
Rockwell Automation Charitable Corp concentrates its giving on local community needs and STEM education, with a heavy emphasis on a small number of large awards. Grants support regional nonprofit infrastructure (United Way), hands-on science and technology education (FIRST, Discovery World), and employee-driven philanthropy (matching gifts). The foundation makes few but sizable commitments, often funding organizations that serve workforce/education pipelines and community resilience in the Milwaukee area.
Concentrated giving: a small number of large grants dominate total disbursements, including repeat or multi-part grants to major recipients; funding blends corporate-directed community investments with support for employee-directed giving.
Notable grantees: Foundation for the Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology (FIRST), Discovery World Ltd, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, Inc., American Online Giving Foundation (employee matching programs)
A defining feature of Rockwell Automation Charitable Corp’s recent grantmaking is the scale of its commitments to Milwaukee-area community organizations and STEM pipeline builders. In 2025, the foundation gave seven-figure general operating support to United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County Inc and substantial operating support to Foundation for the Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology, alongside large awards to Discovery World Ltd and Boys & Girls Club of Milwaukee. That mix points to a funder that backs both core community infrastructure and hands-on education. The foundation also uses matching gifts as a separate channel, with payments to American Online Giving Foundation Inc and The UK Online Giving Foundation, showing an employee-driven philanthropy component. Its recent grants also include disaster relief and support for arts and civic organizations, suggesting a broad local civic portfolio rather than a single-issue strategy. Most of the foundation’s giving lands in Wisconsin, especially Milwaukee, but the recipient list also includes organizations in Cleveland, Irvine, London, Manchester, and Newark.
STEM education appears in multiple forms. Rockwell Automation Charitable Corp gave $900,000 to Foundation for the Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology for general operating support, and $200,000 to MIND Research Institute for general operating support. It also supported Discovery World Ltd with $550,000 for general operating and education support, linking formal and informal science learning. Community infrastructure is another visible theme. The foundation awarded $1,212,288 to United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County Inc for general operating, and another $413,500 to United Way of Greater Cleveland for general operating. Those grants show support for intermediary organizations that coordinate local services. Its portfolio also includes youth and neighborhood institutions. Boys & Girls Club of Milwaukee received $467,000 for general operating, while Milwaukee Parks Foundation received $150,000 for general operating. These awards sit alongside support for arts organizations such as Milwaukee Repertory Theater Inc and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Inc.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $45,000 at the median, and $150,000 at the 75th percentile, but its recent activity includes much larger commitments. The pattern is concentrated: 80% of grants go to recipients in Wisconsin, and many awards are repeated to the same organizations in the same year, such as multiple payments to United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County Inc, Discovery World Ltd, and MIND Research Institute. It is a regular funder and also makes matching gift payments, indicating a mix of institutional grants and workplace-giving support.
Giving is heavily centered in Wisconsin, with Milwaukee appearing across many recipient entries and 80% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Beyond Wisconsin, the recent list includes Cleveland, Ohio; Irvine, California; Manchester, New Hampshire; Newark, Delaware; and London, UK. The recipient country distribution is overwhelmingly US-based, with 74 grants in the US and 2 in the UK.
The recent grants point to STEM education, local community infrastructure, youth-serving organizations, disaster relief, and arts support. Examples include support for science and technology education groups, United Way organizations, Boys & Girls Club of Milwaukee, and disaster relief grants to the American Red Cross.
Yes. The grant list includes matching gift payments to American Online Giving Foundation Inc and The UK Online Giving Foundation. That indicates a workplace-giving or employee-matching channel alongside direct nonprofit grants.
Very concentrated. 80% of grants go to recipients in Wisconsin, and Milwaukee appears repeatedly across the recent grants list. The top state by grant count is WI, matching the foundation’s local giving scope.
The reported distribution is $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $45,000 at the median, and $150,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent grants also include larger multi-hundred-thousand-dollar commitments and seven-figure awards.
Yes. Several organizations appear multiple times in the recent grants list, including United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County Inc, Discovery World Ltd, MIND Research Institute, City Year Inc, and Milwaukee Repertory Theater Inc. The repeated entries suggest ongoing support rather than one-off grants.
$6.2M
$8.6M
$7.3M
$6.4M
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most grants fall between $25K and $150K, with a median of $45K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$45K
75th Percentile
$150K
About 80% of grants go to recipients in WI.
