The Jensen Family Foundation
The Jensen Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Madison, Wisconsin. Its 2025 grants supported organizations and activities including a university, a zoo, a homeless shelter, cancer research, music and poetry, veterans, a church, lake conservation, public school programs, food and housing security, and other charitable efforts.
Key facts about The Jensen Family Foundation
In short: The Jensen Family Foundation gave $5K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $393.083), mostly in Wisconsin. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 26-1629635
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $4,717
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- Average grant
- $393
- Median grant
- $200
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (4 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $104,035
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (53% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 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
$104K
+1.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$5K
-48.1% YoY
Grant Count
12
-62.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$393.083
+38.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Jensen Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Jensen Family Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 12 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $213; repeat grants $483. How we count
Medians: $250 first-time, $125 repeat.
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 60% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 60% 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Among its 2025 grantees, WayForward Resources Inc. describes its mission as bringing the community together to create food and housing security through action and advocacy.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 12 grants totaling $4,717. Grants ranged from $15 to $2,202, with a median grant of $200. Notable grants included $2,202 to the University of Wisconsin in Madison for university funding; $750 to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden for city zoo funding; $500 to Loaves & Fishes for homeless shelter funding; and $250 each to the American Cancer Society for cancer research, the Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering to support music and poetry, and Wounded Warrior to support veterans returning from tours. WayForward Resources Inc. received $100 for food security, housing, and stability.
How to Apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with The Jensen Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the share of grant dollars by recipient state was Wisconsin 53%, Ohio 24%, California 11%, Arizona 5%, and Florida 5%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 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 $5K (2025) to $17K (2021). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $5K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Wisconsin ($2K). Together the top 10 received $5K.
Grant Size Distribution
101 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 101 grants of 101 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin Madison, WI | Funding for University | $2,202 |
| Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden Cincinnati, OH | Funding for City Zoo | $750 |
| Loaves & Fishes Sacramento, CA | Funding for Homeless Shelter | $500 |
| American Cancer Society Cincinnati, OH | Cancer Research | $250 |
| Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering Phoenix, AZ | Support Music and Poetry | $250 |
| Wounded Warrior Jacksonville, FL | Support Veterans Returning from Tours | $250 |
| St Bernard Cincinnati, OH | Funding for Catholic Church | $150 |
| Clean Lake Alliance Madison, WI | To support the effort to maintain the lakes in the region | $100 |
| Mount Horeb Music Boosters Mt Horeb, WI | Public School | $100 |
| Wayforward Resources Middleton, WI | Funding for Food Security, Housing and Stability | $100 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant sum | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $104,035 | $7,542 | $5,909 | $4,717 | 12 |
| 2024 | $102,397 | $8,440 | $12,680 | $9,090 | 32 |
| 2023 | $106,664 | $5,079 | $17,695 | $13,525 | 23 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $104,035 | $102,397 | $106,664 |
| Revenue | $7,542 | $8,440 | $5,079 |
| Expenses | $5,909 | $12,680 | $17,695 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $4,817 | $9,190 | $13,625 |
| Net Investment Income | $7,367 | $8,243 | $5,030 |
| Distributable Amount | $8,091 | $7,883 | $7,697 |
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 November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 3, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 27, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 5, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mary R. Jensen as president/director; J. Michael Jensen as secretary/treasurer/director; and Kathryn K. Jensen, Cassandra L. Jensen, J. Patrick Jensen, and Susan M. Jensen as directors.
The Jensen Family Foundation is led by Mary R. Jensen, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Mary R. Jensen
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cassandra L. Jensen
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
J. Patrick Jensen
Secretary, Treasurer, Director & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathryn K. Jensen
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan M. Jensen
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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: 5706 Lake Mendota Drive, Madison, WI 53705-1060
Phone: (513) 821-1436
Frequently asked questions about The Jensen Family Foundation
How much does The Jensen Family Foundation give each year?
The Jensen Family Foundation gave $5K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $9K across 32 grants.
What is The Jensen Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Jensen Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $200, and its average grant was $393, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Jensen Family Foundation that year got $213 on average.
Where does The Jensen Family Foundation give grants?
The Jensen Family Foundation gives mostly in Wisconsin: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Ohio (24%) and California (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cincinnati, OH (3 grants) and Madison, WI (2 grants).
Does The Jensen Family Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 8% of The Jensen Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Jensen Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Jensen Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Wisconsin ($2,202), Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden ($750) and Loaves & Fishes ($500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 73% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Jensen Family Foundation?
The Jensen Family Foundation reported $104K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $8K (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 The Jensen Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Among its 2025 grantees, WayForward Resources Inc. describes its mission as bringing the community together to create food and housing security through action and advocacy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Jensen Family Foundation?
The foundation 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 Jensen Family Foundation's EIN?
The Jensen Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1629635. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Jensen Family 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.
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