siebertfoundation.org

Siebert Lutheran Foundation is a Lutheran grantmaking organization that funds and supports ministries, schools, and nonprofits connected to the Lutheran Christian community, with a particular focus on Wisconsin and Greater Milwaukee. If you are a Lutheran ministry or nonprofit seeking a grant, a donor looking to increase philanthropic impact, or someone researching the organization's mission, the site is built around three things: applying for grants, reading grantee impact stories, and collaborating through its Siebert Serves initiative.

What the Foundation Does

The foundation describes its work through three funding priorities, each tied to a short phrase:

• Growing — supporting the growth of the Body of Christ
• Educating — educating while sharing the Gospel
• Serving — serving as the hands and feet of Christ

Its stated purpose is to grow organizations in the Lutheran Christian community. The site frames this as partnering with Lutheran ministries and nonprofits to increase collective impact.

Who It Serves

The primary audiences are:

• Lutheran ministries and nonprofits — the grantee partners the foundation funds
• Donors and foundations — philanthropists who align with Siebert's funding priorities and want to give through Siebert Serves
• The broader Lutheran community in Wisconsin, especially Greater Milwaukee

Core Resources on the Site

Is Your Project a Good Fit?

The foundation states it has three funding priorities, along with initiatives it strives to support in each priority and desired short-, intermediate-, and long-term outcomes. The site directs prospective applicants to review these before applying. If your project aligns with Growing, Educating, or Serving — and your organization is a Lutheran ministry or nonprofit — the grant application page is the starting point.

Siebert Serves: Giving Through the Foundation

For the first time in its nearly 45-year history, the foundation is accepting funds from donors and foundations that align with its funding priorities. According to the site, donors benefit from:

• Deep knowledge of the Lutheran community and its leaders in Wisconsin, especially Greater Milwaukee
• Professional program officers with a defined, analytical due diligence process
• Follow-up reporting and outcomes evaluation to assess impact

Giving options include unrestricted current or planned gifts and named Endowed Fund options. The site also mentions customized philanthropy solutions for individuals, families, and foundations.

Where to Start

• Seeking a grant: Go to the "Apply for a Grant" section for instructions and online forms.
• Want to give: Review the Siebert Serves "How It Works" and "Give" sections.
• Researching impact: Read the Impact Stories and the Community Impact Report.
• Learning the process: The site offers a "101 on Siebert's Grant Process" and a series of interactive online workshops for food pantries called "Beyond the Pantry: Building Connection, Dignity, and Stability."

Siebert Lutheran Foundation funds Lutheran ministries and nonprofits that fit one of three funding priorities: Growing (growing the Body of Christ), Educating (educating while sharing the Gospel), and Serving (serving as the hands and feet of Christ). Each priority has its own initiatives and desired short-, intermediate-, and long-term outcomes, and the foundation publishes these so applicants can judge fit before applying. If your project advances Lutheran Gospel impact in the church and community — especially in Wisconsin and Greater Milwaukee — it is worth checking against the three priorities below.

The three funding priorities

The foundation describes its work as "Growing. Educating. Serving." and states it partners with Lutheran ministries and nonprofits to Grow the Body of Christ, Educate While Sharing the Gospel, and Serve as the Hands and Feet of Christ.

The foundation frames these as "funding priorities, initiatives we strive to support in each priority, and desired short, intermediate, and long term outcomes." That means fit is judged not only on which priority you fall under, but on whether your project's intended outcomes line up with the outcomes the foundation wants to see.

Who is in the target range

The foundation's stated focus is "Lutheran ministries and nonprofits," and it describes deep knowledge of "the Lutheran community and its leaders in Wisconsin, especially Greater Milwaukee." So the clearest fits are:

• Lutheran ministries
• Nonprofits working within the Lutheran Christian community
• Organizations serving Wisconsin, with particular attention to Greater Milwaukee

If your organization is outside the Lutheran community, or works far outside Wisconsin, the published priorities give you less to match against.

