West Bend Community Foundation Inc logo

West Bend Community Foundation Inc

MILWAUKEE, WI EIN: 39-1971548 Website

The West Bend Community Foundation (WBCF) is a permanent charitable endowment established in 1999 to inspire, encourage, and support enduring donor legacies for the betterment of the Greater West Bend Community. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity and a supporting organization of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. It operates as a community foundation serving the greater West Bend area in Wisconsin.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · 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

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation is dedicated to supporting and promoting programs in:

  • Community Development
  • Health and Human Services
  • Family, Youth and Seniors
  • Environment
  • Education (limited to scholarship organizations)
  • Arts and Culture

The foundation provides grants for operating support, special projects, and capital projects to nonprofit organizations representing a broad field of interest.

Grantmaking

The foundation awarded $210,000 across 17 grants, including:

Grant Types

& Amounts:**

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation serves the greater West Bend area in Wisconsin. Grants are made only to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations within the greater West Bend area or otherwise serving area residents.

Grant Distribution by State

20states
+12 more states

Cities

APPLETONBURLINGTONCAMBRIDGECANTONCARMELCAROL STREAMCARPENTERSVILLECEDAR RAPIDSCHICAGODES MOINESDUBUQUEEAGLE RIVEREVANSVILLEFINLANDFOND DU LACFORT WAYNEGALVESTONGEORGETOWNGLENVIEWGOLF

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

  • Total Assets: $83,417,967
  • Total Revenues: $5,464,146
  • Total Expenses: $5,221,454
  • Total Giving: $4,630,686

As of 2023:

  • Total Assets: $75.3M
  • Total Revenues: $7.67M
  • Total Expenses: $4.92M
  • Total Liabilities: $1.43M

The foundation operates a donor-advised fund through which donors can direct the distribution or investment of funds.

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$3M$6M$9M$12M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
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

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$1M$2M$4M$5M61 grants202068 grants202185 grants202295 grants202399 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

CEDAR LAKES CONSERVATION…$556KCITY OF WEST BEND$199KFAMILY PROMISE OF WASHIN…$147KBOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF WA…$141KBIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS…$88KAMERICAN RED CROSS OF WI…$83KFORWARD CAREERS INC$81KALL-IN MILWAUKEE$80KHISTORIC WEST BEND THEAT…$62KFRIENDS INC$58K

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

159<$50K47$50–100K30$100–250K11$250–500K3$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The West Bend Community Foundation was founded in 1999 by Clifford A. Nelson and R. Douglas Ziegler, two civic leaders who believed that people ought to give back to the community in which they live.

The foundation is governed by a Board of Directors that issues an annual Letter to the Community regarding the affairs and status of the organization.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
JON KIECKHAFERTREASURER1
JAMES DANAHERSECRETARY (END 6/24)1
TONNIE SCHMIDTDIRECTOR1
RUTH HENKLEDIRECTOR1
ALLEN ERICSONDIRECTOR1
CLAIRE ROLFSPRESIDENT1
CHARLES O'MEARAVICE PRESIDENT1
KELLY TIGHLEDIRECTOR1
ROSE PETITTEDIRECTOR1
ROB JOHNSONSECRETARY1
AMANDA N SACKSDIRECTOR (START 6/24)1
ELLEN GILLIGANASSISTANT SECRETARY (END 8/24)1
KEN ROBERTSONASSISTANT TREASURER (END 8/24)1
GREGORY WESLEYASSISTANT SECRETARY (START 8/24)1
YELENA CHESTERASSISTANT TREASURER (START 8/24)1

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation maintains an annual tradition of recognizing outstanding nonprofit achievement through the Founders Day Award. Recent award winners have included the COLUMNS Scholarship Foundation.

$262K grants awarded to Washington County nonprofits | Washington Co. News

The foundation continues to grow through the generosity of individual donors and local foundations, maintaining its role as a permanent charitable endowment serving the greater West Bend community.

West Bend Community Foundation \xB7 Greater Milwaukee Foundation

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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