The Mehring Family Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Madison, WI EIN: 85-6574540

The Mehring Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Madison, Wisconsin. In 2024, it reported 20 grants totaling $680,496, with recipients including schools, a university foundation, and organizations addressing youth transitions, international aid, and humanitarian needs.

The Mehring Family Foundation at a glance

In short: The Mehring Family Foundation gave $680K across 20 grants in 2024 (avg $34K), mostly in Wisconsin. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2024)
$680,496
+51.2% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
20
+11.1% vs 2023
Average grant
$34,025
+36.1% vs 2023
Median grant
$2,274
Total assets
$926,182
-30.5% vs 2023
Primary geography
Wisconsin (97% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.

How to apply to The Mehring Family Foundation

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Contact

Mailing address: 3158 Waucheeta Trail, Madison, WI 53711-5952
Phone: (608) 282-5163

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who The Mehring Family Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Impact Christian School: $311KImpact Christian School$311KUniversity of Wisconsin Foundation: $183KUniversity of WisconsinFoundation$183KThe Varsity Collective: $56KThe Varsity Collective$56KBridge to Brighter Inc: $35KBridge to Brighter Inc$35KSt Marcus School: $25KSt Marcus School$25KGlobal Leadership Network: $20KGlobal Leadership Network$20KLiving Hope International: $17KLiving Hope International$17KMarquette University High School: $15KMarquette University HighSchool$15KPathways High School: $3KPathways High School$3KDoxa Church: $3KDoxa Church$3K

The largest 2024 recipient was Impact Christian School ($311K). Together the top 10 received $668K.

Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($250), which are not listed by name.

Grant Size Distribution

64 grants across all recorded years

49<$50K5$50–100K8$100–250K1$250–500K1$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 49 grants of 64 (77%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2024, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin and 3% to recipients in Illinois. The reported shares for Washington and Minnesota were 0% each.

Grant Distribution by State

5states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.

Cities

MadisonMilwaukeeMiddletonCoon RapidsS BarringtonCottage GroveWaukeshaFederal WayGermantownLake GenevaMerrimacOregonWest BendNaplesSaint Paul

How The Mehring Family Foundation gives

  • 55% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−12%). Method
  • In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2024). 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

$0$200K$400K$600K$800K2 grants2020 9 grants2021 15 grants2022 18 grants2023 20 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $225K (2020) to $772K (2021). In 2024 it made 20 grants totaling $680K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Impact Christian School Madison, WIUnrestricted Charitable Grant$311,250
University of Wisconsin Foundation Madison, WIUnrestricted Charitable Grant$183,000
The Varsity Collective Madison, WIUnrestricted Charitable Grant$56,400
Bridge to Brighter Inc Madison, WIUnrestricted Charitable Grant$35,000
St Marcus School Milwaukee, WIUnrestricted Charitable Grant$25,350
Global Leadership Network S Barrington, ILUnrestricted Charitable Grant$19,500
Living Hope International West Bend, WIUnrestricted Charitable Grant$17,060
Marquette University High School Milwaukee, WIUnrestricted Charitable Grant$15,000
Pathways High School Milwaukee, WIUnrestricted Charitable Grant$3,000
Doxa Church Madison, WIUnrestricted Charitable Grant$2,500
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2024$926,182$385,333$688,412$680,49620$682,721$277,728$52,874
2023$1,333,469$5,606$461,632$450,07718$453,381$19,032$73,391
2022$1,505,502$62,866$617,302$606,10015$607,345$26,443$94,289
2021$2,459,547$239,316$787,188$771,7349$775,480$103,233$135,078
2020$2,810,938$3,004,810$225,397$225,0002—$4,413$15,438

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Mehring Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $53K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants went to organizations working in areas including education, support for youth exiting foster care, and international humanitarian and faith-based work. For example, Bridge to Brighter describes its mission as assisting youth exiting foster care as they transition to adult life. Living Hope International describes its work as providing for underprivileged children and families, training and sending missionaries, and supporting missions. World Vision describes itself as a Christian humanitarian organization working with children, families, and communities worldwide.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation made 20 grants totaling $680,496. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $311,250, with a median of $2,274. Listed grant purposes were “unrestricted charitable grant.”

Among the largest 2024 grants were $311,250 to Impact Christian School, $183,000 to the University of Wisconsin Foundation, $56,400 to The Varsity Collective, $35,000 to Bridge to Brighter Inc, and $25,350 to St Marcus School. The University of Wisconsin Foundation describes its mission as advancing the objectives of the University of Wisconsin–Madison by encouraging interest, engagement, and financial support from alumni, donors, and friends.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Kevin T. Mehring and Michelle L. Mehring as trustees.

The Mehring Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Kevin T. Mehring

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Michelle L. Mehring

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Mehring Family Foundation

How much does The Mehring Family Foundation give each year?

The Mehring Family Foundation gave $680K across 20 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $450K across 18 grants.

What is The Mehring Family Foundation's typical grant size?

The Mehring Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,274, and its average grant was $34,025, across 20 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does The Mehring Family Foundation give grants?

The Mehring Family Foundation gives mostly in Wisconsin: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Madison, WI (11 grants) and Milwaukee, WI (3 grants).

Does The Mehring Family Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 95% of The Mehring Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are The Mehring Family Foundation's largest grantees?

The Mehring Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Impact Christian School ($311,250), University of Wisconsin Foundation ($183,000) and The Varsity Collective ($56,400), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($250), which are not listed by name. Together they received 81% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is The Mehring Family Foundation?

The Mehring Family Foundation reported $926K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $683K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $53K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does The Mehring Family Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations working in areas including education, support for youth exiting foster care, and international humanitarian and faith-based work. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Mehring 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 Mehring Family Foundation's EIN?

The Mehring Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-6574540. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Does The Mehring 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.

Data update history

(1)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). The Mehring Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-mehring-family-foundation-morg_3a92eb5a9d994a4d96bb317b8d6f26c1

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_856574540_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{The Mehring Family Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-mehring-family-foundation-morg_3a92eb5a9d994a4d96bb317b8d6f26c1},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Mehring Family 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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