Skip to content
Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust at a glance

· Private foundation

Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust

Its FY2024 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$632k
Granted FY2024still arriving
15
Grants FY2024still arriving
5
States reached
$410k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
0189% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2022 to 2024.

Environment$174kHealth$116kArts & Culture$106kEducation$81kInternational$40kAnimals$25kCivil Rights$20kScience & Tech$16kOther$0
02FY2024 · 15 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2024

  • Under $10k3 grants · $17k
  • $10k–50k10 grants · $130k
  • $50k–250k1 grant · $75k
  • $250k+1 grant · $410k
$10,000
Median grant
5
States reached
$11M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
Individual grant recipient$410,000
Individual grant recipient$75,000
PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF WISCONSIN INC$20,000
THE CLEARING FOLK SCHOOL$15,000
ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND$15,000
NRDC$15,000
WILDERNESS SOCIETY$15,000
WOMEN'S MEDICAL FUND$10,000
WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO$10,000
EAGLE SCHOOL - ANDY WRIGHT DIRECTOR$10,000
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS$10,000
WIS ACADEMY$10,000
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN BIRD ALLIANCE$7,500
BACH DANCING AND DYNAMITE SOCIETY$5,000
THE FOUNDRY$4,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Dollar for dollar, its grants (FY22–24) land where the poverty rate runs at 11%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 12% of its dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants skew toward lower-need ZIPs.

area typical 11%DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: $10k → 17%MS SOCIETY: $5k → 5%DRIFTLESS AREA LAND CONSERVANCY: $5k → 9%ACLU FOUNDATION OF WISCONSIN: $5k → 17%NRDC: $15k → 14%MIT FOR GLASS LAB: $5k → 8%DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: $10k → 17%MS SOCIETY: $5k → 5%DRIFTLESS AREA LAND CONSERVANCY: $5k → 9%PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF WISCONSIN INC: $20k → 10%ACLU FOUNDATION OF WISCONSIN: $5k → 17%NRDC: $15k → 14%MIT FOR GLASS LAB: $5k → 8%DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: $10k → 17%WILDERNESS SOCIETY: $15k → 14%THE CLEARING FOLK SCHOOL: $15k → 8%PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF WISCONSIN INC: $20k → 10%NRDC: $15k → 14%BRENNEN CENTER FOR JUSTICE: $5k → 17%WILDERNESS SOCIETY: $15k → 14%THE CLEARING FOLK SCHOOL: $15k → 8%PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF WISCONSIN INC: $20k → 10%BRENNEN CENTER FOR JUSTICE: $5k → 17%WILDERNESS SOCIETY: $15k → 14%THE CLEARING FOLK SCHOOL: $15k → 8%PBS WISCONSIN: $75k → 10%ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND: $15k → 17%PBS WISCONSIN: $75k → 10%ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND: $15k → 17%PBS WISCONSIN: $75k → 10%ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND: $15k → 17%WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO: $10k → 10%WIS ACADEMY: $10k → 10%WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO: $10k → 10%WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO: $10k → 10%WIS ACADEMY: $10k → 10%WIS ACADEMY: $10k → 10%WIS NATURE CONSERVANCY: $410k → 10%WIS NATURE CONSERVANCY: $350k → 10%WIS NATURE CONSERVANCY: $350k → 10%AUDUBON SOCIETY MADISON: $8k → 10%AUDUBON SOCIETY MADISON: $8k → 10%SOUTHERN WISCONSIN BIRD ALLIANCE: $8k → 10%WISCONSIN SCIENCE MUSEUM: $5k → 10%WISCONSIN SCIENCE MUSEUM: $5k → 10%EAGLE SCHOOL - ANDY WRIGHT DIRECTOR: $10k → 10%EAGLE SCHOOL - ANDY WRIGHT DIRECTOR: $10k → 10%EAGLE SCHOOL - ANDY WRIGHT DIRECTOR: $10k → 10%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.

Which US states its grants reach

MN
IL
WI
NY
MA
PA
AZ
AR
DC
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

99%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$1.9M · 46 repeat orgs$21k to everyone else

46 repeat relationships: 13 still active in FY2024, 33 since wound down; 2 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

46
4

Total granted

$1.9M
$10k

Still filing today

48%
0%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 98% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $12k went to new ones.

