The Van Dam-Hug Family Foundation concentrates its giving locally in the Milwaukee area with a clear religious focus on Lutheran institutions. Most support goes to Lutheran education and eldercare organizations (multiple grants to a Lutheran high school and a Lutheran home foundation), with occasional gifts to youth athletics. Grants are directed toward general operating support rather than project-specific funding.
Concentrated, local giving: few but relatively large grants focused on a small set of repeat grantees, primarily providing general operating support to faith-based institutions.
Notable grantees: Lutheran High School Association of Greater Milwaukee, Lutheran Home Foundation (and Lutheran Home Foundation Inc.), USA Volleyball
A recurring pattern defines the Van Dam-hug Family Foundation Charitable Trust: large general-support gifts to Lutheran institutions in the Milwaukee area. In the recent record, the biggest award went to the Lutheran High School Association of Greater Milwaukee, followed by another substantial grant to Lutheran Home Foundation. Those gifts sit alongside continuing support for Lutheran Home Foundation Inc., showing sustained interest in both Lutheran secondary education and Lutheran-affiliated eldercare. The trust’s giving is not limited to those two institutions. It also makes smaller operating grants to organizations tied to youth development and community support, including USA Volleyball, Lutheran Social Service, Folds of Honor, Camp One Step, Ebenezer Stone Ministries, and Valley Kids Foundation Inc. Every recent grant listed is for general support of mission, which points to flexible core funding rather than project-specific awards. The overall profile is regional and locally concentrated, with Wisconsin recipients making up most of the grant record. The foundation’s work is best read as mission support for religiously affiliated institutions and a small set of complementary community organizations.
Lutheran education is the clearest thread in the foundation’s recent grantmaking. It gave $45,000 in 2023, $21,250 in 2024, and $23,500 in 2025 to the Lutheran High School Association of Greater Milwaukee, all for general support of mission. Eldercare is another consistent area. The trust awarded $14,000 in 2023 to Lutheran Home Foundation Inc and $40,000 in 2025 to Lutheran Home Foundation, again for general support of mission. Beyond Lutheran institutions, the foundation has supported youth and community-oriented groups. It gave $15,000 to USA Volleyball in 2024, $3,500 to Camp One Step in 2025, and $5,000 and $3,600 to Lutheran Social Service in 2024 and 2025. It also made smaller grants to Folds of Honor, Ebenezer Stone Ministries, and Valley Kids Foundation Inc.
Typical grants sit in a mid-sized range, with a p25 of $4,300, a median of $14,000, and a p75 of $18,125. The recent record shows repeated support to the same organizations across multiple years, especially Lutheran High School Association of Greater Milwaukee, Lutheran Home Foundation, and Lutheran Social Service. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards. The trust is a charitable trust, and the grants shown are all general support of mission, indicating core operating support rather than restricted project funding. It does not make program-related investments and does not fund individuals.
$182K
$943K
$26K
$89K
Most grants fall between $4K and $18K, with a median of $14K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$14K
75th Percentile
$18K
About 57% of grants go to recipients in WI.
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Wisconsin receives most of the foundation’s grants, with 57% of awards going to recipients in the HQ state and Wisconsin also ranking first by grant count. Recent recipients are concentrated in the Milwaukee area and nearby communities, including West Allis, Wauwatosa, Milwaukee, and Appleton. Outside Wisconsin, grants in the recent list went to Colorado Springs, Wayzata, and Chicago, but every grant in the sample was made to a U.S. recipient.
Its recent grants focus on Lutheran institutions, especially Lutheran secondary education and Lutheran-affiliated eldercare in Wisconsin. The record also includes support for Lutheran Social Service, USA Volleyball, Folds of Honor, Camp One Step, Ebenezer Stone Ministries, and Valley Kids Foundation Inc.
The grant-size distribution shows a p25 of $4,300, a median of $14,000, and a p75 of $18,125. Recent awards range from $2,500 to $45,000.
Yes. The recent record shows repeated grants to Lutheran High School Association of Greater Milwaukee in 2023, 2024, and 2025, plus multiple awards to Lutheran Home Foundation and Lutheran Social Service across more than one year.
The grants listed are all for general support of mission. That indicates flexible operating support rather than project-restricted funding.
Wisconsin is the main state for recipient organizations, with 57% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state and Wisconsin ranking first by grant count. Recent Wisconsin recipients include organizations in West Allis, Wauwatosa, Milwaukee, and Appleton.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LUTHERAN HOME FOUNDATION | WAUWATOSA, WI | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION |
| LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION OF GREATER MILWAUKEE | WEST ALLIS, WI | $23,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION |
| LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICE | WEST ALLIS, WI | $3,600 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION |
| CAMP ONE STEP | CHICAGO, IL | $3,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION |
| EBENEZER STONE MINISTRIES | MILWAUKEE, WI | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION |
| VALLEY KIDS FOUNDATION INC | APPLETON, WI | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION |
| LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION OF GREATER MILWAUKEE | WEST ALLIS, WI | $21,250 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION |
| USA VOLLEYBALL | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION |
| LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICE | WEST ALLIS, WI | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION |
| FOLDS OF HONOR | WAYZATA, MN | $3,600 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION |
| CAMP ONE STEP | CHICAGO, IL | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION |
| LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION OF GREATER MILWAUKEE | WEST ALLIS, WI | $45,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION |
| LUTHERAN HOME FOUNDATION INC | WAUWATOSA, WI | $14,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION |
LUTHERAN HOME FOUNDATION
$40,000GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION
LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION OF GREATER MILWAUKEE
$23,500GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICE
$3,600GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION
CAMP ONE STEP
$3,500GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION
EBENEZER STONE MINISTRIES
$3,000GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION
VALLEY KIDS FOUNDATION INC
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION
LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION OF GREATER MILWAUKEE
$21,250GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION
USA VOLLEYBALL
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICE
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION
FOLDS OF HONOR
$3,600GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION
CAMP ONE STEP
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION
LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION OF GREATER MILWAUKEE
$45,000GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION
LUTHERAN HOME FOUNDATION INC
$14,000GENERAL SUPPORT OF MISSION