Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust
The Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Lake Forest, Illinois. In 2024, it reported 15 grants totaling $1,288,055, including support for Lutheran colleges, universities, churches, and other organizations.
Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust gave $1.3M across 15 grants in 2024 (avg $86K), top state Wyoming. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,288,055
- Grants made (2024)
- 15
- Average grant
- $85,870
- Median grant
- $12,301
- Total assets
- $25,344,521
- Primary geography
- Wyoming (40% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The trust makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1361 W Estate Lane, Lake Forest, IL 60045
Phone: (312) 337-1401
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Luther Classical College ($484K). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
15 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 10 grants of 15 (67%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Wyoming (40%) and Indiana (31%), followed by Illinois (10%), Wisconsin (8%), and Pennsylvania (5%). The listed grants also included recipients in Idaho and Missouri.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
How Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust gives
- In 2024 it paid out 155% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
In 2024 it made 15 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Luther Classical College Casper, WY | Capital Projects, Faculty Endowed Chairs, Faculty Grant | $484,000 |
| Concordia Theological Seminary Fort Wayne, IN | Capital Projects, Faculty Endowed Chairs | $400,000 |
| Concordia University Chicago River Forest, IL | Capital Projects, Operating Grant | $125,000 |
| Concordia University Wisconsin Mequon, WI | Capital Projects | $100,000 |
| Lutheran Concerns Association New Kensington, PA | Unrestricted Grant | $62,710 |
| Association of Confessing Evangelical Lutheran Congregations Idaho Falls, ID | Unrestricted Grant | $31,250 |
| Concordia Historical Institute St. Louis, MO | Operating Grant | $31,250 |
| Our Savior Lutheran Church Cheyenne, WY | Operating Grant | $12,301 |
| Trinity Lutheran Church New Haven, MO | Operating Grant | $11,000 |
| Immanuel Lutheran Church Sheridan, WY | Operating Grant | $8,948 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $25,344,521 | $26,402,442 | $1,388,010 | $1,288,055 | 15 | $1,291,822 | $1,322,268 | $833,249 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $833K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2024 grants included capital projects, endowed faculty chairs, operating support, and unrestricted grants.
Luther Classical College, which received $484,000, describes its mission as educating Lutherans in the classical, Lutheran tradition and preparing them for vocations in family, church, and society. Concordia University Wisconsin, which received $100,000, describes its supporting organization as providing general fundraising and scholarship fundraising exclusively for the university and its students.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the trust gave $1,288,055 through 15 grants. Grants ranged from $50 to $484,000, with a median grant of $12,301.
The largest grants included $484,000 to Luther Classical College for capital projects, faculty endowed chairs, and a faculty grant; $400,000 to Concordia Theological Seminary for capital projects and faculty endowed chairs; $125,000 to Concordia University Chicago for capital projects and operating support; and $100,000 to Concordia University Wisconsin for capital projects. Other listed recipients included Lutheran Concerns Association, which received $62,710, and the Association of Confessing Evangelical Lutheran Congregations and Concordia Historical Institute, which each received $31,250.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Mark O Stern and Rev David Ramirez as co-trustees.
Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Mark O. Stern
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2023
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Ramirez
Co-Trustee
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: John Wille (2023) — Co-Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2024. "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 Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust
How much does Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust give each year?
Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust gave $1.3M across 15 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
What is Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust's median grant in 2024 was $12,301, and its average grant was $85,870, across 15 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust give grants?
Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust's top state is Wyoming, with 40% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Indiana (31%) and Illinois (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (2 grants).
Does Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 80% of Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust's largest 2024 grantees include Luther Classical College ($484,000), Concordia Theological Seminary ($400,000) and Concordia University Chicago ($125,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 78% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust?
Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust reported $25.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $833K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2024 grants included capital projects, endowed faculty chairs, operating support, and unrestricted grants. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust?
The trust makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust's EIN?
Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-6916129. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2024.
Does Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2024
Live grants for the work Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/walter-c-dissen-charitable-trust-morg_a6a7f5558dc444c88f75bfa5b8025eaf
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_936916129_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Walter C Dissen Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/walter-c-dissen-charitable-trust-morg_a6a7f5558dc444c88f75bfa5b8025eaf},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-24. 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 C Dissen Charitable Trust'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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