About Wisconsin Womens Business Initiative
Putting Dreams to Work.
Focus Areas
Small business developmentMicroloan and microlendingEntrepreneurship trainingFinancial capability / credit counselingTechnical assistance / coachingKiva crowdfunding facilitation
Who They Fund
small businesses / microenterprisescraft breweries / beer industry small businessesearly-stage and growth-stage entrepreneursbusinesses in Southeast / regional small-business cohorts
Funding Style
capacity buildingdirect service / technical assistance
About Wisconsin Womens Business Initiative
Wisconsin Womens Business Initiative Corporation centers its grantmaking on Wisconsin small businesses, with every recent grant in the record going to recipients in the state. The pattern is highly consistent: most awards are $10,000, and the list includes a larger $52,000 grant to UW-Madison Deposit Account in Madison for small business assistance. The foundation also backed K&k Barista LLC in West Allis with $18,000 in 2025, showing that its support reaches both larger institutional assistance and direct business-level funding. Its recent recipients include businesses at different stages and in different sectors, from Plantivore LLC in Milwaukee and Picture Me LLC in Racine to Adventures in Farming in Burlington under a Brewers Grant. Black Husky Brewing LLC in Milwaukee also appears among the recent awards, reflecting the organization’s interest in sector-specific support as well as general small business development. The foundation’s activity aligns with its stated focus on access to capital, entrepreneurship training, financial capability, and technical assistance for microenterprises and growing firms.
What Wisconsin Womens Business Initiative Funds
The foundation’s work is built around direct support for small businesses and microenterprises. In 2024, it gave $10,000 to Black Lavish Apparel LLC in Madison for small business assistance, and it made the same-size award to Renew Sporting Goods LLC in West Allis. Business coaching and launch support are also visible in the grant list. Keep Calm Tool Kits LLC in Madison received $10,000 in 2023 for small business assistance, while Willow Tree Chiropractic in Madison received the same amount that year. The organization also shows sector-specific interest. Adventures in Farming in Burlington received $15,000 in 2023 under a Brewers Grant, and Black Husky Brewing LLC in Milwaukee received $10,000 in 2024. Its stated program areas also include Kiva crowdfunding facilitation, microloan support, entrepreneurship training, and financial capability work.
How Wisconsin Womens Business Initiative Gives
Recent awards cluster tightly around a $10,000 standard grant size, with the p25, median, and p75 all at $10,000. The record also includes a few larger awards, such as $12,370, $15,000, $18,000, and $52,000, but the prevailing pattern is flat, repeatable support rather than widely varied check sizes. The 2023-2025 grant list suggests recurring annual activity, with awards appearing across multiple years. The foundation operates through programmatic lending and assistance rather than individual giving, and its active programs accept unsolicited applications.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$595K
Total Assets
$40.5M
Total Revenue
$8.9M
Total Expenses
$14M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $10K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$10K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
About 100% of grants go to recipients in WI.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
WENDY K BAUMANN
Unlock Deep Analysis
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeSee Similar Funders
Free Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeWant a Personalized Pitch for Wisconsin Womens Business Initiative?
Sign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Free plan available
No contracts
Cancel anytime