Oconomowoc Area Foundation
The Oconomowoc Area Foundation is a Wisconsin community foundation established in 2002 that channels charitable contributions from local donors to 135+ nonprofits serving the greater Oconomowoc area through annual grants, scholarships, and multiple giving vehicles including Donor Advised Funds and the Signature Club.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersOconomowoc, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Oconomowoc Area Foundation does
The Oconomowoc Area Foundation (OAF) is a Wisconsin-based community foundation established in 2002, operating as a supporting foundation of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. Its functional role is to channel charitable capital from local individuals, families, and businesses to nonprofit organizations serving the greater Oconomowoc area — defined as the Oconomowoc Area School District and surrounding towns (Ashippun, Ixonia, Okauchee, Summit, Dousman, Nashotah). OAF offers multiple giving vehicles — General Endowment, Donor Designated Funds, Donor Advised Funds, Legacy Gifts, the individual/family Signature Club (minimum $10,000 lifetime commitment, 190 members, $1.9M cumulative commitments since 2011), the Business Signature Club, and Memorials/Honorariums — alongside an annual grant cycle, scholarship programs (Hilbert N. Scherffius Fund and George A. Markham Memorial Fund), and the OAF Impact Team for community engagement.
The foundation operates with a lean team of approximately 6 employees led by Foundation Coordinator Rebecca Seymour, governed by a Board of Directors chaired since January 2025 by Glenn Hanon. Distribution infrastructure combines an annual grant application cycle administered via the Greater Milwaukee Foundation portal, community info sessions, the Annual Grants Celebration, signature events like Golf Fore Good (partnered with The Club at Lac La Belle), the quarterly Ripple Effects newsletter, and active social channels on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
OAF is a 501(c)-style nonprofit that does not sell products or services; its economics are driven by donation inflows and prudent management of pooled endowment funds under Greater Milwaukee Foundation fiduciary oversight. Since 2002, OAF has awarded over $5.3 million in cumulative grants to 135+ local nonprofits, with 2025 marking a record $341,000 awarded to 45 organizations — signaling sustained growth in fundraising and grantmaking capacity despite the foundation's small administrative footprint.
Oconomowoc Area Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Oconomowoc Area Foundation
- Legal name
- The Oconomowoc Area Foundation
- Website
- https://theoaf.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Oconomowoc Area Foundation is a Wisconsin community foundation established in 2002 that channels charitable contributions from local donors to 135+ nonprofits serving the greater Oconomowoc area through annual grants, scholarships, and multiple giving vehicles including Donor Advised Funds and the Signature Club.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Oconomowoc Area Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Foundation & Philanthropic Grantmaking
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)
Keywords
Where Oconomowoc Area Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oconomowoc
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Oconomowoc Area Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: The foundation receives donations from individuals, families, and businesses through various giving vehicles including General Endowment, Donor Designated funds, Donor Advised Funds, Legacy Gifts, Signature Club memberships, and Memorials/Honorariums.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Oconomowoc Area Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Oconomowoc Area Foundation is a community foundation that pools charitable donations from individuals, families, and businesses and redistributes them as grants to nonprofit organizations serving the greater Oconomowoc area. It offers multiple philanthropic giving vehicles (General Endowment, Donor Designated Funds, Donor Advised Funds, Legacy Gifts, Signature Club, Business Signature Club, Memorials/Honorariums) and runs an annual grant cycle for 501(c)(3) nonprofits plus named scholarship programs for Oconomowoc high school students.
Product overview
The Oconomowoc Area Foundation is a community foundation offering a suite of philanthropic giving programs including the Signature Club (individual/family giving with $10,000 minimum commitment), Business Signature Club, General Endowment, Donor Designated Funds, Donor Advised Funds, Legacy Gifts, and Memorials/Honorariums. The foundation distributes annual grants to nonprofits serving the greater Oconomowoc area and administers scholarship programs (Hilbert N. Scherffius Fund with three $12,000 scholarships and George A. Markham Memorial Fund with $5,000 arts scholarship). The foundation also operates an Impact Team for community engagement. Total grants awarded exceed $5.3 million to 135+ nonprofits since founding in 2002.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Signature Club A giving program where individuals and families commit to donating a minimum of $10,000 to the OAF's General Endowment Fund, with collective commitments totaling $1.9 million from 190 members since 2011.
- General Endowment A permanent fund that provides ongoing support to local nonprofits through annual grants, allowing donors to create lasting charitable legacies.
- Donor Designated Funds Charitable funds where donors specify particular causes, organizations, or geographic areas to receive their gifts.
- Donor Advised Funds Flexible giving vehicles allowing donors to recommend grants to favorite charities over time while receiving immediate tax benefits.
- Legacy Gifts Planned giving options including bequests, charitable remainder trusts, and other estate planning tools for long-term community impact.
- Grants Program Annual grant program supporting nonprofit organizations serving communities within the Oconomowoc Area School District, including towns of Ashippun, Ixonia, Okauchee, Summit, Dousman, and Nashotah. Awarded $341,000 to 45 nonprofits in 2025 (record amount).
- Hilbert N. Scherffius Fund Scholarships Three $12,000 scholarships awarded annually to Oconomowoc high school seniors pursuing college education, created by local visionary Hilbert N. Scherffius.
- George A. Markham Memorial Fund Award A $5,000 scholarship supporting Oconomowoc students pursuing degrees in the arts, honoring the legacy of George A. Markham.
- Business Signature Club A business membership program requiring a minimum $10,000 commitment to the OAF's General Endowment Fund within eight years, allowing local businesses to support community nonprofits.
