Timothy & Barbara Michels Family Foundation

Quick Stats

• EIN: 39-2044009
• Founded: 2003
• Annual Giving: $5,675,010 (2024)
• Grant Range: $1,000 - $3,000,000
• Number of Awards: 9 grants in 2024, 13 in 2023
• Geographic Focus: Wisconsin, New York, New Hampshire
• Foundation Type: Private family foundation
• Application Process: No public application process - trustee discretion

Contact Details

Address: Brownsville, WI 53006

Note: This is a private family foundation that does not maintain a public website or accept unsolicited grant applications. The foundation operates at the discretion of its trustees, Timothy and Barbara Michels.

Overview

The Timothy & Barbara Michels Family Foundation was established in 2003 by Timothy and Barbara Michels, co-owners of Michels Corporation, Wisconsin's largest construction company based in Brownsville. The foundation has assets of approximately $1.5 million and distributed over $5.6 million in grants in 2024. As a private family foundation with the Michels couple serving as sole trustees, it operates through invitation and personal connections rather than open applications.

The foundation's giving is deeply influenced by personal experience, particularly their daughter Sophie's successful battle with choroid plexus carcinoma, a rare pediatric brain cancer diagnosed when she was 11 years old. This experience has shaped the foundation's significant commitment to pediatric medical research and rare cancer treatment, alongside support for educational institutions, pro-life organizations, and Christian ministries. The foundation demonstrates a pattern of major, transformative gifts to institutions with personal connections to the family, particularly institutions where they received care or education.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates without formal grant programs or application cycles. All grants are made at the discretion of trustees Timothy and Barbara Michels. Grant amounts vary widely based on the cause and relationship to the family.

Grant History by Year:

• 2024: 9 awards totaling $5,675,010
• 2023: 13 awards
• 2022: 1 award
• 2021: 8 awards
• 2020: 11 awards totaling $1.66 million

Priority Areas

Medical Research & Healthcare (Highest Priority)

• Pediatric neurological surgery and rare cancer research
• Institutions that provided care to family members
• Endoscopic brain surgery advancement
• Children's hospitals and cancer centers

Education

• Universities with family alumni connections (Fordham University, Cornell/Weill Cornell Medicine)
• Catholic educational institutions
• Wisconsin educational institutions

Pro-Life & Christian Organizations

• Crisis pregnancy centers
• Pro-life advocacy organizations
• Christian churches and ministries
• Organizations opposing abortion and promoting religious values

Human Services

• Youth services
• Social services in Wisconsin communities
• Voluntarism and grantmaking foundations

Geographic Priorities

• Primary: Wisconsin (particularly Brownsville/Dodge County area)
• Secondary: New York (reflecting educational ties and medical care received)
• Tertiary: New Hampshire

Notable Major Grants

While comprehensive grant listings require accessing Form 990-PF documents, publicly reported major donations include:

• Medical College of Wisconsin: $15 million (2022) to establish Michels Rare Cancers Research Laboratories, the largest gift ever to MCW Cancer Center
• Weill Cornell Medicine: $3 million endowment for the Michels Family Professorship in Pediatric Neurological Surgery (first pediatric neurosurgery professorship at Weill Cornell)
• Cornell University: $1 million (2020) to biomedical research unit and medical school
• Wisconsin Right to Life: $50,000 (2020)
• Avail NYC: Part of $175,000 (2020) to pro-life organizations
• Fordham University: Ongoing support (both Michels attended Fordham)
• Elmbrook Church (Brookfield, WI): $5,000 (2020)

What They Don't Fund

Based on their giving patterns, the foundation does not appear to fund:

• Organizations without direct connection to family interests or experience
• Secular organizations unrelated to their priority areas
• Arts and cultural organizations
• Environmental causes
• International development (except through personal connections)
• Political candidates or PACs (separate from advocacy organizations)

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

• Timothy J. Michels - Co-owner and Vice President of Michels Corporation
• Barbara Michels - Co-trustee

About the Founders:

Timothy J. Michels (born August 7, 1962) is a Wisconsin businessman and co-owner of Michels Corporation, a family-owned construction company founded by his father Dale Michels in 1959. Tim grew up in Brownsville, Wisconsin, graduated from Lomira High School (1980), and earned degrees from St. Norbert College (B.A. in Political Science, 1984), with an MBA and MPA from University of Chicago and Illinois Institute of Technology (1997). He served in the military and officially joined Michels Corporation in 1996, helping grow it from $150 million to over $4 billion in revenue. He ran for Wisconsin Governor in 2022.

Timothy and Barbara Michels attended Fordham University, where they met. They have three children, including daughter Sophie, whose successful treatment for choroid plexus carcinoma has profoundly shaped the foundation's priorities.

Tim Michels has stated: "As a Christian, Tim Michels and his family support a variety of Pro-life and Christian organizations."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Timothy & Barbara Michels Family Foundation is a private family foundation that makes grants at the sole discretion of its two trustees, Timothy and Barbara Michels. There is no online portal, application form, or formal submission process.

The foundation's grants reflect personal connections, institutions where the family has received services (particularly medical care and education), and causes aligned with their Christian faith and pro-life values. The foundation files Form 990-PF annually, which lists grantees, but does not accept unsolicited proposals.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made at trustees' discretion throughout the year without a fixed timeline.

