The Cara Foundation
The Cara Foundation is a private foundation based in Brookfield, Wisconsin. In its 2025 filing, it reported 24 grants totaling $161,844 to charitable organizations.
The Cara Foundation at a glance
In short: The Cara Foundation gave $162K across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), top state Wisconsin. 42% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $161,844
- +65.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- +26.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,744
- +31.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,068,491
- -8.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (10 of 24, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (43% 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 The Cara Foundation
- 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: 16800 W Greenfield Avenue 124, Brookfield, WI 53005
Phone: (262) 953-4620
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Cara Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was International Crane Foundation ($20K). Together the top 10 received $100K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($22,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
100 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 100 grants of 100 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin (43%), Massachusetts (14%), Utah (13%), Ohio (8%), and Florida (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Cara Foundation open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 24 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 38% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 85% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 142% 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 $85K (2019) to $162K (2025). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $162K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $22,000 |
| International Crane Foundation Baraboo, WI | Unrestricted Grant | $20,000 |
| Columbus School for Girls Columbus, OH | Unrestricted Grant | $12,500 |
| Fish of Sancap Sanibel, FL | Unrestricted Grant | $10,000 |
| Parents Place Waukesha, WI | Unrestricted Grant | $10,000 |
| Park City Day School Park City, UT | Unrestricted Grant | $10,000 |
| Street Soccer USA New York, NY | Unrestricted Grant | $10,000 |
| California Institutecommunity Mental Health San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted Grant | $8,000 |
| National Ability Center Park City, UT | Unrestricted Grant | $7,500 |
| Regis University Denver, CO | Unrestricted Grant | $6,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Cara Foundation?
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 | $1,068,491 | $73,415 | $174,591 | $161,844 | 24 | $171,697 | $70,322 | $120,796 |
| 2024 | $1,169,667 | $116,111 | $110,590 | $97,540 | 19 | $107,321 | $110,743 | $110,790 |
| 2023 | $1,164,146 | $-15,986 | $123,444 | $110,648 | 19 | $120,089 | $15,826 | $98,524 |
| 2022 | $1,303,326 | $-48,725 | $97,428 | $87,500 | 14 | $93,637 | $19,183 | $102,192 |
| 2021 | $1,449,479 | $184,991 | $119,472 | $102,050 | 24 | $114,127 | $183,203 | $115,047 |
| 2020 | $1,383,960 | $214,893 | $127,131 | $117,406 | 33 | — | $214,298 | $94,585 |
| 2019 | $1,296,198 | $12,241 | $99,167 | $85,200 | 25 | — | $15,934 | $93,826 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Cara Foundation reported a distributable amount of $121K 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 for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations with varied missions. The International Crane Foundation says it works toward a world where cranes, people, and natural heritage thrive together. Parents Place describes its work as providing family programming and child maltreatment prevention services. The National Ability Center says it empowers people with disabilities through sport, recreation, and educational programs. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions, not statements of the foundation’s focus.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 24 grants totaling $161,844. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $22,000, with a median of $5,000. The filing lists the grants as unrestricted.
Among the largest 2025 grants were $22,000 to Boston College – an individual recipient; $20,000 to the International Crane Foundation; $12,500 to Columbus School for Girls; and $10,000 each to FISH of SanCap, Parents Place, Park City Day School, and Street Soccer USA.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Daniel R. Doucette as president/director; Patrice L. Bottoni as treasurer/secretary/director; Joseph C. Branch as vice president/director; and Benjamin Doucette, Matthew Branch, Shanna Doucette Knierim, and Jessica L. Owens as directors.
The Cara Foundation is led by Daniel R. Doucette, President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Daniel R. Doucette
President & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jessica L. Owens
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joseph C. Branch
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Branch
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patrice L. Bottoni
Treasurer, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shanna Doucette Knierim
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Benjamin Doucette
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Shanna D. Knierim-Doucette (2020) — Director
- Former: Jami Doucette (2019) — Director
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Cara Foundation
How much does The Cara Foundation give each year?
The Cara Foundation gave $162K across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $98K across 19 grants.
What is The Cara Foundation's typical grant size?
The Cara Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,744, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Cara Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Cara Foundation give grants?
The Cara Foundation's top state is Wisconsin, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Massachusetts (14%) and Utah (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Milwaukee, WI (6 grants), Park City, UT (2 grants), Waukesha, WI (2 grants) and Denver, CO (2 grants).
Does The Cara Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Cara Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (24 of 24) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Cara Foundation's largest grantees?
The Cara Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include International Crane Foundation ($20,000), Columbus School for Girls ($12,500) and Fish of Sancap ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($22,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Cara Foundation?
The Cara Foundation reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $172K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $121K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Cara Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations with varied missions. The International Crane Foundation says it works toward a world where cranes, people, and natural heritage thrive together. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Cara Foundation?
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 The Cara Foundation's EIN?
The Cara Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5640721. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Cara Foundation 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 18, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 28, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Cara Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Cara Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-cara-foundation-morg_7a6475d86a0547cdb4b2b043a1473324
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_205640721_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Cara Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-cara-foundation-morg_7a6475d86a0547cdb4b2b043a1473324},
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 The Cara Foundation'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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