Wagner-essman Care Foundation Inc

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.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$7.9M

+0.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$369K

-7.5% YoY

Grant Count

-4.2% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$16K

-3.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Wagner-essman Care Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $514K for 2025 — 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 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 $1.2M (100%)

District of Columbia $3K (0%)

Arizona $2K (0%)

Virginia $1K (0%)

States

Arizona District of Columbia Virginia Wisconsin

Cities

AlexandriaAmherstBarabooBroadheadBrodheadBurlingtonCedarburgDarienEast TroyElkhornFontanaGraftonHubertusKansasvilleLake Havasu CityLyonsMadisonMilwaukeeMukwonagoNorth Freedom

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	$7,901,877	$7,844,703	$7,955,904
Revenue	$468,197	$333,884	$5,861,362
Expenses	$418,480	$442,926	$176,319
Qualifying Distributions	$372,115	$402,002	$161,591
Net Investment Income	$426,322	$294,984	$194,553
Distributable Amount	$513,914	$473,711	$148,765

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 include Kelch Aviation Museum ($75,000), Catholic Central Hs of Burlington ($55,000), St Monica's Parish ($38,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
BASILICA NATIONAL SHRINE OF MARY HUBERTUS, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$2,500
CARMELITE SISTERS DVJ MILWAUKEE, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$5,000
CATHOLIC CENTRAL HS OF BURLINGTON BURLINGTON, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$55,000
GENEVA LAKE CONSERVANCY FONTANA, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$25,000
INTERNATIONAL CRANE FOUNDATION BARABOO, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$2,000
KATHY'S HOUSE MILWAUKEE, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$10,000
MEL'S PIG ROAST CEDARBURG, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$5,000
MID-CONTINENT RAILWAY MUSEUM NORTH FREEDOM, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$18,850
NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON METAL ILLNESS RACINE, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$500
RACINE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY RACINE, WI	GENERAL OPERATING	$2,000

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.

How much is Wagner-essman Care Foundation Inc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, Wagner-essman Care Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $514K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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.