The Kelben Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on broad community social services delivered through United Way intermediaries and targeted support for student‑athletes at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Grants are large, limited in number, and appear to be directed at trusted community partners and program-specific university initiatives, with an emphasis on local (Wisconsin) impact.
Kelben Foundation Inc. makes some of its largest recent grants through United Way intermediaries, including $5,332,950 to United Way Charities in 2023 for various United Way charities as directed by the foundation and $4,005,983 to United Way in 2025 for social services. That pattern shows a funder working through established local channels rather than a long list of direct operating grants. The foundation also makes targeted awards for UW–Madison student-athlete support, including $750,000 to Varsity Collective Charitable Fund in 2023. Beyond those headline commitments, the foundation’s recent giving includes community institutions in Milwaukee, scholarship-related awards, and select grants tied to health, education, youth athletics, and cultural programs. The grant list suggests a local grantmaker with broad community scope but a consistent Wisconsin emphasis, especially in Milwaukee. It also funds individuals, which appears alongside institutional grants in the recent record. The mix of directed community funding and university-related support gives the foundation a clear profile: large intermediary grants, smaller local awards, and a recurring interest in community services delivered through trusted partners.
Community social services are a central theme. In 2025, Kelben Foundation Inc. gave $4,005,983 to United Way in Milwaukee for social services, and in the same year it gave $30,000 to Lutheran Social Services in Milwaukee for a social service agency role. Education also appears through several Wisconsin recipients. The foundation gave $125,000 to St Augustine Preparatory Academy in Milwaukee for education, $83,000 to St Marcus School in Milwaukee for education, and $25,000 to Teach for America in Milwaukee for education. Youth development and athletics show up in both institutional and individual support. Examples include $15,000 to Pat Connaughton Foundation in Milwaukee for youth athletics and $10,500 to Swim Mke in Milwaukee for donation, along with scholarship or tuition awards to individuals such as Bridget Wagy and Travis Wagy. Health-related giving includes $10,000 to Project Kindred in Milwaukee for AIDS and kidney disease and $9,000 to Planned Parenthood Federation in New York for medical care.
Kelben Foundation Inc.’s typical grants are small relative to its largest awards: the 25th percentile is $1,000, the median is $1,500, and the 75th percentile is $2,000. The recent record also includes much larger outliers, especially intermediary grants and university-related support. The pattern suggests recurring support rather than isolated gifts. United Way in Milwaukee appears in multiple years, and Lutheran Social Services and Planned Parenthood Federation each received more than one grant in the recent list. The foundation also funds individuals, including tuition and scholarship awards. Its giving appears to be direct rather than program-related investing, and the recipient base is overwhelmingly local to Wisconsin.
$4.9M
$62.7M
$19.4M
$5.7M
Most grants fall between $1K and $2K, with a median of $2K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$2K
75th Percentile
$2K
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Highly concentrated giving: very few, very large grants; prefers intermediaries (United Way) for distributing community support and makes sizable single grants to specific local higher‑education initiatives. Appears to favor repeat/related United Way recipients rather than many small awards.
Notable grantees: United Way Charities, United Way, Varsity Collective Charitable Fund (supporting UW–Madison student athletes)
Kelben Foundation Inc. gives locally, with 95% of grants going to recipients in Wisconsin and Milwaukee appearing repeatedly across the recent list. Other Wisconsin recipients include Madison, Wauwatosa, Grafton, and Saukville. The largest non-Wisconsin grants in the recent record went to New York, New York; Columbus, Georgia; and Hagerstown, Maryland. All listed recipient-country data are in the United States.
Recent grants show a strong emphasis on social services through United Way, along with education, youth athletics, health-related services, and a smaller number of community and cultural organizations. The foundation also makes scholarship and tuition awards to individuals.
Yes. Wisconsin accounts for 95% of grants in the recent record, and Milwaukee appears most often among recipient cities. The foundation’s giving is described as local.
The grant-size distribution is concentrated at relatively small levels: the 25th percentile is $1,000, the median is $1,500, and the 75th percentile is $2,000. Larger awards do occur, but they are outliers in the recent record.
Yes. The recent grants include tuition and scholarship awards to individuals, such as Bridget Wagy, Travis Wagy, and Ismael Tinajero.
