Brand Family Foundation

The Brand Family Foundation is a preselected-only private family foundation, meaning it does not accept unsolicited grant applications. All grantmaking is directed by the Brand family trustees — Dora S. Brand, Nathan S. Brand, and Dorothea B. Kennedy — to organizations with which they have pre-existing relationships. There is no open application portal or formal request-for-proposals process.

The foundation's giving is heavily concentrated in two geographic areas reflecting the family's personal ties: Madison, Wisconsin (the primary base) and Miami-Dade County, Florida (a secondary focus likely tied to a winter or second home). Grantees are typically well-established institutions with strong name recognition in their communities, not emerging or small grassroots organizations.

To gain access to this foundation, the most effective strategy is cultivating a direct relationship with a Brand family trustee before any funding ask. Approaches include: (1) attending University of Wisconsin alumni and philanthropic events where family members are likely to be present; (2) connecting through the Madison nonprofit leadership community, as the family is embedded in Madison civic life; (3) seeking introductions through current grantees such as Attic Angel Association or Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, which appear to be long-standing recipients. Cold outreach via the website or phone is unlikely to result in a grant given the strictly preselected nature of the foundation's operations.

The Brand Family Foundation shows a distinctive funding pattern dominated by a single major beneficiary — the University of Wisconsin Foundation — which receives the vast majority of annual grantmaking. In fiscal year 2021, UW Foundation received $952,000 out of approximately $910,809 total documented giving; in 2022 it received $857,000 of roughly $1.16M; in 2023 it received $645,000 of approximately $1.14M total. This suggests UW-related giving accounts for roughly 55 to 90 percent of total annual grants, representing an extraordinary concentration.

Beyond UW, the remaining grants follow a pattern of modest, repeated support for a stable roster of community organizations: - Community Work Services (workforce development): $250,000 in 2023, notably elevated and possibly reflecting a special initiative - Madison Children's Museum: $100,000 in 2023, $50,000 in 2021 — recurring education and youth support - Attic Angel Association (senior services): $20,000 per year consistently across 2021 to 2023 - Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra: $5,000 per year in 2021 and 2023 - United Way of Miami-Dade: $10,000 per year in 2021 to 2023 - Battier Take Charge Foundation (Miami youth): $5,000 per year in 2022 and 2023 - Coconut Grove Cares: $2,000 to $5,000 per year in 2021 and 2023

Total assets have grown significantly: from $2.0M in 2020 to $2.9M in 2022, with the most current reported figure of $5.75M suggesting substantial asset growth by 2023 to 2024, possibly from an estate gift or investment appreciation. Total giving ranges from $910K to $2M per year depending on the year, with the anomalous $2.0M in 2019 likely reflecting a one-time major gift.

Grant sizes outside of UW and Community Work Services are small ($1,000 to $20,000), reinforcing that the foundation makes a handful of very large commitments alongside a series of community gifts in the $1K to $20K range.

The table below compares Brand Family Foundation to similarly sized private family foundations in Madison, Wisconsin:

*Average is heavily skewed by the single large UW grant; median grant is $10,000

Key observations: Brand Family Foundation's average grant figure ($150,500) looks large relative to peers but is entirely driven by the UW Foundation commitment. When excluding that grant, the foundation's typical community grant is $5,000 to $20,000, in line with comparable Madison family foundations. Brand is also more geographically split (WI and FL) than most Madison-only peers. The preselected-only policy is common among this cohort — six of eight comparable foundations operate by invitation or preselection only.

In fiscal year 2023 (the most recent year with grant data), the Brand Family Foundation made 9 documented grants totaling approximately $1.14M. The major activity was:

1. University of Wisconsin Foundation: $645,000 — down from $857,000 in 2022 and $952,000 in 2021; the decline may reflect a planned gift schedule winding down or a shift in priorities 2. Community Work Services, Madison: $250,000 — a dramatically elevated gift compared to prior years, suggesting a new or deepened relationship with this workforce development nonprofit 3. The Varsity Collective, Madison: $100,000 — a new grantee; this is a NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) collective supporting University of Wisconsin athletes, reflecting the family's strong UW affiliation 4. Madison Children's Museum: $100,000, doubled from $50,000 in 2021 5. Attic Angel Association: $20,000, consistent with prior years 6. United Way of Miami-Dade: $10,000, consistent with prior years 7. Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra: $5,000, returned after skipping 2022 8. Battier Take Charge Foundation: $5,000, Miami-area youth athletics 9. Coconut Grove Cares: $2,000, Miami neighborhood nonprofit

The foundation's asset base grew from $2.9M in 2022 to $5.75M by the most recent filing, nearly doubling. This substantial growth suggests the foundation may have received an infusion of assets (e.g., a major contribution from family members or an estate distribution) and could support increased grantmaking in upcoming cycles. The addition of The Varsity Collective as a grantee is a notable new direction, reflecting trends in college athletics philanthropy.

Because Brand Family Foundation is strictly preselected and does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional grant-writing strategies do not apply. Instead, organizations seeking support should focus on relationship-building:

1. Identify connection points: Review the grantee list carefully. Current and former grantees — especially UW Foundation, Attic Angel Association, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and Madison Children's Museum — may be able to facilitate introductions to Brand family trustees.

2. Engage through UW networks: Nathan S. Brand and Dora S. Brand have a deep affiliation with the University of Wisconsin, evidenced by multi-year six-figure gifts. Organizations with UW ties, faculty leadership, or alumni boards may find natural points of intersection at UW events and alumni activities.

3. Target community fit: Grants outside of UW tend to go to organizations serving Madison's general community (senior services, children's education, performing arts) or Miami-Dade's human services and youth programs. Organizations that fit squarely in these categories are most aligned with the foundation's observed giving.

4. Be patient and play a long game: Family foundations of this type typically deepen relationships over multiple years before making grants. Initial asks should be modest and relational rather than transactional.

5. Contact information: The foundation's phone number is (608) 257-2535. The website brand.org may provide additional information. As this is a family foundation, correspondence addressed to the trustees by name is more appropriate than generic institutional contact.

6. Miami-Dade applicants: Organizations in the Coconut Grove and Miami area should note that grants are small ($2,000 to $10,000) and appear to support neighborhood-level community organizations with which the family has personal ties. United Way of Miami-Dade is the largest Miami grantee but receives only $10,000 per year.