Evjue Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Evjue Foundation supports education, higher education, health, mental health, youth, human services and arts and culture.

FUNDING AREAS: Education, higher education, health, mental health, youth, human services, arts and culture

IP TAKE: This newspaper-affiliated funder has many different local interests and progressive leanings in its support for community efforts in and around Madison. Evjue is a highly focused funder, so you won’t have luck getting a grant beyond it’s scope. Call this funder to see how to get a grant - if your work relates to journalism in some way or one of its focus areas.

PROFILE: Established in 1958, the Evjue Foundation is a public charity based in Madison, Wisconsin. This is the charitable arm of The Capital Times, which is a progressive newspaper. William T. Evjue founded the newspaper in 1917, and the foundation offers grants from the newspaper’s profits today. Evjue served as a Republican in the Wisconsin State Assembly and director of the Republican State Central Committee of Wisconsin in the 1920s. Later, Evjue supported Democratic candidates and he was appointed chairman of the Wisconsin Progressive Party. The foundation funds local efforts for education, higher education, mental health, youth, human services and arts and culture.

The Evjue Foundation does not have a website to guide grantseekers. However, past tax records indicate that this funder gives between $1 million and $2.5 million to local causes per year. This is a very locally focused foundation that gives to over 100 area nonprofits per year. The founder had many local interests and accordingly, this foundation gives to a wide variety of causes. For example, recent grants have gone towards supporting music festivals, professional development for early childhood education teachers, nature centers, hospice organizations and youth-serving groups.  In the past, the foundation has given to urgent relief efforts during times of emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grants range between about $3,000 and $500,000. Learn more about this funder’s local giving by examining its recent tax records. Grantmaking largely focuses on the Wisconsin communities of Baraboo, Madison and Portage. Generally, grants stay in Madison and within Dane County. Past local grantees include Habitat for Humanity of Dane County, Madison Youth Arts Center and the Wisconsin Historical Society.

This foundation typically accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits unless there are special circumstances. The foundation usually meets in November to consider new grant requests. Direct general questions to the staff at 608-252-6401.

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