The Hugh & Helena Brogan Foundation concentrates on locally focused, mission-driven nonprofits in Wisconsin with an emphasis on conservation, faith-based ministries, and basic human services. They support both environmental stewardship projects (land, native species, bird protection) and community needs like family homelessness, pregnancy/maternity supports, and literacy/dyslexia interventions, often through modest, recurring grants. Many grantees are faith-affiliated or faith-adjacent organizations, and the foundation appears to favor capital projects and program-level support alongside general operating gifts.
A recurring cluster of grants to Wisconsin conservation and human-services organizations defines Hugh & Helena Brogan Foundation Inc. The foundation has supported land restoration, land-trust capacity, maternity-home services, family homelessness prevention, and faith-based ministry, usually with grants in the low thousands. Recent support includes multiple awards to Ridges Sanctuary Inc for orchid restoration and dwarf iris work, and repeated funding for Family Promise of Waukesha County for homelessness prevention and shelter programs. That same pattern appears across other grantees: Carenet Pregnancy Center of Dane Co for maternity home support, Gathering Waters Conservancy for land-trust training and conservation finance, and The Salvation Army for general funding. The grant history suggests a local Wisconsin funder that mixes environmental stewardship with direct-service needs and religiously affiliated programs. Its awards also extend to literacy and dyslexia services, bird protection, and capital improvements for small community organizations. Several recipients appear in more than one year, indicating ongoing relationships rather than isolated gifts.
In conservation, the foundation backed Ridges Sanctuary Inc with $3,000 for orchid restoration and dwarf iris work in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and also gave $2,000 to The Nature Conservancy for conservation projects in 2023, 2024, and 2025. For land-trust capacity, Gathering Waters Conservancy received $2,500 in 2023 for GIS services and conferences to support land-trust services, $2,500 in 2024 for conservation financing, land conservation law, and marketing, and $2,500 in 2025 for relaunching the Wisconsin land trust conference. In human services, the foundation gave $4,000 to Carenet Pregnancy Center of Dane Cou for maternity home support and $4,000 to Family Promise of Waukesha County for family homelessness prevention and shelter programs. It also supported literacy work through Learning Atrium with $3,000 for dyslexia reading sessions.
Typical grants are modest: the p25 is $1,500, the median is $2,000, and the p75 is $3,000. The recent record shows repeat awards to the same organizations across multiple years, including conservation, homelessness, and faith-based grantees, which points to ongoing relationships rather than one-time gifts. The foundation makes program-specific, restricted, and capital-focused grants, and it also gives general funding in at least one recent case. It funds individuals and does not make program-related investments.
$37K
$668K
$70K
$45K
Most grants fall between $2K and $3K, with a median of $2K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$2K
75th Percentile
$3K
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Relatively small-to-moderate grants distributed across many local nonprofits with frequent repeat, multi-year gifts to a subset of organizations; mix of programmatic and capital support with an emphasis on community-level impact rather than large single transformational grants.
Notable grantees: Family Promise of Waukesha County, Ridges Sanctuary, Inc., Gathering Waters Conservancy, Evangelical Catholic, Natural Resource Foundation (WI)
Giving is highly concentrated in Wisconsin, with 94% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recipient cities in the recent record include Madison, Waukesha, Middleton, Baileys Harbor, Three Lakes, Rhinelander, Sinsinawa, Oconomowoc, and Milwaukee. The only non-Wisconsin recipient in the recent grants list is Covenant House Michigan in Detroit, which sits outside the foundation’s otherwise local footprint.
Recent grants show support for conservation groups, maternity and homelessness services, literacy and dyslexia programs, faith-based ministries, and local capital projects. Examples in the record include conservation work, shelter and prevention programs, ministry scholarships, and dyslexia reading sessions.
