The Nast Family Foundation appears to function as a vehicle for family philanthropy rather than as an operating grantmaker: its sole recorded grant is a single, large transfer to Greater Horizons to establish several named family funds. That suggests the foundation's primary activity is seeding donor-advised/family funds and supporting philanthropic infrastructure to enable ongoing giving by family members. The foundation does not show programmatic targeting in this dataset; instead it focuses on creating and funding philanthropic vehicles for future distributions.
A single 2024 transfer of $5,835,098 to Greater Horizons defines the Nast Family Foundation Inc’s recent giving. That contribution was used to establish First Principle Foundation, the Jessica Nast Family Fund, and the Nast Picciolo Family Fund, pointing to a foundation built around family philanthropy and the creation of enduring giving vehicles. The pattern is less about issuing many separate program grants than about seeding named funds and supporting the infrastructure that administers them. Beyond that foundational transfer, the record shows a smaller set of Wisconsin grants tied to local institutions and community needs. The foundation supported Children’s Hospital Foundation for family justice center operating expenses and additional programs related to human trafficking, and it gave to Hunger Task Force for a new central location. It also backed Museum of Wisconsin Art as a fellowship sponsor and made grants to groups such as Ozaukee Washington Land Trust, Camp Manitowish YMCA Inc, and Cedar Lake Conservation Foundation. Taken together, the grants point to a family foundation that combines philanthropic vehicle-building with select local support in human services, arts, conservation, and community facilities.
Family philanthropy is the clearest organizing theme. In 2024, the foundation gave $5,835,098 to Greater Horizons to establish First Principle Foundation, the Jessica Nast Family Fund, and the Nast Picciolo Family Fund. That same vehicle-building approach appears in the foundation’s broader record of named family funds. Its local human-services support includes $200,000 to Children’s Hospital Foundation for family justice center operating expenses and additional programs related to human trafficking. Community infrastructure also appears through $100,000 to Hunger Task Force for a new central location and $25,000 to Volunteer Center of Washington County Inc for coordination and logistics of volunteer events, along with finishing office space and the outside area of a coffee shop. Arts and conservation are also present: the foundation gave $60,000 to Museum of Wisconsin Art for fellowship sponsorship and $50,000 to Cedar Lake Conservation Foundation for a property acquisition fund.
Typical grant sizes cluster in the $25,000 to $50,000 range, with a p25 of $25,000, a median of $30,000, and a p75 of $50,000. The record is unusually concentrated: one 2024 grant accounts for most of the year’s dollars, while the rest are much smaller awards. The foundation shows repeat support for several recipients across 2023 and 2024, including March of Dimes, Museum of Wisconsin Art, Make-a-wish Foundation, Cedar Lake Conservation Foundation, Humane Society Washington County, and Schlitz Audubon. It appears to function as a family philanthropy vehicle rather than a program grantmaker, and the available data does not show an application process.
$6.5M
$0
$114K
$6.6M
Most grants fall between $25K and $50K, with a median of $30K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$30K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Extremely concentrated: one large, single grant used to create multiple family/DAF funds through a community foundation — no evidence of direct program grants or a diversified portfolio of grantees.
Notable grantees: Greater Horizons, First Principle Foundation, Jessica Nast Family Fund, Nast Picciolo Family Fund
Giving is overwhelmingly Wisconsin-centered: 96% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and the top state by grant count is also Wisconsin. Milwaukee, West Bend, Wauwatosa, Slinger, Manitowoc, Madison, Boulder Junction, and Menomonee Falls all appear in the recipient list. Outside Wisconsin, the only recipient location in the recent grants is Kansas City, Missouri, through the large grant to Greater Horizons. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
Its grant sizes are concentrated in the $25,000 to $50,000 range. The reported p25 is $25,000, median is $30,000, and p75 is $50,000, which suggests a fairly tight band around mid-five-figure awards.
Yes. Several organizations appear in both 2023 and 2024, including March of Dimes, Museum of Wisconsin Art, Make-a-wish Foundation, Cedar Lake Conservation Foundation, Humane Society Washington County, and Schlitz Audubon.
The recent record includes family philanthropy infrastructure, human services, arts, conservation, and community facilities. Examples include Greater Horizons for family fund creation, Children’s Hospital Foundation for family justice center and human trafficking-related work, and Museum of Wisconsin Art for fellowship sponsorship.
