We Raise Foundation
We Raise Foundation is a public charity based in Itasca, Illinois, that makes grants to Christian 501(c)(3) organizations serving under-resourced communities in the United States. Its stated mission is to partner with Christian organizations to support and develop sustainable programs that help people thrive. The organization reports that it was formed in 1904.
We Raise Foundation at a glance
In short: We Raise Foundation gave $536K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $49K), mostly in Wisconsin. 82% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $536,467
- -5.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +83.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $48,770
- -48.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $12,855,581
- +5.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 82% first-time grantees (9 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (60% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to We Raise Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Applications are submitted through the online grant portal; the foundation does not accept mailed or emailed letters of intent or proposals.
- Review Cycle
- The Emerging Leader Grant listing describes applications as rolling.
- Deadline
- The Emerging Leader Grant listing describes applications as rolling.
- Contact
Mailing address: One Pierce Place 250E, Itasca, IL 60143-2634
Phone: (630) 766-9066
Website: https://weraise.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from We Raise Foundation
Emerging Leader Grants
We Raise Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
GrantsPlus
We Raise Foundation
Amount
Up to $20,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
We Raise Foundation: Emerging Leader Grant
We Raise Foundation
Amount
US $15,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who We Raise Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Kingdom Prep LHS ($300K). Together the top 10 received $528K.
Grant Size Distribution
47 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 36 grants of 47 (77%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s programs are for organizations and programs located in the United States and serving people in the United States. For GrantsPlus, it states a preference for organizations located in and serving communities in Chicago, St. Louis, or Milwaukee.
In the 2025 filing, Wisconsin received 60% of grant dollars, North Carolina 19%, California 6%, Missouri 6%, and Florida 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is We Raise Foundation open to new grantees?
82%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 11 grantees (82%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $57K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $11K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $330K (2023) to $725K (2020). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $536K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom Prep LHS Wauwatosa, WI | Nehemiah Hour 2.0 | $300,000 |
| Jumpstart USA Raleigh, NC | Jumpstart Inside Program Expansion | $100,599 |
| Escolta Dream Team San Carlos, CA | Rise Academic/ Crowdfunding Campaign | $30,719 |
| Mt Tabor School of the Liberal Arts Kansas City, MO | Cap Skills Trade Program | $15,000 |
| Christian Tech Center Longwood, FL | Elevating Our Community Through Technology | $15,000 |
| Marian Middle School St. Louis, MO | Reviving the 360 Experience | $15,000 |
| City Hope Tempe Tempe, AZ | Laundry Remodel & Expansion | $15,000 |
| Good News Hawaii Church Aiea, HI | Children's Ministry | $15,000 |
| Center for Urban Education Milwaukee, WI | Center for Urban Education Ministries - FY25 Grant | $12,299 |
| Sunshine Gospel Ministries Chicago, IL | Sunshine Gospel Board Training & Retreat | $9,000 |
Ready to take the next step with We Raise Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $12,855,581 | $1,350,843 | $2,064,495 | $536,467 | 11 | $451,530 |
| 2024 | $12,218,462 | $2,019,343 | $1,963,366 | $565,844 | 6 | $605,124 |
| 2023 | $11,347,585 | $1,150,845 | $1,512,373 | $330,486 | 10 | $252,064 |
| 2022 | $10,762,098 | $1,571,418 | $1,533,830 | $343,980 | 8 | $352,378 |
| 2021 | $12,669,595 | $2,279,953 | $1,933,729 | $660,929 | 12 | $1,147,184 |
| 2020 | $10,554,514 | $2,046,100 | $2,811,362 | $725,288 | 21 | $184,397 |
| 2019 | $11,671,864 | $3,325,932 | $3,490,744 | $724,942 | 34 | $1,400,880 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
We Raise Foundation’s website describes its mission as following Christ’s example to love and serve others, elevating philanthropy to inspire and transform communities. It identifies education, workforce development, and reentry or criminal justice as its priority areas.
