Vine and Branches Foundation Inc
Vine and Branches Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Its 2023 filing states that it makes cash contributions to qualifying public charities and does not engage in other direct charitable activities. The filing is marked as a final return and says the foundation decided to terminate its operations and developed a plan to distribute its remaining assets, including a transfer to the National Christian Foundation. The foundation therefore appears to have wound down its operations.
Vine and Branches Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Vine and Branches Foundation Inc gave $4.1M across 50 grants in 2023 (avg $82K), mostly in Florida. 21% of 2023 grantees were new. Source: 2023 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2023)
- $4,119,403
- +26.8% vs 2022
- Grants made (2023)
- 50
- -15.3% vs 2022
- Average grant
- $82,388
- +49.7% vs 2022
- Median grant
- $30,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (10 of 48, 2023)
- Primary geography
- Florida (60% of itemized 2023 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2023 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2023; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Vine and Branches Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 2430, Brookfield, WI 53008
Phone: (262) 754-2799
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Vine and Branches Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2023
The largest 2023 recipient was National Christian Foundation ($1.8M). Together the top 10 received $3.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
235 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 137 grants of 235 (58%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2023 grant dollars were distributed primarily to recipients in Florida (60%), followed by Wisconsin (8%), Illinois (7%), Virginia (6%), and Colorado (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2023 grant dollars across all 50 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Vine and Branches Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2023
In 2023, 10 of 48 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $181K; repeat grants $61K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $34K repeat.
- 71% of 2023 grantees were also funded in 2022. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2020 to 2023 (+10%). Method
- In 2023 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2023). 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 2020 to 2023, annual grant giving ranged from $3.2M (2022) to $4.1M (2023). In 2023 it made 50 grants totaling $4.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| National Christian Foundation Clearwater, FL | Religious | $1,784,403 |
| Alpha USA Carol Stream, IL | Religious | $250,000 |
| The Legacy Foundation at Shell Point Inc Fort Myers, FL | Charitable | $250,000 |
| City on a Hill Inc Milwaukee, WI | Religious | $175,000 |
| The Legacy Foundation at Shell Point Inc Fort Myers, FL | Charitable | $170,000 |
| New Horizons of Southwest Florida Inc Naples, FL | Charitable | $160,000 |
| Communio Foundation Alexandria, VA | Charitable | $100,000 |
| Human Coalition Frisco, TX | Charitable | $100,000 |
| Stronger Families Bellevue, WA | Charitable | $100,000 |
| The Institute for Family Studies Charlottesville, VA | Charitable | $100,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | — | $712,368 | $5,377,457 | $4,119,403 | 50 | $5,343,401 | $678,312 | $249,913 |
| 2022 | $5,291,746 | $1,162,136 | $4,158,065 | $3,247,500 | 59 | $4,032,610 | $1,036,681 | $483,037 |
| 2021 | $8,641,827 | $2,521,561 | $4,698,173 | $3,794,600 | 59 | $4,526,757 | $2,350,145 | $651,608 |
| 2020 | $12,283,223 | $947,083 | $4,694,899 | $3,759,371 | 67 | — | $751,095 | $689,140 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Vine and Branches Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $250K for 2023 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing describes its purpose as making cash contributions to qualifying public charities. Its 2023 grants included recipients with religious and charitable purposes.
Grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported. Alpha USA says it provides curriculum and training to help people explore the Christian faith. City on a Hill says it works to improve neighborhood quality of life and help central-city youth break generational poverty. New Horizons of Southwest Florida says it supports under-resourced students through tutoring, mentoring, faith, and character-building. Communio Foundation says it equips churches to support healthy relationships, marriages, and families.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2023, the foundation reported 50 grants totaling $4,119,403. Individual grants ranged from $1,000 to $1,784,403, with a median of $30,000.
The largest reported grants included $1,784,403 to National Christian Foundation, $250,000 to Alpha USA, $250,000 and $170,000 to The Legacy Foundation at Shell Point, $175,000 to City on a Hill, and $160,000 to New Horizons of Southwest Florida. Other reported grants included $100,000 each to Communio Foundation, Human Coalition, Stronger Families, and The Institute for Family Studies.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2023 filing lists John W Findley as vice-president and treasurer, Barbara R Findley as president, and Richard J Bliss as secretary.
Vine and Branches Foundation Inc is led by Barbara R. Findley, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2023 report compensation.
Officers on the 2023 filing
Barbara R. Findley
President
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John W. Findley
Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard J. Bliss
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2023. "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 Vine and Branches Foundation Inc
How much does Vine and Branches Foundation Inc give each year?
Vine and Branches Foundation Inc gave $4.1M across 50 grants in 2023, according to its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2022 it gave $3.2M across 59 grants.
What is Vine and Branches Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Vine and Branches Foundation Inc's median grant in 2023 was $30,000, and its average grant was $82,388, across 50 grants on its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Vine and Branches Foundation Inc that year got $181K on average.
Where does Vine and Branches Foundation Inc give grants?
Vine and Branches Foundation Inc gives mostly in Florida: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Wisconsin (8%) and Illinois (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Milwaukee, WI (8 grants), Colorado Springs, CO (3 grants), Fort Myers, FL (2 grants) and Naples, FL (2 grants).
Does Vine and Branches Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2023: none of the 50 grants with a stated purpose on Vine and Branches Foundation Inc's 2023 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (27 grants) and "Religious" (20 grants).
Who are Vine and Branches Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Vine and Branches Foundation Inc's largest 2023 grantees include National Christian Foundation ($1,784,403), The Legacy Foundation at Shell Point Inc ($420,000 across 2 grants) and Alpha USA ($250,000), according to its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2023 grant dollars.
What does Vine and Branches Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s filing describes its purpose as making cash contributions to qualifying public charities. Its 2023 grants included recipients with religious and charitable purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Vine and Branches Foundation Inc?
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is Vine and Branches Foundation Inc required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2023, Vine and Branches Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $250K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Vine and Branches Foundation Inc's EIN?
Vine and Branches Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1827808. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2023.
Does Vine and Branches 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 28, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 12, 2024)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2023
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