The Read Foundation directs a small number of relatively large, unrestricted grants toward local civic and cultural organizations and targeted conservation work. Its recent giving centers on strengthening community institutions in Milwaukee (historic preservation, youth development) while also supporting specialized environmental conservation (bat protection). The foundation appears to favor general‑purpose funding to trusted organizations rather than many small project grants.
Concentrated giving: a very small portfolio of sizeable, general‑purpose grants (three large awards) with emphasis on repeatable, trust‑based support to a few organizations rather than broad or numerous grantees.
Girl Scouts of Wisconsin SE, Historic Haymarket Milwaukee, Bat Conservation International
Read Foundation Inc f/k/a The Merrill Foundation Inc gives a small number of relatively large, unrestricted grants, with a recent pattern of repeated support to the same organizations over multiple years. The biggest grant in the file is $113,500 to Girl Scouts of Wisconsin SE for general purpose support, followed by $100,000 to Historic Haymarket Milwaukee. Those awards point to two of the foundation’s clearest priorities: youth leadership and local historic preservation. The foundation also supports specialized conservation work. Bat Conservation International received $96,000 in 2024 and additional general-purpose grants of $20,000 in 2025 and $20,000 in 2023, showing a sustained relationship rather than a one-off gift. Alongside that environmental giving, the foundation backs cultural and civic organizations such as The Florentine Opera, St Paul’s Church, and the University of School Milwaukee. The recurring use of general-purpose language across these grants suggests a preference for flexible funding to established organizations rather than tightly restricted project awards.
Youth leadership is one of the foundation’s most visible themes. In 2025, it gave $113,500 to Girl Scouts of Wisconsin SE for general purpose support, and it also supported the same organization with $8,000 in 2023 and $3,000 in 2024. Historic preservation is another clear focus. Historic Haymarket Milwaukee received $100,000 in 2025 for general purpose support, while the National Trust for Historic Preservation was awarded $10,000 in 2023. These grants align with a preservation-oriented portfolio that includes civic heritage organizations in Milwaukee. The foundation also funds conservation and the arts. Bat Conservation International received $96,000 in 2024, plus $20,000 in both 2025 and 2023. In the arts, The Florentine Opera received $21,500 in 2023 and $10,000 in 2024, and Colorado Ballet received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Typical grants cluster in the low thousands, with a p25 of $1,000, a median of $3,500, and a p75 of $7,500. That distribution sits alongside a few much larger awards, including six-figure and near-six-figure grants. The recent record also shows repeat giving: Girl Scouts of Wisconsin SE, Bat Conservation International, Colorado Ballet, Opera Colorado, Central City Opera, St Paul’s Church, and St Anne’s Episcopal School each appear more than once. The foundation makes grants nationally and uses general-purpose language throughout the recent list, indicating flexible support rather than tightly specified project funding.
$86K
$608K
$232K
$97K
Most grants fall between $1K and $8K, with a median of $4K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$4K
75th Percentile
$8K
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Giving is heavily centered in Wisconsin, with 44% of grants to recipients in the HQ state and Milwaukee appearing repeatedly in the recent grants list. Colorado is the top state by grant count, driven by repeated awards to organizations in Denver, Englewood, and Wheatridge, including Colorado Ballet, Opera Colorado, Central City Opera, and St Anne’s Episcopal School. Outside the U.S., the recipient distribution is entirely domestic: 54 grants, all in the United States.
Recent grants go to youth leadership organizations, historic preservation groups, conservation nonprofits, and arts institutions. Examples in the record include Girl Scouts of Wisconsin SE, Historic Haymarket Milwaukee, Bat Conservation International, The Florentine Opera, and Colorado Ballet.
The grant-size distribution is small but not micro-sized: p25 is $1,000, median grant size is $3,500, and p75 is $7,500. The recent list also includes larger awards, such as $113,500 and $100,000.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Girl Scouts of Wisconsin SE, Bat Conservation International, Colorado Ballet, Opera Colorado, Central City Opera, St Paul’s Church, and St Anne’s Episcopal School. The pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards.
Colorado is the top state by grant count. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is also a major locus of giving, and 44% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state of Wisconsin.
