The Wanek Foundation makes very large, concentrated gifts rather than many small awards. In this filing one dominant, unspecified grant (listed as “SEE STATEMENT ATTACHED”) accounts for the vast majority of giving, while a secondary, sizable grant supports The STEM Academy — indicating interest in K–12 STEM education and major single-project or institutional commitments, likely with a local or regional focus.
Highly concentrated giving: very few grants with one extremely large, likely one-off gift plus one substantial education grant; favors large single payments over many smaller awards.
The Ronald & Joyce Wanek Foundation Ltd C/o Robert Forsythe’s 2025 filing is dominated by a single general-support grant of $10,183,022, a pattern that points to highly concentrated giving rather than a broad portfolio of small awards. That one grant dwarfs the rest of the file, while the next-largest award goes to The Stem Academy Inc for $638,500. Together, those gifts suggest a foundation that makes large commitments to individual institutions and projects, with education among the clearest recurring themes. The recent-grants list also shows support for public institutions and community organizations in multiple states, including Tampa General Hospital, Friends of Ybor Inc, and Academy Prep Center of Tampa Inc. In Wisconsin, the foundation appears repeatedly through awards to schools, colleges, churches, and municipal recipients, including Western Technical College Foundation and the City of Arcadia. The mix of school districts, faith-based organizations, and local civic groups shows a grantmaker comfortable funding operating needs, general support, and infrastructure-related purposes under a national scope.
K–12 education is one of the most visible themes in the file. The foundation gave $638,500 to The Stem Academy Inc for a general fund award, and it also supported several school districts, including South Tippah School District, Itawamba County School District, and School District of Arcadia. Faith-based organizations form another clear cluster. Awards went to Bethel Lutheran Church for a building and landscape fund, St John’s Lutheran Church for general support, St Matthew’s Lutheran Church, and Christ Lutheran Church. Those grants show a willingness to fund both operating needs and property-related work. The foundation also backed civic and community institutions. Tampa General Hospital received general support, while Friends of Ybor Inc and Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center were funded in Tampa. In higher education, Western Technical College Foundation and Minnesota State College Southeast Foundation both received general-fund grants.
The grant-size distribution is centered on small-to-mid awards, with p25 at $5,000, a median of $10,000, and p75 of $25,000. That pattern sits alongside one very large outlier, which makes the overall file look like a blend of routine smaller grants and a single major commitment. The 2025 and 2023 grants show repeated annual activity rather than a one-off filing. The foundation is a corporate or family-style funder identified as a legal foundation entity, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The grants list also shows broad use of general support and general fund language, with one building-and-landscape award and several unrestricted or operating-style awards.
$10.2M
$92.8M
$5.4M
$10.6M
Most grants fall between $5K and $25K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$25K
About 19% of grants go to recipients in WI.
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Notable grantees: SEE STATEMENT ATTACHED (single dominant grant recipient), THE STEM ACADEMY INC
Grant recipients are entirely U.S.-based, with 70 grants in the United States. Florida appears most often in the recipient list, and several awards land in Tampa, including Tampa General Hospital, Friends of Ybor Inc, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Dysautonomia Project Inc, and Academy Prep Center of Tampa Inc. Wisconsin is also prominent through recipients in Arcadia, La Crosse, Whitehall, Onalaska, Strum, and other cities. Minnesota and Mississippi appear as additional recipient states, with smaller counts in each.
The grants list shows frequent support for schools, school districts, churches, colleges, and community institutions. Examples include The Stem Academy Inc, Western Technical College Foundation, Tampa General Hospital, and several Lutheran churches and school districts in Wisconsin and beyond.
The filing’s grant-size distribution is p25 $5,000, median $10,000, and p75 $25,000. That places most awards in a relatively modest range, even though the file also includes one much larger outlier.
Yes. The file shows grants in both 2025 and 2023, with activity spread across multiple years rather than a single isolated batch. The recent-grants table includes both a very large 2025 general-support award and a broad set of 2023 awards.
Florida is the top recipient state by grant count, and 17% of grants go to recipients in Florida. The city of Tampa appears repeatedly in the recipient list, alongside other Florida locations such as Riverview and Clearwater.
