The Gehl Family Foundation concentrates its giving on a small set of local institutions in the Green Bay/Hilbert, WI area, with major support for a Catholic-affiliated college and regional cultural heritage institutions. Grants indicate a preference for capital or program support for St. Norbert College and for railroad museum preservation and community projects, with occasional direct support to local Catholic parish initiatives. The foundation's portfolio reflects place-based philanthropy focused on education, faith-based organizations, and museum/heritage preservation.
Concentrated, large grants to a few repeat recipients—multiple sizable awards to the same organizations rather than many small, one-off grants; primarily local/regional focus with multi-grant relationships.
Paul O and Carol H Gehl Family Foundation Inc has made St Norbert College Foundation a central recipient, with three program-support grants of $200,000 in 2023, $377,000 in 2024, and $358,000 in 2025. That repeated support points to a foundation that stays with a small set of nearby institutions over time rather than spreading grants broadly. The same pattern appears in its support for Catholic and heritage organizations in northeast Wisconsin, including St Mary Help of Christians in Hilbert and the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay. The foundation also funded the Greater Green Bay Community for National Railroad Museum, the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay Inc, and Relevant Radio, showing a mix of education, faith-based work, and regional cultural preservation. Its recent grants are all in the United States, and the recipient base is heavily concentrated in Wisconsin. The scale of individual awards ranges from modest support to six-figure commitments, with multiple recipients appearing across more than one year.
Education support is a clear thread in the foundation’s recent giving. In 2025, it gave $358,000 to St Norbert College Foundation for program support, following $377,000 in 2024 and $200,000 in 2023. Catholic community support appears in several forms: St Mary Help of Christians received $200,000 in 2023 and $32,150 in 2025 for program support, while Holy Family Parish Brillion WI received $20,000 in 2023. Heritage preservation is another visible area. The National Railroad Museum received $150,000 in 2024 and $125,000 in 2025 for program support, and the Greater Green Bay Community for National Railroad Museum received $88,000 in 2023. The foundation also supported related religious and service organizations, including St Gianna Clinic, Legatus of Northeast Wisconsin Chapter, and St Vincent de Paul.
The foundation’s typical grant size sits around a median of $22,500, with the 25th percentile at $16,250 and the 75th percentile at $46,250. The distribution shows a core of smaller awards alongside larger program-support grants in the six-figure range. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including St Norbert College Foundation, St Mary Help of Christians, National Railroad Museum, Relevant Radio, Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay Inc, St Gianna Clinic, Rawhide Youth Services, and Spiritus. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The grants listed here are all program, general, or event-related support, which suggests straightforward grantmaking rather than an application-driven or investment-oriented structure.
$669K
$11.8M
$265K
$767K
Most grants fall between $16K and $46K, with a median of $23K.
25th Percentile
$16K
Median
$23K
75th Percentile
$46K
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Notable grantees: St Norbert College Foundation, National Railroad Museum, St Mary Help of Christians, Greater Green Bay Community for National Railroad Museum
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly local and concentrated in Wisconsin, which accounts for 96% of grants in the data. De Pere appears repeatedly through St Norbert College Foundation and St Gianna Clinic, while Green Bay is another recurring center through the National Railroad Museum and the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay Inc. Hilbert, the foundation’s headquarters city, also appears among recipients via St Mary Help of Christians and St Vincent de Paul. Other Wisconsin recipients include Menasha, Brillion, Pulaski, New London, Mount Calvary, and Milwaukee. All listed grants go to U.S. organizations.
Recent grants point to Catholic higher education, railroad heritage and museum preservation, local parish and Catholic community support, and related cultural or faith-based institutions in northeast Wisconsin. St Norbert College Foundation, St Mary Help of Christians, and the National Railroad Museum each received repeated support in the recent-grants list.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution centers on a median of $22,500. The 25th percentile is $16,250 and the 75th percentile is $46,250, showing that many awards are in the tens of thousands even though some larger program-support grants are much higher.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including St Norbert College Foundation, St Mary Help of Christians, National Railroad Museum, Relevant Radio, Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay Inc, St Gianna Clinic, Rawhide Youth Services, and Spiritus. That pattern indicates recurring support rather than one-time grants only.
