Kohler Foundation
Kohler Foundation, Inc. is a private Wisconsin-based non-profit foundation (est. 1940) that preserves art environments and folk art, issues scholarships and grants, and runs performing arts and community cultural programs primarily in Sheboygan County and select U.S. states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1940
- HeadquartersKohler, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Kohler Foundation does
Kohler Foundation, Inc. is a private, Wisconsin-based non-profit foundation established in 1940 by members of the Kohler family — Evangeline Kohler, Marie C. Kohler, Lillie B. Kohler, Herbert V. Kohler, Sr., and O.A. Kroos — headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin. Its mission centers on arts preservation, education, and community cultural programming, with no commercial revenue model; the foundation functions as a charitable grant-maker and program operator funded by family endowment rather than fees or product sales.
The foundation operates five interconnected core programs: (1) an Art Preservation Program that has, since the 1970s, preserved art environments, folk architecture, and self-taught artist collections in Wisconsin, Louisiana, Kansas, Ohio, Maine, and Georgia; (2) a Grants Program distributing small-dollar charitable gifts (generally $5,000 or less, twice yearly) to non-profits in Sheboygan County and other Wisconsin small towns for arts and education; (3) a Scholarships Program offering the Herbert V. Kohler and Ruth DeYoung Kohler scholarships to Sheboygan County high-school graduates, with awards up to $80,000 over four years for private colleges; (4) the Distinguished Guest Series, one of Wisconsin's longest-running performing arts programs (since 1944), featuring 3–4 world-class performances per season; and (5) Waelderhaus management, an Austrian-inspired historic home hosting tours, the annual Gingerbread Festival, and the Arts at the Waelderhaus series.
The foundation has no proprietary technology stack, no employees beyond 1–10, and no disclosed revenue. Its distribution is entirely direct: grants to non-profits, scholarships to individuals, ticketed performing arts events, and community access to preserved historic sites. Strategic partnerships anchor the operating model — notably a 1953 gift of the Wade House to the Wisconsin Historical Society and deep collaboration with the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. Current leadership is Executive Director Angela Ramey, succeeding a lineage of family stewardship that includes Herbert V. Kohler, Jr. (Board President 1969–1999) and Ruth DeYoung Kohler II (President 1999–2006).
Kohler Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kohler Foundation
- Legal name
- Kohler Foundation, Inc.
- Website
- https://kohlerfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1940
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Kohler Foundation, Inc. is a private Wisconsin-based non-profit foundation (est. 1940) that preserves art environments and folk art, issues scholarships and grants, and runs performing arts and community cultural programs primarily in Sheboygan County and select U.S. states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kohler Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Non-profit Arts & Cultural Preservation Foundation
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)
Keywords
Where Kohler Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kohler
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kohler Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Kohler Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kohler Foundation is a private non-profit foundation that preserves art environments, folk architecture, and collections by self-taught artists (with preserved sites across Wisconsin, Louisiana, Kansas, Ohio, Maine, and Georgia), awards competitive scholarships to graduating seniors at Sheboygan County high schools (up to $80,000 over four years), issues charitable grants (generally $5,000 or less, twice yearly) to local non-profits for arts and education programs, and operates the Distinguished Guest Series performing arts program (since 1944) and the Waelderhaus historic home for tours and cultural events.
Product overview
Kohler Foundation is a Wisconsin-based charitable foundation established in 1940, offering five interconnected programs: Art Preservation Program (preserving folk art environments and self-taught artist collections), Grants Program (arts and education funding for local non-profits), Scholarships Program (Herbert V. Kohler and Ruth DeYoung Kohler scholarships for Sheboygan County students), Distinguished Guest Series (performing arts programming since 1944), and Waelderhaus Management (historic home hosting cultural events including the Gingerbread Festival and Arts at the Waelderhaus Series).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Distinguished Guest Series: A performing arts series featuring world-class performances at accessible prices, one of the longest-running performing arts programs in Wisconsin, dating back to 1944.
Products and services
- Art Preservation Program Preservation of art environments, folk architecture, and collections by self-taught artists, with preserved sites stewarded or gifted across Wisconsin, Louisiana, Kansas, Ohio, Maine, and Georgia, and gifts of art made to nearly 100 museums, colleges, universities, and non-profit institutions.
