William F Vilas Trust Estate
Support for faculty, students and arts at uw-madison (primarily) and uw-milwaukee (secondarily).
William F Vilas Trust Estate at a glance
In short: William F Vilas Trust Estate gave $6.5M across 2 grants in 2025 (avg $3.3M), mostly in Wisconsin. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $6,542,602
- +8.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 2
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,271,301
- +8.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,271,301
- Total assets
- $135,625,226
- -0.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who William F Vilas Trust Estate funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Uw-Madison ($6.4M). Together the top 2 received $6.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
10 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was $5M or more: 5 grants of 10 (50%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 2 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How William F Vilas Trust Estate gives
- Giving fell 40% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $5.3M (2021) to $10.8M (2022). In 2025 it made 2 grants totaling $6.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Uw-Madison Madison, WI | Scholarships, Fellowships and Professor Salaries and Allowances. | $6,447,325 |
| Uw-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI | Scholarships, Fellowships and Professor Salaries and Allowances. | $95,277 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $135,625,226 | $8,747,937 | $7,191,577 | $6,542,602 | 2 | $8,747,937 |
| 2024 | $136,408,328 | $10,020,110 | $6,651,621 | $6,020,277 | 2 | $10,020,110 |
| 2023 | $133,039,839 | $8,985,265 | $9,704,855 | $9,010,236 | 2 | $8,848,480 |
| 2022 | $133,759,429 | $14,905,447 | $11,481,248 | $10,826,937 | 2 | $14,898,065 |
| 2021 | $130,335,230 | $8,655,567 | $5,827,819 | $5,309,280 | 2 | $8,655,373 |
| 2020 | $127,507,482 | $3,017,559 | $7,346,170 | $6,753,611 | 2 | $3,004,364 |
About William F Vilas Trust Estate
Based on IRS filings
William F Vilas Trust Estate is a public charity, based in Oregon, WI. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $135.6M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 2 grants totaling $6.5M. Net investment income was $8.7M.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
William F Vilas Trust Estate is led by George E. Austin, Chairman on every filing since 2020; all 9 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
George E. Austin
Chairman
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$4K (2020) → $4K (2025)
Darrell Behnke
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$4K (2020) → $4K (2025)
Judith E. Kimble
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$4K (2020) → $4K (2025)
Mark D. Bugher
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$4K (2020) → $300 (2025)
Susan R. Steingass
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$4K (2020) → $4K (2025)
Jo E. Handelsman
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$3K (2021) → $4K (2025)
Marcia M. Anderson
Trustee
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
$3K (2024) → $4K (2025)
Aaron Oliver
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
$4K (2025)
Robert R. Stroud
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$5K (2020) → $11K (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Patricia Lipton (2020–2024) — Trustee
- Former: John D Wiley (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 $11K, to Robert R Stroud (Secretary). 9 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about William F Vilas Trust Estate
How much does William F Vilas Trust Estate give each year?
William F Vilas Trust Estate gave $6.5M across 2 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $6.0M across 2 grants.
How large is William F Vilas Trust Estate?
William F Vilas Trust Estate reported $135.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $8.7M.
Where does William F Vilas Trust Estate operate?
William F Vilas Trust Estate has awarded grants in Wisconsin.
What is William F Vilas Trust Estate's EIN?
William F Vilas Trust Estate's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-0678406. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 7, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 27, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS December 19, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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