Fond du Lac Area Foundation

What Fond du Lac Area Foundation does

The Fond du Lac Area Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 1975 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, that manages charitable giving, grantmaking, and scholarship programs for individuals, families, students, nonprofits, and professional advisors in Fond du Lac County and Dodge County. The foundation offers a full suite of fund types — Donor Advised Funds, Unrestricted Funds, Designated Funds, Field of Interest Funds, Scholarship Funds, Acorn Funds (entry-level at $1,000 building to a $10,000 endowment), and Temporary/Non-Permanent Funds — and supports donors with planned giving, fiscal sponsorship for fledgling nonprofits, and 24/7 online access to fund balances and grant recommendations via the Akoya GO Fund Portal.

On the grantmaking side, the foundation operates competitive cycles including Bi-Annual Grants ($500–$5,000), Impact Grants (up to $100,000), Rural Vitality Grants ($500–$25,000 in partnership with Compeer Financial), and the Fondy 100 Gives collective-giving program. It also administers an online Scholarship Portal that awarded 297 scholarships totaling $409,528 in FY2025. The foundation's underlying "technology" is operational rather than productized: it relies on integrated third-party SaaS for donations, grants, scholarships, email, and workplace giving, and outsources investment management to National Exchange Bank & Trust and U.S. Bank.

In FY2025 the foundation held $88,461,223 in total assets across more than 500 funds, received $4,515,645 in donations, and awarded $3,703,611 in grants. It is governed by a volunteer board of local business and civic leaders, operates with a six-person professional staff led by Executive Director Greg Giles, and oversees a network of seven affiliates and supporting organizations, including the Beaver Dam Area Community Foundation (2019), Horicon Family of Funds (2022), Oakfield Community Foundation, Ripon Community Fund, Waupun Community Fund, Sophia Transformative Leadership Partners, and Marshmen Foundation.

Name

Fond du Lac Area Foundation

Legal name

Fond du Lac Area Foundation

Website

https://fdlareafoundation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Fond du Lac Area Foundation is a Wisconsin-based 501(c)(3) community foundation managing over $88M in assets across 500+ charitable funds, providing donor-advised funds, grantmaking, and scholarship administration to individuals, students, nonprofits, and professional advisors in Fond du Lac and Dodge Counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation and Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Donor-advised fund management
• Charitable grantmaking programs
• Scholarship fund administration
• Endowment fund management

Headquarters

HQ city

Fond du Lac

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donor-Advised Fund Management: Managing donor-advised funds where donors recommend grants to nonprofit organizations. The foundation provides administrative services, investment management through banking partnerships, and 24/7 online access to fund information.
2. Scholarship Fund Administration: Managing scholarship funds for high school graduates and college students. Awards range from $500 to several thousand dollars for tuition, fees, room and board, and books at accredited institutions.
3. Grant Programs: Competitive grant cycles including Bi-Annual Grants ($500-$5,000), Impact Grants (up to $100,000), Rural Vitality Grants ($500-$25,000), and Fondy 100 Gives ($7,500 per project).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Fond du Lac Area Foundation is a community foundation that manages charitable giving vehicles for donors—including donor-advised funds, designated funds, field-of-interest funds, scholarship funds, unrestricted funds, and Acorn Funds—while administering competitive grant cycles and scholarship awards for 501(c)(3) nonprofits and students in Fond du Lac and Dodge Counties. It provides investment management, planned giving support, and 24/7 online fund access, distributing over $3.7 million in grants and more than $409,000 in scholarships annually.

