Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF GUNDERSEN LUTHERAN MEDICAL FOUNDATION, INC. IS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF PATIENTS AND OUR LARGER COMMUNITY THROUGH MEDICAL EDUCATION, RESEARCH, OUTREACH, AND THE PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT OF GUNDERSEN HEALTH SYSTEM.
- Income
- $37.4 million
- Spending
- $35.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- 14.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 49%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 492
- Highest pay
- $1.7 million, chief executive officer
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 93% of charities in its peer group (health care, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 14.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 5% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 59% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (health care, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 15 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $18.9 million spent. GUNDERSEN LUTHERAN MEDICAL FOUNDATION, INC. SPONSORS A PREMIER COMMUNITY-BASED ACADEMIC HEALTH CENTER WHICH IS DEDICATED TO EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION IN A COLLABORATIVE CULTURE THAT FOSTERS LIFE-LONG LEARNING, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPASSIONATE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS DEVOTED TO THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE. THERE ARE 6 FULLY ACCREDITED RESIDENCY PROGRAMS (FAMILY MEDICINE, INTERNAL MEDICINE, GENERAL SURGERY, ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY, PODIATRIC MEDICINE AND SURGERY AND TRANSITIONAL YEAR) AND 3 FULLY ACCREDITED FELLOWSHIPS (ADVANCED GI MINIMALLY INVASIVE/BARIATRIC SURGERY, HEMATOLOGY AND MEDICAL ONCOLOGY, AND HOPSICE AND PALLATIVE MEDICINE). THE CLINICAL EXPERIENCE PROVIDED AT GUNDERSEN INOLVES A BALANCE OF PRIMARY, TERTIARY, INPATIENT AND OUTPATIENT MEDICINE IN SERVING A LARGELY RURAL POPULATION IN A TRI-STATE AREA. GUNDERSEN LUTHERAN MEDICAL FOUNDATION SERVES AS THE WESTERN ACADEMIC CAMPUS FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH (UW-SMPH) AND AS ONE OF THREE SITES FOR THE WISCONSIN ACADEMCY FOR RURAL MEDICINE (WARM). WE OFFER CLINICAL EXPERIENCES FOR MORE THAN 70 MEDICAL STUDENTS PER YEAR AND IS PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAJORITY OF CLINICAL ROTATIONS FOR 20 WARM MEDICAL STUDENTS PER YEAR. GUNDERSEN LUTHERAN MEDICAL FOUNDATION, INC. IS ACCREDITED BY THE WISCONSIN MEDICAL SOCIETY FOR CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION. IN 2024, 113 LIVE CME COURSES, 64 ENDURING MATERIAL, 48 REGULAR SCHEDULED SESSIONS, 12 PERFORMANCE/QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ACTIVITIES, AND 4 LEARNING FROM TEACHING SESSIONS WERE ACCOMPLISHED. CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION REFLECTS OUR COMMITMENT TO LEARNING THROUGHOUT THE PROFESSIONAL CAREER OF HEALTHCARE EMPLOYEES. THE TOTAL PARTICIPATION FOR ALL CME PROGRAM ACTIVITIES OFFERED WAS 13,585 PARTICIPANTS. (Expenses $ 877,592 including grants of $ 109,041)(Revenue $ 663,858) SEE SCHEDULE O.
