The Alpha A. Wetenkamp Charitable Trust concentrates its philanthropy on higher education in the Milwaukee/Wauwatosa region, providing repeat, multi-thousand dollar grants to private colleges and universities. Its support appears institution-focused rather than program-specific, likely for general operating support, scholarships, or capital for regional higher‑education institutions. The pattern suggests a preference for sustaining local postsecondary institutions, including faith-affiliated and specialized schools.
A defining feature of Alpha a Wetenkamp Charitable Trust is its repeated support for Milwaukee-area private colleges and universities, with Marquette University receiving the largest recent award at $40,000 in 2025 after a $30,000 grant in 2024. The trust’s giving is tightly centered on higher education in southeastern Wisconsin, and the recent record shows a small set of institutional recipients appearing year after year. Marquette, Carroll University, Alverno College, and Milwaukee School of Engineering each appear in the recent grants list, all in Wisconsin and all in the education category. The pattern points to institution-level support rather than a wide range of programmatic grants. Award sizes are consistent enough to suggest a steady funding relationship, with most recent grants at $20,000 and one larger grant to Marquette above that level. The trust’s portfolio is compact and local, and the named beneficiaries are all regional postsecondary institutions serving different niches within the Milwaukee and Waukesha area. Taken together, the recent record shows a funder focused on sustaining nearby colleges rather than dispersing support across many fields or geographies.
Higher education is the trust’s main giving area, and the recent grants show support for several distinct institutions. Marquette University received $40,000 in 2025 for education, following a $30,000 grant in 2024. Carroll University received $20,000 in 2025 for education, continuing a prior $20,000 award in 2024. Alverno College also received $20,000 in 2025 and $20,000 in 2024. Milwaukee School of Engineering received $20,000 in both 2025 and 2024. Across these grants, the common thread is institutional support for Milwaukee and Waukesha-area colleges and universities rather than one-off project funding.
The trust’s recent awards cluster around a narrow band: p25 is $20,000, the median is $20,000, and p75 is $22,500. That distribution shows steady mid-sized grants with one larger outlier. The same institutions recur across years, indicating repeat support rather than isolated awards. All of the recent grants are to organizations in Wisconsin, and the trust does not fund individuals. The portfolio size and annual grant total also point to a relatively focused giving operation, with grants concentrated in a small set of local higher-education recipients.
$240K
$6.1M
$366K
$320K
Most grants fall between $20K and $23K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$23K
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Concentrated, mid‑sized grants to a small set of repeat grantees (each receiving multiple awards); geographically focused on Milwaukee-area colleges and universities rather than a broad national portfolio.
Notable grantees: Marquette University, Alverno College, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Carroll University
All recent grants in the sample go to Wisconsin recipients, so the trust’s giving is entirely within its home state in this dataset. Milwaukee appears repeatedly, with awards to several city-based institutions, while Waukesha is also represented through Carroll University. The geographic pattern is local and concentrated in the Milwaukee/Wauwatosa region rather than spread across multiple states or countries. The recipient country distribution is 100% US.
The recent grants list shows support for private higher education institutions, including Marquette University, Carroll University, Alverno College, and Milwaukee School of Engineering. All four are Wisconsin colleges or universities, and the awards are listed under education.
Yes. Marquette University appears in both 2025 and 2024, Carroll University appears in both years, Alverno College appears in both years, and Milwaukee School of Engineering appears in both years. The pattern shows recurring support rather than one-time awards.
The grant-size distribution is tightly grouped: p25 is $20,000, the median is $20,000, and p75 is $22,500. In the recent list, most awards are $20,000, with one larger grant of $40,000 to Marquette University.
In the recent grants shown, every award goes to a Wisconsin recipient. The recipient cities include Milwaukee and Waukesha, and the country distribution is entirely US-based.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARROLL UNIVERSITY | WAUKESHA, WI | $100,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY | MILWAUKEE, WI | $100,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| ALVERNO COLLEGE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $20,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| MILWAUKEE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING | MILWAUKEE, WI | $20,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY | MILWAUKEE, WI | $40,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| MILWAUKEE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING | MILWAUKEE, WI | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| CARROLL UNIVERSITY | WAUKESHA, WI | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| ALVERNO COLLEGE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY | MILWAUKEE, WI | $30,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| ALVERNO COLLEGE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $20,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| MILWAUKEE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING | MILWAUKEE, WI | $20,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| CARROLL UNIVERSITY | WAUKESHA, WI | $20,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
ALVERNO COLLEGE
$20,000EDUCATION
EDUCATION
ALVERNO COLLEGE
$20,000EDUCATION
ALVERNO COLLEGE
$20,000EDUCATION