Product overview

The Fond du Lac Area Foundation is a community foundation offering a comprehensive suite of charitable giving and grantmaking services organized around fund management, scholarship programs, and competitive grant cycles. The organization's core offerings include Donor Advised Funds (allowing donors to recommend grants while receiving tax benefits), Unrestricted and Designated Funds for various giving strategies, Scholarship Funds for post-secondary education support, and specialty funds like Acorn Funds for smaller initial gifts. On the grantmaking side, the Foundation operates Bi-Annual Grant Cycles ($500-$5,000), Impact Grants (up to $100,000), Rural Vitality Grants ($500-$25,000), and the Fondy 100 Gives collective giving program ($7,500 per project). All services are accessible through integrated online portals for scholarships, grants, and fund management. The Foundation holds Community Foundations National Standards accreditation and oversees more than 500 community and donor-established funds with total assets exceeding $88 million.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donor Advised Fund A charitable giving vehicle where donors can recommend grants to nonprofit organizations while receiving an immediate tax deduction. Donors have 24/7 online access to their fund for submitting grant recommendations, viewing balances, and reviewing transaction history.
• Unrestricted Fund An unrestricted fund granted at the discretion of the Foundation's Board of Directors to address the most pressing community needs, offering flexibility in meeting existing and future community priorities.
• Designated Fund A fund where donors choose one or more specific nonprofit organizations to support through ongoing grant distributions.
• Field of Interest Fund A fund where donors support a general cause or area of interest (such as education, arts, or environment) rather than a specific charity.
• Scholarship Fund A fund established by donors to provide post-secondary scholarships for high school graduates and current college students pursuing educational goals.
• Acorn Fund A giving vehicle allowing donors to make an initial gift of at least $1,000 and build the fund over time until reaching the $10,000 endowment level.
• Temporary or Non-Permanent Fund A fund designed to accomplish a specific charitable objective or project that may be short-term in nature, such as a capital campaign or a fund that will be spent down over time.
• Bi-Annual Grant Cycle Competitive grant program awarding grants twice yearly (spring and fall) from the Community Fund. Grant requests range from $500 to $5,000 for projects providing direct benefit to the Fond du Lac community.
• Impact Grants Annual competitive grants supporting programs likely to make a clear difference in quality of life, including endowment building, matching grants, capital projects, capacity building, and community leadership initiatives. Grant requests may be up to $100,000.
• Rural Vitality Grants Grant program in partnership with Compeer Financial supporting rural communities under 10,000 people. Approved areas include agriculture, community development, entrepreneurship, housing expansion, youth/adult leadership, rural education, and workforce development. Grant requests range from $500 to $25,000.
• Fondy 100 Gives A collective giving program bringing together 100 passionate individuals who pool quarterly contributions of $100 each. Each project funded receives $7,500 with $2,500 added to build the endowment for future community projects. Nonprofits present proposals at live drawing events.
• Scholarship Portal Online portal powered by ngwebsolutions.com enabling students to create accounts, search and apply for scholarships through a common application system. The Foundation awards over $250,000 annually in scholarships to locally-based students.
• Online Grant Portal Web-based grant application platform (GoApply2) for nonprofits to submit grant applications, update contact information, and submit follow-up reports for Fond du Lac Area Foundation and affiliate grant cycles.
• Fund Portal Donor portal providing 24/7 access for fundholders to view fund balances, submit online grant recommendations, and review transaction history.
• Disaster Relief Fund Emergency response fund activated during natural disasters or community crises to provide resources to affected nonprofit organizations, with focus on disproportionately affected and vulnerable populations.

Quantifiable outcome

• $88,461,223 in total assets under management
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered major and supporting.

• Beaver Dam Area Community FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2019Regional affiliate established in September 2019, serving all of Dodge County. Benefits from administrative support, guidance, and philanthropic expertise provided by the Fond du Lac Area Foundation.
• Compeer FinancialmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Rural Vitality Grant program, supporting communities of less than 10,000 people or rural micropolitans of less than 50,000 people in Fond du Lac and Dodge Counties. Grant requests may be $500-$25,000.
• Sophia Transformative Leadership PartnerssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting organization affiliated with the Fond du Lac Area Foundation, operating independently to fulfill unique missions while the foundation handles regulatory oversight and administrative support.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Greater Milwaukee Foundation: Wisconsin's largest community foundation managing over $1B in assets. Directly comparable as a regional community foundation offering donor-advised funds, scholarships, and competitive grant cycles serving Wisconsin donors and nonprofits.
• Oshkosh Area Community Foundation: Wisconsin-based community foundation serving the Oshkosh region with donor-advised funds, scholarships, and competitive grants. Closely comparable in scale, structure, and service offerings to Fond du Lac.
• Madison Community Foundation: Wisconsin-based community foundation managing charitable assets and grantmaking for the Madison region. Directly comparable in operating model, donor services, and community grantmaking focus.
• Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region: Wisconsin community foundation serving the Fox Valley region with similar fund types, scholarship programs, and grantmaking services. Comparable as a mid-sized Wisconsin community foundation.
• La Crosse Community Foundation: Wisconsin community foundation managing charitable assets and grantmaking in the La Crosse region. Directly comparable in scope and service offerings.
• Racine Community Foundation: Wisconsin community foundation serving the Racine area with donor-advised funds, scholarship programs, and competitive grantmaking cycles.
• Green Bay Area Community Foundation: Wisconsin community foundation serving the Green Bay area with donor-advised funds, scholarships, and community grantmaking. Comparable in mission, structure, and donor services.

Broad incumbents

• Schwab Charitable: National donor-advised fund sponsor affiliated with Charles Schwab. Comparable as a larger DAF provider competing for charitable dollars with broader investment options and geographic flexibility.
• Fidelity Charitable: National donor-advised fund sponsor and the largest in the U.S., managing over $100B in DAF assets. Comparable as a competing donor-advised fund sponsor with greater scale and broader geographic reach.
• National Philanthropic Trust: National donor-advised fund sponsor managing over $15B in charitable assets. Comparable as an institutional DAF sponsor providing an alternative to community foundations for charitable giving.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fdlaf

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Fond du Lac Area Foundation