The Silseth Foundation
The Silseth Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including churches, humanitarian groups, and organizations providing social services.
The Silseth Foundation at a glance
In short: The Silseth Foundation gave $620K across 50 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in Wisconsin. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $619,600
- +40.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 50
- +6.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,392
- +31.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $6,377,872
- +9.0% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (76% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Silseth 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: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Silseth Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Elmbrook Church ($237K across 4 grants). Together the top 10 received $417K.
Grant Size Distribution
166 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 162 grants of 166 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Wisconsin recipients received 76% of grant dollars. The next-largest state shares were North Carolina at 5%, and California, Massachusetts, and Florida at 4% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 50 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Silseth Foundation gives
- 77% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 185% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 148% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $54K (2021) to $620K (2025). In 2025 it made 50 grants totaling $620K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Elmbrook Church Brookfield, WI | General & Unrestricted | $184,000 |
| Elmbrook Church Brookfield, WI | Harvest Fund | $32,000 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA | Faustman Lab fund | $25,000 |
| Brooklink Inc Brookfield, WI | General & Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Christian Solidarity International Inc Westlake VLG, CA | General & Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper MI West Allis, WI | To support children living on the edge in LSS's area of operation | $19,000 |
| Elmbrook Church Brookfield, WI | Harvest Fund | $18,000 |
| Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty Inc Milwaukee, WI | General & Unrestricted | $17,500 |
| Milwaukee Rescue Mission Milwaukee, WI | General & Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| The Salvation Army of Greater Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI | General & Unrestricted | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Silseth 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 | $6,377,872 | $1,168,754 | $644,097 | $619,600 | 50 | $634,901 | $854,352 | $428,651 |
| 2024 | $5,853,215 | $255,819 | $476,138 | $442,500 | 47 | $453,782 | $852,010 | $351,881 |
| 2023 | $6,073,534 | $5,412,741 | $385,126 | $369,250 | 38 | $380,311 | $1,007,460 | $198,810 |
| 2022 | $1,045,919 | $448,041 | $233,087 | $217,679 | 26 | $228,686 | $323,643 | $50,632 |
| 2021 | $830,965 | $577,185 | $72,576 | $54,000 | 5 | $63,285 | $402,967 | $40,709 |
| 2020 | $326,356 | $332,856 | $6,500 | — | — | — | $265,521 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Silseth Foundation reported a distributable amount of $429K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for a range of organizations. Brooklink describes its mission as equipping global Christian leaders to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission, while Christian Solidarity International describes itself as a Christian human rights group working on religious liberty and human dignity. Other 2025 recipients include organizations whose stated missions involve housing and recovery services, connecting people to work, and serving people in need in Waukesha County.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 50 grants totaling $619,600. Grants ranged from $500 to $184,000, with a median of $7,500. Among the largest were $184,000 to Elmbrook Church for general and unrestricted purposes; $32,000 to Elmbrook Church’s Harvest Fund; $25,000 to Massachusetts General Hospital for its Faustman Lab fund; and $20,000 each to Brooklink and Christian Solidarity International for general and unrestricted purposes. Other notable grants included $19,000 to Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan to support children living on the edge in its area of operation, and $17,500 to the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty for general and unrestricted purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jennifer S Binversie as director and secretary; John M Silseth as director and president; John B Silseth as director and treasurer; and Karen K Silseth as director and vice president.
The Silseth Foundation is led by John B Silseth, Director, President, Director & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John B Silseth
Director, President, Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer S Binversie
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Karen K Silseth
Director & Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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.
Frequently asked questions about The Silseth Foundation
How much does The Silseth Foundation give each year?
The Silseth Foundation gave $620K across 50 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $443K across 47 grants.
What is The Silseth Foundation's typical grant size?
The Silseth Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $7,500, and its average grant was $12,392, across 50 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Silseth Foundation give grants?
The Silseth Foundation gives mostly in Wisconsin: 76% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Brookfield, WI (8 grants), Milwaukee, WI (8 grants), Boone, NC (3 grants) and Waukesha, WI (3 grants).
Does The Silseth Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 80% of The Silseth Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (40 of 50) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Silseth Foundation's largest grantees?
The Silseth Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Elmbrook Church ($236,500 across 4 grants), Samaritans Purse ($28,000 across 3 grants) and Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper MI ($25,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Silseth Foundation?
The Silseth Foundation reported $6.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $635K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $429K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Silseth Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Silseth 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 Silseth Foundation's EIN?
The Silseth Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-3068681. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Silseth 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 18, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Silseth Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-silseth-foundation-morg_ecfa9e9b75eb4cc997016815c6a0c95b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_853068681_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Silseth Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-silseth-foundation-morg_ecfa9e9b75eb4cc997016815c6a0c95b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Silseth 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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