The Silseth Foundation concentrates its giving almost entirely on a single faith-based recipient, providing unrestricted operating support to ElmBrook Church. Its grants appear aimed at sustaining the ongoing work of a local congregation and its community ministries rather than funding a diversity of external programs. This suggests a donor focus on supporting a specific church relationship and its general mission.
The Silseth Foundation’s giving is anchored by repeated support for ElmBrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin, including a $84,000 general and unrestricted grant in 2025 and earlier awards in 2024 and 2023. That pattern makes the foundation’s profile unusually clear: it funds a small set of faith-based organizations and related ministries, with most of the visible activity centered on congregational support rather than a broad portfolio of unrelated causes. Beyond the church relationship, the foundation has also backed faith-linked humanitarian and ministry work. World Relief Corporation of National Association O received general operating support in both 2024 and 2025, while Christian Solidarity International Inc also received repeated unrestricted grants across 2023, 2024, and 2025. Those awards sit alongside grants to Milwaukee-area service organizations and to Massachusetts General Hospital for the Denise Faustman lab, showing a mix of religious, humanitarian, and research-related giving within a still relatively focused grantmaking pattern. The foundation’s recent record suggests a donor advised by specific relationships and purpose-driven support rather than a broad competitive grant program.
Faith-based giving is the clearest theme. The foundation awarded $84,000 to ElmBrook Church for general and unrestricted support in 2025, and also funded the church’s Harvest Fund and worship arts equipment in prior years. Humanitarian relief is another visible lane: it gave $35,000 to World Relief Corporation of National Association O in 2024 and continued with $15,000 in 2025, both unrestricted. The foundation also supports biomedical research through Massachusetts General Hospital, including $25,000 in 2025 for the Dr Denise Faustman Lab. In community services, it granted $20,000 to Milwaukee Rescue Mission in 2024 and 2025, plus $15,000 to The Salvation Army of Greater Milwaukee in both years. Those awards point to support for local aid, church ministry, and medical research rather than a single-sector strategy.
Typical grants cluster in the low-thousands to low-five-figures: p25 is $2,688, median is $5,000, and p75 is $10,000. The recent record shows both smaller operating gifts and a few larger awards, including $84,000 and $61,000, but most grants sit near the median. The foundation appears to favor recurring support: several recipients appear in multiple years, often with similar unrestricted language. Its 990 data indicate it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments, which fits a straightforward grantmaking model rather than an investment-linked one.
$620K
$6.4M
$1.2M
$644K
Most grants fall between $3K and $10K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$10K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in WI.
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Highly concentrated and relationship-driven: all recorded giving went to one repeat grantee in the form of general/unrestricted gifts. Small number of moderate-sized grants focused on maintaining a single institution rather than spreading funds across many organizations or program-specific initiatives.
Notable grantees: ElmBrook Church
The foundation gives nationally, but the recipient map is heavily concentrated in a handful of U.S. cities. Brookfield, WI appears repeatedly, including church, arts, and education-related grantees. Milwaukee, WI is another major cluster, with grants to service organizations there across multiple years. Other recipient locations include Washington, DC, Boston, MA, Naples, FL, and Westlake Village, CA. All recorded grants in the dataset go to U.S. recipients, with no non-U.S. grant countries shown.
Its recent grants center on faith-based organizations and related ministries, plus some humanitarian, community-service, and research recipients. Examples in the data include unrestricted support for churches, grants to World Relief Corporation of National Association O and Christian Solidarity International Inc, and funding for Massachusetts General Hospital’s Denise Faustman lab.
Recurring support is a clear pattern. Elmbrook Church appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Christian Solidarity International Inc appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and both World Relief Corporation of National Association O and The Salvation Army of Greater Milwaukee received grants in consecutive years.
The foundation’s typical grant size is modest: p25 is $2,688, median grant size is $5,000, and p75 is $10,000. Recent awards include both small and larger gifts, with most grants clustering near the median.
