The Gerald W & Sharon K Wadina Family Foundation concentrates its giving locally in the Milwaukee area, providing sizable, general operating support to a very small set of repeat grantees. Their grants primarily back a Latino-serving family/community services organization and a Catholic college-preparatory high school, indicating an interest in sustaining local educational and community-support institutions rather than funding many small projects.
The Gerald W & Sharon K Wadina Family Foundation’s giving is defined by repeat support for a small number of local institutions in southeastern Wisconsin. A $80,000 grant to Marquette University High School in 2025 and a $77,500 grant to La Casa De Esperanza Inc. in the same year show the size and concentration of its recent commitments. Those two organizations also appear in prior years, with La Casa De Esperanza receiving $73,000 in 2024 and $63,000 in 2023, while Marquette University High School received $50,000 in 2024 and $50,000 in 2023. That pattern points to steady backing rather than one-off awards. The foundation’s portfolio reaches beyond those anchors, but still stays close to community-serving institutions. Recent grants include support for Cristo Rey Jesuit School, Latino Arts Inc., Habitat for Humanity Waukesha, and the Waukesha County Community Foundation. Its recent grants also show interest in health-related efforts, including cancer awareness and emergency preparedness, alongside education, housing, and Latino-serving programs. Most gifts land in Wisconsin, and the recipient list is heavily weighted toward Milwaukee, Waukesha, and nearby communities.
Education is a clear thread in the foundation’s recent grants. In 2025, it gave $80,000 to Marquette University High School for educational purposes, and in 2023 it gave $10,000 to Cristo Rey Jesuit School for general support. Those gifts sit alongside repeated support for school-based work rather than isolated project funding. The foundation also backs Latino arts and community programming. Latino Arts Inc. received $10,000 in 2025 for the Latino Arts String Program, plus $5,000 in 2023 and $5,000 in 2024 for general support and general operations. Housing is another visible area: Habitat for Humanity Waukesha received $10,000 in 2024 and $10,000 in 2025 for low-income home building. In health-related giving, the foundation made a $20,000 grant in 2023 to Players Philanthropy Fund for the Stronger Than Sarcoma Project and a $2,000 grant in 2024 to the Waukesha County Community Foundation for AED purchase.
Typical grants cluster around a middle tier: p25 is $3,750, median is $10,000, and p75 is $35,000. The recent record shows a mix of larger operating grants and smaller project or equipment gifts, with the largest award at $80,000 and several $10,000 commitments. Recipients often reappear across multiple years, especially among the foundation’s core local organizations, which suggests recurring support rather than isolated one-time awards. The foundation is a family foundation, and the grants shown are all grants to organizations rather than individuals. No application process is indicated in the provided data.
$229K
$1.9M
$292K
$265K
Most grants fall between $4K and $35K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$35K
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Highly concentrated — a few large, repeat grants dominate giving. Typical gifts are unrestricted or general operating support, made multiple times to the same organizations rather than spread across many new grantees.
Notable grantees: La Casa de Esperanza, Inc., Marquette University High School
The foundation gives locally, and Wisconsin accounts for 83% of its grants. Milwaukee and Waukesha are the main recipient cities, with additional Wisconsin grants in Wauwatosa, Racine, and Pewaukee-area organizations. Outside Wisconsin, the recent grants list includes recipients in Baltimore, Grand Junction, Rye Brook, and South Bend, but those are occasional exceptions. All recent grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients.
Its recent grants concentrate on local educational and community-serving organizations, especially a Latino-serving family and community services provider and a Catholic college-preparatory high school. The list also includes Latino arts programming, housing, and health-related nonprofits.
The grant-size distribution centers on $10,000, with p25 at $3,750 and p75 at $35,000. Recent awards range from small $1,000–$2,500 gifts to larger six-figure-level support, including an $80,000 grant.
Yes. La Casa De Esperanza Inc. received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Marquette University High School received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Habitat for Humanity Waukesha and Latino Arts Inc. also appear in more than one year.