50%100%’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’22’23’24
EnvironmentHealthInternationalEducationAnimalsArts & CultureOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND INCORPORATED
    3× · 2022–2024 · $45k · revenue +56%
  • WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO ASSOCIATION INC
    3× · 2022–2024 · $30k · revenue +28%
  • MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES USA INC
    3× · 2022–2024 · $30k · revenue +13%

Funded once

  • UF
    UW FOUNDATION SCIENCE INITIATIVE
    one grant, 2022 · $4k
  • FO
    FRIENDS OF LAKESHORE PRESERVE
    one grant, 2023 · $2k
  • UF
    UW FOUNDATION - LAKESHORE NATURE PRESERVE
    one grant, 2022 · $2k
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association Inc

To protect, conserve, and enhance wisconsin's natural resources by advocating for and supporting county conservation efforts, for current and future generations.

Environment
2
American Water Works Association

To promote public health, safety, and welfare through the improvement of the quality and quantity of drinking water and the development and furtherance of understanding of the problems relating thereto.

Public Benefit
3
National Association of Clean Water Agencies

Nacwa is the national voice of public clean water utilities, shaping water policy, convening a vibrant peer network, and empowering water leaders.

—
4
Midwest Dairy Association

Midwest dairy works with others to give consumers an excellent dairy experience increasing sales, fostering innovation, and inspiring consumer confidence of dairy products and practices.

—
5
The Water Research Foundation

The purpose of the water research foundation (wrf) is a definitive research organization to advance the science of all things water to better meet the evolving needs of its subscribers and the water sector. to engage exclusively in…

Environment
6
Natural Resources Foundation of

To protect wisconsin's lands, waters, and wildlife by providing funding, leading partnerships, and connecting all people with nature.

—
7
Midwest Environmental Advocates Inc

Midwest environmental advocates is a nonprofit law center that combines the power of law with the resolve of communities facing environmental injustice to secure and protect the rights of all people to healthy water, land, and air.

Crime & Legal
8
Gathering Waters Inc

Gathering waters (wisconsin's alliance for land trusts) strengthens land trusts to protect wisconsin's special places and grow healthy, vibrant communities. the stronger the alliance between gathering waters' staff and board members, land…

Environment
9
Wisconsin Waterfowl Association Inc

The purpose of the association shall be to restore and conserve wisconsin's waterfowl and wetland resources; to educate state waterfowlers during their progression from natural resource consumer to steward; and to promote governmental…

Environment
10
Wisconsin Association of Health Plans Inc

Promote a positive state legislative and regulatory climate for wisconsin's community health plans. the association communicates with regulatory agencies to promote issue positions representing community health plans.

—
11
Montana Wildlife Federation

The montana wildlife federation is a statewide conservation organization dedicated to protecting wildlife, wildlife habitat, and public access for outdoor recreation.

Animals
12
Wetlands America Trust Inc

Wetlands america trust, inc. is a nonprofit organization formed in 1985 to expand ducks unlimited, inc's mission to provide leadership in the protection of the natural balance of wetlands ecosystems ensuring the future viability of…

Environment
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is The River Alliance of Wisconsin Inc; the most unlike its peers is International Rescue Committee Inc. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

23 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 23 of the 52 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
2
Early backer (in before they grew)
23/23
Grantees still filing
12/23
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