The foundation’s grant sizes are modest. The 25th percentile is $1,500, the median is $2,000, and the 75th percentile is $3,000. Several recent awards sit at $2,000 or $3,000, with a few larger $4,000 grants.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years. Family Promise of Waukesha County received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Ridges Sanctuary Inc appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Gathering Waters Conservancy appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The foundation gives primarily in Wisconsin. The data shows 94% of grants going to recipients in WI, with recent recipient cities including Madison, Waukesha, Middleton, Baileys Harbor, Three Lakes, Rhinelander, Sinsinawa, Oconomowoc, and Milwaukee.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARENET PREGNACY CENTER OF DANE COU | MADISON, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | MATERNITY HOME FURNISHINGS |
| ROOTED WI | MADISON, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | URBAN YOUTH IN AG ED PROGRAMMING |
| FAMILY PROMISE OF WAUKESHA COUNTY | WAUKESHA, WI | $4,000 | 2026 | FAMILY HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION & SHELTER PROGRAMS |
| LEARNING ATRIUM | MIDDLETON, WI | $3,500 | 2026 | ATRIUM PARENT PROGRAM |
| RIDGES SANCTUARY INC | BAILEYS HARBOR, WI | $3,000 | 2026 | ORCHID RESTORATION & DWARF IRIS PROJECT |
| EVANGELICAL CATHOLIC | MADISON, WI | $3,000 | 2026 | MISSIONARY SUPPORT |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | MILWAUKEE, WI | $3,000 | 2026 | WALK-IN FREEZER |
| GATHERING WATERS CONSERVANCY | MADISON, WI | $2,500 | 2026 | LAND CONSERVATION LAW PROGRAM & WISCONSIN LAND TRUST CONFERENCE |
| WISCONSIN GREEN FIRE | RHINELANDER, WI | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONAL SUPPORT |
| NATURAL RESOURCE FOUNDATION | MADISON, WI | $2,000 | 2026 | WISCONSIN BIRD PROTECTION |
| CROSSROADS AT BIG CREEK | STURGEON BAY, WI | $1,500 | 2026 | SUMMER PROGRAMMING |
| PORTAGE COUNTY LITERACY COUNCIL | STEVENS POINT, WI | $1,000 | 2026 | ON-LINE AND PHYSICAL LEARNING RESOURCE MATERIALS |
| CAMP LUTHER | THREE LAKES, WI | $1,000 | 2026 | EQUIPMENT |
| BOYS GIRLS CLUB OF DOOR COUNTY | STURGEON BAY, WI | $500 | 2026 | OPERATIONAL SUPPORT |
| FAMILY PROMISE OF WAUKESHA COUNTY | WAUKESHA, WI | $4,000 | 2025 | FAMILY HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION & SHELTER PROGRAMS |
| CARENET PREGNACY CENTER OF DANE COU | MADISON, WI | $4,000 | 2025 | MATERNITY HOME SUPPORT |
| LEARNING ATRIUM | MIDDLETON, WI | $3,000 | 2025 | DSYLEXIA READING SESSIONS |
| RIDGES SANCTUARY INC | BAILEYS HARBOR, WI | $3,000 | 2025 | ORCHID RESTORATION & DWARF IRIS PROJECT |
| EVANGELICAL CATHOLIC | MADISON, WI | $3,000 | 2025 | MINSITRY SCHOLARSHIP |
| GATHERING WATERS CONSERVANCY | MADISON, WI | $2,500 | 2025 | RELAUNCHING WISCONSIN LAND TRUST CONFERENCE |
| DOMINICAN SISTERS OF SINSINAWA | SINSINAWA, WI | $2,000 | 2025 | MEMORY GARDEN |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | MADISON, WI | $2,000 | 2025 | CONVERVATION PROJECTS |