How to test whether your project fits

1. Read the principles first. The foundation links "We believe" to the principles underlying its work and how they guide funding decisions. Read these before anything else — they are the frame for every priority.
2. Pick your priority. Decide whether your project is primarily Growing, Educating, or Serving. If you cannot place it in one, that is a signal to look more carefully at fit.
3. Compare outcomes, not just topic. The foundation states it supports "desired short, intermediate, and long term outcomes" within each priority. Map your own intended outcomes against those, not just your subject area.
4. Use the fit check. The site provides an "Is your project a good fit?" path under Educating that leads to the three priorities, initiatives, and outcomes. Work through it as a self-assessment.
5. Review grantee examples. "Impact stories" and the Community Impact Report show what funded work actually looks like — the 2025 report highlights $4.5M in grants. Matching your project against real grantees is faster than reading criteria in the abstract.
6. Then apply. The "Apply for a grant" section holds the instructions and forms for applying online. The foundation also offers "Get the 101 on Siebert's Grant Process!" as an orientation to how the process works.

Common mismatches to watch for

• Right topic, wrong outcomes. A project can be about education but still not match the foundation's desired outcomes for Educating. Check outcomes explicitly.
• Right cause, wrong community. Work that is Lutheran in name but not rooted in the Wisconsin/Greater Milwaukee Lutheran community may not align with the foundation's stated knowledge base.
• Skipping the principles. The funding decisions are guided by the foundation's stated principles, so a project that conflicts with them is unlikely to fit regardless of priority.

Beyond grants: Siebert Serves

The foundation also runs Siebert Serves, through which — for the first time in its nearly 45-year history — it accepts funds from donors and foundations aligned with its funding priorities who want to increase their impact. This is a collaborative philanthropy route rather than a grant route, with options for unrestricted current or planned gifts and named endowed funds. If your interest is partnering philanthropically rather than receiving a grant, this is the relevant path.

Siebert Lutheran Foundation accepts grant applications through an online process, with instructions and forms available on its website under "Apply for a Grant." Before you apply, confirm that your project fits one of the foundation's three funding priorities — Growing, Educating, and Serving — since the foundation states it supports Lutheran ministries and nonprofits working to Grow the Body of Christ, Educate While Sharing the Gospel, and Serve as the Hands and Feet of Christ. If your work aligns with those priorities and you serve the Lutheran community (with a stated focus on Wisconsin, especially Greater Milwaukee), the steps below walk you through applying.

Step 1: Check Whether Your Project Is a Good Fit

The foundation organizes its funding around three priorities, each with its own initiatives and desired short-, intermediate-, and long-term outcomes. Its site frames this as the question "Is your project a good fit?" — a self-assessment you should complete before starting an application.

• Growing — support for ministries that grow the Body of Christ.
• Educating — work that educates while sharing the Gospel.
• Serving — organizations acting as the hands and feet of Christ, including food pantries and similar community ministries.

The foundation describes its principles as guiding its funding decisions, so read that section before drafting anything. If your project doesn't map to one of the three priorities, applying is unlikely to be productive.

Step 2: Go to the Application Entry Point

On the foundation's website, the "Apply for a Grant" section contains the instructions and forms to apply online. This is the official entry point — the foundation directs applicants there rather than to a downloadable paper packet.

Step 3: Prepare Your Materials

The site does not publish a detailed checklist of required documents in the material available here, so the reliable approach is to open the online instructions first and let them define what you submit. Based on how the foundation describes its process, expect to provide:

• A description of your organization and its Lutheran affiliation or connection.
• The project or program you're seeking funding for, tied explicitly to one of the three priorities.
• The outcomes you expect, since the foundation states it evaluates short-, intermediate-, and long-term outcomes.
• Reporting commitments, because the foundation notes follow-up reporting and outcomes evaluation as part of how it assesses impact.