- Memorials / Honorariums Tribute gifts made in memory or honor of loved ones, providing a meaningful way to celebrate individuals while supporting community causes.
Quantifiable outcome
- Awarded over $5 million to 135 local nonprofits since 2002
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Oconomowoc Area Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Oconomowoc Area Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Oconomowoc Area Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- The Club at Lac La BelleminorOAF is a charity partner of The Club at Lac La Belle's Charity Week for the grand opening of Uncle Henry's Backyard Par 3 Course. All tee fees on May 26 are donated to OAF.
- Oconomowoc Woman's ClubcoreEstablished Oconomowoc Woman's Club Charitable Endowment Fund through OAF in 2024. The club has supported community causes since 1949 and the endowment allows diversified and stable charitable giving.
- Greater Milwaukee FoundationcoreOAF is a supporting foundation of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, one of the nation's largest and most experienced community foundations. GMF ensures that OAF funds are managed prudently and administered efficiently. OAF uses GMF's grant portal for applications and works with GMF staff including Dani Breen as Program Officer.
- Oconomowoc Scholarship FundcoreLongtime partnership to support Oconomowoc students' dreams of attending college. OAF partners with this organization to award scholarships including the Hilbert N. Scherffius Fund ($36,000 annually) and George A. Markham Memorial Fund Award ($5,000).
- Bank Five NinecoreLocal business that was a founding supporter of OAF and continues as a Business Signature Club member. CEO Tim Schneider serves on OAF Board of Directors.
- Radtke ApplianceminorFamily-owned business (682 E. Wisconsin Ave., Oconomowoc) serving communities since 1949. Joined OAF Business Signature Club; recognized as 2024 Large Business of the Year by Oconomowoc Chamber.
- Pabst Farms YMCAminorJim Olson and family have been members and donors since 2006; Jim serves on OAF Board.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Oconomowoc Area Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Watertown Area Community Foundation: A small Wisconsin community foundation operating a nearly identical model (general endowment, donor-advised funds, scholarships, signature/major donor club) serving a single mid-sized Wisconsin town and its surrounding area.
- Greater Milwaukee Foundation: OAF is a supporting foundation of GMF, which is one of the largest community foundations in Wisconsin. GMF shares the same grantmaking and donor-advised fund model, manages OAF's assets, and operates the grant portal OAF uses, making it the closest direct peer.
- Oshkosh Area Community Foundation: A Wisconsin community foundation with a matching service model: endowment funds, donor-advised funds, scholarships, and competitive grant cycles for nonprofits in a single Wisconsin city/market.
- Kenosha Community Foundation: A Wisconsin community foundation of similar size and structure to OAF, managing donor funds, awarding grants to local nonprofits, and running scholarship programs in the Kenosha area.
- Door County Community Foundation: A small Wisconsin community foundation offering endowment, donor-advised, and scholarship programs and annual grant cycles to local nonprofits, structurally aligned with OAF's operations.
- Madison Community Foundation: A larger Wisconsin community foundation offering endowment, donor-advised fund, scholarship, and competitive grant programs for a defined regional donor pool, with a similar five-priority-area structure for grantmaking.
- Waukesha County Community Foundation: A Wisconsin-based community foundation operating in the same Waukesha County region as OAF, distributing grants to local nonprofits through similar donor-advised, designated, and endowment vehicles with overlapping donor populations.
- Green Bay Area Community Foundation: A Wisconsin community foundation with comparable structure including donor-advised funds, scholarship administration, and competitive grants, though at a larger scale than OAF.
- Fox Valley Community Foundation: A Wisconsin regional community foundation operating general endowment, donor-advised, and scholarship programs with annual grant cycles serving a defined geographic community, structurally similar to OAF.
- Racine Community Foundation: A Wisconsin community foundation with comparable grant cycles, donor funds, and scholarship programs serving Racine and surrounding communities, making it a structural twin to OAF at slightly larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Oconomowoc Area Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceOconomowoc Area Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Oconomowoc Area Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Oconomowoc Area Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Oconomowoc Area Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Oconomowoc Area Foundation
What does Oconomowoc Area Foundation do?
The Oconomowoc Area Foundation is a community foundation that pools charitable donations from individuals, families, and businesses and redistributes them as grants to nonprofit organizations serving the greater Oconomowoc area. It offers multiple philanthropic giving vehicles (General Endowment, Donor Designated Funds, Donor Advised Funds, Legacy Gifts, Signature Club, Business Signature Club, Memorials/Honorariums) and runs an annual grant cycle for 501(c)(3) nonprofits plus named scholarship programs for Oconomowoc high school students.
Is Oconomowoc Area Foundation a public or private company?
Oconomowoc Area Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Oconomowoc Area Foundation founded?
Oconomowoc Area Foundation was founded in 2002. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Oconomowoc Area Foundation based?
Oconomowoc Area Foundation is headquartered in Oconomowoc, United States, in the North America region.
How does Oconomowoc Area Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.
Who are Oconomowoc Area Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Watertown Area Community Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, Kenosha Community Foundation, Door County Community Foundation, Madison Community Foundation, Waukesha County Community Foundation, Green Bay Area Community Foundation, Fox Valley Community Foundation and Racine Community Foundation.
Does Oconomowoc Area Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Oconomowoc Area Foundation.
What industry is Oconomowoc Area Foundation in?
Oconomowoc Area Foundation's product category is Community Foundation & Philanthropic Grantmaking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAB, Community Foundations, with a secondary code of EDADAHAC, Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8300.