenses: $6,406,724
- Staff: 1 employee
Historical Giving: The foundation has distributed approximately $4,838,720 in total giving across its grantmaking activities.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Ruth St John & John Dunham West
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHYLLIS SCHIPPERS | PRESIDENT, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD | 30 | $70,000 |
| JOHN JAGEMANN | VICE PRESIDENT, VICE CHAIRMAN | 6 | $14,000 |
| BERNADINE ZIMMER | TREASURER | 6 | $14,000 |
| AMY MOLEPSKE | SECRETARY | 6 | $14,000 |
| THOMAS J BARE | PAST PRESIDENT | 3 | $14,000 |
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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