Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc
Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc is a public charity based in Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. Formed in 2009, it facilitates the charitable, patriotic, and educational activities of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Wisconsin and provides financial support to Wisconsin VFW posts, auxiliaries, veteran projects, and outside projects that benefit the state Unmet Needs Program.
Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc gave $208K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $21K), mostly in Wisconsin. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $207,641
- +104.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +66.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $20,764
- +22.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $13,000
- Total assets
- $772,044
- +9.4% 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.
How to apply to Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The website makes grant applications available for organizations seeking support for projects or programs serving the VFW Department of Wisconsin’s charitable and exempt purposes. For the Journey To Healing Together program, service members are instructed to submit a completed application and applicable documents; incomplete applications are not considered.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists May 15 as the deadline for Wisconsin VFW Foundation grant applications; it does not specify the year for that deadline.
- Deadline
- The website lists May 15 as the deadline for Wisconsin VFW Foundation grant applications; it does not specify the year…
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 242, Camp Douglas, WI 54618
Phone: (608) 343-3906
Website: https://vfwwi.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 8 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Veterans of Foreign Wars of the US Dept of Wisconsin 2260 ($50K). Together the top 8 received $208K.
Grant Size Distribution
40 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 34 grants of 40 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grants reported for filing year 2025 went to recipients in Wisconsin. The mental health assistance program is for eligible service members whose home of record or residency is in Wisconsin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc gives
- Giving grew 38% 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $102K (2024) to $1.1M (2020). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $208K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans of Foreign Wars of the US Dept of Wisconsin 2260 Oconomowoc, WI | General Assistance | $50,000 |
| Wm Sonny Simon VFW Post 8216 Middleton, WI | General Assistance | $35,000 |
| VFW Post 1318 Fitchburg, WI | General Assistance | $34,757 |
| Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Dept of Wisconsin Stoughton, WI | General Assistance | $25,000 |
| Mt Horeb VFW Post 9511 Blue Mounds, WI | General Assistance | $16,000 |
| Veterans of Foreign Wars of the US Dept of Wisconsin Merrill, WI | General Assistance | $10,000 |
| Wisconsin Veterans Network Inc West Allis, WI | General Assistance | $10,000 |
| Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Dept of Wisconsin Green Bay, WI | General Assistance | $10,000 |
| Department of Wisconsin of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the US Madison, WI | General Assistance | $9,884 |
| Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Dept of Wisconsin Kiel, WI | General Assistance | $7,000 |
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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 | $772,044 | $278,392 | $283,045 | $207,641 | 10 | $6,063 |
| 2024 | $705,517 | $136,914 | $141,945 | $101,707 | 6 | $5,466 |
| 2023 | $650,361 | $348,773 | $333,335 | $289,640 | 12 | $2,685 |
| 2022 | $592,005 | $175,819 | $186,348 | $150,096 | 9 | $26 |
| 2021 | $673,810 | $1,272,720 | $805,811 | $775,723 | 3 | — |
| 2020 | $118,190 | $750,937 | $1,158,214 | $1,092,414 | 5 | $1,951 |
| 2019 | $525,152 | $1,189,507 | $1,109,767 | $914,554 | 4 | $4,328 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to facilitate the charitable, patriotic, and educational activities of the membership of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Wisconsin. Its stated program activities include pass-through services to the department’s posts, auxiliaries, and veteran projects in Wisconsin, and assistance to outside projects that financially benefit the state Unmet Needs Program.
In 2025, the foundation reported grants for general assistance to Wisconsin VFW posts and department entities, as well as a grant to Wisconsin Veterans Network Inc. That grantee describes its own mission as serving veterans and their families facing crises through a network of public, private, nonprofit, and veteran service organizations, regardless of branch or time served.
The website separately describes a mental health assistance program for eligible service members and an Unmet Needs program for veterans and families facing financial hardship. These are described as direct assistance programs, not grants to outside applicant organizations.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $207,641. Grant amounts ranged from $7,000 to $50,000, with a median of $13,000. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin. The largest awards were $50,000 to Veterans of Foreign Wars of the US Dept of Wisconsin 2260, $35,000 to WM Sonny Simon VFW Post 8216, and $34,757 to VFW Post 1318; each was for general assistance. Wisconsin Veterans Network Inc received $10,000.
The foundation’s website lists grant applications for organizations providing projects or programs that support the charitable and exempt purposes of the VFW Department of Wisconsin. The site also describes the Journey To Healing Together mental health grant for eligible active-duty, Active Guard Reserve, Reserve, and National Guard service members whose home of record or residency is in Wisconsin. That program awards assistance based on need; applications must be complete, include summaries for all areas, and be submitted with applicable documents.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ron Ramos as president; Renee Simpson as treasurer/secretary; and Ty Letto, Thomas Heath, Michele Rathke, William Hustad, Werner Gade, and George Stoeber as directors.
Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc is led by Ron Ramos, President on every filing since 2024; none of the 8 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ron Ramos
President
On filings since 2024
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Heath
Director
Vfw State Quartermaster → Director, 2020
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William Hustad
Director
Trustee → Director, 2020
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michele Rathke
Director
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
George Stoeber
Director
On filings since 2022
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ty Letto
Director
On filings since 2024
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Werner Gade
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Renee Simpson
Treasurer & Secretary
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: William Knudson (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Adam Wallace (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Mary Ann Christopherson (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Cory Geisler (2019–2023) — President
- Former: Jason Johns (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Ronald Ramos (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Kerry McAllen (2023) — Director
- Former: Donald Lynch (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Dorien Ah Sam (2019–2020) — 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.
Frequently asked questions about Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc
How much does Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc give each year?
Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc gave $208K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $102K across 6 grants.
What is Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $13,000, and its average grant was $20,764, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc give grants?
Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc gives mostly in Wisconsin: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there.
Does Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Veterans of Foreign Wars of the US Dept of Wisconsin 2260 ($50,000), Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Dept of Wisconsin ($42,000 across 3 grants) and Wm Sonny Simon VFW Post 8216 ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc?
Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc reported $772K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $278K.
What does Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to facilitate the charitable, patriotic, and educational activities of the membership of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Wisconsin. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc?
The website makes grant applications available for organizations seeking support for projects or programs serving the VFW Department of Wisconsin’s charitable and exempt purposes. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc's EIN?
Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-6376840. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 11, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 25, 2022)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wisconsin-vfw-foundation-inc-morg_693aaebaf37d42988da8c45102d02874
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_616376840_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/wisconsin-vfw-foundation-inc-morg_693aaebaf37d42988da8c45102d02874},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Wisconsin VFW Foundation Inc'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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