The foundation’s stated funding priorities include Christian schools, before- and after-school care, and tutoring; programs that help low-income people gain skills for living-wage employment; and programs that support formerly incarcerated people returning to society. Its general eligibility criteria require applicants to be Christian 501(c)(3) organizations serving under-resourced communities in the United States. It says it funds programs that are new, significantly expanded, substantially revised, or propose an innovative approach.
Examples of grantees’ work include Marian Middle School, which says it serves adolescent girls of all religious, racial, and ethnic backgrounds and works to break the cycle of poverty through comprehensive development and college readiness. Sunshine Gospel Ministries describes its work as seeking renewal in Chicago through discipleship, mercy, and justice, including relationship-building, teaching, mentoring, life-skills development, care, and advocacy.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, We Raise reported 11 grants totaling $536,467. Grant amounts ranged from $8,850 to $300,000, with a median of $15,000. Its two programs are GrantsPlus and Emerging Leader Grants. GrantsPlus provides at least $50,000 over two years and includes value-added resources such as capacity-building funds and fundraising support. Emerging Leader Grants provide $15,000 over two years, with $10,000 for program support and $5,000 for leadership development.
The largest reported 2025 awards were $300,000 to Kingdom Prep LHS in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, for “Nehemiah Hour 2.0,” and $100,599 to Jumpstart USA in Raleigh, North Carolina, for “Jumpstart Inside Program Expansion.” Other reported awards included $30,719 to Escolta Dream Team in San Carlos, California, and $15,000 each to Mt Tabor School of the Liberal Arts in Kansas City, Missouri; Christian Tech Center in Longwood, Florida; Marian Middle School in St. Louis, Missouri; City Hope Tempe in Tempe, Arizona; and Good News Hawaii Church in Aiea, Hawaii.
The foundation’s eligibility information excludes funding for programs or organizations outside the United States, fundraising campaigns, event sponsorships, individual funding such as scholarships, planning grants, and advocacy or public-policy-focused work. It says applications are accepted through its online grant portal and that mailed or emailed letters of intent and proposals are not accepted. GrantsPlus applicants must meet the general eligibility rules as well as program-specific requirements.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Paul Miles as president; Anne Schoenherr Turner as director of development and communications; Shannon Durio as vice president of development; Mark Duesenberg as chair; Gerald Mansholt as vice chair; Christine Messerschmidt as secretary; Matthew Croll and Sandi Croll as directors of finance; and Amy Vie and Bruce Laning as directors.
We Raise Foundation is led by Paul C Miles, President on every filing since 2019; 3 of 15 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Paul C Miles
President
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$272K (2019) → $233K (2025)
Mark Duesenberg
Chair
Director → Director & Chair, 2023
Director & Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anne Schoenherr Turner
Director of Development & Committee
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$102K (2021) → $107K (2025)
Matthew Croll
Director of Finance
On filings since 2019
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sandi Croll
Director of Finance
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marcella Brown
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike Wilson
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Shult
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Vie
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bruce Laning
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christine Zrinsky
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Wimer
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shannon Durio
Vice President of Development
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$55K (2024) → $117K (2025)
Christine Messerschmidt
Secretary
Director & Vice Chair → Vice Chair & Secretary, 2024
Vice Chair & Secretary → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gerald Mansholt
Vice Chair
Director → Director & Vice Chair, 2024
Director & Vice Chair → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (18)
- Former: Greg Jordan (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Monique Nunes (2019–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Carson Williams (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Ciuinal Lewis (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Darron Lowe (2019–2023) — Chair
- Former: Wayne Miller (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Andrew Steele (2019–2021) — Chair
- Former: Anne Wenzel (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Bruce Strade (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Jon Diefenthaler (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Angela Dejene (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Gretchen Jameson (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Heather Klein Olson (2019–2020) — Vice President
- Former: James Handrich (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Paul Erickson (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Rick Hein (2019–2020) — Chair
- Former: Ronda Bischoff (2019–2020) — Director of Finance
- Former: Rod McCallum (2019) — Director
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 $233K, to Paul Miles (President). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about We Raise Foundation
How much does We Raise Foundation give each year?
