Lakeshore Community Foundation
ActivePhilanthropy & Voluntarism
EIN (Tax ID): 27-0978059Latest Form 990: 2026Total assets: $155.1M4 filings on recordFind their full 990 filing →
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About Lakeshore Community Foundation
To gather, grow, and give endowed charitable financial resources to build stronger, more vibrant communities now and into the future.
Focus Areas
artseducationhealth carehuman serviceseconomic developmentenvironment/conservationyouth developmentanimal welfaremusic educationoutdoor recreation/natural resources
Who They Fund
high school students and recent graduates (scholarship recipients)college and professional students (law school, higher ed students)patients and medical research teams (pulmonary fibrosis)children and families experiencing food insecurity (weekend backpack recipients)victims/survivors of abuse (case management/advocacy)youth participating in arts and theatre programsLocal community nonprofits receiving unrestricted support
Funding Style
scholarships / student financial aidunrestricted / general operating supportcapital campaign / capital projectsdonor-designated / restricted program supportoperations and administrative support
Topics
scholarship programs and student assistance (K-12 and higher ed)K-12 school support and extracurricular programs (high school & elementary)higher education faculty recruitment and endowed fundshealthcare services and medical research support (pulmonary fibrosis, clinical simulators, research coordinator)food insecurity mitigation (weekend backpack programs, pantry replenishment)victim advocacy and case management for abuse survivorsarts and youth performing arts participation (Junior Theatre Festival, youth dept. programs)
About Lakeshore Community Foundation
Lakeshore Community Foundation Inc. gives through named funds that point to a clear local pattern: support for Manitowoc County human needs, youth opportunities, conservation, music education, and animal welfare, with some giving extending into Sheboygan County. Several of its active funds are annual and unrestricted in structure, while others are purpose-specific, such as the Lakeshore Protecting Animal Welfare Fund, the Margaret A. Friedland Fund for Children in Manitowoc County, and the Love Your Neighbor Fund. Recent grants also show sizable support for scholarships and school programs, including recurring commitments to Lakeshore Technical College Foundation Inc., Roncalli Catholic Schools, and Manitowoc Public School District Foundation. The foundation also backs community organizations with general operating support, capital campaign support, and donor-directed distributions. Its grantmaking reflects a mix of education, health, human services, arts, and recreation, with many awards aimed at organizations serving children, students, families, and local nonprofits. The result is a foundation that uses both endowed funds and broader community support to move resources into nearby institutions and service providers.
What Lakeshore Community Foundation Funds
Education is a major thread in the foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $233,615 to Lakeshore Technical College Foundation Inc. for scholarships, a health care excellence campaign, and the John and Kate Miller Impact Fund, and $147,720 to Roncalli Catholic Schools for Roncalli High School and Roncalli Elementary School support. It also awarded $122,533 to Manitowoc Public School District Foundation for scholarships tied to Lincoln High School graduates. In higher education, $100,000 went to Trinity College for the Katherine Bonafield Miller ’66 Student Assistance Fund. Health care and medical support appear as well: the University of Wisconsin Foundation received $40,400 for a pulmonary fibrosis patient assistance fund and a research coordinator. Food insecurity is another clear theme, with Sheboygan County Food Bank Inc. receiving support for the Food for Thought Weekend Backpack Program.
How Lakeshore Community Foundation Gives
Typical awards cluster in the low five figures: the p25 grant size is $9,700, the median is $12,000, and the p75 is $24,388. The pattern also includes a smaller set of much larger, purpose-driven grants, especially in education and scholarship support. The grants list shows repeated support to the same recipients across 2023, 2024, and 2025, including schools, colleges, food access organizations, and community nonprofits, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time gifts. The foundation is classified as a mixed community foundation, and it funds both unrestricted and restricted purposes. Several active funds accept unsolicited requests, including the Anonymous Fund and the Love Your Neighbor Fund.
Where Lakeshore Community Foundation Makes Grants
Giving is overwhelmingly local: 87% of grants go to recipients in Wisconsin, and Wisconsin is also the top state by grant count. Manitowoc and Sheboygan anchor the recipient map, with multiple awards to organizations in Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Cleveland, and Forest Junction. A smaller share reaches beyond the state, including Washington, DC; Boone, North Carolina; and Colorado Springs, Colorado. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 174 grants in the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lakeshore Community Foundation
What kinds of organizations does Lakeshore Community Foundation Inc. support?
Its active funds and recent grants show support for arts, education, health care, human services, economic development, environment and conservation, youth development, animal welfare, music education, and outdoor recreation/natural resources. Grants also reach schools, food banks, community foundations, colleges, churches, and local service nonprofits.
Does Lakeshore Community Foundation Inc. fund scholarships and student aid?
Yes. Scholarship and student-assistance giving is a visible part of the portfolio, including grants to Lakeshore Technical College Foundation Inc., Roncalli Catholic Schools, Manitowoc Public School District Foundation, Trinity College, and the University of Wisconsin Foundation for student assistance and scholarship-related purposes.
How much does Lakeshore Community Foundation Inc. typically grant?
Typical grant size is $9,700 at the 25th percentile, $12,000 at the median, and $24,388 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also shows larger awards tied to schools, scholarships, and community programs, but the core distribution sits in that low five-figure range.
Does Lakeshore Community Foundation Inc. accept unsolicited requests?
Yes, several active funds are marked as accepting unsolicited requests, including the Anonymous Fund, the Lakeshore Protecting Animal Welfare Fund, the Raleigh and Agnes Sorge Charitable Fund, the Margaret A. Friedland Fund for Children in Manitowoc County, the Open Hand Fund, the Natural Wonder Fund of Sheboygan County, and the Love Your Neighbor Fund.
Where does Lakeshore Community Foundation Inc. give most often?
Grantmaking is concentrated in Wisconsin, which accounts for 87% of grants. Manitowoc County and Sheboygan County are the main local areas in the recent grants list, with awards also appearing in Cleveland, Forest Junction, and other Wisconsin recipient locations.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.8M
Total Assets
$155.1M
Total Revenue
$26.5M
Total Expenses
$3.7M
Latest 990 Filing
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $24K, with a median of $12K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$12K
75th Percentile
$24K
Geographic Reach
Local14 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
RACHEL E WIEGERT
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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