Bader Philanthropies gives in a highly relationship-driven way, with a handful of very large grants and many smaller gifts to organizations connected to Milwaukee, Jewish life, education, and community well-being. A major share of the portfolio supports Jewish institutions and Jewish education in Milwaukee, alongside select investments in local arts, neighborhood development, and educational pathways. The foundation also backs a few distinctive outliers—such as Queen’s University at Kingston and the Wiener Holocaust Library—suggesting personal ties and a strong interest in Jewish heritage and learning.
Highly concentrated giving with a few outsized grants and a small set of repeat or closely aligned grantees; tends to make general-support gifts to institutions with clear community, Jewish, or educational ties rather than spreading funds broadly across many issue areas.
Notable grantees: Queen's University at Kingston, Milwaukee Jewish Federation, Lubavitch of Wisconsin, Inc, Hillel Academy, Inc, Milwaukee Art Museum, Inc
Bader Philanthropies Inc. stands out for its very large, scheduled general-purpose grants: the three recent awards in the file were $45,286,451 in 2025, $32,697,652 in 2024, and $27,480,157 in 2023, each recorded to "See Attached Schedule." That pattern points to a foundation that moves substantial resources through formal distribution mechanisms rather than a long list of small project grants. The grant record also shows flexibility in use, with the distributions described as GENERAL. In the broader program list, the foundation supports older adults, youth, Jewish education, addiction recovery, neighborhood engagement, and community wellbeing, which helps explain how a single funder can operate through both broad institutional support and named program areas. Two examples from the current program lineup are its work on Alzheimer’s and healthy aging in Wisconsin and its Jewish education grants in the Greater Milwaukee Area. Those areas sit alongside neighborhood-focused grantmaking in Milwaukee and social-equality work in Israel and Czechia, showing a mix of local concentration and select international activity in the program framework.
A clear thread in the program list is support for older adults and caregivers. Under Alzheimer’s & Healthy Aging, Bader Philanthropies Inc. supports services and support for Alzheimer’s and other dementias, basic needs, healthy aging programming, education and awareness, and older adult employment in Wisconsin. Another major theme is youth development in Milwaukee: the HOPE strategy supports youth ages 24 and younger through arts, recreation, education, leadership, and socioemotional learning. The foundation also backs Jewish education in the Greater Milwaukee Area, including tuition assistance for families, teacher benefits, facilities, and teaching and learning. Beyond education and aging, it funds addiction recovery work, including sober living, workforce development, restorative community programs, capital support, and community events related to recovery.
The recent grant data show a very tight grant-size band: the 25th percentile is $30,088,904, the median is $32,697,652, and the 75th percentile is $38,992,052. In the file, all recorded recent awards are large general grants listed under an attached schedule, which suggests pooled or administrative distributions rather than many individually itemized project awards. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and also makes program-related investments. The available grant record is highly concentrated: the latest 990 year on file is 2025, and the recent grants shown are all in Wisconsin.
$68.9M
$31.5M
$80.9M
$77.5M
Most grants fall between $15K and $50K, with a median of $30K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$30K
75th Percentile
$50K
Top 9 recipient countries by grant volume for Bader Philanthropies.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 403 | $21.5M | 76.5% |
| 2 | Israel | 87 |
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Giving is strongly concentrated in Wisconsin: 100% of the grants in the recipient-country distribution are in the US, and the top state by grant count is WI. The named program geography points most often to Milwaukee, including the Greater Milwaukee Area, Harambee neighborhood, Milwaukee’s 53212 ZIP Code, and Milwaukee broadly. The program list also includes specific international grantmaking in Israel and Czechia, but those are program designations rather than the recipient-country distribution in the recent-grants file.
The program list includes Alzheimer’s and healthy aging, youth development in Milwaukee, Jewish education in the Greater Milwaukee Area, addiction recovery, neighborhood engagement in Harambee, community matters grants for basic needs and wellbeing, and social equality grants in Israel and Czechia.
