About Burke Foundation
The Burke Foundation seeks to make a difference in the lives of youth by investing in creative, well-conceived and cost-effective educational opportunities that enhance and improve the character, quality and access to education; the personal, social and intellectual development of children and youth; and the educational and social quality of community life.
Focus Areas
College readiness & successUndergraduate scholarshipsGraduate scholarship programsEarly childhood educationK-12 educationYouth enrichment & leadershipArts education
Who They Fund
K-12 studentscollege-bound scholars/undergraduate studentsyouth in Milwaukee (MKE scholars)children involved in arts/music programs
About Burke Foundation
The Burke Foundation Inc’s grantmaking is anchored by large, recurring scholarship commitments to Milwaukee institutions. Marquette University received $1,528,386 in 2025 for scholarships, and Mount Mary University received $1,242,313 in 2025 for scholarships. Those awards sit within a broader portfolio that combines higher education aid with support for youth development, urban education, and leadership programs in Milwaukee and southeast Wisconsin. The foundation’s active programs include Burke Scholars, Grace Scholars, Caroline Scholars, MKE Scholars, and Burke Fellows, showing a sustained emphasis on student support and school leadership development. Recent grants also show that the foundation funds beyond tuition assistance. It supported the Urban Ecology Center with $1,025,000 in operational support in 2025, and it made a $500,000 capital campaign grant to Milwaukee Public Museum in 2025. Other grants back school and youth-serving organizations, including Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation Incorporated, Milwaukee Academy of Science, and Nativity Jesuit Academy. Across its recent awards, the foundation uses grants to support operating costs, capital projects, scholarships, and fellowship programs tied to education in Milwaukee.
What Burke Foundation Funds
Scholarship funding is a central part of the portfolio. Marquette University received $1,350,292 in 2024 for scholarships, while Mount Mary University received $1,199,475 in 2024 for scholarships. The foundation also supports student aid models with added services, including MKE Scholars at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where a $196,245 award in 2024 supported scholarships. The foundation also invests in college readiness and access programs. Boys and Girls Club of Dane County received $587,500 in 2023 and $550,000 in 2024 for the AVID TOPS Program, with a further $500,000 awarded in 2025. In youth arts, First Stage Children’s Theater received $460,000 in 2024 for children’s theater and $200,000 in 2025 for operational support. Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra received $155,000 in 2023 for a youth music program, followed by $130,000 in 2024 and $135,000 in 2025 for the same program.
How Burke Foundation Gives
Typical grants are mid-sized to large: the 25th percentile is $121,250, the median is $245,000, and the 75th percentile is $512,500. The foundation also makes much larger scholarship awards, which helps explain the gap between the middle of the distribution and its biggest recent grants. Its profile shows a regular-funder structure, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Marquette University, Mount Mary University, Urban Ecology Center, Nativity Jesuit Academy, and Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra. Competitive grants are generally not renewable and can support project, operating, and capital costs.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$6.1M
Total Assets
$122.4M
Total Revenue
$3.5M
Total Expenses
$6.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $121K and $513K, with a median of $245K.
25th Percentile
$121K
Median
$245K
75th Percentile
$513K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
About 100% of grants go to recipients in WI.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
WILLIAM KOMISAR
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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