Success Rates

Not applicable for public applications as the foundation does not accept them.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Given the private nature of this foundation, traditional grant-seeking strategies are not applicable. However, understanding what drives their giving can provide insight:

Personal Connection is Essential: The foundation's giving pattern reveals that nearly all grants go to organizations with direct personal connections to the Michels family:

• Medical institutions that treated their daughter Sophie (Medical College of Wisconsin, Children's Wisconsin, Weill Cornell Medicine)
• Educational institutions they attended (Fordham University, Cornell)
• Religious and pro-life organizations aligned with their stated Christian values
• Wisconsin organizations in communities where Michels Corporation operates

Transformative Impact Over Wide Distribution: The foundation makes relatively few grants each year (9 in 2024, 13 in 2023) but with significant dollar amounts ($1,000 to $3 million range). Their approach favors major, transformative gifts to fewer organizations rather than small grants distributed widely. The $15 million gift to Medical College of Wisconsin and $3 million professorship at Weill Cornell demonstrate their capacity and willingness to make landmark commitments.

Mission Alignment with Faith Values: Organizations aligned with Christian faith and pro-life values receive consistent support. In 2020, the foundation gave $175,000 to Wisconsin Right to Life, Pro Life Wisconsin Education Task Force, and Avail NYC. Tim Michels has publicly stated, "As a Christian, Tim Michels and his family support a variety of Pro-life and Christian organizations."

Wisconsin Community Focus: Despite major gifts to New York institutions, Wisconsin organizations - particularly those in the Brownsville/Dodge County area and Greater Milwaukee - appear to receive priority consideration, reflecting the family's deep roots in the state.

Medical Research, Particularly Rare Pediatric Cancers: Sophie Michels' diagnosis with choroid plexus carcinoma at age 11 fundamentally shaped the foundation's priorities. Organizations conducting research or providing care for rare pediatric cancers, particularly those involving innovative surgical techniques like endoscopic brain surgery, align closely with the family's passionate interest. Tim Michels noted that Sophie "walked out of the hospital in 24 hours" after her endoscopic surgery, versus days for other procedures.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process exists - this is a private family foundation operating at trustee discretion with no mechanism for unsolicited proposals
• Personal connections drive giving - virtually all grants go to organizations with direct family ties through medical care, education, faith community, or geographic proximity
• Daughter's cancer survival shapes priorities - rare pediatric cancer research, particularly choroid plexus carcinoma and innovative surgical techniques, represents the foundation's most passionate commitment
• Major gifts to fewer organizations - the foundation favors transformative $1-3 million gifts over numerous small grants (only 9 grants in 2024 despite $5.6 million in giving)
• Faith-based and pro-life alignment required - organizations must align with Christian values and pro-life positions to receive consideration
• Educational institutions with alumni connections - Fordham University and Cornell/Weill Cornell Medicine benefit from the Michels' educational history
• Wisconsin organizations have geographic advantage - local and state organizations, particularly in Brownsville/Dodge County and Milwaukee areas, receive priority
• Multi-year major commitments possible - the foundation has made endowment gifts ($3 million professorship) and multi-year research commitments ($15 million research laboratory), indicating capacity for sustained support beyond single-year grants

References

1. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Timothy & Barbara Michels Family Foundation (EIN 39-2044009). https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/392044009. Accessed March 3, 2026.

2. Cause IQ - Timothy and Barbara Michels Family Foundation profile. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/timothy-and-barbara-michels-family-foundation,392044009/. Accessed March 3, 2026.

3. Instrumentl - Timothy & Barbara Michels Family Foundation 990 Report. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/timothy-barbara-michels-family-foundation. Accessed March 3, 2026.

4. WisBusiness.com (March 28, 2022). "Medical College of Wisconsin: Michels family and Michels Family Foundation donates $15 million for rare cancers research." https://www.wisbusiness.com/2022/medical-college-of-wisconsin-michels-family-and-michels-family-foundation-donates-15-million-for-rare-cancers-research/. Accessed March 3, 2026.

5. PR Newswire (March 28, 2022). "Michels Family and Michels Family Foundation Donates $15 Million for Rare Cancers Research." https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/michels-family-and-michels-family-foundation-donates-15-million-for-rare-cancers-research-301512010.html. Accessed March 3, 2026.

6. Weill Cornell Medicine Giving. "Gift from Tim and Barbara Michels Inspired by Teen Daughter to Fund Professorship in Pediatric Neurological Surgery." https://give.weill.cornell.edu/news/gift-tim-and-barbara-michels-inspired-teen-daughter-fund-professorship-pediatric-neurological. Accessed March 3, 2026.

7. Wisconsin Public Radio (September 1, 2022). "Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels gave $175K to anti-abortion groups in 2020." https://www.wpr.org/politics/wisconsin-republican-gubernatorial-candidate-tim-michels-gave-175k-anti-abortion-groups-2020. Accessed March 3, 2026.

8. Wisconsin Democrats (August 30, 2022). "ICYMI: Tim Michels Uses Personal Family Foundation to Back Radical Agenda." https://wisdems.org/news/icymi-michels-uses-family-foundation-to-back-radical-agenda/. Accessed March 3, 2026.

9. BizTimes Milwaukee (March 28, 2022). "Michels Family Foundation gives $15 million to fund cancer research at Medical College of Wisconsin." https://biztimes.com/michels-family-foundation-gives-15-million-to-fund-cancer-research-at-medical-college-of-wisconsin/. Accessed March 3, 2026.

10. Children's Brain Tumor Project (November 10, 2021). "The Michels Family Endowment." https://www.childrensbraintumorproject.org/2021/11/10/do-something-michels/. Accessed March 3, 2026.

11. Michels Corporation - About Us. https://www.michels.us/family/about-us/. Accessed March 3, 2026.

12. GuideStar Profile - Timothy & Barbara Michels Family Foundation. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/39-2044009. Accessed March 3, 2026.