- $6.9 million spent. THE GUNDERSEN LUTHERAN MEDICAL FOUNDATION, INC. RESEARCH PROGRAM INCLUDES RESEARCH NAVIGATION, INCLUDING NURSING RESEARCH, CLINICAL TRIALS, AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH THAT SEEK EVIDENCE-BASED, REPRODUCIBLE ANSWERS TO IMPORTANT QUESTIONS THAT PERTAIN TO THE HEALTH OF THE CITIZENS IN THE TRI-STATE REGION. RESEARCH HELPS DIRECT MEDICAL STAFF TO PROVIDE PATIENTS WITH THE MOST UP-TO-DATE ADVANCEMENTS IN MEDICAL CARE. THE DEPARTMENT SUPPORTS RESEARCH THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION INCLUDING EFFORTS THAT HAVE LED TO BEING NAMED A NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE COMMUNITY ONCOLOGY RESEARCH PROGRAM (NCORP)- ONE OF THIRTY-TWO SUCH SITES IN THE NATION. OUR FOUNDATION IN CONSECUTIVE YEARS, 2014 THROUGH 2025, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MARSHFIELD CLINIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION AND THEDA CARE HEALTH SYSTEM (THESE THREE ORGANIZATIONS COLLECTIVELY REFERRED TO AS WiNCORP) SHARED IN A $16.6 MILLION NATIONAL INSTITUTE GRANT. OF WHICH, IN 2024 WE RECEIVED $550,000 TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH CANCER RESEARCH. ADDITIONALLY, IN FISCAL YEAR 2024 THE CLINICAL RESEARCH TEAM ENROLLED 236 PATIENTS IN CLINICAL TRIALS ACROSS CANCER, CARDIOLOGY, OPHTHALMOLOGY, INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY, AND OTHER SPECIALTIES. THE ALL OF US GRANT NOW IN YEAR 7 AT OUR INSTITUTION, CONTINUES ITS WORK TOWARD THE NATIONAL GOAL OF GATHERING HEALTH DATA FROM 1 MILLION PARTICIPANTS FOR THE PURPOSES OF, "EXCELERATING HEALTH RESEARCH AND MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS, AND ENABLING INDIVIDUALIZED PREVENTION, TREATMENT, AND CARE." FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 OUR ORGANIZATION ENROLLED 1,060 PATIENTS IN THIS NATIONAL PROJECT. IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, THE RESEARCH DEPARTMENT HAD 50 PUBLICATIONS IN PEER-REVIEWED, PubMed-INDEXED PUBLICATIONS.
- $3.8 million spent. THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAMS SPONSORED BY GUNDERSEN LUTHERAN MEDICAL FOUNDATION, INC. PROMOTE COMMUNITY HEALTH, EMPHASIZE DISEASE PREVENTION, WELLNESS, IMPROVE ACCESS TO CARE AND QUALITY OF CARE, AND OTHER PATIENT EDUCATION PROGRAMS. A TOTAL OF $3.8 MILLION WAS DISTRIBUTED IN SUPPORT OF OUR MISSION: 25% FOR PEDIATRIC NEEDS, 20% FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH, 16% FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION, 14% FOR ONCOLOGY NEEDS, 10% FOR PATIENT SERVICES AND COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAMS, 6% FOR STAFF EDUCATION, 4% FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS, 2% FOR CARDIOLOGY AND EMERGENCY SERVICES, 2% FOR EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND WELLNESS, AND 1% FOR PHYSICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PROGRAMS. SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS THAT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY, SUCH AS A CANCER PREVENTION SCREENING HEALTH EVENT FOR HMONG WOMEN OVER 50 YEARS OLD, OUTFITTING NEW AMBULANCE TRUCKS WITH AUTOMATED CPR DEVICES, CUSTOMIZING CANCER TREATMENTS TO THE UNIQUE DNA OF PATIENTS, AND BUILDING A CLINIC STAFFED BY MEDICAL RESIDENTS IN A LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ARE A FEW EXAMPLES AMONG MANY EFFORTS MADE POSSIBLE WITH PHILANTHROPIC DISTRIBUTIONS OF GUNDERSEN LUTHERAN MEDICAL FOUNDATION, INC. (Expenses $ 877,592 including grants of $ 109,041)(Revenue $ 663,858) SEE SCHEDULE O.
- BEREAVEMENT PROGRAM GUNDERSEN LUTHERAN MEDICAL FOUNDATION, INC. SPONSORS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN BEREAVEMENT CARE STANDARDS AND HAS DEVELOPED COURSES AND RESOURCES TO SUPPORT HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL BEREAVEMENT CARE AND EDUCATION. WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND ENHANCE OUR APPROACH TO EDUCATION THROUGH ONLINE LEARNING AND LIVE, VIRTUAL TRAINING. RESOLVE THROUGH SHARING (RTS), A DEPARTMENT OF GUNDERSEN LUTHERAN MEDICAL FOUNDATION, INC. IS AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PROPRIETARY BEREAVEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM. RTS IS KNOWN AS THE GOLD STANDARD IN PERINATAL BEREAVEMENT EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND PATIENT SUPPORT MATERIALS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 1977.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
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