Baird Foundation Incorporated
Baird Foundation is the corporate foundation of Robert W. Baird (Milwaukee) supporting nonprofits in health and human services, education, the arts and diversity. The foundation provides associate matching gifts and direct donations and operates the Paul Purcell “Kids Win!” annual Baird Education Grant.
Source: Website · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
A nonprofit working in education, health and human services, youth development or the arts with programs that match the foundation’s stated priorities and with an existing or buildable sponsor relationship to a Baird associate.
Good Fit
- • Programs in education, human services, youth development, or the arts.
- • Requests that fit small-to-moderate gift sizes or pilot/project funding rather than multi-year large grants.
- • A current or potential sponsorship connection to a Baird employee or associate.
- • Clear local or regional impact that can be described succinctly for associate sponsors.
Geography
Observed giving is national in reach: grants were reported to organizations in 50 states in the latest year, although Wisconsin received a plurality (about 38% of dollars).
Recipient Variety
The latest year shows roughly 3,600 distinct grantees and thousands of small awards across diverse purposes (education, health and human services, arts, youth), with moderate year-to-year returning recipient numbers rather than an extremely tight circle.
New Applicants
Direct application is not open; the foundation states grants are preselected and educational applicants must be sponsored by a Baird associate, yet the portfolio shows substantial turnover (about 44% new recipients in the latest year), indicating new entrants can access funding but typically via sponsor/relationship channels rather than a public competitive process.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
