Pleasant T Rowland Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Work in cultural arts, education or historic preservation, primarily in Dane County, Wisconsin, is the best fit, since the foundation says most of its awards are limited to Dane County.
- Applicants should first make a phone inquiry and, only once it is approved, submit the application form with the amount sought, the purpose and the timeframe, by the June 30 or November 30 deadline.
- Most grants are modest: half of its grants to organisations were $5,100 or less, and about 8 in 10 fall between $1,000 and $200,000, though the largest was $2,300,000, so a modest request is the realistic starting point.
- Repeat giving is substantial, with 62% of its grant dollars going to organisations it had funded before, so a relationship built over time matters, and awards depend on need and funding availability.
- Being new to the foundation is no reason to hold back, but organisations outside Dane County or outside these themes should check the fit carefully before calling.
Overview
Pleasant T Rowland Foundation is a US private foundation based in Brookfield, WI.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation supports cultural arts, education and historic preservation, primarily in Dane County, Wisconsin. It says the majority of its awards are limited to Dane County. Requests must fit that mission and include the amount sought, the purpose and the timeframe covered. Grant requests are made on the foundation’s application form after approval of a phone inquiry. Awards are based on the applicant’s situation and need and on the criteria in the application, and are subject to funding availability. In the filings, recipients include schools and education providers, museums and libraries, performing arts organisations, and historic-preservation groups.
Themes
- Cultural arts
- Education
- Historic preservation
Geographic Focus
Priority: Dane County, Wisconsin.
How to apply
For grant requests, applicants first make a phone inquiry and, once approved, submit the organisation's application form with the requested amount, purpose and timeframe.
Deadlines: June 30 and November 30.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 62% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 270 grants to organisations were $5,100 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Awards are based on the applicant's situation and need and the criteria listed in the application.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.
Grant dollars by state
1 other state: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 17% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2025, 62% of grant dollars went to organisations Pleasant T Rowland Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 113 grants in tax year 2025 by size
Median $11,500 (tax year 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Fountain Valley School · Donation$1,032,8862025 tax year
- Madison Children's Museum · Donation$666,6672025 tax year
- The Playing Field · Donation$500,0002025 tax year
- Taliesin Preservation · Donation$500,0002025 tax year
- Madison College · Donation$500,0002025 tax year
- University of Wisconsin Foundation · Donation$500,0002025 tax year
- Fountain Valley School · Donation$364,1362025 tax year
- One City Early Learning Centers · Donation$350,7922025 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Catharine B Waller — Director
- Barbara Thiele Carr — Director
- Walter Jerome Frautschi — Director
- Rhona E Vogel — Secretary
- Pleasant T Rowland — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 tax year | $4,884,129 | $3,427,843 | $80,224,893 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $8,949,406 | $7,340,311 | $81,333,485 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
| 2025 tax year | $10,329,762 | $9,185,653 | $82,134,114 | Filing for 2025 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to Pleasant T Rowland Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (608) 729-2811
- Brookfield, WI
Applying to Pleasant T Rowland Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (608) 729-2811
- Brookfield, WI