The Patrick & Marysue Michels Family Foundation concentrates its giving locally in and around Brownsville/Fond du Lac County, WI, with a strong emphasis on supporting Catholic priestly formation and local community infrastructure. Grants are large and targeted rather than widely distributed, favoring institutional gifts to faith-based organizations and local philanthropic vehicles that address county needs. The foundation appears to prioritize deep, impactful investments over many small awards, focusing on a small number of strategic recipients.
The Patrick & Marysue Michels Family Foundation made a $300,000 general-support grant to St Francis De Sales Seminary in 2025, making priestly formation the clearest anchor in its recent giving. Around that core, the foundation also backs Catholic parishes, a diocesan campaign, and local organizations that serve residents in Fond du Lac County and nearby communities. Its grants are sizable for a small local funder: recent awards range from $5,000 to $300,000, with many gifts concentrated at $10,000, $25,000, $30,000, and $50,000 levels. The pattern suggests a family foundation that funds targeted institutional needs rather than broad open calls. Recent grants also show support for community-facing services alongside faith-based work. Holy Family Catholic Community received funding for both general support and a warming shelter campaign, while The Arc Fond Du Lac and Charis Pregnancy & Family Help Center each received general-support grants. The foundation also uses philanthropy to move resources through local intermediaries, including the Fond Du Lac Area Foundation. Across the record on file, the giving remains tightly rooted in Wisconsin and focused on organizations with a direct local role.
Catholic stewardship and formation sit at the center of the foundation’s grantmaking. In 2025, it gave $300,000 to St Francis De Sales Seminary for general support, and it also supported the Archdiocese of Milwaukee across multiple years for the Catholic Stewardship Appeal. Parish-level gifts appear as well, including St Marys Catholic Church and St Mary Parish in Lomira, plus Lumen Christi Catholic Church in Mequon and All Saints Catholic Church in Berlin. The foundation also funds local service capacity. Holy Family Catholic Community received $50,000 in 2025 for general support and a warming shelter campaign, building on a $30,000 award in 2024 for the same purpose. St Katherine Drexel Shelter received general support in 2024 and 2025. Beyond that, the record includes a scholarship-related grant to Fond Du Lac Area Foundation for the Davig G. Cook Scholarship Fund and support for St Mary's Springs Academy.
Typical awards cluster in the five-figure range: p25 is $5,000, median grant size is $10,000, and p75 is $12,500. The foundation’s recent record mixes one large institutional gift with a broader set of repeat awards at smaller levels. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Badgerland Youth for Christ, Holy Family Catholic Community, The Arc Fond Du Lac, St Katherine Drexel Shelter, Charis Pregnancy & Family Help Center, and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The grant types suggest a family foundation profile using general support, operating support, campaign support, scholarship funding, and asset or vehicle funding.
$753K
$3.7M
$989K
$763K
Most grants fall between $5K and $13K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$13K
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Highly concentrated giving: very few, large grants to institutional beneficiaries; repeat or multi-hundred-thousand-dollar commitments to faith-based and local community organizations rather than many small grants.
Notable grantees: St. Francis de Sales Seminary, Fond du Lac Area Foundation
Giving is overwhelmingly Wisconsin-based, with 90% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state. Fond du Lac appears frequently, including Fond Du Lac Area Foundation, Holy Family Catholic Community, The Arc Fond Du Lac, St Katherine Drexel Shelter, St Mary's Springs Academy, Charis Pregnancy & Family Help Center, and Fondy Food Pantry Inc. Other Wisconsin recipient cities include Milwaukee, Lomira, Mequon, Berlin, Brownsville-area institutions, and Sartell. The country distribution is entirely U.S.-based in the recent grants record.
The record shows support for Catholic seminaries, parishes, diocesan campaigns, a shelter, a pregnancy and family help center, a local arts group, a food pantry, a scholarship fund, and county-level civic needs. Named grantees include St Francis De Sales Seminary, Holy Family Catholic Community, St Katherine Drexel Shelter, Charis Pregnancy & Family Help Center, and Fond Du Lac Area Foundation.
