The Maihaugen Foundation concentrates philanthropic support on experiential education tied to regional heritage and natural history in Wisconsin. Its recent grants fund public history/interpretive programming and hands-on nature education, suggesting a preference for organizations that deliver educational experiences to the public and school groups. The foundation gives relatively large, targeted grants rather than broad-based small awards.
Maihaugen Foundation Inc Agency 1045002262 makes its largest recent grant to Historic Haymarket Milwaukee, a $45,000 award for education in 2025. That pattern fits a funder that backs place-based learning, interpretive programming, and public-facing experiences tied to heritage, nature, and community education. The foundation’s recent grants include support for wildlife education, historical societies, museums, libraries, and organizations that deliver guided programs or hands-on experiences. Several grantees recur across multiple years, including Wild Bear Nature Center, Wild Animal Sanctuary, Door County Memorial Hospital Foundation Inc, and Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, suggesting ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards. The foundation also funds individual and organizational support, with grants extending beyond traditional education into animal welfare, humanitarian assistance, medical needs, and community services. Its portfolio shows a clear preference for targeted grants that support defined programs, educational activities, or service delivery rather than unrestricted broad-based funding.
Public history and heritage interpretation are a clear thread in the grant record. The foundation gave $45,000 to Historic Haymarket Milwaukee for education, and $10,000 to Historic Milwaukee for tours and programs. It also supported the Door County Historical Society with $10,000 for public work, reflecting interest in interpretive and visitor-facing history efforts. Outdoor and nature education is another major area: Wild Bear Nature Center received $25,000 for natural education and $10,000 for natural education and, in an earlier year, another $10,000 under the same program theme. Environmental and wildlife-related work appears as well, including $20,000 to Wild Animal Sanctuary for environmental purposes and $20,000 to Ding Darling Wildlife Society Inc for animal protection and related work. The foundation also supports cultural enrichment through $9,000 to Namur Belgian Heritage Foundation for cultural and ethnic awareness.
Typical grants cluster at $5,000 at the 25th percentile and median, with a $9,250 75th percentile, even though the recent record includes several larger targeted awards. The pattern is relationship-based: Wild Bear Nature Center, Wild Animal Sanctuary, Door County Memorial Hospital Foundation Inc, and Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra each appear more than once across different years. Maihaugen Foundation Inc Agency 1045002262 is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it funds individuals as well as organizations. The grants shown are project-oriented and often tied to direct service, education, or program delivery rather than open-ended support.
$240K
$4.6M
$388K
$289K
Most grants fall between $5K and $9K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$9K
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Concentrated, modest-scale giving focused on a small number of relatively large program grants within Wisconsin; targeted support for education and interpretation rather than wide distribution across many recipients.
Notable grantees: Historic Haymarket Milwaukee, Wild Bear Nature Center
Giving is heavily concentrated in Wisconsin, which receives 75% of grants, while the recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based. Milwaukee and Sturgeon Bay are the most visible Wisconsin cities in the recent record, alongside Brookfield, Sister Bay, and Brussels. Outside Wisconsin, the foundation places grants in Colorado, including Nederland, Keenesburg, Henderson, Longmont, and Boulder, showing a regional footprint that extends westward while remaining domestic.
The foundation supports public history and historic-site education, outdoor and nature education, and heritage interpretation. Recent grants include $45,000 to Historic Haymarket Milwaukee for education, $25,000 to Wild Bear Nature Center for natural education, and $10,000 to Historic Milwaukee for tours and programs.
No. Wisconsin is the main giving state, with 75% of grants going there, but the recent record also includes recipients in Colorado and Florida. The country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
Yes. Wild Bear Nature Center appears in multiple years, as do Wild Animal Sanctuary, Door County Memorial Hospital Foundation Inc, and Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra. That suggests recurring relationships rather than one-time awards only.
The typical grant size is $5,000 at both the 25th percentile and the median, with a $9,250 75th percentile. Recent awards include both these smaller recurring grants and larger targeted grants such as $45,000 and $25,000.