Recent grants point to four recurring areas: girl scouting and youth leadership, historic preservation and interpretation, bat and endangered species conservation, and cultural organizations in the arts and civic sector. Those themes are visible in grants to Girl Scouts of Wisconsin SE, Historic Haymarket Milwaukee, Bat Conservation International, and The Florentine Opera.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Create Wisconsin | Madison, WI | $20,000 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| Mount Mary University | Milwaukee, WI | $12,000 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| Bat Conservation International | Austin, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| Bloedel Reserve | Bainbridge Island, WA | $10,000 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| Opera Colorado | Englewood, CO | $6,000 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| Central City Opera | Wheatridge, CO | $5,000 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| Colorado Ballet | Denver, CO | $5,000 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| Girl Scouts of Wisconsin SE | Milwaukee, WI | $4,000 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| St Anne's Episcopal School | Denver, CO | $3,000 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin | Milwaukee, WI | $2,000 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| Law Foward | Madison, WI | $2,000 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| Denver Center for the Performing Arts | Denver, CO | $2,000 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| Writer's Theater | Glencoe, IL | $1,000 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| Bryn Mawr College | Bryn Mawr, PA | $1,000 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| University of School Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI | $1,000 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| Mitchell Hamlin School of Law | St Paul, MN | $500 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra | Milwaukee, WI | $500 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| Lyric Opera | Chicago, IL | $500 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| Village of Oconomowoc | Oconomowoc, WI | $300 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| I Am ALS | Chicago, IL | $100 | 2026 | General Purpose |
| Girl Scouts of Wisconsin SE | Milwaukee, WI | $113,500 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| Historic Haymarket Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI | $100,000 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| University of School Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI | $25,000 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| Bat Conservation International | Austin, TX | $20,000 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| St Paul's Church | Milwaukee, WI | $12,000 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| Opera Colorado | Englewood, CO | $6,000 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| Tall Pines Conservancy | Nashotah, WI | $5,700 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| Colorado Ballet | Denver, CO | $5,000 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| Central City Opera | Wheatridge, CO | $5,000 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| St Anne's Episcopal School | Denver, CO | $3,000 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| Denver Center for the Performing Arts | Denver, CO | $2,000 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| CASA Advocates for Children | Parket, CO | $1,000 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| Law Foward | Madison, WI | $1,000 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| Bryn Mawr College | Bryn Mawr, PA | $1,000 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| Forest Home Historic Preservation Assoc | Milwaukee, WI | $500 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra | Milwaukee, WI | $500 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| Mitchell Hamlin School of Law | St Paul, MN | $300 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| Village of Oconomowoc | Oconomowoc, WI | $250 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| Northern Light Theater | Skokie, IL | $250 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| Lyric Opera | Chicago, IL | $250 | 2025 | General Purpose |
| Bat Conservation International | Austin, TX | $96,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| St Paul's Church | Milwaukee, WI | $20,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| The Florentine Opera | Milwaukee, WI | $10,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Milwaukee Art Museum | Milwaukee, WI | $9,600 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Colorado Ballet | Denver, CO | $5,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Central City Opera | Wheatridge, CO | $4,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Opera Colorado | Englewood, CO | $4,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| St Anne's Episcopal School | Denver, CO | $3,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Girl Scouts of Wisconsin SE | Milwaukee, WI | $3,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
| Denver Center for the Performing Arts | Denver, CO | $2,000 | 2024 | General Purpose |
Create Wisconsin
$20,000General Purpose
Mount Mary University
$12,000General Purpose
Central City Opera
General Purpose
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin
$2,000General Purpose
Law Foward
$2,000General Purpose
Denver Center for the Performing Arts
$2,000General Purpose
Writer's Theater
$1,000General Purpose
Mitchell Hamlin School of Law
$500General Purpose
Village of Oconomowoc
$300General Purpose
I Am ALS
$100General Purpose
Historic Haymarket Milwaukee
$100,000General Purpose
St Paul's Church
$12,000General Purpose
Central City Opera
$5,000General Purpose
Denver Center for the Performing Arts
$2,000General Purpose
CASA Advocates for Children
$1,000General Purpose
Law Foward
$1,000General Purpose
Forest Home Historic Preservation Assoc
$500General Purpose
Mitchell Hamlin School of Law
$300General Purpose
Village of Oconomowoc
$250General Purpose
Northern Light Theater
$250General Purpose
St Paul's Church
$20,000General Purpose
Denver Center for the Performing Arts
$2,000General Purpose