Typical awards are in the five-figure range. The grant-size distribution shows a p25 of $5,000, a median of $10,000, and a p75 of $12,500. Recent grants also include larger gifts such as $50,000, $100,000, and $300,000.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Badgerland Youth for Christ, Holy Family Catholic Community, The Arc Fond Du Lac, St Katherine Drexel Shelter, Charis Pregnancy & Family Help Center, and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. That pattern suggests recurring support rather than one-time-only giving.
Very local. The geographic scope is listed as local, and 90% of grants go to recipients in Wisconsin. Fond du Lac is a frequent recipient location, alongside other Wisconsin cities such as Milwaukee, Lomira, Mequon, Berlin, and Sartell.
The clearest focus areas are Catholic priestly formation, parish and stewardship support, warming shelter and homeless services, scholarship support, youth programming, and local infrastructure. Examples include St Francis De Sales Seminary, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s Catholic Stewardship Appeal, Holy Family Catholic Community’s warming shelter campaign, and the Fond Du Lac Area Foundation vehicle fund.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES SEMINARY | ST FRANCIS, WI | $400,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC COMMUNITY | FOND DU LAC, WI | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT AND WARMING SHELTER CAMPAIGN |
| BADGERLAND YOUTH FOR CHRIST | FOND DU LAC, WI | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AGNESIAN HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION INC | FOND DU LAC, WI | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SHEPARD OF THE HILLS | HICKMAN, NE | $36,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LOVE ONE ANOTHER CAMPAIGN | MILWAKEE, WI | $30,000 | 2026 | THE CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN |
| THE ARC FOND DU LAC | FOND DU LAC, WI | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNLIMITED PLAY INC | ST PETERS, MO | $10,000 | 2026 | CREEKSIDE CAMPGROUND KEWASKUM |
| ST KATHERINE DREXEL SHELTER | FOND DU LAC, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHARIS PREGNANCY & FAMILY HELP CENTER | FOND DU LAC, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CATHOLIC COMMUNITY SCHOOLS MN | ST CLOUD, MN | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST FRANCIS XAVIER | PHOENIX, AZ | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OSHKOSH AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | OSHKOSH, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FOND DU LAC AREA FOUNDATION | FOND DU LAC, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | DAVID G COOK SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
| FOND DU LAC SYMPHONIC BAND | FOND DU LAC, WI | $4,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PAVEK MUSEUM OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION | ST LOUIS PARK, MN | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION | BETHESDA, MD | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST FRANCIS DE SALES SEMINARY | ST FRANCIS, WI | $300,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FOND DU LAC AREA FOUNDATION | FOND DU LAC, WI | $100,000 | 2025 | FDL COUNTY VEHICLE FUND |
| BADGERLAND YOUTH FOR CHRIST | FOND DU LAC, WI | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC COMMUNITY | FOND DU LAC, WI | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT AND WARMING SHELTER CAMPAIGN |
| LOVE ONE ANOTHER CAMPAIGN | MILWAUKEE, WI | $30,000 | 2025 | THE CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN |
| THE ARC FOND DU LAC | FOND DU LAC, WI | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ARCHDIOCESE OF MILWAUKEE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP APPEAL |
| ST MARY'S SPRINGS ACADEMY | FOND DU LAC, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHARIS PREGNANCY & FAMILY HELP CENTER | FOND DU LAC, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST MARY PARISH | LOMIRA, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST KATHERINE DREXEL SHELTER | FOND DU LAC, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MANITOQUA MINISTRIES | FRANKFORT, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FOND DU LAC SYMPHONIC BAND | FOND DU LAC, WI | $2,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CURE FOR CASEY | OREGON, WI | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BADGERLAND YOUTH FOR CHRIST | FOND DU LAC, WI | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC COMMUNITY | FOND DU LAC, WI | $30,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT AND WARMING SHELTER CAMPAIGN |
| LOVE ONE ANOTHER | MILWAUKEE, WI | $30,000 | 2024 | THE CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN |
| THE ARC FOND DU LAC | FOND DU LAC, WI | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH | LOMIRA, WI | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FOND DU LAC AREA FOUNDATION | FOND DU LAC, WI | $10,000 | 2024 | DAVIG G. COOK SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
