The Marvin M. Schwan Charitable Foundation is a highly concentrated funder of Lutheran institutions, primarily supporting Lutheran higher education and denominational mission work. Its grants overwhelmingly back capital needs (land/buildings) for colleges and support denominational bodies and international mission programs tied to Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran/LCMS networks. The foundation favors a small set of repeat grantees closely aligned with conservative Lutheran priorities rather than broad community or secular causes.
The Marvin M Schwan Charitable Foundation’s recent giving is defined by very large, repeated capital grants to Lutheran colleges and by sustained support for conservative Lutheran mission networks. In the latest grant set, Wisconsin Lutheran College received grants of $5,037,000 in 2023 and $4,700,000 in both 2024 and 2025, all marked for religious land and buildings. Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minnesota, also appears repeatedly, with grants of $3,890,500 in 2023, $3,125,000 in 2024, and $2,932,500 in 2025 for the same purpose. That pattern shows a funder that concentrates on property, campus infrastructure, and denominational institutions rather than broad-based community grantmaking. Beyond higher education, the foundation backs church and mission bodies tied to Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran and Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod networks. Its recent awards include large grants to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and WELS Kingdom Workers, indicating a consistent relationship with a small circle of faith-based institutions. The giving profile is highly concentrated and recurring, with many recipients appearing year after year.
A major share of the foundation’s funding supports religious land and buildings at Lutheran colleges. Wisconsin Lutheran College received multiple multimillion-dollar grants for this purpose, and Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato also received repeated capital support across three consecutive years. Another clear theme is denominational mission work. The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for religious foreign missions, while the Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Mankato received grants in each of those years for the same category. The foundation also supports church-family programming and institutional outreach within conservative Lutheran bodies. Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Waukesha received substantial grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for church and families, and WELS Kingdom Workers in Waukesha received recurring grants for religious foreign missions.
Grant sizes are large: the 25th percentile is $456,625, the median is $1,629,800, and the 75th percentile is $2,581,250. The pattern is recurring rather than one-off; several grantees appear in multiple consecutive years, including Wisconsin Lutheran College, Bethany Lutheran College, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, WELS Kingdom Workers, Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and Mission Advancement Project. The foundation is not a donor-advised fund and does not make program-related investments. Its latest 990 year on file is 2025.
$14.2M
$459.5M
$49.2M
$17.2M
Most grants fall between $457K and $2.6M, with a median of $1.6M.
25th Percentile
$457K
Median
$1.6M
75th Percentile
$2.6M
About 25% of grants go to recipients in MN.
Rev Keith Boheim
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Concentrated, high-dollar giving to a small number of repeat grantees—multiple multi-million-dollar capital and program grants to the same Lutheran colleges and denominational organizations rather than many small awards.
Notable grantees: Wisconsin Lutheran College, Bethany Lutheran College, Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), WELS Kingdom Workers
The grant record is entirely domestic, with 24 grants to U.S. recipients. Minnesota is the top state by grant count, reflecting repeated awards to organizations in Mankato, including Bethany Lutheran College, Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and Mission Advancement Project. Wisconsin also receives substantial support through Milwaukee and Waukesha recipients such as Wisconsin Lutheran College, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and WELS Kingdom Workers. Missouri recipients in St. Louis are another recurring cluster, including the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and International Lutheran Laymen's League. The foundation’s own headquarters is in Earth City, Missouri, but that is distinct from where it gives most often.
It focuses on Lutheran institutions and networks, especially colleges, denominational bodies, and mission organizations. Recent recipients include Wisconsin Lutheran College, Bethany Lutheran College, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and WELS Kingdom Workers.
Yes. Several recipients appear in consecutive years, including Wisconsin Lutheran College in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Bethany Lutheran College in those same years; and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and WELS Kingdom Workers across multiple years.
The 25th percentile grant size is $456,625, the median is $1,629,800, and the 75th percentile is $2,581,250. The recent grants list also shows several awards in the multimillion-dollar range.
Minnesota is the top state by grant count. Recent recipients there include Bethany Lutheran College, Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and Mission Advancement Project in Mankato. Wisconsin and Missouri also appear frequently, especially Milwaukee, Waukesha, and St. Louis.
