The Wisconsin Public Service Foundation’s recent giving is dominated by three large annual contributions recorded as "Contributions (see Attached)," with grants of $2,172,954 in 2025, $1,833,482 in 2024, and $1,708,123 in 2023. That pattern points to a centralized community contributions program rather than a broad roster of disclosed standalone awards. Alongside those umbrella contributions, the foundation also runs named programs tied to employee and retiree giving, scholarships for students, energy-efficiency support, and awards for public safety agencies. The foundation’s program structure shows a local corporate philanthropy model rooted in WPS’s service areas. It supports nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations in the communities it serves, and its active programs extend into education, health and human services, arts and culture, environment, community development, and emergency response. The scholarship offerings are especially specific: the Daughters and Sons Scholarship Program supports children of eligible employees, while the WPS Technical College Scholarships and the UW-Green Bay Phuture Phoenix Scholarship support local students. Recent program examples include matching gifts, Habitat for Humanity energy-efficiency grants, and the Rewarding Responders Grant, which together show a mix of community support, utility-adjacent assistance, and targeted local partnerships.
Education appears in several named programs. The Daughters and Sons Scholarship Program supports children of eligible active or retired employees pursuing undergraduate study, and the WPS Technical College Scholarships assist graduating high school seniors attending selected Wisconsin technical colleges. The WPS UW-Green Bay Phuture Phoenix Scholarship supports local students admitted to the university with demonstrated financial need. The foundation also funds energy-related community support. Through the Habitat for Humanity Energy Efficiency Grant, it provides up to $1,500 per home for qualifying energy-efficiency measures in the WPS service area. Public safety is another specific area: the WPS Rewarding Responders Grant supports local response agencies with safety-related equipment and training projects. Broader community grantmaking is also built into the program structure through general support for nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations in community and neighborhood development, arts and culture, health and human services, education, and environment.
$2.2M
$40.7M
$3M
$2.5M
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The reported recent grant sizes are large and tightly clustered, with a 25th percentile of $1,739,463, a median of $1,770,802, and a 75th percentile of $1,802,142. That spread is narrow, which is consistent with a small number of sizable, program-level contributions rather than many small awards. The available records show recurring grantmaking across 2023, 2024, and 2025, and all reported grants go to recipients in Wisconsin. The foundation operates as a corporate-linked philanthropy program with multiple channels: general community support, employee and retiree matching gifts, scholarships, and restricted-purpose grants. Several active programs accept unsolicited applications, including matching gifts and scholarship programs.
All reported recent grants go to recipients in Wisconsin, and the recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based. The giving footprint is local, centered in the WPS service area and Northeastern Wisconsin, with the recent large contributions recorded under a Wisconsin payee. Active programs also extend across Wisconsin service areas, including WPS, Minnesota Energy Resources, Michigan Gas Utilities, and Upper Michigan Energy Resources for some matching-gift and community-support activity. The geographic pattern is regional rather than national.
The foundation supports nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations in communities served by WPS. Its stated focus areas include community and neighborhood development, arts and culture, health and human services, education, and environment. It also supports local Habitat for Humanity chapters, public safety response agencies, and scholarship recipients through several named programs.
Yes. Several active programs accept unsolicited applications, including the Daughters and Sons Scholarship Program, WPS Technical College Scholarships, Matching Gifts (WPS Foundation), Habitat for Humanity Energy Efficiency Grant (WPS), and the WPS Rewarding Responders Grant.
The recent grant-size distribution is tightly grouped at a high level: the 25th percentile is $1,739,463, the median is $1,770,802, and the 75th percentile is $1,802,142. That indicates the reported recent awards are clustered around roughly $1.7 million to $1.8 million.
The foundation gives locally, with 100% of reported grants going to recipients in Wisconsin. Its active programs reference the WPS service area, Northeastern Wisconsin, Upper Michigan, and, for some programs, the service areas of Minnesota Energy Resources and Michigan Gas Utilities.
The data show recurring grantmaking across 2023, 2024, and 2025. The recent records also include multiple named ongoing programs, such as matching gifts, scholarships, community support, the Habitat for Humanity energy-efficiency grant, and the Rewarding Responders Grant.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
No grant history is available for this foundation yet.
Current and upcoming funding from Wisconsin Public Service Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Applicants must meet the WPS Foundation's nonprofit, geographic and funding-area eligibility requirements. Organizations may receive funding only once per calendar year.
Deadline: Quarterly: January 31, April 30, July 31 and October 31.
Who can apply: Eligible recipients must be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3), in good legal standing, and located within the applicable company service area unless otherwise noted. Contributions must be paid, not pledged, and no goods or services may be exchanged.
Deadline: Requests received by December 1 are processed in the current fiscal year; later requests are processed in the first quarter of the following year.
Who can apply: Supports nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations in communities located in areas served by WPS and certain related subsidiaries. The foundation prefers a particular program or project rather than general operating support.
Who can apply: Organizations must provide emergency response services in the WPS service area. County, local and volunteer fire, law enforcement and rescue agencies are encouraged to apply. Organizations that received 2026 grants are ineligible for the 2027 grant cycle. Previously awarded organizations may apply in later years for a new project proposal. Only one application per organization is accepted.
Deadline: Applications: May 1-June 15 annually. Winners are notified by July 31.
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