Weiss Family Foundation
The Weiss Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It supports nonprofit organizations that help Milwaukee children and families affected by poverty overcome obstacles and reach their potential.
Weiss Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Weiss Family Foundation gave $256K across 43 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Wisconsin. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $255,500
- +6.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 43
- +7.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,942
- -1.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,290,980
- +8.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (14 of 43, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Weiss Family Foundation
- How to Apply
The foundation’s website asks applicants to submit a cover letter stating the requested amount and grant purpose, an organizational overview, a program description covering need, audience served, and expected and…
The foundation’s website asks applicants to submit a cover letter stating the requested amount and grant purpose, an organizational overview, a program description covering need, audience served, and expected and achieved measurable outcomes, the organization’s and program’s budgets, a board of directors list, 501(c)(3) documentation, and a signed nondiscrimination statement. The Wisconsin Common Grant Application is permitted. Applications must be submitted electronically; postal submissions are not accepted.
- Review Cycle
- For the November 2026 review, complete proposals are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, October 2, 2026. The May 2026 review deadline of April 3, 2026 has passed.
- Deadline
- For the November 2026 review, complete proposals are due by 5 p.m.
- Contact
Application contact: Weiss Family Foundation
Mailing address: 4230 N Oakland Ave Box 145, Shorewood, WI 53211
Phone: (414) 270-3565
Website: https://weissfamilyfoundation.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Weiss Family Foundation
Who Weiss Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Big Brothers Big Sisters ($30K). Together the top 10 received $113K.
Grant Size Distribution
179 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 179 grants of 179 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website says it does not fund programs outside Milwaukee County. Its 2025 filing shows that all grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 43 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Weiss Family Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 14 of 43 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 49% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 28% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 242% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $155K (2021) to $256K (2025). In 2025 it made 43 grants totaling $256K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Big Brothers Big Sisters Milwaukee, WI | Support | $30,000 |
| United Community Center Milwaukee, WI | Support | $15,000 |
| Milwaukee Parks Foundation Milwaukee, WI | Support | $10,000 |
| Milwaukee Public Museum Milwaukee, WI | Support | $10,000 |
| ACLU Foundation Milwaukee, WI | Support | $10,000 |
| Milwaukee Public Library Foundation Milwaukee, WI | Support | $10,000 |
| PBS Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI | Support | $10,000 |
| St Marcus Schools Milwaukee, WI | Support | $7,500 |
| ACTS Housing Milwaukee, WI | Support | $5,000 |
| Neighborhood House of Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI | Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Weiss Family Foundation?
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 | $2,290,980 | $211,199 | $260,494 | $255,500 | 43 | $255,500 | $211,043 | $105,620 |
| 2024 | $2,105,682 | $187,070 | $246,425 | $240,500 | 40 | $240,500 | $186,945 | $103,625 |
| 2023 | $2,078,053 | $147,778 | $224,556 | $220,000 | 34 | $220,000 | $147,563 | $92,643 |
| 2022 | $1,801,596 | $86,449 | $204,435 | $199,500 | 32 | $199,500 | $86,279 | $95,575 |
| 2021 | $2,222,636 | $101,640 | $158,028 | $154,500 | 30 | $154,500 | $101,483 | $103,943 |
| 2020 | $1,950,941 | $52,286 | $239,189 | $234,500 | 31 | — | $51,969 | $89,648 |
| 2019 | $2,082,885 | $63,947 | $184,156 | $177,125 | 34 | — | $63,634 | $99,026 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Weiss Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $106K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation states that it supports nonprofit organizations helping Milwaukee children and families impacted by poverty overcome obstacles and meet their greatest potential.
Its 2025 grantees illustrate a range of community services. United Community Center describes its work as providing education, human services, health, community development, and cultural arts services. Milwaukee Public Library Foundation says it supports library books, materials, programs, and facilities, while Milwaukee Parks Foundation describes its work as engaging the community in support of the county parks system. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 43 grants totaling $255,500. Awards ranged from $2,500 to $30,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest listed grant was $30,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters in Milwaukee. Other notable awards included $15,000 to United Community Center and $10,000 each to Milwaukee Parks Foundation, Milwaukee Public Museum, ACLU Foundation, Milwaukee Public Library Foundation, and PBS Milwaukee.
The foundation’s website says it does not fund churches, conferences and meetings, disease-specific programs, individuals, organizations focused on animals, multiple-year grants, or organizations that have received funding more than three years in a row.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Richard L Weiss, Barbara B Weiss, Laura Putnam, Aaron Weiss, and Jennifer Weiss as trustees.
Weiss Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 5 officers; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Aaron Weiss
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Barbara B Weiss
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Jennifer Weiss
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Laura Putnam
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Richard L Weiss
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Weiss Family Foundation
How much does Weiss Family Foundation give each year?
Weiss Family Foundation gave $256K across 43 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $241K across 40 grants.
What is Weiss Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Weiss Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $5,942, across 43 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Weiss Family Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Weiss Family Foundation give grants?
Weiss Family Foundation gives mostly in Wisconsin: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Milwaukee, WI (39 grants).
Does Weiss Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 43 grants with a stated purpose on Weiss Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support" (43 grants).
Who are Weiss Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Weiss Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Big Brothers Big Sisters ($30,000), United Community Center ($15,000) and Milwaukee Parks Foundation ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Weiss Family Foundation?
Weiss Family Foundation reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $256K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $106K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Weiss Family Foundation fund?
The foundation states that it supports nonprofit organizations helping Milwaukee children and families impacted by poverty overcome obstacles and meet their greatest potential. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Weiss Family Foundation?
The foundation’s website asks applicants to submit a cover letter stating the requested amount and grant purpose, an organizational overview, a program description covering need, audience served, and expected and… Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Weiss Family Foundation's EIN?
Weiss Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-6687485. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 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 May 15, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 16, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Weiss Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Weiss Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/weiss-family-foundation-morg_e951f7193ead493a831703aa0d72d8ef
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_396687485_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Weiss Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/weiss-family-foundation-morg_e951f7193ead493a831703aa0d72d8ef},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Weiss Family 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.
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