The grant-size distribution is very high and tightly clustered: the 25th percentile is $30,088,904, the median is $32,697,652, and the 75th percentile is $38,992,052.
Yes. The funder is marked as making program-related investments, in addition to being classified as a regular funder.
The top state by grant count is Wisconsin, and the recipient-country distribution shows 100% of the grants in the file went to US recipients.
Yes. The active programs span older adult services, youth development, Jewish education, addiction recovery, neighborhood engagement, community wellbeing, and social equality initiatives, showing a mix of local, state, and select international program areas.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
| $3.9M |
16.5% |
| 3 | Czech Republic | 21 | $771K | 4.0% |
| 4 | Slovakia | 7 | $153K | 1.3% |
| 5 | Ukraine | 3 | $82K | 0.6% |
| 6 | Canada | 2 | $5.4M | 0.4% |
| 7 | United Kingdom | 2 | $272K | 0.4% |
| 8 | Australia | 1 | $100K | 0.2% |
| 9 | Austria | 1 | $72K | 0.2% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Current and upcoming funding from Bader Philanthropies that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Community-based organizations and initiatives fitting the geographic and strategic boundaries of the program.
Deadline: May 31 or November 30 preliminary application deadlines.
Who can apply: Nonprofits with projects fitting Bader Philanthropies’ geographic and strategic boundaries.
Deadline: May 31 or November 30 preliminary application deadlines.
Who can apply: Nonprofits with projects fitting Bader Philanthropies’ geographic and strategic boundaries.
Deadline: May 31 or November 30 preliminary application deadlines.
Who can apply: Nonprofits with projects fitting Bader Philanthropies’ geographic and strategic boundaries.
Deadline: May 31 or November 30 preliminary application deadlines.
Who can apply: Organizations serving young people and educational needs within Milwaukee’s 53212 ZIP Code, especially Harambee.
Deadline: May 31 or November 30 preliminary application deadlines.
Who can apply: Nonprofits with projects fitting Bader Philanthropies’ geographic and strategic boundaries.
Deadline: May 31 or November 30 preliminary application deadlines.
Who can apply: Nonpartisan nonprofits with projects fitting Bader Philanthropies’ geographic and strategic boundaries.
Deadline: May 31 or November 30 preliminary application deadlines.
Who can apply: Nonprofits with projects fitting Bader Philanthropies’ geographic and strategic boundaries.
Deadline: May 31 or November 30 preliminary application deadlines.
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Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen's University at Kingston | Kingston | $5,392,000 | 2024 | General |
| Milwaukee Art Museum, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $1,587,500 | 2024 | General |
| The Waldorf School Association of the Delaware River Valley | Upper Black Eddy, PA | $1,135,000 | 2024 | General |
| The Opportunity Center, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $1,000,000 | 2024 | General |
| Lubavitch of Wisconsin, Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $750,000 | 2024 | General |
| Shalem Healing, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $400,000 | 2024 | General |
| The Milwaukee Jewish Federation, Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $393,000 | 2024 | General |
| Tzad Iti (a.r.) | Jerusalem | $388,000 | 2024 | General |
| Messmer Catholic Schools | Milwaukee, WI | $320,000 | 2024 | General |
| Hillel Academy, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $310,000 | 2024 | General |
| Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $302,500 | 2024 | General |
| 4th Dimension Sobriety, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $286,000 | 2024 | General |
| Harry and Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $274,700 | 2024 | General |
| Skyrocket Education Inc. | Merrick, NY | $253,250 | 2024 | General |
| The UWM Foundation, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $252,000 | 2024 | General |
| Reading & Math, Inc. | Minneapolis, MN | $250,000 | 2024 | General |
| African American Leadership Alliance - Milwaukee, Inc, | Milwaukee, WI | $250,000 | 2024 | General |
| Milwaukee Area Technical College Foundation, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $240,000 | 2024 | General |
| Riverworks Development Corporation | Milwaukee, WI | $230,000 | 2024 | General |
