Easter Foundation Inc.

Easter Foundation Inc. operates as a tightly governed, family-controlled private foundation with deep roots in the Green Bay, Wisconsin faith and business community. Founded in September 2004, the foundation is led by four family pairs — Bruce and Carol Bell, Karl and Karen Schmidt, Warren and Brenda Pfohl, and Paul and Betsy Keppeler — all serving without compensation. Bruce Bell (President/Treasurer) is associated with Belmark, a Green Bay packaging company, and the extended family network connects into Reformed and evangelical Christian faith circles in northeast Wisconsin.

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Its profile is marked "preselected only" with no published application process, no grants portal, no open RFP, and no application instructions on file. The easterfoundation.com website exists as a minimal build with no publicly accessible grant guidelines or contact pages. This is a closed, invitation-driven operation — the foundation identifies and cultivates grantees proactively rather than responding to inbound inquiries.

For organizations seeking access, the most viable path is a warm introduction through Green Bay's faith or business community. Reformed and Presbyterian Christian networks in northeast Wisconsin are closely connected to the foundation's leadership. Current grantees — Westminster Theological Seminary, Spring Lake Church, and Green Bay Botanical Gardens — may be able to facilitate peer introductions. Demonstrating visible alignment with the foundation's core values (faith, family, community service) through public communications and local presence is a prerequisite before any direct outreach.

First-time grantees should expect a gradual progression. Initial grants appear to be in the $1,000–$25,000 range to test organizational credibility, followed by increasing commitments if the relationship deepens. Providence Academy Ministries advanced across six grants to a total of $6.24M — the ceiling for a deeply trusted, flagship relationship. Patience is rewarded; the foundation has demonstrated sustained loyalty to partners that perform.

Christian faith-aligned mission is the strongest alignment signal. However, secular organizations in healthcare research, community horticulture, hospice care, and local education have successfully joined the portfolio by demonstrating deep community value and personal resonance with specific board members. Understanding which board members champion which cause areas — and engaging accordingly — is the most targeted approach for organizations without a faith dimension.

Easter Foundation Inc. has grown from a nascent private foundation to a major regional grantmaker in 14 years. Total assets increased from $3.8M in 2010 to $63.8M by 2024 — a 1,570% gain — driven by substantial ongoing family contributions (ranging from $2.4M to $8.6M per year across tracked filings) and strong investment returns (net investment income reached $13.8M in FY2022 alone).

Annual grants paid have scaled with asset growth: - FY2011: $112,850 - FY2013: $472,205 - FY2015: $1,519,101 - FY2020: $5,246,443 - FY2021: $5,868,672 - FY2022: $4,159,731 - FY2024: ~$6,394,506 (52 grants, highest on record)

In the most recent year with detailed grant data (FY2024, 51-52 grants), single-year grant amounts span $500 to over $100,000 per transaction, with a median of approximately $5,150 and an average of $13,858 — reflecting a large base of small ongoing gifts ($1,000–$15,000) anchored by a smaller number of major grants ($50,000–$100,000+). Multi-year capital project installments in any given year can substantially exceed these benchmarks.

Across all tracked cumulative grants (207 grants, $15.98M total), the average is $77,206. However, this figure is heavily skewed by three anchor relationships: Providence Academy Ministries ($6.24M, 6 grants), Green Bay Botanical Gardens ($3.36M, 4 grants), and Generate Hope ($2.04M, 5 grants) collectively account for 72.8% of all tracked dollars. Remove these flagship commitments and the remaining grants average approximately $21,600 each.

Geographically, Wisconsin leads with 92 grants (44% of total), followed by Florida with 44 grants (21%), reflecting the principals' ties to northeast Wisconsin and likely Southwest Florida. The remaining 35% spans 10+ states, primarily via national organizations headquartered outside Wisconsin.

By cause area, faith-based and Christian organizations account for an estimated 50-60% of total dollars. Education (including faith-based schools, seminaries, and healthcare education) overlaps significantly at approximately 40-45% of giving. Human services (anti-trafficking, special-needs family support, hospice, at-risk youth) account for approximately 15-20%, while health and medical research represents 5-8%. The foundation's 5% minimum distribution is consistently exceeded — FY2024's ~10% payout rate signals active philanthropic intent rather than endowment preservation.

