West Bend Community Foundation Inc
West Bend Community Foundation Inc. is a public charity based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and a permanent charitable endowment established to support the Greater West Bend community. It makes grants to improve the area and the lives of its residents.
Key facts about West Bend Community Foundation Inc
In short: West Bend Community Foundation Inc gave $4.5M across 99 grants in 2024 (avg $45K), mostly in Wisconsin. 34% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- EIN
- 39-1971548
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990 filing, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,450,789
- Grants made (2024)
- 99
- Average grant
- $44,957
- Median grant
- $22,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 34% first-time grantees (34 of 99, 2024)
- Total assets
- $83,417,967
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (97% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Deadline
- The stated annual cycle opens February 17 and closes March 20; committee decisions are made the first week of June,…
Data from IRS Form 990 filing, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Quick answers about West Bend Community Foundation Inc
How much does West Bend Community Foundation Inc give each year?
West Bend Community Foundation Inc gave $4.5M across 99 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. In 2023 it gave $4.1M across 95 grants.
What is West Bend Community Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
West Bend Community Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $22,000, and its average grant was $44,957, across 99 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Organizations receiving their first grant from West Bend Community Foundation Inc that year got $23K on average.
Where does West Bend Community Foundation Inc give grants?
West Bend Community Foundation Inc gives mostly in Wisconsin: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were West Bend, WI (44 grants), Milwaukee, WI (14 grants), Madison, WI (6 grants) and Slinger, WI (4 grants).
Does West Bend Community Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 23% of West Bend Community Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 99) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Recurring purposes include "Spirit of the Silver Lining" (6 grants), "Ziegler Family Foundation Fund Scholarship" (6 grants) and "Sustaining Support" (5 grants).
Who are West Bend Community Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
West Bend Community Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation ($555,500), Museum of Wisconsin Art ($294,644) and United Way of Washington County ($273,886), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
Is West Bend Community Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
34%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 34 of 99 grantees (34%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $57K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $29K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with West Bend Community Foundation Inc
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Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 filing · View filing
Total Assets
$83.4M
+10.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$4.5M
+7.6% YoY
Grant Count
99
+4.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$45K
+3.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated purpose is to support Greater Milwaukee Foundation and carry out charitable programs primarily in the greater West Bend area. Its website says it provides operating, special-project, and capital-project grants across fields including arts and culture, education (limited to scholarship organizations), environment, family, youth and seniors, health and human services, and community development.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate this range. Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation describes its mission as conserving the natural environment of the Cedar Lakes region. The Museum of Wisconsin Art says it celebrates Wisconsin’s visual arts and artists through activities including collecting, conserving, exhibiting, and promoting understanding of that art. Family Promise of Washington County describes its work as providing resources and services to empower homeless families and individuals in Washington County, Wisconsin.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Foundation reported 99 grants totaling $4,450,789. Grants ranged from $5,220 to $555,500, with a median grant of $22,000. Its largest reported awards included $555,500 to Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation for “Final Mile,” $294,644 to the Museum of Wisconsin Art for unrestricted use, and $273,886 to United Way of Washington County for an officer matching program on behalf of Chris Zwygart. Other notable awards included $198,500 to the City of West Bend for downtown planters and $147,068 to Family Promise of Washington County for unrestricted use.
Review Cycle
** The stated annual cycle opens February 17 and closes March 20; committee decisions are made the first week of June, with notification potentially taking two weeks after the decision.