Giving is highly concentrated in Wisconsin. The foundation’s top state by grant count is Wisconsin, and 96% of grants go to recipients in that state. Recent Wisconsin recipients include organizations in Milwaukee, West Bend, Wauwatosa, Slinger, Manitowoc, Madison, Boulder Junction, and Menomonee Falls.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GREATER HORIZONS | KANSAS CITY, MO | $5,835,098 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTIONS TO ESTABLISH FIRST PRINCIPLE FOUNDATION, JESSICA NAST FAMILY FUND, AND NAST PICCIOLO FAMILY FUND |
| CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | WAUWATOSA, WI | $200,000 | 2024 | FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER OPERATING EXPENSES; ADDITION PROGRAMS (IE: HUMAN TRAFFICKING) |
| HUNGER TASK FORCE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $100,000 | 2024 | FUNDS FOR A NEW CENTRAL LOCATION |
| MUSEUM OF WISCONSIN ART | WEST BEND, WI | $60,000 | 2024 | FELLOWSHIP SPONSOR |
| MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION | WAUWATOSA, WI | $60,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| HOLY FAMILY MEMORIAL INC | MANITOWOC, WI | $50,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CEDAR LAKE CONSERVATION FOUNDATION | WEST BEND, WI | $50,000 | 2024 | PROPERTY ACQUISITION FUND |
| CAMP MANITOWISH YMCA INC | BOULDER JUNCTION, WI | $50,000 | 2024 | REBUILDING OF WATERFRONT ACTIVITY AREA AT THE CAMP |
| MARCH OF DIMES | MADISON, WI | $35,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| KETTLE MORAINE YMCA | WEST BEND, WI | $25,000 | 2024 | MEMBERSHIP SUPPORT |
| SCHLITZ AUDUBON NATURE CENTER | MILWAUKEE, WI | $15,000 | 2024 | CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT AND HABITAT SUPPORT |
| HUMANE SOCIETY WASHINGTON COUNTY | SLINGER, WI | $15,000 | 2024 | HELP PAYOFF BUILDING MORTGAGE |
| SCULPTURE MILWAUKEE INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $10,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| WEST BEND FRIENDS OF SCULPTURE | WEST BEND, WI | $5,000 | 2024 | SCULPTURE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT |
| OZAUKEE WASHINGTON LAND TRUST | WEST BEND, WI | $100,000 | 2023 | GREAT RIVERS / GREAT LAKES CAMPAIGN |
| MARCH OF DIMES | MADISON, WI | $35,000 | 2023 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| MUSEUM OF WISCONSIN ART | WEST BEND, WI | $30,000 | 2023 | FELLOWSHIP SPONSOR |
| MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION | WAUWATOSA, WI | $30,000 | 2023 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY | WEST BEND, WI | $25,000 | 2023 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| VOLUNTEER CENTER OF WASHINGTON COUNTY INC | WEST BEND, WI | $25,000 | 2023 | THE HUB - COORDINATION / LOGISTICS OF VOLUNTEER EVENTS. FINISHING OFFICE SPACE AND OUTSIDE AREA OF COFFEE SHOP. |
| CEDAR LAKE CONSERVATION FOUNDATION | WEST BEND, WI | $25,000 | 2023 | PROPERTY ACQUISITION FUND |
| HUMANE SOCIETY WASHINGTON COUNTY | SLINGER, WI | $25,000 | 2023 | HELP PAYOFF BUILDING MORTGAGE |
| HUNGER TASK FORCE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $25,000 | 2023 | FUNDS FOR A NEW CENTRAL LOCATION |
| SCHLITZ AUDUBON | MILWAUKEE, WI | $15,000 | 2023 | CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT AND HABITAT SUPPORT |
| HOMETOWN FOUNDATION | MENOMONEE FALLS, WI | $5,000 | 2023 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
CONTRIBUTIONS TO ESTABLISH FIRST PRINCIPLE FOUNDATION, JESSICA NAST FAMILY FUND, AND NAST PICCIOLO FAMILY FUND
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$200,000FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER OPERATING EXPENSES; ADDITION PROGRAMS (IE: HUMAN TRAFFICKING)
HOLY FAMILY MEMORIAL INC
$50,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
REBUILDING OF WATERFRONT ACTIVITY AREA AT THE CAMP
MARCH OF DIMES
$35,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
KETTLE MORAINE YMCA
$25,000MEMBERSHIP SUPPORT
SCHLITZ AUDUBON NATURE CENTER
$15,000CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT AND HABITAT SUPPORT
SCULPTURE MILWAUKEE INC
$10,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
WEST BEND FRIENDS OF SCULPTURE
$5,000SCULPTURE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT
MARCH OF DIMES
$35,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$25,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
VOLUNTEER CENTER OF WASHINGTON COUNTY INC
$25,000THE HUB - COORDINATION / LOGISTICS OF VOLUNTEER EVENTS. FINISHING OFFICE SPACE AND OUTSIDE AREA OF COFFEE SHOP.
SCHLITZ AUDUBON
$15,000CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT AND HABITAT SUPPORT
HOMETOWN FOUNDATION
$5,000PROGRAM SUPPORT