Step 4: Use the Foundation's Introductory Resources

The foundation offers a "Get the 101 on Siebert's Grant Process!" resource — a starting point for first-time applicants who want the process explained before submitting. It also publishes a Community Impact Report and grantee impact stories, which are useful for understanding the scale and type of work it funds (the 2025 report highlights $4.5M in grants and over $600,000 raised through Siebert Serves). Reading a few grantee stories is one of the fastest ways to calibrate whether your project resembles what gets funded.

Step 5: Submit and Expect Follow-Up

After submitting through the online forms, the foundation's described process includes due diligence and post-award reporting. Plan for a relationship rather than a one-time transaction: you should be prepared to report on outcomes after receiving a grant.

If You're a Donor Rather Than a Grantee

Siebert Serves is a separate track. For the first time in its nearly 45-year history, the foundation accepts funds from donors and foundations aligned with its priorities. Options include unrestricted current or planned gifts and named endowed funds, as well as customized philanthropy solutions for individuals, families, and foundations. This is not a grant application — it's a giving partnership — so don't route a grant request through it.

Common Stumbling Points

• Applying outside the three priorities. The foundation is explicit that its principles guide funding decisions; a strong project that doesn't fit Growing, Educating, or Serving is a mismatch.
• Skipping the fit self-assessment. The "Is your project a good fit?" step exists to save you the effort of a full application that won't proceed.
• Assuming national scope. The foundation's stated expertise centers on the Lutheran community in Wisconsin, especially Greater Milwaukee. If you're outside that geography, verify eligibility before investing time.
• Overlooking the 101 resource. First-time applicants who go straight to the form often miss the process explanation the foundation provides for exactly this purpose.

For current forms, deadlines, and any eligibility details not covered here, work from the "Apply for a Grant" page directly, since that is where the foundation maintains its official instructions.

Siebert Serves is the collaborative philanthropy program of Siebert Lutheran Foundation. According to the foundation, for the first time in its nearly 45-year history, it is accepting funds from donors and foundations that align with Siebert's funding priorities and want to increase their impact. If you are an individual, family, or foundation that wants your giving to reach Lutheran ministries, schools, and nonprofits in Wisconsin—especially Greater Milwaukee—Siebert Serves is designed to let you plug into Siebert's existing grantmaking infrastructure rather than build your own.

What Siebert Serves actually is

Siebert Lutheran Foundation describes itself as dedicated to growing organizations in the Lutheran Christian community, with three funding priorities: Growing the Body of Christ, Educating while sharing the Gospel, and Serving as the hands and feet of Christ. Siebert Serves extends that same grantmaking work to outside philanthropic partners.

The core idea is leverage. Instead of standing up a separate giving program, a donor contributes to a pool that Siebert deploys through its established grant process. The foundation reports that in 2025 it made $4.5M in grants and raised over $600,000 through Siebert Serves, and it notes crossing the $1M mark in collaborative philanthropy.

How donors can collaborate

Siebert Serves offers three giving routes, as listed on the foundation's site:

The foundation frames the value proposition around four things it brings to a partnership:

• Deep knowledge of the Lutheran community and its leaders in Wisconsin, especially Greater Milwaukee
• Professional program officers
• A defined and analytical due diligence process
• Follow-up reporting and outcomes evaluation to assess impact

In other words, you supply the funds and your intent; Siebert supplies the community relationships, vetting, and post-grant measurement.

Who this fits—and who it may not

Siebert Serves is a reasonable fit if:

• Your giving goals already align with Siebert's three funding priorities (Growing, Educating, Serving).
• You want your dollars to reach Lutheran ministries, schools, and nonprofits in Wisconsin, particularly Greater Milwaukee.
• You would rather rely on an experienced grantmaker's due diligence and outcome reporting than run your own grant cycle.
• You are considering a current gift, a planned gift, a named endowed fund, or a customized structure for a family or foundation.

It is likely a poor fit if your priorities fall outside Siebert's stated funding areas, if you want to direct grants to organizations outside the Lutheran community Siebert serves, or if you require full control over every grant decision rather than participating in a shared process.