| NATURAL RESOURCE FOUNDATION | MADISON, WI | $2,000 | 2025 | WISCONSIN BIRD PROTECTION |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | MILWAUKEE, WI | $2,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDING REQUEST |
| CAMP LUTHER | THREE LAKES, WI | $2,000 | 2025 | CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS |
| WISCONSIN GREEN FIRE | RHINELANDER, WI | $2,000 | 2025 | PROJECT OF ILLEGAL WILDLIFE HARRASSMENT |
| CROSSROADS AT BIG CREEK | STURGEON BAY, WI | $1,500 | 2025 | THE SUMMER BOYS & GIRLS CLUB PROGRAMMING |
| BOYS GIRLS CLUB OF DOOR COUNTY | STURGEON BAY, WI | $1,000 | 2025 | SIX PILLARS OF SUCCESS |
| PORTAGE COUNTY LITERACY COUNCIL | STEVENS POINT, WI | $1,000 | 2025 | ONE ON ONE ADULT TUTORING |
| FAMILY PROMISE OF WAUKESHA COUNTY | WAUKESHA, WI | $4,000 | 2024 | FAMILY HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION & SHELTER PROGRAMS |
| RIDGES SANCTUARY INC | BAILEYS HARBOR, WI | $3,000 | 2024 | ORCHID RESTORATION & DWARF IRIS PROJECT |
| EVANGELICAL CATHOLIC | MADISON, WI | $3,000 | 2024 | PASTORAL SERVICES FOR MILITARY, FAMILIES, AND VETERANS |
| LEARNING ATRIUM | MIDDLETON, WI | $3,000 | 2024 | DSYLEXIA READING SESSIONS |
| CAMP LUTHER | THREE LAKES, WI | $2,500 | 2024 | MOUNTAIN BIKES |
| GATHERING WATERS CONSERVANCY | MADISON, WI | $2,500 | 2024 | CONSERVATION FINANCING, LAND CONSERVATION LAW, & MARKETING |
| FRIENDS OF LAPHAM PARK | OCONOMOWOC, WI | $2,000 | 2024 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN LODGE BUILDING |
| NATURAL RESOURCE FOUNDATION | MADISON, WI | $2,000 | 2024 | WISCONSIN BIRD PROTECTION |
| WISCONSIN GREEN FIRE | RHINELANDER, WI | $2,000 | 2024 | PROJECT OF ILLEGAL WILDLIFE HARRASSMENT |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | MADISON, WI | $2,000 | 2024 | CONVERVATION PROJECTS |
| CROSSROADS AT BIG CREEK | STURGEON BAY, WI | $1,500 | 2024 | THE DIG PROGRAMMING |
| DOMINICAN SISTERS OF SINSINAWA | SINSINAWA, WI | $1,500 | 2024 | STAIN GLASS RESTORATION |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | MILWAUKEE, WI | $1,500 | 2024 | GENERAL FUNDING REQUEST |
| BOYS GIRLS CLUB OF DOOR COUNTY | STURGEON BAY, WI | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| PORTAGE COUNTY LITERACY COUNCIL | STEVENS POINT, WI | $800 | 2024 | ONE ON ONE ADULT TUTORING |
| EMERALD COAST AUTISM CENTER | VALPRAISO, FL | $500 | 2024 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| FAMILY PROMISE OF WAUKESHA COUNTY | WAUKESHA, WI | $4,000 | 2023 | HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION & APARTMENT SHELTER PROGRAMS |
| CARENET PREGNANCY CENTER OF DANE CO | MADISON, WI | $3,500 | 2023 | HOUSING AND HOLISTIC PROGRAMING |
| EVANGELICAL CATHOLIC | MADISON, WI | $3,000 | 2023 | PASTORAL SERVICES FOR MILITARY, FAMILIES, AND VETERANS |
| RIDGES SANCTUARY INC | BAILEYS HARBOR, WI | $3,000 | 2023 | ORCHID RESTORATION PROJECT |
| EMERALD COAST AUTISM CENTER | VALPRAISO, FL | $2,500 | 2023 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
CARENET PREGNACY CENTER OF DANE COU
$5,000MATERNITY HOME FURNISHINGS
ROOTED WI
$5,000URBAN YOUTH IN AG ED PROGRAMMING
FAMILY PROMISE OF WAUKESHA COUNTY
$4,000FAMILY HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION & SHELTER PROGRAMS
LEARNING ATRIUM
