The Raabe Foundation focuses overwhelmingly on supporting Lutheran faith-based education and church capital needs in Wisconsin, concentrating gifts toward schools, college scholarships, facility upgrades, and mission/outreach training. Their grants tend to underwrite capital campaigns, scholarship funds, athletics/equipment, and operational support for congregational ministries, reflecting a clear denominational (Lutheran) and local orientation.
Raabe Foundation’s recent giving is defined by large, repeated commitments to Lutheran education and church-based capital projects in Wisconsin. The biggest grant in the data, $223,000 to Wisconsin Lutheran High School, supported the “Building on the Legacy” campaign for major updates to outdoor facilities, and the foundation followed with another $111,000 to the same effort in the prior year. Christ the Lord Lutheran Church & School in Brookfield also received substantial campaign support, including $152,000 in 2024 and $126,000 in 2023 for the “Faith, Family, Future 2” capital campaign. The foundation also backs Lutheran higher education and related student support. Wisconsin Lutheran College received grants for the Raabe Hope Diversity Scholarship, the Raabe Family Business Scholarship, and athletic equipment, while Kingdom Workers received support for mission and outreach ministry needs and opportunities. Smaller grants extend that pattern into pregnancy counseling, rural health, and student-focused giving, but the center of gravity remains faith-based, local, and project-specific. Across the record, Raabe Foundation appears to favor targeted gifts that help institutions finance facilities, scholarships, and ministry programming rather than broad unrestricted support.
Lutheran education is the clearest theme in the grant record. Wisconsin Lutheran College received $108,500 in 2023 and $94,000 in 2024 for the Raabe Hope Diversity Scholarship, the Raabe Family Business Scholarship, and athletic equipment, showing a mix of student aid and campus needs. Wisconsin Lutheran High School also received $9,500 in 2025 for its fund-a-student initiative. Capital campaigns are another major focus. Christ the Lord Lutheran Church & School received $152,000 in 2024 and $126,000 in 2023 for the Faith, Family, Future 2 capital campaign, while Wisconsin Lutheran High School’s Building on the Legacy campaign received $223,000 in 2024. The foundation also funds ministry services and direct support work. Kingdom Workers received $100,000 in 2023 for mission and outreach ministry needs and opportunities, and Wels Lutherans for Life Metro Milwaukee Inc received $30,000 in 2025 for a pregnancy counseling center.
Raabe Foundation’s typical grant size is sizable and clustered around major gifts: the 25th percentile is $25,000, the median is $100,000, and the 75th percentile is $118,500. The pattern shows repeated awards to the same recipients across multiple years, especially for capital campaigns and scholarship-related support. Several recipients appear more than once, including Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Christ the Lord Lutheran Church & School, Wisconsin Lutheran College, Kingdom Workers, and Wels Lutherans for Life Metro Milwaukee Inc. The foundation makes grants in a local, Wisconsin-only pattern, and it funds individuals as well as organizations.
$134K
$867K
$261K
$142K
Most grants fall between $25K and $119K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$119K
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Raabe Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 17 | $1.1M | 81.0% |
| 2 | Turks and Caicos | 4 |
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Concentrated, relatively large grants with multiple repeat awards to a few core faith-based grantees; funds prioritize capital campaigns, scholarships, and program-specific support rather than many small or geographically dispersed gifts.
Notable grantees: Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Christ the Lord Lutheran Church & School, Wisconsin Lutheran College, Kingdom Workers
Grantmaking is concentrated in Wisconsin, which accounts for 100% of recipient-state grants and is also the top giving state. Named recipient cities in the record include Milwaukee, Brookfield, Waukesha, West Allis, Oconomowoc, and Wauwatosa. Outside the U.S., the only named recipient location is Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands, where The Salvation Army Turks and Caicos Islands received two grants. A smaller share of awards goes to St Paul, Minnesota.
The foundation mainly supports Lutheran education and church-related ministries in Wisconsin. Recent awards include gifts for school capital campaigns, scholarship funds, athletic equipment, mission and outreach training, a pregnancy counseling center, and rural health centers and mobile clinics.
The distribution is relatively high-value: the 25th percentile is $25,000, the median is $100,000, and the 75th percentile is $118,500. Recent awards include several six-figure gifts for capital campaigns and scholarship support.
Yes. The record shows repeated grants to Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Christ the Lord Lutheran Church & School, Wisconsin Lutheran College, Kingdom Workers, and Wels Lutherans for Life Metro Milwaukee Inc across 2023 through 2025.
Its giving is local and concentrated in Wisconsin. All grants in the record go to recipients in Wisconsin except two grants to The Salvation Army Turks and Caicos Islands in Providenciales and one grant to Friends Network in St Paul, Minnesota.