Brookfield, WI and Milwaukee, WI appear most often among recipient locations. Other recipient cities in the data include Washington, DC; Boston, MA; Naples, FL; Westlake Village, CA; and Cape Coral, FL. All recorded grants in the dataset are to U.S. recipients.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELMBROOK CHURCH | BROOKFIELD, WI | $184,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| ELMBROOK CHURCH | BROOKFIELD, WI | $32,000 | 2026 | Harvest Fund |
| MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | Faustman Lab fund |
| BROOKLINK INC | BROOKFIELD, WI | $20,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| CHRISTIAN SOLIDARITY INTERNATIONAL INC | WESTLAKE VLG, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF WISCONSIN AND UPPER MI | WEST ALLIS, WI | $19,000 | 2026 | To support children living on the edge in LSS's area of operation |
| ELMBROOK CHURCH | BROOKFIELD, WI | $18,000 | 2026 | Harvest Fund |
| WISCONSIN INSTITUTE FOR LAW & LIBERTY INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $17,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| MILWAUKEE RESCUE MISSION | MILWAUKEE, WI | $15,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE SALVATION ARMY OF GREATER MILWAUKEE | MILWAUKEE, WI | $15,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| WORLD RELIEF CORPORATION OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATION O | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| SAMARITANS PURSE | BOONE, NC | $13,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| SERENITY INNS INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $12,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| FAITH BIBLE CHURCH OF NAPLES INC | NAPLES, FL | $12,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $11,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| TELLING THE TRUTH INC | BROOKFIELD, WI | $11,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| HOPE CENTER INC | WAUKESHA, WI | $10,100 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| WISCONSIN INMATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION INC | BROOKFIELD, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| FOOD PANTRY OF WAUKESHA COUNTY INC | WAUKESHA, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| JOURNEYS LUTHERAN SCHOOL INC | HALES CORNERS, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| HEBRON HOUSE OF HOSPITALITY FOUNDATION INC | PEWAUKEE, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| SHARON LYNNE WILSON CENTER FOR THE ARTS INC | BROOKFIELD, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| GLOBAL SERVE INTERNATIONAL INC | BRADENTON, FL | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| SAMARITANS PURSE | BOONE, NC | $9,500 | 2026 | Support for Wisconsin flood relief |
| ALDO LEOPOLD FOUNDATION INC | BARABOO, WI | $7,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| BADGER INSTITUTE INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $7,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF WISCONSIN AND UPPER MI | WEST ALLIS, WI | $6,000 | 2026 | Martinus and Vera Silseth Endowment fund |
| UNITED LUTHERAN PROGRAM FOR THE AGING INC | WAUWATOSA, WI | $6,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| PRAGER UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | SHERMAN OAKS, CA | $6,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| TURNING POINT USA INC | PHOENIX, AZ | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER | HOUSTON, TX | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE WOMENS CENTER INC | WAUKESHA, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| SAMARITANS PURSE | BOONE, NC | $5,000 | 2026 | Texas Relief work |
| DAVIDS STAR LUTHERAN CHURCH | JACKSON, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| CHARITIES AID FOUNDATION AMERICA | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $5,000 | 2026 | On Call Africa Friends Fund |
| JOHN K MACIVER INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY INC | MADISON, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| HEALTHNETWORK FOUNDATION | PEPPER PIKE, OH | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION | BETHESDA, MD | $4,000 | 2026 | For the CLA event in Milwaukee, WI |
| PATHFINDERS MILWAUKEE INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $3,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE MISSION | AURORA, IL | $3,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| MT CARMEL LUTHERAN CHURCH | MILWAUKEE, WI | $3,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| RAWHIDE INC | NEW LONDON, WI | $3,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| LOAM MEDIA INC | FRANKLIN, TN | $2,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| ELMBROOK CHURCH | BROOKFIELD, WI | $2,500 | 2026 | Light & Light Eva Lawrenz fund |
| SOUTHWEST FLORIDA REGIONAL COALITION TO END HOMELE | NAPLES, FL | $2,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| LUTHER SEMINARY | SAINT PAUL, MN | $1,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| CITY LIFE CHURCH | HOUSTON, TX | $1,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF INC | BALTIMORE, MD | $1,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| PALMER MEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH | HOUSTON, TX | $500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| BILL COOK FOUNDATION | GENESEO, NY | $500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
ELMBROOK CHURCH
$184,000General & Unrestricted
ELMBROOK CHURCH
$32,000Harvest Fund
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
$25,000Faustman Lab fund
BROOKLINK INC
$20,000General & Unrestricted
To support children living on the edge in LSS's area of operation
ELMBROOK CHURCH
$18,000Harvest Fund
MILWAUKEE RESCUE MISSION
$15,000General & Unrestricted
THE SALVATION ARMY OF GREATER MILWAUKEE
$15,000General & Unrestricted
WORLD RELIEF CORPORATION OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATION O
$15,000General & Unrestricted
FAITH BIBLE CHURCH OF NAPLES INC
$12,000General & Unrestricted
TELLING THE TRUTH INC
$11,000General & Unrestricted
WISCONSIN INMATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION INC
$10,000General & Unrestricted
JOURNEYS LUTHERAN SCHOOL INC
$10,000General & Unrestricted
HEBRON HOUSE OF HOSPITALITY FOUNDATION INC
$10,000General & Unrestricted
Martinus and Vera Silseth Endowment fund
UNITED LUTHERAN PROGRAM FOR THE AGING INC
$6,000General & Unrestricted
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER
$5,000General & Unrestricted
DAVIDS STAR LUTHERAN CHURCH
$5,000General & Unrestricted
EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE MISSION
$3,000General & Unrestricted
MT CARMEL LUTHERAN CHURCH
$3,000General & Unrestricted
LOAM MEDIA INC
$2,500General & Unrestricted
ELMBROOK CHURCH
$2,500Light & Light Eva Lawrenz fund
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA REGIONAL COALITION TO END HOMELE
$2,000General & Unrestricted
LUTHER SEMINARY
$1,000General & Unrestricted
CITY LIFE CHURCH
$1,000General & Unrestricted
PALMER MEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH
$500General & Unrestricted
BILL COOK FOUNDATION
$500General & Unrestricted