$3,500ATRIUM PARENT PROGRAM
RIDGES SANCTUARY INC
$3,000ORCHID RESTORATION & DWARF IRIS PROJECT
EVANGELICAL CATHOLIC
$3,000MISSIONARY SUPPORT
THE SALVATION ARMY
$3,000WALK-IN FREEZER
GATHERING WATERS CONSERVANCY
$2,500LAND CONSERVATION LAW PROGRAM & WISCONSIN LAND TRUST CONFERENCE
WISCONSIN GREEN FIRE
$2,000OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
NATURAL RESOURCE FOUNDATION
$2,000WISCONSIN BIRD PROTECTION
CROSSROADS AT BIG CREEK
$1,500SUMMER PROGRAMMING
PORTAGE COUNTY LITERACY COUNCIL
$1,000ON-LINE AND PHYSICAL LEARNING RESOURCE MATERIALS
CAMP LUTHER
$1,000EQUIPMENT
BOYS GIRLS CLUB OF DOOR COUNTY
$500OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
FAMILY PROMISE OF WAUKESHA COUNTY
$4,000FAMILY HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION & SHELTER PROGRAMS
CARENET PREGNACY CENTER OF DANE COU
$4,000MATERNITY HOME SUPPORT
LEARNING ATRIUM
$3,000DSYLEXIA READING SESSIONS
RIDGES SANCTUARY INC
$3,000ORCHID RESTORATION & DWARF IRIS PROJECT
EVANGELICAL CATHOLIC
$3,000MINSITRY SCHOLARSHIP
GATHERING WATERS CONSERVANCY
$2,500RELAUNCHING WISCONSIN LAND TRUST CONFERENCE
DOMINICAN SISTERS OF SINSINAWA
$2,000MEMORY GARDEN
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
$2,000CONVERVATION PROJECTS
NATURAL RESOURCE FOUNDATION
$2,000WISCONSIN BIRD PROTECTION
THE SALVATION ARMY
$2,000GENERAL FUNDING REQUEST
CAMP LUTHER
$2,000CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
WISCONSIN GREEN FIRE
$2,000PROJECT OF ILLEGAL WILDLIFE HARRASSMENT
CROSSROADS AT BIG CREEK
$1,500THE SUMMER BOYS & GIRLS CLUB PROGRAMMING
BOYS GIRLS CLUB OF DOOR COUNTY
$1,000SIX PILLARS OF SUCCESS
PORTAGE COUNTY LITERACY COUNCIL
$1,000ONE ON ONE ADULT TUTORING
FAMILY PROMISE OF WAUKESHA COUNTY
$4,000FAMILY HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION & SHELTER PROGRAMS
RIDGES SANCTUARY INC
$3,000ORCHID RESTORATION & DWARF IRIS PROJECT
EVANGELICAL CATHOLIC
$3,000PASTORAL SERVICES FOR MILITARY, FAMILIES, AND VETERANS
LEARNING ATRIUM
$3,000DSYLEXIA READING SESSIONS
CAMP LUTHER
$2,500MOUNTAIN BIKES
GATHERING WATERS CONSERVANCY
$2,500CONSERVATION FINANCING, LAND CONSERVATION LAW, & MARKETING
FRIENDS OF LAPHAM PARK
$2,000CAPITAL CAMPAIGN LODGE BUILDING
NATURAL RESOURCE FOUNDATION
$2,000WISCONSIN BIRD PROTECTION
WISCONSIN GREEN FIRE
$2,000PROJECT OF ILLEGAL WILDLIFE HARRASSMENT
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
$2,000CONVERVATION PROJECTS
CROSSROADS AT BIG CREEK
$1,500THE DIG PROGRAMMING
DOMINICAN SISTERS OF SINSINAWA
$1,500STAIN GLASS RESTORATION
THE SALVATION ARMY
$1,500GENERAL FUNDING REQUEST
BOYS GIRLS CLUB OF DOOR COUNTY
$1,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
PORTAGE COUNTY LITERACY COUNCIL
$800ONE ON ONE ADULT TUTORING
EMERALD COAST AUTISM CENTER
$500CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
FAMILY PROMISE OF WAUKESHA COUNTY
$4,000HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION & APARTMENT SHELTER PROGRAMS
CARENET PREGNANCY CENTER OF DANE CO
$3,500HOUSING AND HOLISTIC PROGRAMING
EVANGELICAL CATHOLIC
$3,000PASTORAL SERVICES FOR MILITARY, FAMILIES, AND VETERANS
RIDGES SANCTUARY INC
$3,000ORCHID RESTORATION PROJECT
EMERALD COAST AUTISM CENTER
$2,500CAPITAL CAMPAIGN