We actively advocate for, educate, and support our members to help them positively impact the Wisconsin communities they serve.
Wisconsin Bankers Association’s grantmaking shows a dual emphasis on housing support and financial education, with local Wisconsin recipients taking the clear majority of awards. In the recent grants list, housing-related support appears alongside broad general donations, including $10,000 housing grants to Family Service Association of Sheboygan, Peoples State Bank, Columbia Savings & Loan Association, Premier Community Bank, and Boscobel Bancorp Inc. The foundation also supports financial capability work through active programs such as Reading Raises Interest Kits and Excellence in Financial Education Awards, both focused on Wisconsin communities. That mix of grantmaking and program activity points to an organization that funds both direct community needs and education initiatives tied to banking and consumer understanding. The association’s giving is not limited to one type of recipient. Recent awards include general donations to policy and advocacy organizations, community nonprofits, and banking-related entities, as well as project-specific housing grants. Grant sizes in the recent record range from small awards to larger six-figure support, but the pattern most visible in the grant list is repeated support for Wisconsin-based organizations across multiple years. With 87% of grants going to recipients in Wisconsin, the foundation’s footprint is strongly concentrated in its own state even as a few grants reach outside Wisconsin.
Housing and economic development are a visible part of the Wisconsin Bankers Association’s grantmaking. A 2025 housing grant of $10,000 went to Family Service Association of Sheboygan, and the association also made housing grants of the same size to Peoples State Bank, Columbia Savings & Loan Association, Premier Community Bank, and Boscobel Bancorp Inc. Those awards sit alongside the WBA Housing and Economic Development Grant program, which is listed for Wisconsin. Financial education is another recurring theme. Through Reading Raises Interest Kits, the foundation distributes financial education resources tied to early literacy and financial capability in Wisconsin communities. It also offers Excellence in Financial Education Awards, which recognize strong consumer and financial education programs. The foundation’s broader grant record includes general donations to nonprofit and community-focused organizations, indicating support beyond program-specific awards.
$394K
$14.1M
$6.5M
$6.2M
Most grants fall between $10K and $25K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$25K
ROSE M OSWALD POELS
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Typical grant size is modest and clustered: p25 is $10,000, median is $15,000, and p75 is $25,000. The recent record also includes repeated support across years for several recipients, which points to multi-year relationships rather than one-time awards. The foundation gives through both its own grantmaking and listed programs, including unsolicited application pathways for some opportunities. Its structure includes general donations, housing grants, in-kind resource distribution, and scholarship support, with a strong emphasis on Wisconsin-based recipients.
Wisconsin dominates the recipient map: 87% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. The grant list is heavily centered in Madison, with additional awards in Brookfield, Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Verona, Prairie du Chien, Marion, and Boscobel. Outside Wisconsin, recipients appear in Washington, DC and Denver, CO. By country, all listed grants go to US recipients.
Its recent grants support housing, economic development, financial education, community organizations, and general charitable purposes. The active program list also includes financial education resources, financial education awards, housing and economic development grants, and an agricultural banking scholarship in Wisconsin.
Recent grants are centered around $10,000 to $25,000, with a p25 of $10,000, median of $15,000, and p75 of $25,000. The recent record also includes larger awards above that range, including six-figure support.
Yes, for several listed opportunities. The Reading Raises Interest Kits program, the Excellence in Financial Education Awards, the WBA Housing and Economic Development Grant, and the Wisconsin Bankers Foundation’s Agricultural Banking Scholarship all note unsolicited applications or open application pathways.
Most grants go to Wisconsin recipients, and 87% of grants in the record are to organizations in the HQ state. Madison appears most often in the recent grants list, followed by other Wisconsin cities such as Brookfield and Milwaukee.
The record shows repeated support for several recipients across multiple years. For example, some organizations appear in more than one grant year, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated gifts.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Wisconsin Bankers Association that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Banks and individual bankers may submit financial education activities for recognition. Individual bankers are recognized based on the number of financial education-focused events, and banks may qualify for organization-wide commitment.
