James E Dutton Foundation Inc C/O Dean W Fenske
ActivePhilanthropy & Voluntarism
About James E Dutton Foundation Inc C/O Dean W Fenske
The James E. Dutton Foundation will make grants to organizations for programs which benefit wildlife, domestic animal causes, the environment, and natural resources. The Foundation supports endeavors that provide care for wildlife and domestic animals, domestic animal rescue and/or shelter, enhance wildlife populations through habitat conservation, improvement, and/or restoration, land management, public awareness, and education, and programs that positively impact people through wildlife, animal, or outdoor activities.
Focus Areas
Care for animals (spay/neuter, rescue)Wildlife protection and rehabilitationWetland and creek restorationLand purchase and land managementEnvironmental research and wildlife trackingEducation and public awareness (outdoor education, youth programs, exhibits)
Who They Fund
wildlife and native speciescompanion animals and low-income pet ownersyouth and K–12 students (field trips, naturalist internships)
About James E Dutton Foundation Inc C/O Dean W Fenske
James E Dutton Foundation Inc c/o Dean W Fenske gives steadily into wildlife, domestic animal, and nature-education work, with a clear preference for Wisconsin organizations and projects that connect people to land, water, and animals. In the recent grants list, its largest award was $15,000 to Central Wisconsin Environmental Station for a waterfront dock system, a sign of support for outdoor learning infrastructure as well as conservation use. The foundation’s portfolio also shows direct support for watershed stewardship and animal welfare. It awarded $13,412 to Pheasants Forever for the Milwaukee River Watershed Land Stewardship Coordinator and $10,000 to Milwaukee RiverKeeper for water quality monitoring. On the animal side, grants include $10,000 to Aldo Leopold Nature Center for CompanionCare Hub Program, $7,500 to Wisconsin Humane Society for Pets for Life Program, and $5,000 to Wags of Wisconsin for a dog fostering program. Across the list, the foundation funds organizations that manage habitat, restore wetlands and ponds, run outdoor classrooms, and provide humane education or rescue services. That mix reflects a grantmaker oriented toward practical, place-based work rather than broad thematic philanthropy.
What James E Dutton Foundation Inc C/O Dean W Fenske Funds
Habitat and watershed work are central to the foundation’s giving. It gave $12,865 to The Nature Place for Building Community through Garden Opportunities, $9,925 to Superior Rivers Watershed Association for Stewardship of the Bad River Watershed, and $7,000 to Wisconsin Waterfowl Association for wetland habitat restorations. Outdoor education is another recurring theme. Grants include $10,000 to Door County Land Trust for an Indoor/Outdoor Classroom and Troop House at Camp Cuesta, $7,500 to Get Kids Outside for an Outdoor Education Program, and $6,000 to Ozaukee Washington Land Trust for a Youth Stewardship Program. The foundation also supports animal welfare and access to nature. It awarded $7,500 to Humane Society of Sheboygan County for animal cruelty prevention and humane education, $7,000 to Adaptive Sportsmen for adaptive equipment, and $5,000 to Access Ability Wisconsin Inc for Outdoor Access 4 All.
How James E Dutton Foundation Inc C/O Dean W Fenske Gives
Typical grants cluster around a modest middle range: the 25th percentile is $2,841, the median is $5,000, and the 75th percentile is $5,150. The recent list shows repeated support for some organizations across different years, including SEWISC - Southeastern Wisconsin Invasive Species Consortium in 2023 and 2024. This points to a grantmaker that sometimes renews relationships rather than relying only on one-time gifts. The foundation is a regular funder, not a donor-advised fund, and it accepts unsolicited proposals in at least some of its program listings. One program also says awards to the same organization are generally limited to once every three years.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$184K
Total Assets
$2.7M
Total Revenue
$247K
Total Expenses
$283K
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $3K and $5K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$5K
Geographic Reach
Local7 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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