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Rockwell Automation Charitable.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 74 | $24.8M | 97.4% |
| 2 | United Kingdom | 2 | $269K | 2.6% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $1,212,288 | 2025 | General Operating |
| United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $1,112,288 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Foundation for the Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology | Manchester, NH | $900,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Foundation for the Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology | Manchester, NH | $900,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| AMERICAN ONLINE GIVING FOUNDATION INC | NEWARK, DE | $874,126 | 2025 | Matching gift payment |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | NEWARK, DE | $803,451 | 2025 | Matching gift payment |
| Discovery World Ltd | Milwaukee, WI | $550,000 | 2025 | General Operating, Education support |
| Discovery World Ltd | Milwaukee, WI | $500,000 | 2025 | General Operating, Education support |
| Boys & Girls Club of Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI | $467,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $425,000 | 2025 | General Operating, Education support |
| United Way of Greater Cleveland | Cleveland, OH | $413,500 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| United Way of Greater Cleveland | Cleveland, OH | $413,500 | 2025 | General Operating |
| United Performing Arts Fund Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $215,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| United Performing Arts Fund Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $215,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| MIND Research Institute | IRVINE, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| American Red Cross | Milwaukee, WI | $195,000 | 2025 | Disaster relief |
| City Year Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $150,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| City Year Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $150,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| Milwaukee Parks Foundation | Milwaukee, WI | $150,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| The UK Online Giving Foundation | LONDON | $138,226 | 2025 | Matching gift payment |
| THE UK ONLINE GIVING FOUNDATION | LONDON | $131,213 | 2025 | Matching gift payment |
| Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $100,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Milwaukee Repertory Theater Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $100,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| African American Leadership Alliance Milwaukee Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $100,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $100,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| American National Red Cross | Milwaukee, WI | $100,000 | 2025 | Disaster relief |
| Milwaukee Repertory Theater Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $100,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| MIND Research Institute | IRVINE, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Milwaukee Tech Hub (FOR-M) | Milwaukee, WI | $75,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Urban Ecology Center | Milwaukee, WI | $75,000 | 2025 | General Operating, Education support |
| Milwaukee Tech Hub (FOR-M) | Milwaukee, WI | $75,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Urban Ecology Center | Milwaukee, WI | $75,000 | 2025 | General Operating, Education support |
| Milwaukee Public Museum | Milwaukee, WI | $50,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Milwaukee Public Museum | Milwaukee, WI | $50,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation | Milwaukee, WI | $45,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| Great Lakes Museum of Science | Cleveland, OH | $45,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation | Milwaukee, WI | $45,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| Junior Achievement of Wisconsin Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $45,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $45,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Junior Achievement of Wisconsin Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $45,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $45,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| American National Red Cross | Milwaukee, WI | $45,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Great Lakes Museum of Science | Cleveland, OH | $45,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Wisconsin Reading Corp | Minneapolis, MN | $40,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| SHARP Literacy | Milwaukee, WI | $40,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| Wisconsin Reading Corp | Minneapolis, MN | $40,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| Harbor District Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $40,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Harbor District Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $40,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| SHARP Literacy | Milwaukee, WI | $40,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| Public Allies Wisconsin | Milwaukee, WI | $40,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County Inc
$1,212,288General Operating
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County Inc
$1,112,288General Operating Support
Foundation for the Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology
$900,000General Operating
Foundation for the Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology
$900,000General Operating Support
AMERICAN ONLINE GIVING FOUNDATION INC
$874,126Matching gift payment
American Online Giving Foundation Inc
$803,451Matching gift payment
Discovery World Ltd
$550,000General Operating, Education support
Discovery World Ltd
$500,000General Operating, Education support
Boys & Girls Club of Milwaukee
$467,000General Operating
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee Inc
$425,000General Operating, Education support
United Way of Greater Cleveland
$413,500General Operating Support
United Way of Greater Cleveland
$413,500General Operating
United Performing Arts Fund Inc
$215,000General Operating
United Performing Arts Fund Inc
$215,000General Operating Support
MIND Research Institute
$200,000General Operating Support
American Red Cross
$195,000Disaster relief
City Year Inc
$150,000Program support
City Year Inc
$150,000Program support
Milwaukee Parks Foundation
$150,000General Operating
The UK Online Giving Foundation
$138,226Matching gift payment
THE UK ONLINE GIVING FOUNDATION
$131,213Matching gift payment
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Inc
$100,000General Operating
Milwaukee Repertory Theater Inc
$100,000General Operating Support
African American Leadership Alliance Milwaukee Inc
$100,000General Operating Support
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Inc
$100,000General Operating Support
American National Red Cross
$100,000Disaster relief
Milwaukee Repertory Theater Inc
$100,000General Operating
MIND Research Institute
$100,000General Operating
Milwaukee Tech Hub (FOR-M)
$75,000General Operating Support
Urban Ecology Center
$75,000General Operating, Education support
Milwaukee Tech Hub (FOR-M)
$75,000General Operating
Urban Ecology Center
$75,000General Operating, Education support
Milwaukee Public Museum
$50,000General Operating Support
Milwaukee Public Museum
$50,000General Operating
Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation
$45,000Program support
Great Lakes Museum of Science
$45,000General Operating
Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation
$45,000Program support
Junior Achievement of Wisconsin Inc
$45,000General Operating
Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast Inc
$45,000General Operating
Junior Achievement of Wisconsin Inc
$45,000General Operating Support
Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast Inc
$45,000General Operating Support
American National Red Cross
$45,000General Operating Support
Great Lakes Museum of Science
$45,000General Operating Support
Wisconsin Reading Corp
$40,000General Operating
SHARP Literacy
$40,000Program support
Wisconsin Reading Corp
$40,000General Operating Support
Harbor District Inc
$40,000General Operating
Harbor District Inc
$40,000General Operating Support
SHARP Literacy
$40,000Program support
Public Allies Wisconsin
$40,000General Operating Support