About the Madison Community Foundation

Volunteers at The River food pantry serve up a hot meal.
MCF contributions helped build capacity for numerous  food pantries in Dane County.

The Madison Community Foundation has met the most rigorous standards in philanthropy.

MCF is in compliance with the National Standards of U.S. Community Foundations,administered by the Council on Foundations, a membership organization of more than 2,000 grantmaking foundations and giving programs worldwide, affirming a commitment to financial security, transparency and accountability. Our grantmaking includes an open, competitive process designed to address our communities' changing needs.

Established in 1942, the mission of the Madison Community Foundation is to encourage,  facilitate and manage long-term philanthropy.  MCF was formed as the Madison Community Trust Fund for the purpose of encouraging and assisting charitable enterprises in the metropolitan area of the City of Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin.  Original assets were war bonds, collected to assist area soldiers returning from World War II.  The GI Bill later served this purpose, and assets lay largely dormant for approximately forty years. 

In 1986, longtime area resident Jane Coleman became the foundation's first executive director.  For ten years, she built the structure and base upon which the foundation stands. When our current President, Kathleen Woit assumed leadership in 1997, MCF was managing 70 individual funds with assets of more than $40 million. Since that time, the foundation has grown to encompass a family of more than 900 individual funds, and assets in excess of $115 million. 

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, MCF awards grants and scholarships from many individual funds to nonprofit organizations and individuals throughout Dane County and beyond. The foundation provides donors with a simple, convenient and flexible way to make a positive difference now and far into the future.


Important milestones in Madison Community Foundation's history:

1942 - The foundation is created as a trust fund for charitable activities in Metropolitan Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin.

1986 - Jane Coleman is hired as the foundation's first executive director.

1991 - The foundation receives a $15 million unrestricted gift from the estate of Marie Graber Martens. MCF's competitive grantmaking program grows from $200,000 to more than $1 million in annual distributions.

1992 - The foundation receives a multi-year grant from the Ford Foundation to conduct a pilot program called Project Opportunity for students at risk.

1993 - The MCF Board of Governors awards a $1 million grant to build the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center, the largest grant ever given by the foundation.

1994 - A grant from the Ford Foundation is awarded to assist the foundation in building relationships with communities of color in Dane County.

1997 - Kathleen Woit, Ph.D. is appointed President of the foundation.

2000 - Businesswoman Pleasant T. Rowland announces the Great Performance Campaign, a gift of $23 million that will match 1:1 contributions towards endowment funds for nine performing arts groups of the new Overture Center for the Performing Arts.  MCF is selected to manage the endowment assets of the campaign.

2002 - The Great Performance Campaign goal is reached.

2006 - The community foundation reaches $100 million in assets.

2007 - The Madison Community Foundation is recognized by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as one of the top 50 community foundations (out of 800) ranked by contributions received