The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation
The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation is a private foundation based in Stanton, Nebraska. In filing year 2025, it reported 12 grants totaling $55,280 to charitable organizations.
Key facts about The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation
In short: The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation gave $55K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Nebraska. 50% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 82-3736888
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $55,280
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- Average grant
- $4,607
- Median grant
- $3,140
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (6 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $1,280,480
- Primary geography
- Nebraska (84% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. 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
$1.3M
+34.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$55K
-56.0% YoY
Grant Count
12
+140.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$5K
-81.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation reported a distributable amount of $110K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 12 grantees (50%) 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 $4K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 33% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 27% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 51% 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, the Briggs & Barrett Project describes its mission as spreading Sudden Infant Death Syndrome awareness through education and support, while Food Bank for the Heartland says it works to eliminate hunger by ensuring access to healthy foods. Special Olympics Nebraska describes providing sports training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 12 grants totaling $55,280. Grants ranged from $200 to $15,000, with a median grant of $3,140.
The largest grants included $15,000 to American Legion McLeod Post No. 47, and $10,000 each to Our Savior Lutheran Church and Norfolk Family YMCA. Other grants included $5,000 each to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Briggs & Barrett Project, and $3,780 to Children’s HopeChest. The filing lists the grants as being for general operations.
How to Apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Ready to take the next step with The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grants went to organizations in Nebraska, Tennessee, and Colorado. Nebraska recipients received 84% of grant dollars, Tennessee recipients 9%, and Colorado recipients 7%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $22K (2020) to $126K (2024). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $55K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was American Legion McLeod Post No 47 ($15K). Together the top 10 received $55K.
Grant Size Distribution
36 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 35 grants of 36 (97%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Legion McLeod Post No 47 Schuyler, NE | General Operations | $15,000 |
| Our Savior Lutheran Church Norfolk, NE | General Operations | $10,000 |
| Norfolk Family YMCA Norfolk, NE | General Operations | $10,000 |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital Memphis, TN | General Operations | $5,000 |
| Briggs & Barrett Project Battle Creek, NE | General Operations | $5,000 |
| Children's Hopechest Palmer Lake, CO | General Operations | $3,780 |
| Food Bank for the Heartland Omaha, NE | General Operations | $2,500 |
| RCS Triumph Inc Lincoln, NE | General Operations | $2,500 |
| Special Olympics Nebraska Omaha, NE | General Operations | $500 |
| Nauw (Norfolk Area United Way) Norfolk, NE | General Operations | $500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,280,480 | $1,072,257 | $65,953 | $55,280 | 12 |
| 2024 | $950,585 | $78,840 | $140,763 | $125,500 | 5 |
| 2023 | $1,013,103 | $28,715 | $97,541 | $83,200 | 8 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,280,480 | $950,585 | $1,013,103 |
| Revenue | $1,072,257 | $78,840 | $28,715 |
| Expenses | $65,953 | $140,763 | $97,541 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $56,542 | $126,680 | $84,213 |
| Net Investment Income | $52,870 | $67,153 | $23,240 |
| Distributable Amount | $109,912 | $97,599 | $87,188 |
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 May 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation is led by Michael J. Wilke, Director, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael J. Wilke
Director, President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brett M. Wilke
Director
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jessica A. Gall
Director
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lois J. Wilke
Director, Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.2 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: PO Box 745, Stanton, NE 68779
Phone: (402) 487-2517
Frequently asked questions about The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation
How much does The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation give each year?
The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation gave $55K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $126K across 5 grants.
What is The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation's typical grant size?
The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,140, and its average grant was $4,607, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation give grants?
The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation gives mostly in Nebraska: 84% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Tennessee (9%) and Colorado (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Norfolk, NE (3 grants), Omaha, NE (2 grants) and Stanton, NE (2 grants).
Does The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation's largest grantees?
The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include American Legion McLeod Post No 47 ($15,000), Our Savior Lutheran Church ($10,000) and Norfolk Family YMCA ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation?
The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation reported $1.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $57K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $110K (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 Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation's EIN?
The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3736888. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Michael & Lois Wilke 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.
Here's the math on researching The Michael & Lois Wilke Foundation by hand.
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