Walter Alexander Foundation Inc
The Walter Alexander Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Wausau, Wisconsin. Founded in 1952 by Ruth and Anne Alexander, it supports charitable projects, principally in Marathon County, with a stated emphasis on charitable, scientific, religious, literary, and educational purposes.
Walter Alexander Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Walter Alexander Foundation Inc gave $430K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $19K), mostly in Wisconsin. 68% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $430,300
- +4.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +15.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $18,709
- -8.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $7,126,795
- +1.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 68% first-time grantees (13 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (94% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Walter Alexander Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The foundation provides instructions for submitting grant requests by mail or email. Its 2024 filing says requests should be emailed and should demonstrate a good cause rather than merely request annual operating funds.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists November 6, 2026, and says later applications will be considered at the next meeting date.
- Deadline
- The website lists November 6, 2026, and says later applications will be considered at the next meeting date.
- Contact
Application contact: Robert Zimmerman
Mailing address: PO Box 1325, Wausau, WI 54401
Phone: (715) 230-1401
Email: rzimmerman@hzattys.com
Website: https://walteralexanderfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Walter Alexander Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Performing Arts Foundation ($100K). Together the top 10 received $345K.
Organizations only. It also paid 3 individual scholarships ($42,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
102 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 87 grants of 102 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s mission identifies Marathon County as its principal area of distribution. Its application guidelines say it funds projects in Marathon County, Portage County, and the Fox Valley, with other requests considered case by case. The 2024 filing also describes a preference for northern Wisconsin, the Wausau area, or the Fox Valley.
In 2025, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin, 5% to California, and 1% to New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Walter Alexander Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
68%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 13 of 19 grantees (68%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $21K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 21% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 81% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $171K (2019) to $554K (2023). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $430K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Performing Arts Foundation Wausau, WI | Grand Theater Second Century Capital Campaign | $100,000 |
| Community Foundation of NC Wisconsi Wausau, WI | Donor Advised Funds | $85,000 |
| City of Wausau Wausau, WI | Community Improvements | $64,800 |
| Sayner Community Church Sayner, WI | Save Our Church Project | $25,000 |
| 3 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $42,500 |
| Chapman University Orane, CA | Common Loon Study in Northern Wisconsin | $20,000 |
| PBS Wisconsin Madison, WI | Public Television Operations | $15,000 |
| Walleye Restoration Foundation Star Lake, WI | Northwoods Walleye Restoration Project | $10,000 |
| Fort Wilderness Ministries McNaughton, WI | Stable Renovation Project | $10,000 |
| Northwoods Childrens Museum Eagle River, WI | Renovation Project | $10,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $7,126,795 | $603,691 | $481,495 | $430,300 | 23 | $445,774 | $570,207 | $549,197 |
| 2024 | $7,004,599 | $204,977 | $463,573 | $410,100 | 20 | $427,446 | $180,180 | $497,888 |
| 2023 | $7,263,195 | $216,190 | $628,877 | $553,500 | 19 | $572,172 | $165,527 | $464,768 |
| 2022 | $7,675,882 | $4,155,764 | $563,458 | $438,000 | 21 | $454,258 | $4,098,991 | $417,633 |
| 2021 | $4,083,576 | $799,575 | $430,396 | $306,375 | 19 | $329,968 | $574,147 | $368,718 |
| 2020 | $3,714,397 | $877,560 | $338,601 | $262,500 | 12 | — | $87,770 | $221,954 |
| 2019 | $3,175,438 | $354,343 | $204,111 | $170,710 | 17 | — | $169,157 | $215,489 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Walter Alexander Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $549K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated purpose is to invest and distribute its principal and income principally in Marathon County for charitable, scientific, religious, literary, and educational purposes. It also names encouragement of the arts and support for public and private institutions and organizations as part of its mission.