Individual grant recipient: $1,110,000 · OtherIndividual grant recipientIndividual grant recipient: $225,000 · OtherIndividual grant recipient+28 more: $307,500 · Other+28 moreTHE WILDERNESS SOCIETY: $45,000 · EnvironmentENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND INCORPORATED: $45,000 · EnvironmentDRIFTLESS AREA LAND CONSERVANCY INC: $10,000 · EnvironmentSOUTHERN WISCONSIN BIRD ALLIANCE INC: $7,500 · EnvironmentTHE RIVER ALLIANCE OF WISCONSIN INC: $4,000 · Environment+1 more: $1,000 · EnvironmentPLANNED PARENTHOOD OF WISCONSIN INC: $60,000 · HealthWOMEN'S MEDICAL FUND INC: $30,000 · HealthAgrace HospiceCare Foundation Inc: $5,000 · Health+1 more: $2,000 · HealthMEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES USA INC: $30,000 · InternationalInternational Rescue Committee INC: $4,000 · InternationalAMNESTY INTERNATIONAL OF THE USA INC: $4,000 · InternationalTHE UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS INC: $2,000 · InternationalWISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO ASSOCIATION INC: $30,000 · Arts & CultureMADISON PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION INC: $6,000 · EducationMATHEMATICAL STAIRCASE: $5,000 · EducationAMERICAN CONSTITUTION SOCIETY FOR LAW & POLICY: $5,000 · EducationFRIENDS OF LAKE WINGRA INC: $2,000 · EducationTHE RIDGES SANCTUARY INC: $4,000 · AnimalsCENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY INC: $2,000 · AnimalsSECOND HARVEST FOODBANK OF SOUTHERN WI: $4,000 · Food & Nutrition
Other$1,642,500Environment$112,500Health$97,000International$40,000Arts & Culture$30,000Education$18,000Animals$6,000Food & Nutrition$4,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$10k$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetPLANNED PARENTHOOD OF WISCONSIN INC: $60,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetTHE WILDERNESS SOCIETY: $45,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND INCORPORATED: $45,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetWISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO ASSOCIATION INC: $30,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetMEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES USA INC: $30,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetWOMEN'S MEDICAL FUND INC: $30,000 over 3y, 1.0% of budgetDRIFTLESS AREA LAND CONSERVANCY INC: $10,000 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetSOUTHERN WISCONSIN BIRD ALLIANCE INC: $7,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetMADISON PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION INC: $6,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetAgrace HospiceCare Foundation Inc: $5,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetMATHEMATICAL STAIRCASE: $5,000 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetAMERICAN CONSTITUTION SOCIETY FOR LAW & POLICY: $5,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetTHE RIDGES SANCTUARY INC: $4,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetInternational Rescue Committee INC: $4,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetTHE RIVER ALLIANCE OF WISCONSIN INC: $4,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetSECOND HARVEST FOODBANK OF SOUTHERN WI: $4,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetHABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF DANE COUNTY INC: $4,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetAMNESTY INTERNATIONAL OF THE USA INC: $4,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY INC: $2,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetTHE UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS INC: $2,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetALZHEIMER'S DISEASE & RELATED DISORDERS ASSOCIATION INC: $2,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetFRIENDS OF LAKE WINGRA INC: $2,000 over 2y, 13% of budgetCLEAN LAKES ALLIANCE INC: $1,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

  • Who funds PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF WISCONSIN INC ↗
  • Who funds THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY ↗
  • Who funds ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND INCORPORATED ↗
  • Who funds WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO ASSOCIATION INC ↗
  • Who funds MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES USA INC ↗
  • Who funds WOMEN'S MEDICAL FUND INC ↗
  • Who funds DRIFTLESS AREA LAND CONSERVANCY INC ↗
  • Who funds SOUTHERN WISCONSIN BIRD ALLIANCE INC ↗
  • Who funds MADISON PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION INC ↗
  • Who funds Agrace HospiceCare Foundation Inc ↗
  • Who funds MATHEMATICAL STAIRCASE ↗
  • Who funds AMERICAN CONSTITUTION SOCIETY FOR LAW & POLICY ↗
  • Who funds THE RIDGES SANCTUARY INC ↗
  • Who funds International Rescue Committee INC ↗
  • Who funds THE RIVER ALLIANCE OF WISCONSIN INC ↗
  • Who funds SECOND HARVEST FOODBANK OF SOUTHERN WI ↗
  • Who funds HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF DANE COUNTY INC ↗
  • Who funds AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL OF THE USA INC ↗

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Madison Community Fou…Alliant Energy Founda…Madison Gas and Elect…Sandy Oaks Foundation…John J Frautschi Fami…The Evjue Foundation …United Way of Dane Co…PatagoniaorgBaird Foundation IncGe Aerospace Foundati…WK Kellogg FoundationVanguard Charitable E…
Madison Community FoundationWI19.7× affinity7 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Madison Community Foundation · Alliant Energy Foundation Inc · Madison Gas and Electric Foundation Inc · Sandy Oaks Foundation Douglas W Caves · John J Frautschi Family Foundation Inc · The Evjue Foundation Inc · United Way of Dane County Inc · Patagoniaorg · Baird Foundation Inc · Ge Aerospace Foundation · WK Kellogg Foundation · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 10%1%4%8%15%funder's share of their income ↑0%10%20%30%40%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    1get no government money at all
    5report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–40%
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 52 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

    How this is measured
    Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

    Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2024, released 2024. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Powers-Wolfe’s filings →

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The endowment market
    who holds foundation money, and what just moved
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home