The Irwin A. and Robert D. Goodman Foundation concentrates its philanthropy locally in Madison, WI, prioritizing community infrastructure and neighborhood-serving organizations. It funds community centers and civic institutions (both secular and Jewish), supporting capital campaigns and core operating needs, with an interest in facility improvements and sustainability projects. Grants are large and targeted, aimed at strengthening physical spaces and long-term capacity of a small set of local institutions.
A defining feature of the Irwin a and Robert D Goodman Foundation Inc is its support for Madison institutions that need large, targeted capital infusions. In 2025, it gave $2,500,000 to Madison Community Foundation for a nonprofit center, a grant that sits alongside other major investments in neighborhood-serving spaces and Jewish communal organizations. The foundation’s recent awards show a consistent interest in buildings, infrastructure, and organizational capacity rather than broad, dispersed giving. That pattern appears in grants such as $1,250,000 to Bayview Foundation for a community center and $385,000 to Chabad House of Madison for a capital campaign. The foundation also funds operating support when a local institution needs it, including general operations grants and combined support for facility improvements or program work. Across the recent grants list, its philanthropy is tightly centered on Madison-based organizations, with a mix of secular and Jewish beneficiaries, food access groups, youth-serving programs, and civic institutions.
One clear thread in the foundation’s grantmaking is support for community spaces. It gave $1,250,000 to Bayview Foundation for a community center, and it also funded the Madison Community Foundation’s nonprofit center with $2,500,000. A second focus is Jewish communal life in Madison. Grants include $385,000 to Chabad House of Madison for a capital campaign, $254,833 to Temple Beth El for general operations and roof solar panels, and $109,800 to Jewish Federation of Madison for general operations. The foundation also supports food access and related community services. It awarded $166,000 to United Way of Dane County for food insecurity and $100,000 to River Food Pantry for a capital campaign. Youth and education appear in grants such as $66,500 to Rooted for the Goodman Youth Farm and $20,000 to Madison College for scholarships.
Typical grants cluster in the mid-five-figure to low-six-figure range, with a p25 of $41,000, a median of $60,700, and a p75 of $166,000. The foundation also makes occasional much larger commitments, including seven-figure awards tied to facilities and community infrastructure. Its recent list shows repeated support for some recipients across years: Chabad House of Madison appears with both a 2025 capital-campaign grant and a 2023 general-operations grant. The pattern suggests relationship-based, local grantmaking rather than one-off experimentation. The foundation is not a funder of individuals and does not make program-related investments. The grants shown are all from Wisconsin recipients.
$3.1M
$2.2M
$182K
$3.5M
Most grants fall between $41K and $166K, with a median of $61K.
25th Percentile
$41K
Median
$61K
75th Percentile
$166K
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Concentrated, large grants to a small number of local grantees — mix of multi-hundred-thousand capital gifts and sizable operating support; emphasis on repeat or affiliated community organizations rather than many small awards.
Notable grantees: Madison Community Foundation, Bayview Foundation, Goodman Community Center, Chabad House of Madison, Temple Beth El
Grantmaking is fully concentrated in Wisconsin, and the recent grants list shows Madison as the recipient city for every award. The foundation’s support reaches a mix of neighborhood organizations, Jewish institutions, food programs, and educational groups within the same local market. Named recipients include organizations in Madison such as Madison Community Foundation, Bayview Foundation, United Way of Dane County, and Madison College. The country distribution is entirely domestic, with 21 grants to U.S. recipients.
It supports Madison-based community centers, Jewish communal institutions, food access groups, youth agriculture programs, parks and recreation efforts, and educational organizations. Recent grants include capital funding, general operations, scholarships, and facility improvements, showing a focus on local institutions that serve neighborhood and community needs.
The typical grant size is $41,000 at the 25th percentile, $60,700 at the median, and $166,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include much larger commitments, including seven-figure grants for community infrastructure and center development.
It funds repeat grantees. One example is Chabad House of Madison, which appears with both a 2025 capital-campaign grant and a 2023 general-operations grant. That suggests ongoing relationships with some local organizations rather than purely one-off support.