Its 2025 grants illustrate support for arts, education, community improvements, religious organizations, and environmental projects. For example, Performing Arts Foundation Inc, which received $100,000, describes its mission as enriching lives through diverse cultural experiences. Fort Wilderness Ministries Inc, which received $10,000, says it seeks to influence lives through God’s word, adventure programs, the wilderness, and Christian fellowship. Chapman University, a $20,000 recipient, describes its mission as providing a personalized education of distinction that leads to inquiring, ethical, and productive lives as global citizens.
Grantmaking
The foundation awarded 23 grants totaling $430,300 in 2025. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, with a median award of $5,000. Its largest 2025 grants included $100,000 to Performing Arts Foundation for the Grand Theater Second Century Capital Campaign; $85,000 to Community Foundation of Northcentral Wisconsin for donor-advised funds; and $64,800 to the City of Wausau for community improvements. Other awards included $25,000 to Sayner Community Church for its Save Our Church project, $22,500 to an individual recipient High School for scholarships, and $20,000 to Chapman University for a common loon study in northern Wisconsin.
The foundation’s website asks applicants to submit a request by November 6, 2026; requests received later are to be considered at the next meeting date. Applicants should provide a cover letter describing the organization and project, community need and benefit, number of people served, project cost, fundraising efforts, operating budget, IRS determination letter, other pledged or contacted funders, and a project contact. Requests should be no more than ten pages and may be mailed or emailed. The foundation does not award grants to individuals. A 2024 filing described a different process: emailed requests in no set format, meetings quarterly, and no deadline.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Walter Koskinen as president, Kate Reichl as vice president, Anne Koskinen as secretary, and Frederick Prehn as treasurer. Directors listed are Alexander Reichl, Robert Zimmerman, and Natalie Reichl.
Walter Alexander Foundation Inc is led by Walter Koskinen, President since 2021 (on filings since 2019); all 7 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Walter Koskinen
President
Vice President → President, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$3K (2019) → $5K (2025)
Alexander Reichl
Director
President → Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$4K (2019) → $3K (2025)
Robert Zimmerman
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$3K (2019) → $5K (2025)
Natalie Reichl
Director
New on the 2025 filing
$3K (2025)
Frederick Prehn
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$4K (2019) → $5K (2025)
Kate Reichl
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$3K (2019) → $5K (2025)
Anne Koskinen
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$10K (2020) → $5K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Anne Leighton (2019–2024) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $5K, to Walter Koskinen (President). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Walter Alexander Foundation Inc
How much does Walter Alexander Foundation Inc give each year?
Walter Alexander Foundation Inc gave $430K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $410K across 20 grants.
What is Walter Alexander Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Walter Alexander Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $18,709, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Walter Alexander Foundation Inc that year got $20K on average.
Where does Walter Alexander Foundation Inc give grants?
Walter Alexander Foundation Inc gives mostly in Wisconsin: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Wausau, WI (8 grants), Sayner, WI (2 grants) and Madison, WI (2 grants).
Does Walter Alexander Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on Walter Alexander Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships" (4 grants).
Who are Walter Alexander Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Walter Alexander Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Performing Arts Foundation ($100,000), Community Foundation of NC Wisconsi ($85,000) and City of Wausau ($64,800), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 3 individual scholarships ($42,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Walter Alexander Foundation Inc?
Walter Alexander Foundation Inc reported $7.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $446K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $549K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Walter Alexander Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated purpose is to invest and distribute its principal and income principally in Marathon County for charitable, scientific, religious, literary, and educational purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Walter Alexander Foundation Inc?
The foundation provides instructions for submitting grant requests by mail or email. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Walter Alexander Foundation Inc's EIN?
Walter Alexander Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-6044635. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 6, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 27, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 12, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 3, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Walter Alexander Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/walter-alexander-foundation-inc-morg_9f86530d3eb14392bf6b9698b2b58ae8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_396044635_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Walter Alexander Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/walter-alexander-foundation-inc-morg_9f86530d3eb14392bf6b9698b2b58ae8},
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 Walter Alexander Foundation Inc'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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