United Way in Milwaukee appears in multiple years, including a $4,005,983 grant in 2025 and a large 2023 grant through United Way Charities. Lutheran Social Services and Planned Parenthood Federation also each received more than one recent grant.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNITED WAY | MILWAUKEE, WI | $4,005,983 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| CHILDREN'S WISCONSIN FOUNDATION | MILWAUKEE, WI | $100,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES | MILWAUKEE, WI | $30,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY |
| TRAVIS WAGY | MILWAUKEE, WI | $11,285 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| SWIM MKE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $10,500 | 2025 | DONATION |
| OZAUKEE FAMILY SERVICES | GRAFTON, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY |
| ALL-IN MILWAUKEE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | COLLEGE EDUCATION SUPPORT |
| WISCONSIN HUMANE SOCIETY | SAUKVILLE, WI | $9,000 | 2025 | ANIMAL WELFARE |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | HAGERSTOWN, MD | $9,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| ISMAEL TINAJERO | MILWAUKEE, WI | $8,892 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| SF COMMUNITY CLINICS | SAN FRANSCISCO, CA | $8,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY |
| UNICEF USA | NEW YORK, NY | $8,000 | 2025 | DISASTER AID |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION | NEW YORK, NY | $8,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY |
| SHERLEAN ROBERTS | MILWAUKEE, WI | $7,864 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| DARYL BURNS JR | BROOKFIELD, WI | $7,208 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | BOONE, IA | $7,000 | 2025 | DISASTER AID |
| STANLEY OZONGWU | TERRE HAUTE, IN | $6,513 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | BOONE, IA | $5,500 | 2025 | DISASTER AID |
| ALANNA BURNS | BROOKFIELD, WI | $5,264 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| CHRISTIAN FAMILY SOLUTIONS | GERMANTOWN, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| MILWAUKEE NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS SERVICE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| JOURNEY 21 | OCONOMOWOC, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUC FOR DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS NORTHERN CA | SAN FRANSCISCO, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | DISASTER AID |
| MILWAUKEE RESCUE MISSION | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY |
| SIXTEENTH STREET COMMUNITY HEALTH | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| PATHWAYS HIGH SCHOOL | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| STARS & STRIPES HONOR FLIGHT | MENOMONEE FALLS, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | SERVICES FOR VETERANS |
| SEEDS OF HEALTH INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC HEALTH |
| HAWS | WAUKESHA, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | ANIMAL WELFARE |
| SAN FRANCISCO PARKS ALLIANCE | SAN FRANSCISCO, CA | $4,500 | 2025 | COMMUNITY PARKS |
| ISMAEL TINAJERO | MILWAUKEE, WI | $4,136 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| GRAND AVENUE CLUB | MILWAUKEE, WI | $4,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| SURFRIDER FOUNDATION | SAN CLEMENTE, CA | $4,000 | 2025 | OCEAN AND BEACH PROTECTION |
| MEDICAL STUDENTS FOR CHOICE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $3,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL CARE |
| FOOD PANTRY SERVING WAUKESHA COUNTY | WAUKESHA, WI | $3,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| CHARLES KUBLY FOUNDATION | MEQUON, WI | $3,000 | 2025 | MENTAL HEALTH |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SAN FRANCISCO | SAN FRANSCISCO, CA | $3,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | ARLINGTON, VA | $3,000 | 2025 | DIASTER AID |
| ST ANN CENTER | MILWAUKEE, WI | $3,000 | 2025 | DAYCARE FOR ALL AGES |
| IBRAHIM RAHA | MILWAUKEE, WI | $2,500 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| BROWNE KUMANI | MILWAUKEE, WI | $2,500 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| MORENO ELIAS | MILWAUKEE, WI | $2,500 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| STEPHENS MAHAILEY | MILWAUKEE, WI | $2,500 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| BENJUMEA JUAN | MILWAUKEE, WI | $2,500 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| GUILBERT SONYA | CUDAHY, WI | $2,500 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| DAMON DANIEL | MILWAUKEE, WI | $2,500 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| NEXT DOOR | MILWAUKEE, WI | $2,500 | 2025 | DONATION |
| GRADY KEATON | MILWAUKEE, WI | $2,500 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| CAMPBELL DAMARYAH | MILWAUKEE, WI | $2,500 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
UNITED WAY
$4,005,983SOCIAL SERVICES
CHILDREN'S WISCONSIN FOUNDATION
$100,000DONATION
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES
$30,000SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY
TRAVIS WAGY
$11,285SCHOLARSHIP
SWIM MKE
$10,500DONATION
OZAUKEE FAMILY SERVICES
$10,000SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY
ALL-IN MILWAUKEE
COLLEGE EDUCATION SUPPORT
ISMAEL TINAJERO
$8,892SCHOLARSHIP
SF COMMUNITY CLINICS
$8,000SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY
UNICEF USA
$8,000DISASTER AID
SHERLEAN ROBERTS
$7,864SCHOLARSHIP
DARYL BURNS JR
$7,208SCHOLARSHIP
AMERICAN RED CROSS
$7,000DISASTER AID
STANLEY OZONGWU
$6,513SCHOLARSHIP
AMERICAN RED CROSS
$5,500DISASTER AID
ALANNA BURNS
$5,264SCHOLARSHIP
CHRISTIAN FAMILY SOLUTIONS
$5,000DONATION
MILWAUKEE NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS SERVICE
$5,000DONATION
AMERICAN RED CROSS NORTHERN CA
$5,000DISASTER AID
MILWAUKEE RESCUE MISSION
$5,000DONATION
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES
$5,000SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY
PATHWAYS HIGH SCHOOL
$5,000DONATION
SEEDS OF HEALTH INC
$5,000PUBLIC HEALTH
HAWS
$5,000ANIMAL WELFARE
ISMAEL TINAJERO
$4,136SCHOLARSHIP
SURFRIDER FOUNDATION
$4,000OCEAN AND BEACH PROTECTION
FOOD PANTRY SERVING WAUKESHA COUNTY
$3,000DONATION
CHARLES KUBLY FOUNDATION
$3,000MENTAL HEALTH
IBRAHIM RAHA
$2,500SCHOLARSHIP
BROWNE KUMANI
$2,500SCHOLARSHIP
MORENO ELIAS
$2,500SCHOLARSHIP
STEPHENS MAHAILEY
$2,500SCHOLARSHIP
BENJUMEA JUAN
$2,500SCHOLARSHIP
GUILBERT SONYA
$2,500SCHOLARSHIP
DAMON DANIEL
$2,500SCHOLARSHIP
GRADY KEATON
$2,500SCHOLARSHIP
CAMPBELL DAMARYAH
$2,500SCHOLARSHIP