Ready to take the next step with West Bend Community Foundation Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s discretionary grantmaking is generally limited to projects that will significantly improve the lives of people living in the greater West Bend area. Its 2024 grant dollars went primarily to Wisconsin recipients (97%); the remaining reported shares were Illinois, Nebraska, and Iowa at 1% each, and Minnesota at 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 99 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $83,417,967 | $5,464,146 | $5,221,454 | $4,450,789 (99 grants) |
| 2023 | $75,283,978 | $7,671,849 | $4,915,723 | $4,137,911 (95 grants) |
| 2022 | $66,429,370 | $6,633,490 | $5,835,143 | $4,896,461 (85 grants) |
The Foundation says its endowment funds are invested to generate a permanent source of income. It also states that invested principal may be used for grantmaking as requested by donors, subject to a minimum balance.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $83,417,967 | $75,283,978 | $66,429,370 |
| Revenue | $5,464,146 | $7,671,849 | $6,633,490 |
| Expenses | $5,221,454 | $4,915,723 | $5,835,143 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $1,882,684 | $1,530,849 | $1,915,342 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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 2024
Grant Size Distribution
408 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CEDAR LAKES CONSERVATION FOUNDATION West Bend, WI | FINAL MILE | $555,500 |
| MUSEUM OF WISCONSIN ART West Bend, WI | UNRESTRICTED USE | $294,644 |
| UNITED WAY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY West Bend, WI | THE OFFICER MATCHING PROGRAM ON BEHALF OF CHRIS ZWYGART | $273,886 |
| CITY OF WEST BEND West Bend, WI | DOWNTOWN PLANTERS | $198,500 |
| FAMILY PROMISE OF WASHINGTON COUNTY West Bend, WI | UNRESTRICTED USE | $147,068 |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY INC West Bend, WI | UNRESTRICTED USE | $140,717 |
| MILWAUKEE REPERTORY THEATER INC Milwaukee, WI | UNRESTRICTED USE | $110,350 |
| RIVEREDGE NATURE CENTER INC Newburg, WI | HELP TO RENOVATE THE RIVEREDGE NATURE CENTER VIA A DONATION TO LEGACY CAPITAL CAMPAIGN. | $108,250 |
| PLAYING FIELD INC Madison, WI | ECE SPACE RENOVATION | $100,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON BURSAR OFFICE Madison, WI | ZIEGLER FAMILY FOUNDATION FUND SCHOLARSHIP | $97,500 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Claire Rolfs as president; Charles O’Meara as vice president; Jon Kieckhafer as treasurer; James Danaher and Rob Johnson as secretaries; and Tonnie Schmidt, Ruth Henkle, Allen Ericson, Kelly Tighle, and Rose Petitte as directors. The filing notes that James Danaher’s secretary term ended in June 2024.
West Bend Community Foundation Inc is led by Claire Rolfs, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 15 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Claire Rolfs
President
Director → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Allen Ericson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tonnie Schmidt
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kelly Tighle
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rose Petitte
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ruth Henkle
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amanda N. Sacks
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charles O'Meara
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ellen Gilligan
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Danaher
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jon Kieckhafer
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ken Robertson
Assistant Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rob Johnson
Secretary
Director → President, 2023
President → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gregory Wesley
Assistant Secretary
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Yelena Chester
Assistant Treasurer
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (6)
- Former: Peter Ziegler (2020–2023) — President
- Former: Kevin Steiner (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Patricia Strachota (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Bill Gehl (2020) — Director
- Former: George Prescott (2020) — Director
- Former: Stephen O'Meara (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 2153 N Dr Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53212
Phone: (414) 272-5805
Website: https://westbendfoundation.org
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does West Bend Community Foundation Inc fund?
The Foundation’s stated purpose is to support Greater Milwaukee Foundation and carry out charitable programs primarily in the greater West Bend area. Its website says it provides operating, special-project, and capital-project grants across fields including arts and culture, education (limited to scholarship organizations), environment, family, youth and seniors, health and human services, and community development. Examples of supported organizations illustrate this range. Cedar Lakes Conserva…
How do I apply for a grant from West Bend Community Foundation Inc?
In filing year 2024, the Foundation reported 99 grants totaling $4,450,789. Grants ranged from $5,220 to $555,500, with a median grant of $22,000. Its largest reported awards included $555,500 to Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation for “Final Mile,” $294,644 to the Museum of Wisconsin Art for unrestricted use, and $273,886 to United Way of Washington County for an officer matching program on behalf of Chris Zwygart. Other notable awards included $198,500 to the City of West Bend for downtown pl…
What is West Bend Community Foundation Inc's EIN?
West Bend Community Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1971548. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.