We Raise Foundation gave $536K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $566K across 6 grants.
What is We Raise Foundation's typical grant size?
We Raise Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $48,770, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from We Raise Foundation that year got $57K on average.
Where does We Raise Foundation give grants?
We Raise Foundation gives mostly in Wisconsin: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were North Carolina (19%) and California (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Milwaukee, WI (2 grants).
Does We Raise Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on We Raise Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are We Raise Foundation's largest grantees?
We Raise Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Kingdom Prep LHS ($300,000), Jumpstart USA ($100,599) and Escolta Dream Team ($30,719), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 80% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is We Raise Foundation?
We Raise Foundation reported $12.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.4M.
What does We Raise Foundation fund?
We Raise Foundation’s website describes its mission as following Christ’s example to love and serve others, elevating philanthropy to inspire and transform communities. It identifies education, workforce development, and reentry or criminal justice as its priority areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from We Raise Foundation?
Applications are submitted through the online grant portal; the foundation does not accept mailed or emailed letters of intent or proposals. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is We Raise Foundation's EIN?
We Raise Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-0404924. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 30, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 10, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 12, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in We Raise Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Advocate Health and Hospitals Corp
Oak Brook, IL
Advocate Health and Hospitals Corp funds health care access, community health and wellness, and related Illinois nonprofits. In 2024, its median grant was $7,500, with awards ranging from $5,500 to $727,759; all reported recipients were in Illinois. The Bethany Community Health Fund limited applications to current grantees in 2019, and no broader policy on unsolicited requests is stated.
Assets
$23.8B
Grants
23
Total Given
$1.7M
Knight Impact Partners
Lake Forest, IL
Knight Impact Partners funded organizations working in health and wellness, hunger relief, education, housing, and employment pathways, with 97% of its 2024 grant dollars going to Illinois. Its 32 grants ranged from $1,500 to $1 million, with a median of $50,000; it funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$24.0M
Grants
32
Total Given
$5.1M
The Christopher Family Foundation
Westmont, IL
The Christopher Family Foundation funds nonprofits working in education, employment, entrepreneurship, and food security, with most support focused on Chicago’s West Side, especially Austin. In 2024, grants ranged from $100 to $290,000, with a median of $50,000. It accepts letters of inquiry through its online portal; some applicants are invited to submit full proposals.
Assets
$74.3M
Grants
81
Total Given
$4.5M
Barney II Foundation
Westchester, IL
Assets
—
Grants
4
Total Given
$15K
Hallene Family Foundation Inc
Naples, FL
The Hallene Family Foundation supports charitable organizations, including youth programs, churches, and faith-based initiatives, with recent grants concentrated in Illinois, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, and Massachusetts. Its 2024 grants ranged from $1,000 to $50,000, with a median of $10,000; applicants should contact James N. Hallene, and no specific form or deadline is required.
Assets
$4.3M
Grants
21
Total Given
$302K
Epaphroditus Foundation
Elgin, IL
The Epaphroditus Foundation supports Christian activities, youth programs, community services, and international projects, with most 2026 grant dollars going to organizations in Illinois and additional funding across several U.S. states and abroad. Its 27 grants totaled $464,000, ranging from $400 to $80,000, with a median grant of $17,000. It funds only preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$10.6M
Grants
27
Total Given
$464K
More similar funders
More Funders in Illinois
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). We Raise Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/we-raise-foundation-morg_67396602c80045edab65a9fd39a6ed14
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_840404924_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{We Raise Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/we-raise-foundation-morg_67396602c80045edab65a9fd39a6ed14},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 We Raise Foundation'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.
We Raise Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?