The foundation also funds religious foreign missions and church-and-family work. Recent examples include grants to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod for foreign missions, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod for church and families, and International Lutheran Laymen's League for foreign missions.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| wisconsin lutheran college | milwaukee, WI | $4,700,000 | 2025 | religious land and buildings |
| bethany lutheran college | mankato, MN | $2,932,500 | 2025 | religious land and buildings |
| lutheran church missouri synod | st louis, MO | $2,108,000 | 2025 | religious foreign missions |
| Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod | waukesha, WI | $2,107,000 | 2025 | church and families |
| WELS kingdom workers | Waukesha, WI | $1,051,500 | 2025 | Religious Foreign Missions |
| evangelical lutheran synod | mankato, MN | $574,000 | 2025 | Religious foreign Missions |
| international lutheran laymen's league | st louis, MO | $372,000 | 2025 | Religious Foreign Missions |
| mission advancement project | mankato, MN | $355,000 | 2025 | Religious Foreign Missions |
| wisconsin lutheran college | milwaukee, WI | $4,700,000 | 2024 | religious land and buildings |
| bethany lutheran college | mankato, MN | $3,125,000 | 2024 | religious land and buildings |
| lutheran church missouri synod | st louis, MO | $2,262,100 | 2024 | religious foreign missions |
| Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod | waukesha, WI | $2,075,100 | 2024 | church and families |
| WELS kingdom workers | Waukesha, WI | $1,110,800 | 2024 | Religious Foreign Missions |
| evangelical lutheran synod | mankato, MN | $490,500 | 2024 | Religious foreign Missions |
| mission advancement project | mankato, MN | $355,000 | 2024 | Religious Foreign Missions |
| international lutheran laymen's league | st louis, MO | $250,000 | 2024 | Religious Foreign Missions |
| wisconsin lutheran college | milwaukee, WI | $5,037,000 | 2023 | religious land and buildings |
| bethany lutheran college | mankato, MN | $3,890,500 | 2023 | religious land and buildings |
| lutheran church missouri synod | st louis, MO | $2,400,000 | 2023 | religious foreign missions |
| Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod | waukesha, WI | $2,372,100 | 2023 | church and families |
| WELS kingdom workers | Waukesha, WI | $1,184,500 | 2023 | Religious Foreign Missions |
| evangelical lutheran synod | mankato, MN | $522,750 | 2023 | Religious foreign Missions |
| mission advancement project | mankato, MN | $355,000 | 2023 | Religious Foreign Missions |
| international lutheran laymen's league | st louis, MO | $237,000 | 2023 | Religious Foreign Missions |
wisconsin lutheran college
$4,700,000religious land and buildings
bethany lutheran college
$2,932,500religious land and buildings
lutheran church missouri synod
$2,108,000religious foreign missions
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
$2,107,000church and families
WELS kingdom workers
$1,051,500Religious Foreign Missions
evangelical lutheran synod
$574,000Religious foreign Missions
international lutheran laymen's league
$372,000Religious Foreign Missions
mission advancement project
$355,000Religious Foreign Missions
wisconsin lutheran college
$4,700,000religious land and buildings
bethany lutheran college
$3,125,000religious land and buildings
lutheran church missouri synod
$2,262,100religious foreign missions
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
$2,075,100church and families
WELS kingdom workers
$1,110,800Religious Foreign Missions
evangelical lutheran synod
$490,500Religious foreign Missions
mission advancement project
$355,000Religious Foreign Missions
international lutheran laymen's league
$250,000Religious Foreign Missions
wisconsin lutheran college
$5,037,000religious land and buildings
bethany lutheran college
$3,890,500religious land and buildings
lutheran church missouri synod
$2,400,000religious foreign missions
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
$2,372,100church and families
WELS kingdom workers
$1,184,500Religious Foreign Missions
evangelical lutheran synod
$522,750Religious foreign Missions
mission advancement project
$355,000Religious Foreign Missions
international lutheran laymen's league
$237,000Religious Foreign Missions