The table below compares Easter Foundation Inc. to four peer foundations of similar asset scale (~$63.7M–$63.9M) identified in the Philanthropy & Grantmaking category:

Among foundations of comparable asset scale, Easter Foundation Inc. stands out for the depth of its annual distributions — roughly 10% of total assets in FY2024, double the standard private foundation minimum payout of 5%. This high rate reflects active ongoing founder contributions rather than a purely endowment-funded model. CME Group Foundation, as a corporate vehicle, operates with structured programs and public grant applications — a sharp contrast to Easter's purely relational, invitation-driven model. CIRI Foundation's narrow scholarship focus diverges from Easter's broad multi-sector portfolio. The Wisconsin peer Johnson Family Foundation Trust maintains a similarly low public profile, while Wythe-Bland is anchored to a defined Virginia geography. For grant seekers, the key insight is that Easter's scale places it among serious mid-sized grantmakers, but its private family character means standard grant-research and application tools are largely ineffective — relationship capital is the only real currency.

No new press releases, leadership changes, or program announcements for Easter Foundation Inc. were found in public sources for 2025-2026. The foundation maintains an extremely low public profile consistent with its family-private character — no press room, social media accounts, or newsletter is publicly accessible, and the foundation's website offers no content pages beyond its landing presence.

The most recent publicly available financial data (FY2024, ProPublica) confirms approximately $6.4M in charitable disbursements across 52 grants, with total assets of $63.8M. FY2024 revenue included $5.74M in contributions (52% of total), $3.42M in asset sales (31%), and approximately $1.8M in combined dividend and interest income — the endowment is still in an active growth phase supported by ongoing founder contributions.

The most notable recent program trajectory from 990 grant data is the continued escalation of support for Generate Hope, a Christian organization serving sex-trafficking survivors, which has received five grants totaling $2.04M including expansion funding to purchase a recovery home in Colorado. This represents a deepening long-term commitment that appears to be growing in scale.

Providence Academy Ministries in Green Bay remains the flagship grantee with $6.24M across six grants for construction of a new Christian-education campus. Based on stated grant purposes (the capital campaign appears complete per the most recent purpose descriptions), this major capital capacity may be reallocating to new priorities in coming years — potentially creating an opening for other large-format asks.

The foundation's assets have grown continuously since founding with no apparent restructuring or leadership disruption through the 2024-2026 period, based on stable officer listings across all available 990 filings.

Given Easter Foundation Inc.'s invitation-only structure, effective engagement requires fundamentally different tactics than a standard grant application process. The following tips are specific to this funder's known operating model.

Build the relationship first, not the proposal. There is no application form, portal, or RFP — any materials prepared before a personal relationship is established will go nowhere. Invest 12-24 months cultivating authentic visibility in Green Bay's faith and business communities before any direct outreach to the foundation.

Demonstrate explicit Christian values alignment. An estimated 50-60% of total giving flows to organizations with explicit faith missions rooted in Reformed and evangelical Christianity. If your organization operates from a Christian worldview, ensure that is clearly communicated in your public materials, website, and annual report before seeking an introduction. The board responds to shared worldview, not just compelling social outcomes.

Frame capital projects as community legacies. The two largest portfolio relationships — Providence Academy ($6.24M) and Green Bay Botanical Gardens ($3.36M) — were multi-year infrastructure capital campaigns. If your organization is planning construction, renovation, or major expansion, that framing has a proven track record with this funder. Operating support grants are smaller and more routine; transformational capital grants require deeper relationship investment and a compelling long-term community narrative.

Identify which board member champions your cause. The portfolio spans faith, education, medical research, hospice, arts, anti-trafficking, and community horticulture — breadth that reflects individual board member interests. Research the personal backgrounds and community involvements of Bruce Bell, Carol Bell, Karl Schmidt, Karen Schmidt, Warren Pfohl, Brenda Pfohl, Paul Keppeler, and Betsy Keppeler to identify which individuals are most aligned with your mission.

Consider the Southwest Florida entry point. The foundation's 21% Florida grant concentration in the Naples/Southwest Florida corridor suggests principals are accessible there. Florida-based nonprofits in faith, health, or human-services categories have demonstrated proven access to this funder outside Green Bay.

Start with a modest initial ask. The grantee data pattern shows initial relationships beginning at $1,000–$25,000, progressing to larger amounts as trust builds. Requesting $100,000+ from an unknown organization is unlikely to succeed; a $10,000 entry ask that demonstrates organizational credibility and reliability is the more viable starting point.