| LUMEN CHRISTI CATHOLIC CHURCH | MEQUON, WI | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST MARY'S SPRINGS ACADEMY | FOND DU LAC, WI | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHARIS PREGNANCY & FAMILY HELP CENTER | FOND DU LAC, WI | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ARCHDIOCESE OF MILWAUKEE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $10,000 | 2024 | CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP APPEAL |
| ALL SAINTS CATHOLIC CHURCH | BERLIN, WI | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST KATHERINE DREXEL SHELTER | FOND DU LAC, WI | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CAMP MANITOQUA AND RETREAT CENTER | FRANKFORT, IL | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST MARY'S CATHOLIC SCHOOL | MAYVILLE, WI | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST FRANCIS XAVIER SCHOOL | SARTELL, WI | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SOLUTION CENTER SHELTER & SUPPORT SERVICES INC | FOND DU LAC, WI | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FONDY FOOD PANTRY INC | FOND DU LAC, WI | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COPS FOR KIDS FOUNDATION | FOND DU LAC, WI | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES SEMINARY
$400,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT AND WARMING SHELTER CAMPAIGN
BADGERLAND YOUTH FOR CHRIST
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SHEPARD OF THE HILLS
$36,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LOVE ONE ANOTHER CAMPAIGN
$30,000THE CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN
THE ARC FOND DU LAC
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ST KATHERINE DREXEL SHELTER
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHARIS PREGNANCY & FAMILY HELP CENTER
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CATHOLIC COMMUNITY SCHOOLS MN
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ST FRANCIS XAVIER
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FOND DU LAC AREA FOUNDATION
$5,000DAVID G COOK SCHOLARSHIP FUND
FOND DU LAC SYMPHONIC BAND
$4,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PAVEK MUSEUM OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION
$2,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ST FRANCIS DE SALES SEMINARY
$300,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FOND DU LAC AREA FOUNDATION
$100,000FDL COUNTY VEHICLE FUND
BADGERLAND YOUTH FOR CHRIST
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT AND WARMING SHELTER CAMPAIGN
LOVE ONE ANOTHER CAMPAIGN
$30,000THE CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN
THE ARC FOND DU LAC
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ARCHDIOCESE OF MILWAUKEE
$10,000CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP APPEAL
ST MARY'S SPRINGS ACADEMY
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHARIS PREGNANCY & FAMILY HELP CENTER
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ST MARY PARISH
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ST KATHERINE DREXEL SHELTER
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CATHOLIC CHARITIES
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MANITOQUA MINISTRIES
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FOND DU LAC SYMPHONIC BAND
$2,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CURE FOR CASEY
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BADGERLAND YOUTH FOR CHRIST
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
$30,000GENERAL SUPPORT AND WARMING SHELTER CAMPAIGN
LOVE ONE ANOTHER
$30,000THE CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN
THE ARC FOND DU LAC
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ST MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FOND DU LAC AREA FOUNDATION
$10,000DAVIG G. COOK SCHOLARSHIP FUND
LUMEN CHRISTI CATHOLIC CHURCH
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ST MARY'S SPRINGS ACADEMY
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHARIS PREGNANCY & FAMILY HELP CENTER
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ARCHDIOCESE OF MILWAUKEE
$10,000CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP APPEAL
ALL SAINTS CATHOLIC CHURCH
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ST KATHERINE DREXEL SHELTER
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CAMP MANITOQUA AND RETREAT CENTER
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ST MARY'S CATHOLIC SCHOOL
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ST FRANCIS XAVIER SCHOOL
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SOLUTION CENTER SHELTER & SUPPORT SERVICES INC
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FONDY FOOD PANTRY INC
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
COPS FOR KIDS FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT