The Simms Family Foundation

WALWORTH, WI EIN: 36-3413327

The Simms Family Foundation is a private foundation established in 1985 and based in Walworth, Wisconsin. It operates as a family foundation with limited staffing and operates on a preselected grantmaking model.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$4.5M

-30.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$3.7M

+706.6% YoY

Grant Count

-64.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$155K

+2185.3% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Simms Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $506K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's grant-making focuses on:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services

Grantmaking

The foundation operates on a preselected-only basis and does not accept unsolicited applications. It only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations.

Grant Range

$150–$2.6 million

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in:

Wisconsin
Illinois
Florida

Grant Distribution by State

Illinois $4.2M (90%)

Florida $158K (3%)

Colorado $156K (3%)

Wisconsin $104K (2%)

California $16K (0%)

Virginia $11K (0%)

District of Columbia $6K (0%)

Ohio $3K (0%)

+11 more states

States

California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Florida Iowa Illinois Indiana Kansas Massachusetts Maryland Minnesota New Hampshire New York Ohio Tennessee Texas Virginia Wisconsin

Cities

Albert LeaAlexandriaAlgonquinAplesArlingtonAuroraBoca RatonBooneBoulderBridgewaterCarol StreamChicagoCincinnatiClarksburgCoral GablesDallasDelavanDepereDes PlainesDowners Grove

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Fiscal Year 2024:

Total Assets: $4,536,966
Total Giving: $3,717,489
Revenue: $413,517
Expenses: $3,756,556

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$4,536,966	$6,507,335	$6,662,109
Revenue	$413,517	$361,444	$1,377,200
Expenses	$3,756,556	$534,177	$554,418
Qualifying Distributions	$3,738,940	$479,770	$516,595
Net Investment Income	$396,803	$341,107	$1,353,479
Distributable Amount	$506,063	$467,612	$461,307

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

224 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Chicago Community Foundation ($2,586,259), Chicago Community Foundation ($1,097,790), Belfry Music Theatre Foundation ($10,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ARTIS-NAPLES NAPLES, FL	GENERAL	$1,600
AURORA CHARTIABLE FOUNDATION DOWNERS GROVE, IL	GENERAL	$1,000
AVOW HOPICE NAPLES, FL	GENERAL	$500
BELFRY MUSIC THEATRE FOUNDATION WILLIAMS BAY, WI	GENERAL	$10,000
CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN GLENCOE, IL	GENERAL	$1,500
CHICAGO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL	$1,097,790
CHICAGO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL	$2,586,259
COLLIER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION NAPLES, FL	GENERAL	$500
EPILEPSY FOUNDATION OF WI STEVENS POINT, WI	GENERAL	$1,000
EVAN SCHOLARS FOUNDATION GLENVIEW, IL	GENERAL	$500

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation is governed by a board of directors with no paid staff:

John D Simms Jr. — President, Director
Michelle P Simms — Treasurer, Director
Madeleine M Simms — Secretary, Director
John D Simms III — Director
Spencer G Simms — Director
Michael E Simms — Director

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
JOHN D SIMMS JR	PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR	—	—
MICHELLE P SIMMS	TREASURER, DIRECTOR	—	—
MADELEINE M SIMMS	SECRETARY, DIRECTOR	—	—
JOHN D SIMMS III	DIRECTOR	—	—
SPENCER G SIMMS	DIRECTOR	—	—
MICHAEL E SIMMS	DIRECTOR	—	—

Contact Information

Address: PO Box 306, Walworth, WI 53184-0306

Telephone: 262-790-4960

Tax-Exempt Status: Since May 1986

EIN: 36-3413327

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Simms Family Foundation fund?

The foundation's grant-making focuses on: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services

How do I apply for a grant from The Simms Family Foundation?

**Grant Characteristics:** • Typical award range: $50–$2,586,259 • Median grant amount: $1,000 • Grant range: $150–$2.6 million • Recent grant activity: 24 grants awarded in the most recent filing period **Application Process:** The foundation operates on a preselected-only basis and does not accept unsolicited applications. It only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations.

Where does The Simms Family Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • Wisconsin • Illinois • Florida

What size grants does The Simms Family Foundation award?

In 2024, The Simms Family Foundation awarded 24 grants totaling $3.7M — an average of about $155K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Simms Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Simms Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $506K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.