Recent awards include community center support, Jewish general operations, food insecurity, solar panels and other facility improvements, youth farm programming, free or reduced admissions and fees, land acquisition, and scholarships. The grant purposes show a strong emphasis on local infrastructure and community-serving programs.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MADISON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | MADISON, WI | $2,500,000 | 2025 | NONPROFIT CENTER |
| CHABAD HOUSE OF MADISON | MADISON, WI | $385,000 | 2025 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| CENTRO HISPANO | MADISON, WI | $125,000 | 2025 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| RIVER FOOD PANTRY | MADISON, WI | $100,000 | 2025 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| MADISON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | MADISON, WI | $2,500,000 | 2024 | NONPROFIT CENTER |
| BAYVIEW FOUNDATION | MADISON, WI | $1,250,000 | 2024 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| CHABAD HOUSE OF MADISON | MADISON, WI | $385,000 | 2024 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| HILLEL | MADISON, WI | $250,000 | 2024 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| CENTRO HISPANO | MADISON, WI | $125,000 | 2024 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| TEMPLE BETH EL | MADISON, WI | $86,167 | 2024 | ROOF SOLAR PANELS |
| LITERACY NETWORK | MADISON, WI | $75,000 | 2024 | BUILDING CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| MADISON PUBLIC PARKS FOUNDATION | MADISON, WI | $59,212 | 2024 | FREE OR REDUCED ADMISSIONS AND FEES |
| MADISON READING PROJECT | MADISON, WI | $25,000 | 2024 | BIG RED BUS CAMPAIGN |
| UNITED WAY OF DANE COUNTY | MADISON, WI | $10,000 | 2024 | ANNUAL CAMPAIGN |
| MADISON ROTARY FOUNDATION | MADISON, WI | $2,500 | 2024 | COMMUNITY GRANTS |
| BAYVIEW FOUNDATION | MADISON, WI | $1,250,000 | 2023 | COMMUNITY CENTER |
| GOODMAN COMMUNITY CENTER | MADISON, WI | $588,500 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATIONS AND FYI PROGRAM |
| TEMPLE BETH EL | MADISON, WI | $254,833 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATIONS/ ROOF SOLAR PANELS |
| UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN FOUNDATION | MADISON, WI | $190,000 | 2023 | IMPROVEMENTS TO GOODMAN DIAMOND |
| UNITED WAY OF DANE COUNTY | MADISON, WI | $166,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATIONS/ FOOD INSECURITY |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF MADISON | MADISON, WI | $109,800 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| JEWISH SOCIAL SERVICES | MADISON, WI | $107,543 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATIONS/EXECUTIVE SEARCH |
| ROOTED | MADISON, WI | $66,500 | 2023 | GOODMAN YOUTH FARM |
| MADISON PUBLIC PARKS FOUNDATION | MADISON, WI | $60,700 | 2023 | FREE OR REDUCED ADMISSIONS AND FEES |
| MADISON AREA FOOD PANTRY GARDENS | MADISON, WI | $50,000 | 2023 | LAND ACQUISITION |
| CHABAD HOUSE OF MADISON | MADISON, WI | $41,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| YOUNG JEWISH PROFESSIONALS | MADISON, WI | $41,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| CHABAD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN | MADISON, WI | $41,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| BETH ISRAEL CONGREGATION | MADISON, WI | $41,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| HILLEL | MADISON, WI | $41,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| CONGREGATION SHAAREI SHAMAYIM | MADISON, WI | $41,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| MADISON COLLEGE | MADISON, WI | $20,000 | 2023 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
CHABAD HOUSE OF MADISON
$385,000CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
CHABAD HOUSE OF MADISON
$385,000CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
HILLEL
$250,000CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
TEMPLE BETH EL
$86,167ROOF SOLAR PANELS
LITERACY NETWORK
$75,000BUILDING CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
MADISON PUBLIC PARKS FOUNDATION
$59,212FREE OR REDUCED ADMISSIONS AND FEES
MADISON ROTARY FOUNDATION
$2,500COMMUNITY GRANTS
TEMPLE BETH EL
$254,833GENERAL OPERATIONS/ ROOF SOLAR PANELS
JEWISH FEDERATION OF MADISON
$109,800GENERAL OPERATIONS
ROOTED
$66,500GOODMAN YOUTH FARM
MADISON PUBLIC PARKS FOUNDATION
$60,700FREE OR REDUCED ADMISSIONS AND FEES
MADISON AREA FOOD PANTRY GARDENS
$50,000LAND ACQUISITION
CHABAD HOUSE OF MADISON
$41,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
YOUNG JEWISH PROFESSIONALS
$41,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
CHABAD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
$41,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
BETH ISRAEL CONGREGATION
$41,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
HILLEL
$41,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
CONGREGATION SHAAREI SHAMAYIM
$41,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
MADISON COLLEGE
$20,000SCHOLARSHIPS