Rodger and Kate Graef Family Foundation
Milwaukee, WI · EIN 88-0485247. Reported 111 grants totalling $2,551,262 to 102 organizations across tax years 2021-2023. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Rodger and Kate Graef Family Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $15,790. Half of everything it gave fell between $10,000 and $20,000; the smallest was $1,500 and the largest $140,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which the organization received money -- more than one means a real relationship rather than a one-off.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volunteers of America Michigan Attn Darin Estep | Southfield, MI | $145,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Heinzerling Community | Columbus, OH | $115,780 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Bob Woodruff Family Foundation Inc | New York, NY | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Childrens Leukemia Foundation | Troy, MI | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Build It for the Brave Inc | Ann Arbor, MI | $80,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Barnabas Foundation Inc | Springfield, MO | $70,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Warriors and Caregivers United | Ann Arbor, MI | $67,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Beyond the Game | Pickerington, OH | $65,790 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Dale K Graham Veterans Foundation | Norman, OK | $61,790 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Mt Carmel Veterans Service Center | Colorado Spgs, CO | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| St Jude Childrens Research Hospital | Memphis, TN | $55,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Women at Risk International | Wyoming, MI | $55,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund | New York, NY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Michigan Ability Partners | Ann Arbor, MI | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Veterans Radio America Inc | Ann Arbor, MI | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Vietnam Veterans of America | Batavia, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Train Up a Child Inc | Saint Louis, MO | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Childrens Advocacy Center of Hamilton Co | Chattanooga, TN | $35,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Renounce Denounce Gang Intervention Prog | Cleveland, OH | $35,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| World Services for the Blind Foundation | Little Rock, AR | $35,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Food Gatherers | Ann Arbor, MI | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Ryan House | Phoenix, AZ | $29,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Center for Children and Families Inc | Norman, OK | $25,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Fit to Recover Inc | Salt Lake Cty, UT | $25,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| New Life Mission | Bangor, ME | $25,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Sisters in Shelter | Tiffin, OH | $25,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| American Cancer Society | Kennesaw, GA | $25,626 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| American Heart Association | Dallas, TX | $25,626 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| 222 Foundation | Barrington, IL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Be the Match Foundation | Minneapolis, MN | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Homicide Survivors Inc | Tucson, AZ | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Hopecam Inc | Reston, VA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Sacramento Valley Teen Challenge Inc | Sacramento, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Saline Area Social Services Inc | Saline, MI | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Teen Challenge of East Bay Inc | San Jose, CA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Creature Conservancy | Ann Arbor, MI | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Oasis Haven for Women & Children Inc | Paterson, NJ | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Wings Program Inc | Palatine, IL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Characters of Character Nfp Inc | Clarksville, TN | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Childs Path Inc | Naples, FL | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Clinton County Foundation | Wilmington, OH | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Dba Kash Kids | Jacksonville, FL | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Downtown Wichita Kiwanis | Wichita, KS | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Educational Excellence Foundation | Santa Maria, CA | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Fellowship of Christian Athletes | Nampa, ID | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Femergy | Columbus, OH | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Friends of Liahona Inc | Pleasant Grv, UT | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains | Fort Worth, TX | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Healing on Manes Inc | Epsom, NH | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Houston Community College Foundation | Houston, TX | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Life More Abundantly | Phoenix, AZ | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Music on Site Inc | Waco, TX | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Opera Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Passionist Earth & Spirit Center Inc | Louisville, KY | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Pregnancy Resource Center of Salt Lake C | Salt Lake Cty, UT | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Salt Lake Acting Company | Salt Lake Cty, UT | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tenne | Nashville, TN | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Specialized Educational Center | Cincinnati, OH | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Spero Stuttering Inc | Ottawa, KS | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Texas Supremacy of Music & Arts Conserva | Dallas, TX | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Friendship Initiative Inc | Coconut Creek, FL | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Nh Philharmonic Orchestra | Salem, NH | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Tina Medina Ministries | Kansas City, KS | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| United Way Worldwide | Alexandria, VA | $15,790 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Triple H Youth Ranch Inc | Ripon, CA | $13,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Alice Ferguson Foundation Inc | Accokeek, MD | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| All Things Are Possible Foundation Inc | Willingboro, NJ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Back 2 School America | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Bayside Housing & Services | Port Hadlock, WA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Beacon Charter School Corp | Woonsocket, RI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Breakthrough Community Fdn | Moreno Valley, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Dream North Foundation | Cerritos, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Gracious Grounds Inc | Spring Lake, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Grandmas Place Inc | Royal Plm Bch, FL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| I Am Mentalityyouth Male Empowerment Pro | Baltimore, MD | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Lumen Christi Catholic School | Jackson, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Michigan Ovarian Cancer Alliance | Ann Arbor, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Nevada Woodchucks Inc | Reno, NV | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Newberry College | Newberry, SC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Olive Crest | Santa Ana, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Refuge for Women | Lexington, KY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Sarc | Ann Arbor, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Silver Lining Legacy | Los Angeles, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| St Mary Star of the Sea | Ocean City, MD | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Vegas Stronger | Las Vegas, NV | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Volunteer Services of Iroquois County | Watseka, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Weld Elves | Greeley, CO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| William Jessup University | Rocklin, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Northside Education Foundation | San Antonio, TX | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| South Carolina Aquarium | Charleston, SC | $7,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Apparo Academy | Augusta, GA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Autism Model Community School | Toldeo, OH | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Autism Society of Southern Arizona | Tucson, AZ | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Danny's Miracle Angel Network | Rochester Hills, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Matrix Human Services | Detroit, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Robbie's Hope Foundation | Wheat Ridge, CO | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Steps to Recovery Homes | Cottonwood, AZ | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Development Centers | Detroit, MI | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| For the Girls Inc | Silver Spring, MD | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Grandma's Place | Royal Palm Beach, FL | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Carol's Kitchen | Beaumont, CA | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
9 of 102 (9%) received money in more than one year over the 3 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 19%, across 2 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 75 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 20 | $100,000 | $5,000 |
| 2022 | 89 | $2,440,010 | $15,790 |
| 2023 | 2 | $11,252 | $5,626 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 26% of this one's giving went to organizations in Michigan. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $15,790. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Michigan.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Rodger and Kate Graef Family Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 3 returns (tax years 2021-2023). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: Po Box 0634, Milwaukee, WI, 53201. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 88-0485247 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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