- Grants Program
Companies that use Kohler Foundation
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Kohler Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Kohler Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Wisconsin Historical SocietycoreIn June 1953, the Wade House Historic Site was gifted to the people of Wisconsin through the Wisconsin Historical Society. The foundation led by Ruth DeYoung Kohler restored the Old Wade House stagecoach inn in Greenbush, Wisconsin, now operated as the Wade House Historic Site.
- John Michael Kohler Arts CentercoreRuth DeYoung Kohler II served as former executive director, former director of strategic initiatives at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, and past president of Kohler Foundation. Deep collaboration on art preservation and cultural programs.
- Sheboygan Performing ArtsminorKohler Foundation is a proud member of the Sheboygan Performing Arts association, collaborating on performing arts programming in the region.
- Wade House Historic SitecoreHistoric site restored and managed by Kohler Foundation, now operated as part of Wisconsin Historical Society. Features Wesley Jung Carriage museum opened June 2013.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Kohler Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Lyndhurst Foundation: Regional foundation focused on arts, community, and natural resources in the Chattanooga region. Shares the community-arts focus and private family-foundation model but operates in a different U.S. geography.
Broad incumbents
- Barr Foundation: Private foundation supporting arts, climate, and education. Shares arts-programming and education funding parallels with Kohler Foundation, though at a larger scale.
- Hearst Foundations: Private foundations supporting arts, education, and health across the U.S. Aligns with Kohler Foundation's arts and education grantmaking but operates at a much larger scale.
- Kresge Foundation: Major national foundation funding arts, education, and community development. Comparable mission area but significantly larger scale and broader geographic focus than Kohler Foundation.
- Andrew W. Mellon Foundation: Largest private foundation dedicated to arts, humanities, and higher education. Overlaps with Kohler Foundation's arts preservation, scholarship, and culture programs but at vastly greater scale.
Direct peers
- Teiger Foundation: Private foundation supporting visual arts curators and exhibitions, with a focused art-preservation mission similar to Kohler Foundation's preservation programming.
- Agnes Gund Foundation: Family-founded private foundation supporting arts, education, and social justice. Comparable to Kohler Foundation in mission and grantmaking scale for arts and education programs.
- Pollock-Krasner Foundation: A private arts foundation providing grants and support to visual artists, comparable in scale and mission to Kohler Foundation's arts preservation and grantmaking work.
- Terra Foundation for American Art: Private foundation focused on American art preservation and scholarship, with global cultural partnerships. Aligns with Kohler Foundation's work preserving and gifting art collections to institutions.
- Marciano Art Foundation: Private foundation dedicated to contemporary art and public access through exhibitions and education, comparable to Kohler Foundation's preservation and public access mission.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kohler Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceKohler Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kohler Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Kohler Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kohler Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kohler Foundation
What does Kohler Foundation do?
Kohler Foundation is a private non-profit foundation that preserves art environments, folk architecture, and collections by self-taught artists (with preserved sites across Wisconsin, Louisiana, Kansas, Ohio, Maine, and Georgia), awards competitive scholarships to graduating seniors at Sheboygan County high schools (up to $80,000 over four years), issues charitable grants (generally $5,000 or less, twice yearly) to local non-profits for arts and education programs, and operates the Distinguished Guest Series performing arts program (since 1944) and the Waelderhaus historic home for tours and cultural events.
Is Kohler Foundation a public or private company?
Kohler Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Kohler Foundation founded?
Kohler Foundation was founded in 1940. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Kohler Foundation based?
Kohler Foundation is headquartered in Kohler, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Kohler Foundation's main competitors?
Lyndhurst Foundation is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Barr Foundation, Hearst Foundations, Kresge Foundation and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Direct peers are Teiger Foundation, Agnes Gund Foundation, Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Terra Foundation for American Art and Marciano Art Foundation.
Does Kohler Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kohler Foundation.
What industry is Kohler Foundation in?
Kohler Foundation's product category is Non-profit Arts & Cultural Preservation Foundation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAJ, Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAK, Education Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8200.