| Northcott Neighborhood House, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $222,500 | 2024 | General |
| The Wiener Holocaust Library | London | $200,000 | 2024 | General |
| Cardinal Stritch University, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $200,000 | 2024 | General |
| Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $200,000 | 2024 | General |
| Greater Milwaukee Committee for Community Development | Milwaukee, WI | $166,860 | 2024 | General |
| Jewish Beginnings Lubavitch Preschool | Milwaukee, WI | $155,000 | 2024 | General |
| Milwaukee Jewish Day School, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $155,000 | 2024 | General |
| Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System | Madison, WI | $150,000 | 2024 | General |
| Masaryk University - Department of Chemistry | Brno | $150,000 | 2024 | General |
| Phoenix Multisport, Inc. (dba The Phoenix) | Denver, CO | $150,000 | 2024 | General |
| JobsWork MKE, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $150,000 | 2024 | General |
| American Chemical Society | Washington, D.C | $150,000 | 2024 | General |
| GPS Education Partners, Inc. | Pewaukee, WI | $125,000 | 2024 | General |
| Hmong American Peace Academy Foundation, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $125,000 | 2024 | General |
| Friends of the University of Sussex | Wilmington, DE | $124,000 | 2024 | General |
| WestCare Wisconsin, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $120,000 | 2024 | General |
| Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $120,000 | 2024 | General |
| Hope Christian Schools, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $120,000 | 2024 | General |
| Jewish Funders Network | New York, NY | $111,176 | 2024 | General |
| St. Anne's Univeristy Hospital Brno | Brno | $110,000 | 2024 | General |
| St. Marcus Evangelical Lutheran Church, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $105,000 | 2024 | General |
| United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $105,000 | 2024 | General |
| Qudra - Arab Philanthropists Network (r.a.) | Nazareth | $100,000 | 2024 | General |
| Hmong-American Friendship Association, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $100,000 | 2024 | General |
| BizStarts Milwaukee Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $100,000 | 2024 | General |
| MMAC Community Support Foundation, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $100,000 | 2024 | General |
| Victoria University | Melbourne | $100,000 | 2024 | General |
| Sanad Association - Mentoring and Volunteering (a.r.) | Jatt Hamesholash | $100,000 | 2024 | General |
| Radio Milwaukee, Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $100,000 | 2024 | General |
| Aurora Health Care Foundation, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $100,000 | 2024 | General |
| Urban Ecology Center, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | $100,000 | 2024 | General |
Queen's University at Kingston
$5,392,000General
The Waldorf School Association of the Delaware River Valley
$1,135,000General
The Opportunity Center, Inc.
$1,000,000General
Lubavitch of Wisconsin, Inc
$750,000General
Shalem Healing, Inc.
$400,000General
Tzad Iti (a.r.)
$388,000General
Messmer Catholic Schools
$320,000General
Hillel Academy, Inc.
$310,000General
4th Dimension Sobriety, Inc.
$286,000General
Skyrocket Education Inc.
$253,250General
African American Leadership Alliance - Milwaukee, Inc,
$250,000General
The Wiener Holocaust Library
$200,000General
Cardinal Stritch University, Inc.
$200,000General
Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee, Inc.
$200,000General
Jewish Beginnings Lubavitch Preschool
$155,000General
Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
$150,000General
Masaryk University - Department of Chemistry
$150,000General
American Chemical Society
$150,000General
Hmong American Peace Academy Foundation, Inc.
$125,000General
Friends of the University of Sussex
$124,000General
WestCare Wisconsin, Inc.
$120,000General
Hope Christian Schools, Inc.
$120,000General
St. Anne's Univeristy Hospital Brno
$110,000General
St. Marcus Evangelical Lutheran Church, Inc.
$105,000General
Qudra - Arab Philanthropists Network (r.a.)
$100,000General
BizStarts Milwaukee Inc
$100,000General
Victoria University
$100,000General
Sanad Association - Mentoring and Volunteering (a.r.)
$100,000General
Aurora Health Care Foundation, Inc.
$100,000General
