Franklin I & Irene List Saemann Foundation
ActiveMutual & Membership Benefit
About Franklin I & Irene List Saemann Foundation
The Saemann Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on higher education, making large, repeat donations to a small number of private Midwestern colleges, and provides occasional support to local community social-service efforts. Most dollars flow to two colleges via multiple gifts, indicating long-term institutional relationships rather than one-off grants. The foundation appears regionally focused and prioritizes sustaining denominational or small liberal-arts institutions alongside modest local human services giving.
Focus Areas
Repeated major donations to private Midwestern liberal arts colleges (e.g., Wartburg College, Carthage College)Support for Lutheran-affiliated or small faith-based higher-education institutionsUnrestricted/major gift funding for college operations/capitalLocal community social services in the Morrison, IL region
Who They Fund
private Midwestern colleges (e.g., Wartburg, Carthage)Lutheran-affiliated/faith-based higher-education institutionssmall liberal arts institutions
About Franklin I & Irene List Saemann Foundation
Franklin I & Irene List Saemann Foundation’s giving is defined by a small set of repeat institutional relationships, especially Wartburg College and Carthage College, which each received major donations in consecutive years. That pattern makes the foundation stand out as a donor that sustains specific colleges over time rather than moving across a wide roster of causes. Recent grants also show support for Wartburg Theological Seminary, reinforcing the foundation’s connection to Lutheran or faith-linked higher education. Beyond colleges and seminaries, the foundation makes smaller gifts to regional nonprofits in Indiana and nearby states, including human services, senior services, and community organizations. The recent grant list shows this mix clearly: large annual donations to private Midwestern colleges sit alongside smaller local gifts in Warsaw, Indiana, and occasional support for churches, libraries, and social-service providers. The foundation’s work is regional in scope, but its strongest pattern is concentrated support for a few institutions that appear year after year in its grant history. That combination of higher-education focus and repeated giving shapes how researchers should read the foundation’s grantmaking.
What Franklin I & Irene List Saemann Foundation Funds
Higher education anchors the foundation’s work. In 2024 and 2025, it gave $80,000 to Wartburg College each year, and $70,000 to Carthage College each year, showing ongoing support for private Midwestern colleges. The pattern extends to theological education as well: Wartburg Theological Seminary received $20,000 in both 2024 and 2025, after a $17,000 gift in 2023. Local community services also appear in the grant list. Combined Community Services received $28,500 in 2023 and another $5,000 in 2025, while Kosciusko Community Senior Services was supported with $24,750 in 2023 and $10,000 in both 2024 and 2025. Smaller gifts also went to Cardinal Services Inc and Heartline Pregnancy Center in Warsaw, Indiana.
How Franklin I & Irene List Saemann Foundation Gives
Typical grants are modest relative to the largest awards: the distribution runs from a p25 of $1,750 to a median of $4,750 and a p75 of $24,750. The recent record also shows a clear split between a few large, repeated institutional gifts and many smaller community awards. Wartburg College, Carthage College, and Wartburg Theological Seminary appear across multiple years, indicating ongoing relationships rather than one-time support. The foundation operates as a grantmaking foundation rather than an individual donor, and its grant programs include annual and general grants. One program notes that it accepts unsolicited requests; another says it does not, and the foundation historically considered requests each June or at an annual distribution meeting.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$210K
Total Assets
$5.3M
Total Revenue
$582K
Total Expenses
$418K
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $2K and $25K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$25K
Geographic Reach
Regional8 states funded
About 3% of grants go to recipients in IN.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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