Yes. Maihaugen Foundation Inc Agency 1045002262 is listed as funding individuals, and its recent grant record also shows support for organizations working in education, nature, heritage, medical, and humanitarian areas.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Bear Nature Center | Nederland, CO | $25,000 | 2026 | NATURAL EDUCATION AND |
| WILD ANIMAL SANCTUARY | KEENESBURG, CO | $25,000 | 2026 | ENVIRONMENTAL |
| Historic Haymarket Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI | $18,333 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| DOOR COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION INC | STURGEON BAY, WI | $15,000 | 2026 | HUMANITARIAN |
| Milwaukee Domes Alliance | Milwaukee, WI | $15,000 | 2026 | HUMANITARIAN |
| Milwaukee Public Library Foundation | Milwaukee, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | LIBRARY |
| Paragon Service Dogs | Longmont, CO | $10,000 | 2026 | HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATION |
| DOOR COUNTY LAND TRUST INC | STURGEON BAY, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | NATURAL RESOUCE |
| BOULDER FOOD RESCUE | BOULDER, CO | $10,000 | 2026 | HUMANITARIAN |
| URBAN ECOLOGY CENTER | MILWAUKEE, WI | $7,500 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| OLD WORLD WISCONSIN FOUNDATION | Elkhorn, WI | $6,500 | 2026 | HERITAGE BREED LIVESTOCK |
| HISTORIC MILWAUKEE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | TOURS AND PROGRAMS |
| LATINO ARTS INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | CULTURAL AND ETHNIC |
| CROSSROADS AT BIG CREEK | STURGEON BAY, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT |
| RezDawg Rescue | Lafayette, CO | $5,000 | 2026 | HUMANITARIAN |
| Carousel of Happiness | Nederland, CO | $5,000 | 2026 | HISTORICAL |
| MILWAUKEE YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP |
| DANCEWORKS INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | ARTS |
| Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art | Boulder, CO | $5,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| TRICKLEBEE CAFE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | HEALTH & COMMUNITY |
| Milwaukee Ballet | Milwaukee, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| Present Music Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| OPTIMIST THEATRE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | HUMANITARIAN |
| Ecohab | El Prado, NM | $5,000 | 2026 | HUMANITARIAN |
| Door County Knock | Egg Harbor, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| Growing Gardens | Boulder, CO | $5,000 | 2026 | HUMANITARIAN |
| BETTY BRINN CHILDREN'S MUSEUM INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | YOUTH DEVELOPMENTAL |
| CIVIC MUSIC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $3,000 | 2026 | PRIVATE LESSON SCHOLARSHIP |
| BELGIAN HERITAGE CENTER | BRUSSELS, WI | $2,500 | 2026 | HISTORICAL EDUCATION |
| WUWM | Milwaukee, WI | $2,500 | 2026 | HUMANITARIAN |
| Historic Haymarket Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI | $45,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| WILD ANIMAL SANCTUARY | KEENESBURG, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | ENVIRONMENTAL |
| DOOR COUNTY LAND TRUST INC | STURGEON BAY, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | NATURAL RESOUCE |
| DOOR COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION INC | STURGEON BAY, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITARIAN |
| URBAN ECOLOGY CENTER | MILWAUKEE, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| Paragon Service Dogs | Longmont, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATION |
| Wild Bear Nature Center | Nederland, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | NATURAL EDUCATION AND |
| Door County Historical Society | Sturgeon Bay, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC |
| Milwaukee Riverkeepers | Milwaukee, WI | $7,500 | 2025 | HUMANITARIAN |
| MILWAUKEE YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | MILWAUKEE, WI | $7,500 | 2025 | COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP |
| BELGIAN HERITAGE CENTER | BRUSSELS, WI | $5,805 | 2025 | HISTORICAL EDUCATION |
| Ecohab | El Prado, NM | $5,200 | 2025 | HUMANITARIAN |
| UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN FOUNDATION | MADISON, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| BOULDER PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA | BOULDER, CO | $5,000 | 2025 | ARTS |
| Carousel of Happiness | Nederland, CO | $5,000 | 2025 | HISTORICAL |
| DANCEWORKS INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | ARTS |
| Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art | Boulder, CO | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| Milwaukee Public Library Foundation | Milwaukee, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | LIBRARY |
| ARTS AT LARGE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | ARTS |
| LATINO ARTS INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | CULTURAL AND ETHNIC |
WILD ANIMAL SANCTUARY
$25,000ENVIRONMENTAL
Historic Haymarket Milwaukee
$18,333EDUCATION
DOOR COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION INC
$15,000HUMANITARIAN
Milwaukee Domes Alliance
$15,000HUMANITARIAN
LIBRARY
Paragon Service Dogs
$10,000HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATION
BOULDER FOOD RESCUE
$10,000HUMANITARIAN
OLD WORLD WISCONSIN FOUNDATION
$6,500HERITAGE BREED LIVESTOCK
HISTORIC MILWAUKEE
$5,000TOURS AND PROGRAMS
LATINO ARTS INC
$5,000CULTURAL AND ETHNIC
CROSSROADS AT BIG CREEK
$5,000ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT
Carousel of Happiness
$5,000HISTORICAL
DANCEWORKS INC
$5,000ARTS
TRICKLEBEE CAFE
$5,000HEALTH & COMMUNITY
OPTIMIST THEATRE
$5,000HUMANITARIAN
Ecohab
$5,000HUMANITARIAN
Door County Knock
$5,000EDUCATION
CIVIC MUSIC
$3,000PRIVATE LESSON SCHOLARSHIP
BELGIAN HERITAGE CENTER
$2,500HISTORICAL EDUCATION
WUWM
$2,500HUMANITARIAN
Historic Haymarket Milwaukee
$45,000EDUCATION
WILD ANIMAL SANCTUARY
$20,000ENVIRONMENTAL
DOOR COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION INC
$10,000HUMANITARIAN
Paragon Service Dogs
$10,000HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATION
Door County Historical Society
$10,000PUBLIC
BELGIAN HERITAGE CENTER
$5,805HISTORICAL EDUCATION
Ecohab
$5,200HUMANITARIAN
BOULDER PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
$5,000ARTS
Carousel of Happiness
$5,000HISTORICAL
DANCEWORKS INC
$5,000ARTS
ARTS AT LARGE
$5,000ARTS
LATINO ARTS INC
$5,000CULTURAL AND ETHNIC