Deadline: Submissions may be completed at any time throughout the year.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOBS FIRST COALITION | BROOKFIELD, WI | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| WISCONSIN PRINCIPLES INC | OCONOMOWOC, WI | $67,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| WISCONSIN MANUFACTURERS AND COMMERCE-ISSUES MOBILIZATION FUND | MADISON, WI | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE POLICY | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| STATE GOVERNNMENT LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF WISCONSIN | MADISON, WI | $17,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| EMPLOY MILWAUKEE INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| STATE SENATE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE | MADISON, WI | $12,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| COMMITTEE TO ELECT A REPUBLICAN SENATE | MADISON, WI | $12,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE | MADISON, WI | $12,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| REPUBLICAN PARTY OF WISCONSIN | MADISON, WI | $12,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE | MADISON, WI | $12,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| BAY BANK | GREEN BAY, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| THE BANK OF NEW GLARUS | NEW GLARUS, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| MIDWEST GROWTH INC | APPLETON, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| BANK OF PRAIRIE DU SAC | PRAIRIE DU SAC, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| PREMIER BANK | FORT ATKINSON, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| HORICON BANK | HORICON, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| WOODFORD STATE BANK | MONROE, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL DONATION |
| WISCONSIN PRINCIPLES INC | OCONOMOWOC, WI | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL DONATION |
| JOBS FIRST COALITION | BROOKFIELD, WI | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL DONATION |
| WMC-ISSUE MOBILIZATION COUNCIL | MADISON, WI | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL DONATION |
| STATE GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL DONATION |
| EMPLOY MILWAUKEE INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL DONATION |
| FORTE SERVICES LLC | VERONA, WI | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL DONATION |
| REPUBLICAN PARTY OF WISCONSIN | MADISON, WI | $12,000 | 2025 | GENERAL DONATION |
| RACC | MADISON, WI | $12,000 | 2025 | GENERAL DONATION |
| COMMITTEE TO ELECT A REPUBLICAN SENATE (CERS) | MADISON, WI | $12,000 | 2025 | GENERAL DONATION |
| COLUMBIA SAVINGS & LOAN ASSOCIATION | MILWAUKEE, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | HOUSING GRANT |
| ABA VOTER EDUCATION FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL DONATION |
| FAMILY SERVICE ASSOCIATION OF SHEBOYGAN | SHEBOYGAN, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | HOUSING GRANT |
| PREMIER COMMUNITY BANK | MARION, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | HOUSING GRANT |
| PEOPLES STATE BANK | PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | HOUSING GRANT |
| BOSCOBEL BANCORP INC | BOSCOBEL, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | HOUSING GRANT |
| WISCONSIN ALLIANCE FOR REFORM | MADISON, WI | $54,000 | 2024 | GENERAL DONATION |
| JOBS FIRST COALITION | BROOKFIELD, WI | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL DONATION |
| WMC-ISSUE MOBILIZATION COUNCIL | NEED CITY, WI | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL DONATION |
| REPUBLICAN PARTY OF WISCONSIN | MADISON, WI | $24,000 | 2024 | GENERAL DONATION |
| CERS | MADISON, WI | $18,000 | 2024 | GENERAL DONATION |
| RACC | MADISON, WI | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL DONATION |
| WISCONSIN VALUE INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL DONATION |
| NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES | DENVER, CO | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL DONATION |
| STATE SENATE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE | MADISON, WI | $6,500 | 2024 | GENERAL DONATION |
| ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE | MADISON, WI | $6,000 | 2024 | GENERAL DONATION |
| WISCONSIN ALLIANCE FOR REFORM | MADISON, WI | $106,600 | 2023 | GENERAL DONATION |
| JOBS FIRST COALITION | BROOKFIELD, WI | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL DONATION |
| WMC ISSUES MOBILIZATION COUNCIL | MADISON, WI | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL DONATION |
| STATE GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL DONATION |
| RACC | MADISON, WI | $12,000 | 2023 | GENERAL DONATION |
| CERS | MADISON, WI | $9,210 | 2023 | GENERAL DONATION |
WISCONSIN PRINCIPLES INC
$67,000GENERAL DONATION
WISCONSIN MANUFACTURERS AND COMMERCE-ISSUES MOBILIZATION FUND
$25,000GENERAL DONATION
CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE POLICY
$20,000GENERAL DONATION
DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF WISCONSIN
GENERAL DONATION
EMPLOY MILWAUKEE INC
$15,000GENERAL DONATION
STATE SENATE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE
$12,000GENERAL DONATION
COMMITTEE TO ELECT A REPUBLICAN SENATE
$12,000GENERAL DONATION
REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
$12,000GENERAL DONATION
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF WISCONSIN
$12,000GENERAL DONATION
ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
$12,000GENERAL DONATION
BAY BANK
$10,000GENERAL DONATION
THE BANK OF NEW GLARUS
$10,000GENERAL DONATION
MIDWEST GROWTH INC
$10,000GENERAL DONATION
BANK OF PRAIRIE DU SAC
$10,000GENERAL DONATION
PREMIER BANK
$10,000GENERAL DONATION
HORICON BANK
$10,000GENERAL DONATION
WOODFORD STATE BANK
$10,000GENERAL DONATION
WISCONSIN PRINCIPLES INC
$75,000GENERAL DONATION
WMC-ISSUE MOBILIZATION COUNCIL
$25,000GENERAL DONATION
EMPLOY MILWAUKEE INC
$15,000GENERAL DONATION
FORTE SERVICES LLC
$15,000GENERAL DONATION
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF WISCONSIN
$12,000GENERAL DONATION
RACC
$12,000GENERAL DONATION
COMMITTEE TO ELECT A REPUBLICAN SENATE (CERS)
$12,000GENERAL DONATION
COLUMBIA SAVINGS & LOAN ASSOCIATION
$10,000HOUSING GRANT
ABA VOTER EDUCATION FUND
$10,000GENERAL DONATION
FAMILY SERVICE ASSOCIATION OF SHEBOYGAN
$10,000HOUSING GRANT
PREMIER COMMUNITY BANK
$10,000HOUSING GRANT
PEOPLES STATE BANK
$10,000HOUSING GRANT
BOSCOBEL BANCORP INC
$10,000HOUSING GRANT
WISCONSIN ALLIANCE FOR REFORM
$54,000GENERAL DONATION
WMC-ISSUE MOBILIZATION COUNCIL
$25,000GENERAL DONATION
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF WISCONSIN
$24,000GENERAL DONATION
CERS
$18,000GENERAL DONATION
RACC
$15,000GENERAL DONATION
WISCONSIN VALUE INC
$15,000GENERAL DONATION
STATE SENATE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE
$6,500GENERAL DONATION
ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
$6,000GENERAL DONATION
WISCONSIN ALLIANCE FOR REFORM
$106,600GENERAL DONATION
WMC ISSUES MOBILIZATION COUNCIL
$50,000GENERAL DONATION
RACC
$12,000GENERAL DONATION
CERS
$9,210GENERAL DONATION