Its giving is local and strongly centered in Wisconsin. The data shows 96% of grants going to recipients in WI, with repeated awards to organizations in De Pere, Green Bay, Hilbert, Menasha, Brillion, Pulaski, New London, Mount Calvary, and Milwaukee.
No. The foundation’s profile indicates that it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its recent grants are directed to organizations and events through program, general, or event support.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Norbert College Foundation | De Pere, WI | $358,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| National Railroad Museum | Green Bay, WI | $125,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Relevant Radio | Lincolnshire, IL | $40,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| St Mary Help of Christians | Hilbert, WI | $32,150 | 2025 | Program support |
| Legatus of Northeast Wisconsin Chapter | Pulaski, WI | $25,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| St Gianna Clinic | De Pere, WI | $20,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Rawhide Youth Services | New London, WI | $20,000 | 2025 | Support for the US Venture Open |
| Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay Inc | Green Bay, WI | $15,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| St Lawrence Seminary | Mount Calvary, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| Spiritus | Menasha, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Children's Hospital of WI Foundation | Milwaukee, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Curran Spirituality Center Inc | Denmark, WI | $3,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation | Staten Island, NY | $660 | 2025 | Program support |
| St Norbert College Foundation | De Pere, WI | $377,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| National Railroad Museum | Green Bay, WI | $150,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| Relevant Radio | Lincolnshire, IL | $35,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| Children's Hospital of WI Foundation | Milwaukee, WI | $30,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| St Vincent de Paul | Hilbert, WI | $20,000 | 2024 | Program support |
| Rawhide Youth Services | New London, WI | $20,000 | 2024 | Support for the US Venture Open |
| St Gianna Clinic | De Pere, WI | $20,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay Inc | Green Bay, WI | $15,000 | 2024 | Program Support |
| Spiritus | Menasha, WI | $5,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Curran Spirituality Center Inc | Denmark, WI | $3,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| St Norbert College Foundation | De Pere, WI | $200,000 | 2023 | Program Support |
| St Mary Help of Christians | Hilbert, WI | $200,000 | 2023 | Program Support |
| Greater Green Bay Community for National Railroad Museum | Green Bay, WI | $88,000 | 2023 | Program Support |
| Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay Inc | Green Bay, WI | $50,000 | 2023 | Program Support |
| Relevant Radio | Green Bay, WI | $35,000 | 2023 | Program Support |
| Children's Hospital of WI Foundation | Milwaukee, WI | $30,000 | 2023 | Program Support |
| St Gianna Clinic | De Pere, WI | $25,000 | 2023 | General Support |
| Holy Family Parish Brillion WI | Brillion, WI | $20,000 | 2023 | Program Support |
| Rawhide Youth Services | New London, WI | $20,000 | 2023 | Support for the US Venture Open |
| Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay Inc | Green Bay, WI | $15,000 | 2023 | Program Support |
| Spiritus | Menasha, WI | $5,000 | 2023 | General Support |
| Curran Spirituality Center Inc | Denmark, WI | $3,000 | 2023 | General Support |
St Norbert College Foundation
$358,000Program Support
Relevant Radio
$40,000Program Support
St Mary Help of Christians
$32,150Program support
Legatus of Northeast Wisconsin Chapter
$25,000Program support
St Gianna Clinic
$20,000General Support
Rawhide Youth Services
$20,000Support for the US Venture Open
Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay Inc
$15,000Program Support
St Lawrence Seminary
$10,000Program support
Spiritus
$10,000General Support
Children's Hospital of WI Foundation
$10,000Program Support
Curran Spirituality Center Inc
$3,000General Support
St Norbert College Foundation
$377,000Program Support
Relevant Radio
$35,000Program Support
St Vincent de Paul
$20,000Program support
Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay Inc
$15,000Program Support
Spiritus
$5,000General Support
Curran Spirituality Center Inc
$3,000General Support
St Norbert College Foundation
$200,000Program Support
St Mary Help of Christians
$200,000Program Support
Greater Green Bay Community for National Railroad Museum
$88,000Program Support
Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay Inc
$50,000Program Support
Relevant Radio
$35,000Program Support
Holy Family Parish Brillion WI
$20,000Program Support
Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Green Bay Inc
$15,000Program Support
Spiritus
$5,000General Support
Curran Spirituality Center Inc
$3,000General Support