Student support appears through scholarships and fund-a-student style giving. Wisconsin Lutheran College received grants for the Raabe Hope Diversity Scholarship and Raabe Family Business Scholarship, and Wisconsin Lutheran High School received support for its fund-a-student initiative.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| $100K |
19.1% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WELS LUTHERANS FOR LIFE METRO MILWAUKEE INC | WEST ALLIS, WI | $30,000 | 2025 | PREGNANCY COUNSELING CENTER |
| INSTITUTIONAL MINISTRIES | OCONOMOWOC, WI | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED CHARITABLE GRANT |
| WISCONSIN LUTHERAN COLLEGE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $20,000 | 2025 | RAABE HOPE DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP, RAABE FAMILY BUSINESS SCHOLARSHIP, & ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT |
| FRIENDS NETWORK | ST PAUL, MN | $15,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED CHARITABLE GRANT |
| KINGDOM WORKERS | WAUKESHA, WI | $15,000 | 2025 | KINGDOM WORKERS MEROS CENTER |
| KINGDOM PREP LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL | WAUWATOSA, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | SUPPORTING THE FALL GALA |
| WISCONSIN LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL | MILWAUKEE, WI | $9,500 | 2025 | FUND A STUDENT INITIATIVE |
| WISCONSIN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYNOD | WAUKESHA, WI | $9,131 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR RURAL HEALTH CENTERS AND MOBIL CLINICS |
| WISCONSIN LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL | MILWAUKEE, WI | $223,000 | 2024 | SUPPORTING THE BUILDING ON THE LEGACY CAMPAIGN FOR MAJOR UPDATES TO THEIR OUTDOOR FACILITY |
| CHRIST THE LORD LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL | BROOKFIELD, WI | $152,000 | 2024 | SUPPORTING THE FAITH, FAMILY, FUTURE 2 CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| WISCONSIN LUTHERAN COLLEGE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $94,000 | 2024 | RAABE HOPE DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP, RAABE FAMILY BUSINESS SCHOLARSHIP, & ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT |
| WELS LUTHERANS FOR LIFE METRO MILWAUKEE INC | WEST ALLIS, WI | $25,000 | 2024 | PREGNANCY COUNSELING CENTER |
| THE SALVATION ARMY TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS | PROVIDENCIALES | $25,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR BRIGHTER FUTURE PROJECT |
| CHRIST THE LORD LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL | BROOKFIELD, WI | $126,000 | 2023 | SUPPORTING THE FAITH, FAMILY, FUTURE 2 CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| WISCONSIN LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL | MILWAUKEE, WI | $111,000 | 2023 | SUPPORTING THE BUILDING ON THE LEGACY CAMPAIGN FOR MAJOR UPDATES TO THEIR OUTDOOR FACILITY |
| WISCONSIN LUTHERAN COLLEGE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $108,500 | 2023 | RAABE HOPE DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP, RAABE FAMILY BUSINESS SCHOLARSHIP, & ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT |
| KINGDOM WORKERS | WAUKESHA, WI | $100,000 | 2023 | PROVIDING SUPPORT AND TRAINING FOR VARIOUS MISSION AND OUTREACH MINISTRY NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES |
| THE SALVATION ARMY TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS | PROVIDENCIALES | $25,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR BRIGHTER FUTURE PROJECT |
| WELS LUTHERANS FOR LIFE METRO MILWAUKEE INC | WEST ALLIS, WI | $25,000 | 2023 | PREGNANCY COUNSELING CENTER |
WELS LUTHERANS FOR LIFE METRO MILWAUKEE INC
$30,000PREGNANCY COUNSELING CENTER
INSTITUTIONAL MINISTRIES
$25,000UNRESTRICTED CHARITABLE GRANT
WISCONSIN LUTHERAN COLLEGE
$20,000RAABE HOPE DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP, RAABE FAMILY BUSINESS SCHOLARSHIP, & ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT
FRIENDS NETWORK
$15,000UNRESTRICTED CHARITABLE GRANT
KINGDOM PREP LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL
$10,000SUPPORTING THE FALL GALA
WISCONSIN LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL
$9,500FUND A STUDENT INITIATIVE
WISCONSIN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYNOD
$9,131SUPPORT FOR RURAL HEALTH CENTERS AND MOBIL CLINICS
WISCONSIN LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL
$223,000SUPPORTING THE BUILDING ON THE LEGACY CAMPAIGN FOR MAJOR UPDATES TO THEIR OUTDOOR FACILITY
CHRIST THE LORD LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL
$152,000SUPPORTING THE FAITH, FAMILY, FUTURE 2 CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
WISCONSIN LUTHERAN COLLEGE
$94,000RAABE HOPE DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP, RAABE FAMILY BUSINESS SCHOLARSHIP, & ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT
WELS LUTHERANS FOR LIFE METRO MILWAUKEE INC
$25,000PREGNANCY COUNSELING CENTER
THE SALVATION ARMY TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
$25,000SUPPORT FOR BRIGHTER FUTURE PROJECT
CHRIST THE LORD LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL
$126,000SUPPORTING THE FAITH, FAMILY, FUTURE 2 CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
WISCONSIN LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL
$111,000SUPPORTING THE BUILDING ON THE LEGACY CAMPAIGN FOR MAJOR UPDATES TO THEIR OUTDOOR FACILITY
WISCONSIN LUTHERAN COLLEGE
$108,500RAABE HOPE DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP, RAABE FAMILY BUSINESS SCHOLARSHIP, & ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT
PROVIDING SUPPORT AND TRAINING FOR VARIOUS MISSION AND OUTREACH MINISTRY NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
THE SALVATION ARMY TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
$25,000SUPPORT FOR BRIGHTER FUTURE PROJECT
WELS LUTHERANS FOR LIFE METRO MILWAUKEE INC
$25,000PREGNANCY COUNSELING CENTER