Wagner-essman Care Foundation Inc

Foundation · Grantmaker BURLINGTON, WI EIN: 26-1405199

Wagner-Essman Care Foundation Inc is a private grantmaking foundation based in Burlington, Wisconsin. Designated as a 501(c)(3) organization, the foundation has been tax-exempt since January 2008. The foundation operates as a private foundation focused on philanthropic grantmaking to support charitable causes.

Key facts about Wagner-essman Care Foundation Inc

EIN: 26-1405199
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025): $369,350
Grants made (2025): 23
Average grant: $16,059
Median grant: $7,500
Primary geography: Wisconsin (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.

Who Wagner-essman Care Foundation Inc funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Wagner-essman Care Foundation Inc's 23 itemized 2025 grants were Wisconsin (100%). The most frequent recipient cities were Burlington, WI (5 grants), Milwaukee, WI (4 grants) and Racine, WI (2 grants). 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

—

Annual Giving

$369K

-7.5% YoY

Grant Count

-4.2% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$16K

-3.5% YoY

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's grantmaking priorities include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services

The foundation concentrates its giving primarily in Wisconsin.

Grantmaking

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grantmaking is primarily focused on Wisconsin.

Grant Distribution by State

Wisconsin $369K (100%)

Share of all 23 itemized 2025 grant dollars.

States

Arizona District of Columbia Virginia Wisconsin

Cities

MilwaukeeBurlingtonRacineBarabooDarienFontanaHubertusLyonsNorth FreedomWhitefish BayEast TroyGraftonMadisonWauwatosaElkhornMukwonagoWilliams BayBroadheadKansasvilleAlexandria

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Resources:

Total assets (2024): $7.84 million
Total assets (2025): $7,901,877
Total liabilities (2024): $0

Revenue & Expenses:

Revenue (2024): $334,000
Expenses (2024): $443,000

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2025	2024	2023
Total Assets	—	—	—
Revenue	—	—	—
Expenses	—	—	—
Qualifying Distributions	—	—	—
Net Investment Income	—	—	—
Distributable Amount	—	—	—

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 2025

Grant Size Distribution

131 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include Kelch Aviation Museum ($75,000), Catholic Central Hs of Burlington ($55,000), St Monica's Parish ($38,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
KELCH AVIATION MUSEUM BRODHEAD, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$75,000
CATHOLIC CENTRAL HS OF BURLINGTON BURLINGTON, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$55,000
ST MONICA'S PARISH WHITEFISH BAY, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$38,000
ST JUDE SCHOOL MILWAUKEE, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$32,500
GENEVA LAKE CONSERVANCY FONTANA, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$25,000
ST MARY'S PARISH BURLINGTON, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$20,000
LOVE ONE ANOTHER CAMPAIGN BURLINGTON, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$20,000
MID-CONTINENT RAILWAY MUSEUM NORTH FREEDOM, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$18,850
ST JOSEPH'S PARISH LYONS, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$15,000
FRIENDS OF CATHOLIC CENTRAL BURLINGTON, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$15,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation is led by the following officers and directors:

Marcia E. Essman – President (1 hour per week, $580 compensation)
Kenneth R. Essman – Vice President (0.5 hours per week, $580 compensation)
Adam J. Essman – Treasurer (0.5 hours per week, $580 compensation)
Abbey M. Magnuson – Director (0.5 hours per week, no compensation listed)

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

From 2025 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
KENNETH R ESSMAN	Vice President	0.5	$580
MARCIA E ESSMAN	President	1	$580
ADAM J ESSMAN	Treasurer	0.5	$580
ABBEY M MAGNUSON	Director	0.5	—

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Wagner-essman Care Foundation Inc fund?

The foundation's grantmaking priorities include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services The foundation concentrates its giving primarily in Wisconsin.

How do I apply for a grant from Wagner-essman Care Foundation Inc?

**Grant Amounts:** • Typical award range: $500–$125,000 • Median grant amount: $5,000 • Maximum grant observed: $125,000 **Recent Giving Activity:** • Total giving (2025): $369,350 • Total giving (2024): $399,187 • Total giving (2023): $402,000 • Number of grants awarded (2023): 24 grants

Where does Wagner-essman Care Foundation Inc make grants?

The foundation's grantmaking is primarily focused on Wisconsin.

What size grants does Wagner-essman Care Foundation Inc award?

In 2025, Wagner-essman Care Foundation Inc awarded 23 grants totaling $369K — an average of about $16K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

What is Wagner-essman Care Foundation Inc's EIN?

Wagner-essman Care Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1405199. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.