The most visible themes are K–12 STEM education, general support for flagship institutions, and local/community funding. The file includes The Stem Academy Inc for a general fund award, school districts in multiple states, and grants to churches, civic groups, and hospitals.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEE STATEMENT ATTACHED | SEE STATEMENT ATTACHED, FL | $10,183,022 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION | ROCHESTER HILLS, MI | $1,139,179 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE STEM ACADEMY INC | BROOKFIELD, WI | $1,138,760 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| WHITEHALL SCHOOL DISTRICT | WHITEHALL, WI | $1,019,680 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| CITY OF ARCADIA | ARCADIA, WI | $254,926 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION INC | BOCA RATON, FL | $115,854 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| CITY OF ALTURA | ALTURA, MN | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| TREMPEALEAU COUNTY AG SOCIETY INC | GALESVILLE, WI | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| BETHEL LUTHERAN CHURCH | ARCADIA, WI | $75,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| WOODLAWN CEMETERY ASSOCIATION | WINONA, MN | $70,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST JOHN'S LUTHERAN CHURCH | WHITEHALL, WI | $67,608 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| SOUTH TIPPAH SCHOOL DISTRICT | RIPLEY, MS | $53,917 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE CHRISTIAN CROSSINGS INC | LEWISTON, MN | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| ADVENTHEALTH FOUNDATION WEST FLORIDA | ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FL | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| NEW ALBANY SCHOOL DISTRICT | NEW ALBANY, OH | $34,825 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| CITY OF WHITEHALL | WHITEHALL, WI | $34,200 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC SCHOOL | ARCADIA, WI | $33,614 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST MATTHEW'S LUTHERAN CHURCH | MARATHON CITY, WI | $30,120 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| CITY OF INDEPENDENCE | INDEPENDENCE, WI | $25,650 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| LILY OF THE VALLEY CHURCH | COVERT, MI | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH | ARCADIA, WI | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| LEWISTON-ALTURA PUBLIC SCHOOLS | LEWISTON, MN | $21,588 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| SCHOOL DISTRICT OF LA CROSSE | LA CROSSE, WI | $21,314 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| SEVEN RIVERS ROBOTICS COALITION INC | ONALASKA, WI | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| ASHLEY K-12 ROBOTICS INC | ARCADIA, WI | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA | LA CROSSE, WI | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| FLORIDA COUNCIL ON ECONOMIC EDUCATION | TAMPA, FL | $17,500 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| SPECIAL OPERATIONS WARRIOR FOUNDATION | TAMPA, FL | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| ACADEMY PREP CENTER OF TAMPA INC | TAMPA, FL | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| PONTOTOC COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT | PONTOTOC, MS | $13,998 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE DYSAUTONOMIA PROJECT | CLEARWATER, FL | $12,500 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| BERKS CAREER & TECHNOLOGY CENTER | LEESPORT, PA | $12,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| DRUG FREE AMERICA | ST PETERSBURG, FL | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| JEHOVAH LUTHERAN CHURCH | ST PAUL, MN | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE JAMES MUSEUM OF WESTERN & WILDLIFE ART | ST PETERSBURG, FL | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| POSITIVE IMPACT MINISTRIES | ST PETERSBURG, FL | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| DAVIE COUNTY SCHOOLS | MOCKSVILLE, NC | $8,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| TUPELO SCHOOL DISTRICT | TUPELO, MS | $8,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| ITAWAMBA COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT | FULTON, MS | $8,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| LEE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT | TUPELO, MS | $8,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| WEST MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL | MESQUITE, TX | $8,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| COCHRANE - FOUNTAIN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT | FOUNTAIN CITY, WI | $8,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| BLAIR-TAYLOR SCHOOL DISTRICT | BLAIR, WI | $8,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| DR VROONLAND VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL | MESQUITE, TX | $8,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| GALE-ETTRICK-TREMPEALEAU SCHOOL DISTRICT | GALESVILLE, WI | $6,400 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| SCHOOL DISTRICT OF HOLMEN | HOLMEN, WI | $6,400 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BLACK RIVER FALLS | BLACK RIVER FALLS, WI | $6,012 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| GILMANTON AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT | GILMANTON, WI | $5,457 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| ASCENSION EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH | ROCHESTER, MN | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| LE BONHEUR CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | MEMPHIS, TN | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
SEE STATEMENT ATTACHED
$10,183,022GENERAL SUPPORT
LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION
$1,139,179GENERAL FUND
THE STEM ACADEMY INC
$1,138,760GENERAL FUND
WHITEHALL SCHOOL DISTRICT
$1,019,680GENERAL FUND
CITY OF ARCADIA
$254,926GENERAL FUND
FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION INC
$115,854GENERAL FUND
CITY OF ALTURA
$100,000GENERAL FUND
TREMPEALEAU COUNTY AG SOCIETY INC
$100,000GENERAL FUND
BETHEL LUTHERAN CHURCH
$75,000GENERAL FUND
WOODLAWN CEMETERY ASSOCIATION
$70,000GENERAL FUND
ST JOHN'S LUTHERAN CHURCH
$67,608GENERAL FUND
SOUTH TIPPAH SCHOOL DISTRICT
$53,917GENERAL FUND
THE CHRISTIAN CROSSINGS INC
$50,000GENERAL FUND
ADVENTHEALTH FOUNDATION WEST FLORIDA
$50,000GENERAL FUND
NEW ALBANY SCHOOL DISTRICT
$34,825GENERAL FUND
CITY OF WHITEHALL
$34,200GENERAL FUND
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC SCHOOL
$33,614GENERAL FUND
ST MATTHEW'S LUTHERAN CHURCH
$30,120GENERAL FUND
CITY OF INDEPENDENCE
$25,650GENERAL FUND
LILY OF THE VALLEY CHURCH
$25,000GENERAL FUND
CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH
$25,000GENERAL FUND
LEWISTON-ALTURA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
$21,588GENERAL FUND
SCHOOL DISTRICT OF LA CROSSE
$21,314GENERAL FUND
SEVEN RIVERS ROBOTICS COALITION INC
$20,000GENERAL FUND
ASHLEY K-12 ROBOTICS INC
$20,000GENERAL FUND
THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
$20,000GENERAL FUND
FLORIDA COUNCIL ON ECONOMIC EDUCATION
$17,500GENERAL FUND
SPECIAL OPERATIONS WARRIOR FOUNDATION
$15,000GENERAL FUND
ACADEMY PREP CENTER OF TAMPA INC
$15,000GENERAL FUND
PONTOTOC COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
$13,998GENERAL FUND
THE DYSAUTONOMIA PROJECT
$12,500GENERAL FUND
BERKS CAREER & TECHNOLOGY CENTER
$12,000GENERAL FUND
DRUG FREE AMERICA
$10,000GENERAL FUND
JEHOVAH LUTHERAN CHURCH
$10,000GENERAL FUND
THE JAMES MUSEUM OF WESTERN & WILDLIFE ART
$10,000GENERAL FUND
POSITIVE IMPACT MINISTRIES
$10,000GENERAL FUND
DAVIE COUNTY SCHOOLS
$8,000GENERAL FUND
TUPELO SCHOOL DISTRICT
$8,000GENERAL FUND
ITAWAMBA COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
$8,000GENERAL FUND
LEE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
$8,000GENERAL FUND
WEST MESQUITE HIGH SCHOOL
$8,000GENERAL FUND
COCHRANE - FOUNTAIN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
$8,000GENERAL FUND
BLAIR-TAYLOR SCHOOL DISTRICT
$8,000GENERAL FUND
DR VROONLAND VANGUARD HIGH SCHOOL
$8,000GENERAL FUND
GALE-ETTRICK-TREMPEALEAU SCHOOL DISTRICT
$6,400GENERAL FUND
SCHOOL DISTRICT OF HOLMEN
$6,400GENERAL FUND
SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BLACK RIVER FALLS
$6,012GENERAL FUND
GILMANTON AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT
$5,457GENERAL FUND
ASCENSION EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
$5,000GENERAL FUND
LE BONHEUR CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL FUND