Wisconsin Philanthropy Network

What Wisconsin Philanthropy Network does

Wisconsin Philanthropy Network (WPN) is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership association founded in 1978 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that serves as the only organization in the state committed exclusively to the philanthropic sector. It represents 120+ member foundations and grantmaking entities spanning community foundations, corporate foundations, family foundations, health funders, public funders, and supporting organizations, together representing over 600 philanthropic professionals, $1B+ in annual grantmaking, and $12.2B in assets under member stewardship.

WPN's product surface is structured around three core membership benefits — Skill Building (practical training, including the seven-session Grantmaking Fundamentals Series and topical roundtables on equity, impact investing, education, and rural funders), Research Services (a member-exclusive Resource Library, benchmarking tools, and biennial publications such as the Wisconsin Gives Report and the 2025 Midwest Grantmaker Salary, Benefits, and Demographics Report covering eight states), and Community Connection (peer exchange and collective action including Equity, Impact Investing, Education, and Rural Funders Roundtables). The organization also operates three strategic initiatives: a Trust-Based Philanthropy Initiative delivered in partnership with the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, an Impact Investing Initiative housed in the Wisconsin Impact Investing Collaborative (WI3C), and an Advocacy & Public Policy Initiative including the Wisconsin Funders for Children & Families collaborative. A flagship data asset is the Wisconsin Children and Youth Fiscal Map, an interactive Power BI dashboard tracking $18.8B across 370 public funding streams, developed with PRL Keystone Foundation and Children's Funding Project.

Commercially, WPN operates a community-led, subscription/recurring revenue model anchored by membership dues (pricing not publicly disclosed), supplemented by event/program fees — the full Grantmaking Fundamentals Series is $375 for members and $450 for non-members, with individual sessions at $75/$100 — corporate sponsorship (e.g., TruStage), philanthropic grants (e.g., a $50,000 grant from Zilber Family Foundation in June 2022), and likely member contributions. Distribution is direct membership sales for Wisconsin-based grantmakers, supported by digital channels (website, email/newsletter, webinars, resource library) and peer word-of-mouth. The organization is led by President & CEO Tony Shields with Director of Membership and Resource Development Karla Lodholz, and operates from a 1-10 person staff, with member support delivered through UW-Madison's Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies (CommNS) and policy partner Wisconsin Policy Forum. WPN engaged 892 individuals from Wisconsin foundations in its 2024 programming and unveiled a new Strategic Plan alongside new board members at its 2024 Annual Meeting.

Name

Wisconsin Philanthropy Network

Legal name

Wisconsin Philanthropy Network

Website

https://wiphilanthropy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wisconsin Philanthropy Network is a Wisconsin-based 501(c)(3) membership association serving 120+ grantmaking foundations, providing training, research, peer roundtables, and advocacy initiatives that strengthen statewide philanthropy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropy Association Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders (BPAGAKAO)

Keywords

• Philanthropy membership association
• Grantmaker professional services
• Nonprofit sector research
• Funders peer network
• Philanthropic education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: WPN generates revenue through membership dues from grantmaking organizations including community foundations, corporate foundations, family foundations, and other philanthropic entities in Wisconsin.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wisconsin Philanthropy Network (WPN) is a nonprofit membership association serving philanthropic foundations and grantmakers across Wisconsin. The organization delivers three core membership benefits — Skill Building (training and programming), Research Services (benchmarking tools, reports, and publications), and Community Connection (peer roundtables and convenings) — supplemented by educational events, research publications, and collaborative initiatives spanning impact investing, trust-based philanthropy, and public policy advocacy.

Product overview

Wisconsin Philanthropy Network (WPN) is a membership-based philanthropy support organization offering a unified platform of services rather than a modular software product. The core offering centers on three membership benefits—Skill Building, Research Services, and Community Connection—supported by educational programming including the Grantmaking Fundamentals Series and Member Orientations. WPN provides content resources through its Resource Library and Webinars, along with proprietary research publications like the biennial Wisconsin Gives Report and Midwest Grantmaker Salary Survey. The organization also manages three strategic initiatives: Impact Investing (via WI3C), Trust-Based Philanthropy, and Advocacy & Public Policy, which include collaborative programs such as Wisconsin Funders for Children & Families. A key data product is the Wisconsin Children and Youth Fiscal Map, an interactive Power BI dashboard for tracking public funding flows.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Skill Building Membership Program

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Trust-Based Philanthropy ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough partnership with the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, WPN offers curated resources, shared learning, and practical guidance to help members explore and implement trust-based approaches to grantmaking.
• Wisconsin Impact Investing Collaborative (WI3C)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWI3C is a collective effort of philanthropic organizations and investors committed to advancing impact investing in Wisconsin. The collaborative mobilizes capital to support social enterprises and initiatives that drive meaningful change across the state.
• Wisconsin Funders for Children & FamiliescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA statewide alliance of philanthropic leaders working to promote policies, initiatives, and investments that enhance the well-being of children, youth, and families in Wisconsin.
• PRL Keystone FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Wisconsin Children and Youth Fiscal Map initiative, working to track and visualize public funding for children and youth programs.
• Children's Funding ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing the Wisconsin Children and Youth Fiscal Map, providing methodology and expertise in fiscal mapping for children and youth.
• Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies (CommNS) - UW-MadisoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating to develop a data collection tool and process for Wisconsin funders to gather feedback from grantee organizations.
• TruStageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Grantmaking Fundamentals series, providing educational programming for new and experienced grantmakers.
• Wisconsin Policy ForumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNonpartisan policy research organization that partners with WPN on budget briefings and policy discussions relevant to Wisconsin philanthropy.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Council on Foundations: The largest U.S. membership association for grantmaking foundations. While national in scope, it serves many of the same Wisconsin-based members that WPN serves, providing overlap on training, research, and advocacy for funders.
• National Council of Nonprofits: National network of state and regional nonprofit associations. WPN's state-level nonprofit-adjacent convening role is structurally comparable, although NCN's primary focus is on operating nonprofits rather than grantmakers.

Direct peers

• Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers: An umbrella network of regional and state grantmaker associations of which WPN is a constituent. Provides the most direct structural and functional comparison as a peer network of state-level funder associations.
• Exponent Philanthropy: National membership association focused on small-staffed and lean-budget foundations. Comparable in member services (training, resources, peer connection) and in serving funders with limited in-house capacity.

Regional players

• Minnesota Council on Foundations: State-level grantmaker membership association serving Minnesota. Closest analog in scope and services (skill building, research, community connection) to WPN, providing a strong structural benchmark.
• Indiana Philanthropy Alliance: State-level membership association for Indiana funders offering training, advocacy, and peer learning. Direct functional comparable to WPN in a different Midwest geography.
• Philanthropy Northwest: Regional association of grantmakers in the Pacific Northwest offering training, research, and advocacy. Comparable multi-state model focused on convening funders around regional priorities.
• Michigan Council on Foundations: State-level grantmaker association serving Michigan foundations with similar programming pillars (training, resources, convening). Comparable in size, scope, and member model.
• Illinois Philanthropy: Statewide network of Illinois funders providing peer learning, resources, and advocacy. Comparable state-level funder membership model in an adjacent Midwest geography.
• Ohio Philanthropy Alliance: Ohio-based membership association of grantmakers providing peer learning, training, and resources. Comparable in mission, scope, and member-based service model to WPN.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wisconsin Philanthropy Network