Wisne Charitable Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Milford, MI EIN: 38-3269446

Wisne Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Milford, Michigan. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations including schools, arts organizations, and organizations working in areas such as youth services and health.

Wisne Charitable Foundation at a glance

In short: Wisne Charitable Foundation gave $172K across 15 grants in 2024 (avg $11K), top state Florida. 33% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2024)
$171,800
+61.3% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
15
+15.4% vs 2023
Average grant
$11,453
+39.8% vs 2023
Median grant
$10,000
Total assets
$2,834,664
+1.0% vs 2023
New grantees (estimate)
33% first-time grantees (5 of 15, 2024; small sample)
Primary geography
Florida (46% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

How to apply to Wisne Charitable Foundation

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.

Contact

Mailing address: 206 E Commerce - PO Box 116, Milford, MI 48376
Phone: (248) 684-9200

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Wisne Charitable Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

U of D Jesuit High School & Academy: $35KU of D Jesuit High School &Academy$35KEverglades Foundation: $20KEverglades Foundation$20KProject Lift: $20KProject Lift$20KMercy High School: $15KMercy High School$15KGreat Lakes Center for the Arts: $13KGreat Lakes Center for theArts$13KDr Phillips Center for Performing Arts: $10KDr Phillips Center forPerforming Arts$10KHoly Family Catholic Church: $10KHoly Family Catholic Church$10KOrlando Philharmonic Orchestra: $10KOrlando Philharmonic Orchestra$10KThe University of Findlay: $10KThe University of Findlay$10KDetroit Institute of Arts: $10KDetroit Institute of Arts$10K

The largest 2024 recipient was U of D Jesuit High School & Academy ($35K). Together the top 10 received $153K.

Grant Size Distribution

69 grants across all recorded years

69<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 69 grants of 69 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2024, 46% of grant dollars went to recipients in Florida and 45% to recipients in Michigan. Ohio received 6% and Oklahoma 3%.

Grant Distribution by State

7states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.

Cities

OrlandoDetroitBloomfield HillsFarmington HillsFindlayBay HarborChicagoOwassoFort PierceRoyal OakToledoCaryGlenviewPalmetto BayPhoenixPontiacSouthfieldSt Palm CityStuart

Is Wisne Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?

33%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 5 of 15 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $11K. How we count

Medians: $13K first-time, $10K repeat.

  • 60% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving grew 21% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 115% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2024). 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

$0$100K$200K$300K9 grants2019 10 grants2020 9 grants2021 22 grants2022 13 grants2023 15 grants2024

From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $95K (2019) to $215K (2022). In 2024 it made 15 grants totaling $172K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
U of D Jesuit High School & Academy Detroit, MIGeneral$35,000
Everglades Foundation Palmetto Bay, FLGeneral$20,000
Project Lift St Palm City, FLGeneral$20,000
Mercy High School Farmington Hills, MIGeneral$15,000
Great Lakes Center for the Arts Bay Harbor, MIGeneral$12,500
Dr Phillips Center for Performing Arts Orlando, FLGeneral$10,000
Holy Family Catholic Church Orlando, FLGeneral$10,000
Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra Orlando, FLGeneral$10,000
The University of Findlay Findlay, OHGeneral$10,000
Detroit Institute of Arts Detroit, MIGeneral$10,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2024$2,834,664$236,945$209,551$171,80015$189,007$217,804$164,754
2023$2,807,270$147,860$141,958$106,50013$122,671$129,707$153,810
2022$2,801,368$180,694$255,974$215,00022$231,871$153,511$161,247
2021$2,909,789$284,880$177,112$142,5009$158,930$239,277$180,042
2020$2,906,186$92,192$160,468$115,00010—$61,015$157,597
2019$2,879,601$1,330,912$118,160$94,5009—$276,167$116,368

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Wisne Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $165K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations in education, the performing arts, and other areas. The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate some of their work: Project LIFT says it serves at-risk teens and their families through substance-use treatment, mental-health counseling, mentoring, and vocational training. Great Lakes Center for the Arts says it presents performing arts and educational opportunities in Northern Michigan. The University of Findlay says its mission is to equip students for meaningful lives and productive careers. The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra describes its work as promoting symphonic music through performance, education, and cultural leadership.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation gave $171,800 through 15 grants. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $35,000, with a median of $10,000. Its annual grant totals were $106,500 across 13 grants in 2023 and $215,000 across 22 grants in 2022.

Notable 2024 grants included $35,000 to U of D Jesuit High School & Academy, $20,000 each to Everglades Foundation and Project LIFT, $15,000 to Mercy High School, and $12,500 to Great Lakes Center for the Arts. Other grants included $10,000 each to Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts, Holy Family Catholic Church, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, The University of Findlay, and Detroit Institute of Arts; $5,000 each to Folds of Honor and Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund. Orlando Health Foundation received $4,000.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Joseph L. Wisne as president, treasurer, and director; Alan L. Wisne as director; and Samuel Lebowski as secretary and director.

Wisne Charitable Foundation is led by Joseph L. Wisne, President, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Joseph L. Wisne

    President, Treasurer & Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Alan L. Wisne

    Director

    Vice President & Director → Director, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Samuel Lebowski

    Secretary & Director

    New on the 2024 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Steven E. Davis (2019–2023) — Secretary & Director

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 Wisne Charitable Foundation

How much does Wisne Charitable Foundation give each year?

Wisne Charitable Foundation gave $172K across 15 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $107K across 13 grants.

What is Wisne Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?

Wisne Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $11,453, across 15 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Wisne Charitable Foundation that year got $12K on average.

Where does Wisne Charitable Foundation give grants?

Wisne Charitable Foundation's top state is Florida, with 46% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Michigan (45%) and Ohio (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Orlando, FL (4 grants) and Detroit, MI (2 grants).

Does Wisne Charitable Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Wisne Charitable Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Wisne Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?

Wisne Charitable Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include U of D Jesuit High School & Academy ($35,000), Everglades Foundation ($20,000) and Project Lift ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Wisne Charitable Foundation?

Wisne Charitable Foundation reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $189K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $165K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Wisne Charitable Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations in education, the performing arts, and other areas. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Wisne Charitable Foundation?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Wisne Charitable Foundation's EIN?

Wisne Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-3269446. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.

Does Wisne Charitable Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑

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

Data update history

(7)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 13, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 24, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 11, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 16, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 10, 2024)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 15, 2025)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Wisne Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wisne-charitable-foundation-morg_f467ce0aa0d44c28a8b83a43142c40d4

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_383269446_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Wisne Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/wisne-charitable-foundation-morg_f467ce0aa0d44c28a8b83a43142c40d4},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Wisne Charitable 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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