Fund For Wisconsin Scholars Inc.

Fund for Wisconsin Scholars (FFWS) is a fundamentally different entity from a traditional grantmaking foundation. It does not accept proposals from nonprofits, universities, community organizations, or researchers. The foundation was designed from inception as a closed-pipeline scholarship infrastructure embedded within the University of Wisconsin System — and understanding this is essential before investing any effort in outreach.

Founded in December 2007 by John P. and Tashia F. Morgridge (former Cisco Systems chair and Wisconsin natives) with an initial $175 million gift of Cisco stock, FFWS operates on a philosophy that all low-income Wisconsin students have equal potential. Rather than competitive selection, it uses random lottery from a FAFSA-verified pool of Pell Grant-eligible graduates of Wisconsin public high schools enrolled full-time at UW four-year campuses. This design deliberately eliminates any competitive advantage derived from grant-writing sophistication, social networks, or institutional prestige.

The only institutional grantee relationship in FFWS's portfolio is the University of Wisconsin System, which has received $54.3 million across five multi-year grants — accounting for over 99% of all identifiable grant dollars. The Wisconsin Technical College System receives small administrative disbursements ($46,100 across five transactions). Individual graduating scholars receive a one-time $500 graduation gift directly.

There are three credible pathways for those seeking alignment with FFWS resources. First, individual students who meet all eligibility criteria and file FAFSA early are automatically considered — no additional steps exist or help. Second, UW campus financial aid offices are the operational partners; maintaining a productive institutional relationship with FFWS staff is the relevant engagement for campus administrators. Third, the Morgridges have publicly invited additional private and public co-investors to expand Wisconsin student success funding — prospective philanthropic co-funders may initiate strategic conversations directly with FFWS leadership (Executive Director Kelly Ruppel, (608) 238-2400, Madison, WI).

FFWS's annual giving has grown consistently over the past decade, rising from $8.4M in grants paid (FY2013) to $12.9M (FY2022), with total giving (including accruals and multi-year commitments) reaching $15.4M in the most recent reported cycle. The trend line is steady and endowment-driven:

• FY2013: $8.4M grants paid
• FY2015: $9.4M grants paid
• FY2018: $9.6M grants paid
• FY2019: $9.6M grants paid
• FY2020: $9.7M grants paid
• FY2021: $11.3M grants paid
• FY2022: $12.9M grants paid ($15.4M total giving)

Total assets as of the most recent filings are approximately $272M–$304M (varying by year), with net investment income of $7.8M in FY2022. The foundation disburses slightly more than investment income in strong years, relying on periodic Morgridge capital infusions — most recently the $25M gift in September 2023 — to sustain growth. At a ~4-5% effective payout rate, the 2023 gift adds approximately $1M+ in annual distributable capacity.

Grantee concentration is extreme: the University of Wisconsin System accounts for $54.3M across five multi-year institutional grants out of $54.8M total in the grantee database — over 99% of all grant dollars. Individual graduation gifts of $500 per completing scholar represent the only direct-to-student disbursements: 328 recipients ($164,000), 299 recipients ($149,500), 136 recipients ($68,000), and 101 recipients ($101,000) in available years.

Per-scholar annual funding is $4,500 ($2,250/semester) for up to 10 semesters (5 years) for four-year UW enrollees, or 6 semesters for WTCS/branch transfers. With ~1,500 new scholars enrolled annually and 3,000+ scholars simultaneously in the pipeline, the annual student stipend commitment alone runs $13.5M–$15M. Geography is exclusively Wisconsin; the foundation has never granted outside the state.

The following table compares FFWS to its asset-tier peers (all in the $300M-$305M range, identified by similar NTEE category T — Philanthropy & Grantmaking):

FWWS is the most operationally closed of its asset-tier peers. Where the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation (OH) runs a competitive open-application grantmaking program across healthcare and wellness — making it directly accessible to nonprofits and health systems — FFWS bypasses the nonprofit ecosystem entirely. The Patterson Foundation (FL) operates an invitation-only model focused on strategic philanthropy capacity building, which is more open than FFWS but still restricted. The Hao and Manning family foundations are private with no public application pathways.

FWWS's effective payout rate of roughly 5% sits at the federal minimum threshold for private foundations, consistent with an endowment-stewardship philosophy prioritizing long-term perpetuity over accelerated distribution. Its 100% geographic concentration in Wisconsin is unique among peers of similar scale.

The most significant recent development is the September 11, 2023 announcement of a $25 million gift from founding trustees John P. and Tashia F. Morgridge — bringing their cumulative investment to over $260 million. This gift enabled the 2023-24 cohort to reach approximately 1,500 new scholars, the largest entering class in FFWS history, with over 3,000 scholars enrolled simultaneously across all active cohorts. The foundation has now supported more than 25,000 Wisconsin students and distributed over $125 million in need-based grants since its 2007 founding.

A notable organizational change preceded or accompanied this gift: longtime Executive Director Mary W. Gulbrandsen — who guided FFWS from its founding through at least FY2022 and was compensated $195,000–$210,912 annually per 990 filings — has been succeeded by Kelly Ruppel, who now serves as Executive Director and Trustee. Board Chair Katy Heyning and Vice Chair Becky Splitt lead the board, alongside Trustees Diana E. Hess, Cory L. Nettles, John D. Morgridge (founder's son), and others.

No new external grant programs, RFP launches, or partnerships with outside nonprofits were announced as of March 2026. The foundation's program remains exclusively focused on its core scholarship model, with incremental cohort growth as the primary strategic metric.

For individual students (the primary intended beneficiaries):

The most important action is filing FAFSA as early as possible — ideally in October, immediately when the form opens. UW System financial aid offices run their eligibility identification in mid-September for the upcoming academic year, meaning FAFSA data must be complete, verified, and transmitted to the UW System before that window closes. Late or incomplete FAFSA submissions are the most common reason eligible students are missed.

All eligibility criteria must be met simultaneously: Wisconsin public high school diploma (or HSED within three years of the award year), Wisconsin tuition residency, full-time in-person enrollment in a UW System four-year baccalaureate program, Pell Grant eligibility, unmet financial need, and age 21 or younger on September 1 of the eligibility year. The age cutoff is absolute — there are no exceptions or appeals.

Transfer students from WTCS or UW branch campuses who have completed 24+ credits are eligible but frequently under-identified. If you are a qualifying transfer student, proactively notify your campus financial aid office that you believe you meet FFWS transfer eligibility — financial aid staff may not automatically flag transfer pathways.

Do not contact FFWS directly to inquire about your selection status or request consideration. The selection is random from the verified pool; the foundation does not accept nominations, referrals, appeals, or preference requests of any kind.

Once selected (late September notification), respond immediately to your campus financial aid office. Acceptance windows are narrow. After acceptance, maintain full-time enrollment and adequate academic progress every semester — loss of either terminates the grant, which cannot be reinstated.

For prospective co-investment partners:

Frame any approach to FFWS leadership around measurable degree-completion outcomes and Wisconsin workforce development. The Morgridges' public invitation for co-funders is a genuine opening, but only for organizations prepared to make multi-year commitments at meaningful scale. Contact Executive Director Kelly Ruppel at (608) 238-2400 or via ffws.org/contact.