Wisconsin is the top recipient state, with 83% of grants going to recipients in WI. Milwaukee and Waukesha appear frequently among recipient cities, showing a strong local pattern.
The foundation also funds Latino arts, low-income home building, and health-related efforts. Recent examples include Latino Arts Inc. for the Latino Arts String Program, Habitat for Humanity Waukesha for low-income home building, and Players Philanthropy Fund for the Stronger Than Sarcoma Project.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE BRYON RIESCH PARALYSIS FOUNDATION | WAUKESHA, WI | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| LA CASA DE ESPERANZA INC | WAUKESHA, WI | $71,500 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL | MILWAUKEE, WI | $50,000 | 2026 | EDUCATIONAL |
| EVANS SCHOLARS FOUNDATION INC | GOLF, IL | $7,500 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL | MILWAUKEE, WI | $80,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL |
| LA CASA DE ESPERANZA INC | WAUKESHA, WI | $77,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| TESTICULAR CANCER AWARENESS FOUNDATION | GRAND JUNCTION, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| LATINO ARTS INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | LATINO ARTS STRING PROGRAM |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WAUKESHA | WAUKESHA, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | LOW-INCOME HOME BUILDING |
| THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY | RYE BROOK, NY | $6,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| WOMENS CARE CENTER OF SOUTH BEND | SOUTH BEND, IN | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| COPS N KIDS READING CENTER | RACINE, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| GIRL SCOUTS | MILWAUKEE, WI | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| LA CASA DE ESPERANZA INC | WAUKESHA, WI | $73,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL | MILWAUKEE, WI | $50,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WAUKESHA | WAUKESHA, WI | $10,000 | 2024 | LOW-INCOME HOME BUILDING |
| LATINO ARTS INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| JDRF | WAUWATOSA, WI | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| ST JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH | WAUWATOSA, WI | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| WAUKESHA COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | WAUKESHA, WI | $2,000 | 2024 | KAI LERMER MEMORIAL FUND FOR PURCHASE OF AEDS |
| UNITED WAY OF GREATER MILWAUKEE & WAUKESHA COUNTY | MILWAUKEE, WI | $1,200 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| LA CASA DE ESPERANZA INC | WAUKESHA, WI | $63,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL | MILWAUKEE, WI | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| PLAYERS PHILANTHROPY FUND | BALTIMORE, MD | $20,000 | 2023 | STRONGER THAN SARCOMA PROJECT |
| CRISTO REY JESUIT SCHOOL | MILWAUKEE, WI | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| LATINO ARTS INC | MILWAUKEE, WI | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION | MILWAUKEE, WI | $1,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
THE BRYON RIESCH PARALYSIS FOUNDATION
$100,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL
$50,000EDUCATIONAL
EVANS SCHOLARS FOUNDATION INC
$7,500SCHOLARSHIPS
MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL
$80,000EDUCATIONAL
GENERAL OPERATIONS
TESTICULAR CANCER AWARENESS FOUNDATION
$20,000GENERAL
LATINO ARTS INC
$10,000LATINO ARTS STRING PROGRAM
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WAUKESHA
$10,000LOW-INCOME HOME BUILDING
WOMENS CARE CENTER OF SOUTH BEND
$5,000GENERAL
COPS N KIDS READING CENTER
$5,000GENERAL
GIRL SCOUTS
$1,000GENERAL
MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL
$50,000EDUCATIONAL
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WAUKESHA
$10,000LOW-INCOME HOME BUILDING
LATINO ARTS INC
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
JDRF
$2,500GENERAL OPERATIONS
ST JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH
$2,500GENERAL OPERATIONS
KAI LERMER MEMORIAL FUND FOR PURCHASE OF AEDS
MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL
$50,000GENERAL
CRISTO REY JESUIT SCHOOL
$10,000GENERAL
LATINO ARTS INC
$5,000GENERAL