How to take the next step

The foundation's site points to a "HOW IT WORKS" section for Siebert Serves and a "GIVE" path for contributions. Because the specific forms, minimums, and timelines are not detailed in the available page content, the practical move is to start there and then speak with the foundation directly about which of the three options matches your situation. If you are also curious about the grantmaking side, the site offers a separate "Get the 101 on Siebert's Grant Process" resource and an online grant application for nonprofits—useful context for understanding how your contribution would ultimately be deployed.

Siebert Lutheran Foundation reports that it awarded $4.5 million in grants and raised over $600,000 through Siebert Serves in 2025, according to its Community Impact Report. The foundation frames its grantmaking around three priorities — Growing, Educating, and Serving — and points readers to grantee impact stories for concrete examples. If you want to understand the foundation's results before applying for a grant or donating, the Community Impact Report and the impact stories section are the two places to start.

The headline numbers

The foundation's own summary of its 2025 Community Impact Report gives two figures:

These are the only quantified impact figures provided in the available site material. The foundation also notes it crossed the $1M mark in collaborative philanthropy, described as "snapshots of collaborative philanthropy in action."

How the impact is organized

Siebert groups its work under three stated priorities, each with its own framing:

• Growing — described as growing the Body of Christ; the foundation links this to the principles underlying its work and how those principles guide funding decisions.
• Educating — described as educating while sharing the Gospel; the foundation directs readers to its three funding priorities, the initiatives it supports within each, and desired short-, intermediate-, and long-term outcomes.
• Serving — described as serving as the hands and feet of Christ; this is where grantee impact stories are collected.

This structure matters if you are evaluating fit: the foundation says it has three funding priorities, and each priority carries its own set of initiatives and expected outcomes rather than a single open call.

What the impact stories cover

The site highlights several named story themes rather than a single case study:

• Empowering Students and Communities — tied to the question of how Siebert's investment strategy drives long-term impact.
• Shaping a City: The Lutheran Legacy Milwaukeeans Carry Forward — a Milwaukee-focused legacy narrative.
• Beyond the Pantry: Building Connection, Dignity, and Stability — a series of interactive, hands-on online workshops for food pantries.
• 2026 Inspired to Thrive Conference Sessions — listed as a heading on the site.

These titles indicate the range of grantee work: education and student support, urban Lutheran legacy in Greater Milwaukee, and food-pantry capacity building. The foundation describes its grantee partners as "making a huge impact in the Lutheran community and well beyond."

Why the foundation can report this way

Two structural features shape how the impact is measured and reported:

1. A defined due diligence process. The foundation describes "professional program officers with a defined and analytical due diligence process," plus "follow-up reporting and outcomes evaluation to assess impact." That means grantee results are tracked against stated outcomes, not just counted as disbursements.
2. Regional depth. It cites "deep knowledge of the Lutheran community and its leaders in Wisconsin, especially Greater Milwaukee" — which is why Milwaukee-specific stories appear prominently.

How to browse the impact material yourself

1. Go to the foundation's site and open the Community Impact Report (labeled "NEW!") to see the $4.5M grants figure and the $600,000+ Siebert Serves figure in context.
2. Use the Impact Stories section ("Learn more about our grantee partners") for individual partner narratives.
3. If your interest is collaboration rather than grants, read the Siebert Serves material, which explains how donors and foundations can give through Siebert.
4. If your interest is applying, start with Apply for a Grant for instructions and online forms, then check Is your project a good fit? against the three funding priorities before submitting.

What this means for your decision

• If you are a donor considering Siebert Serves: the reported $600,000+ raised in 2025 and the $1M collaborative milestone show the mechanism is active, and the foundation offers unrestricted current or planned gifts and named endowed fund options.
• If you are a nonprofit assessing fit: the impact stories show the types of work funded — student and community empowerment, Milwaukee Lutheran legacy, food-pantry support — but the site does not publish per-grant amounts or a full grantee list in the material available. Check the funding priorities page for the outcomes your project would need to target.
• If you are researching the foundation generally: the $4.5M in 2025 grants is the clearest single measure of scale, and the Community Impact Report is the primary source for detail beyond it.