The Markos Foundation Inc
The Markos Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Madison, Wisconsin. Its 2025 filing reports 16 grants totaling $103,500 to organizations in Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Oklahoma.
The Markos Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Markos Foundation Inc gave $104K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), top state Wisconsin. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $103,500
- -4.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -15.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,469
- +13.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $2,294,374
- +4.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (4 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (47% 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 Markos 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: PO Box 5507, Madison, WI 53705
Phone: (312) 630-6000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Markos Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Notre Dame ($25K). Together the top 10 received $95K.
Grant Size Distribution
92 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 92 grants of 92 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Wisconsin recipients received 47% of grant dollars, Indiana recipients 24%, Illinois recipients 18%, Iowa recipients 7%, and Oklahoma recipients 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Markos Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 16 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 56% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 82% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $81K (2021) to $124K (2023). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $104K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN | General Support | $25,000 |
| Marquette University Milwaukee, WI | General Support | $25,000 |
| Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation Inc Madison, WI | General Support | $12,500 |
| Leo Catholic High School Chicago, IL | General Support | $10,000 |
| American Red Cross Boone, IA | Hurricane Relief Fund | $5,000 |
| Reedsburg Police Department Reedsburg Parks, WI | General Support | $5,000 |
| Pickles Group Inc Winnetka, IL | General Support | $5,000 |
| Univ of Wisconsin - Lacrosse Lacrosse, WI | Scholarship | $2,500 |
| Folds of Honor Tulsa, OK | General Support | $2,500 |
| Erika's Lighthouse Winnetka, IL | General Support | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Markos 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 | $2,294,374 | $255,743 | $148,987 | $103,500 | 16 | $136,023 | $234,258 | $166,192 |
| 2024 | $2,187,225 | $104,078 | $141,164 | $108,500 | 19 | $133,239 | $86,023 | $148,239 |
| 2023 | $2,229,603 | $241,460 | $164,723 | $124,000 | 25 | $146,834 | $208,697 | $134,545 |
| 2022 | $2,160,061 | $289,936 | $136,858 | $96,500 | 17 | $126,747 | $271,564 | $149,422 |
| 2021 | $2,005,187 | $154,091 | $122,646 | $80,500 | 15 | — | $132,887 | $137,538 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Markos Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $166K 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 foundation’s filings do not state a mission. Its 2025 grants included general support, scholarships, and hurricane relief. Among its grantees, Marquette University describes its mission as a Catholic, Jesuit commitment to truth, learning, excellence, faith, and leadership through service. Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation says it works to innovate, impact, and improve women’s health in Wisconsin. Pickles Group says it provides free peer support and resources to children affected by a parent or guardian’s cancer. Wartburg College describes its mission as challenging and nurturing students for lives of leadership and service.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $103,500. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $25,000, with a median of $2,500. The largest grants were $25,000 each to the University of Notre Dame and Marquette University, followed by $12,500 to Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation and $10,000 to Leo Catholic High School. Other reported grants included $5,000 to the American Red Cross for its Hurricane Relief Fund and $2,500 each to the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, Folds of Honor, the University of Wisconsin–Platteville, and Wartburg College.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Dennis Markos as president and director, and Carol Markos as vice president, secretary, and treasurer.
The Markos Foundation Inc is led by Dennis Markos, President & Director on every filing since 2021; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Dennis Markos
President & Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Carol Markos
Vice President, Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Markos Foundation Inc
How much does The Markos Foundation Inc give each year?
The Markos Foundation Inc gave $104K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $109K across 19 grants.
What is The Markos Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Markos Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $6,469, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Markos Foundation Inc that year got $3K on average.
Where does The Markos Foundation Inc give grants?
The Markos Foundation Inc's top state is Wisconsin, with 47% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Indiana (24%) and Illinois (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were Madison, WI (2 grants) and Winnetka, IL (2 grants).
Does The Markos Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 75% of The Markos Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (3 grants).
Who are The Markos Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Markos Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include University of Notre Dame ($25,000), Marquette University ($25,000) and Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation Inc ($12,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Markos Foundation Inc?
The Markos Foundation Inc reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $136K 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 The Markos Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s filings do not state a mission. Its 2025 grants included general support, scholarships, and hurricane relief. Among its grantees, Marquette University describes its mission as a Catholic, Jesuit commitment to truth, learning, excellence, faith, and leadership through service. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Markos 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 The Markos Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Markos Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1836400. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does The Markos 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Markos Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Markos Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-markos-foundation-inc-morg_da3dfad59d6646caa033ad1d8429d2db
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_391836400_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Markos Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-markos-foundation-inc-morg_da3dfad59d6646caa033ad1d8429d2db},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Markos 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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