Evjue Foundation

Background

The Evjue Foundation is a philanthropic organization that was founded by William T. Evjue in 1958 in Madison, Wisconsin. It is the charitable arm of the Madison-based newspaper Capital Times. ⁴ Evjue founded the Capital Times in 1917 as a “progressive voice for news, information and opinion” to “ensure that those without the power of wealth and station would have a champion in the never-ending quest for clean and just government.” ¹ In addition to its publication, the Capital Times is known for its annual Cap Times Idea Fest and for its philanthropy through Evjue Foundation. ⁵

The 2025 Cap Times Idea Fest was scheduled to include several notable Democratic political speakers including former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D), and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D). ⁶

As of December 2024, the Evjue Foundation has awarded over $72 million in grants to Madison-based organizations since its creation. ²

History

Evjue Foundation founder William T. Evjue resigned his position as business manager of the Wisconsin State Journal because of the journal’s attacks against then-United States Senator Robert La Follete, a member of the Progressive wing of the Republican Party in the early 20th century. La Follette ran for President in 1924 for the Progressive Party and was considered a leader of the progressive movement. The Capital Times supported many of La Follette’s views. ^{7  5}

Initially Evjue served in the Wisconsin State Assembly as a Republican in the 1920s. He then switched to support Democratic candidates and eventually became chairman of the Wisconsin Progressive Party. ⁸

Evjue established the Evjue Foundation before his death, indicating that all profits from the Capital Times would go to the foundation and be used for the community. The foundation has donated over $70 million to organizations that work in the Madison, Wisconsin area and to the University of Wisconsin – Madison. ⁵ Evjue and his wife Zillah initially focused their giving to the welfare of children and to “racial and social justice.” ³

In 2023, the Evjue Foundation board decided to award grants in specific categories including basic needs that provide essentials for people in need, Madison community improvement, culture, education, and grants that support “progressive causes such as racial and economic justice and preserving democracy.” ³

Funding and Grants

When Evjue died in 1970, he directed that all his Capital Times stock be put into a new trust, the William T. Evjue Charitable Trust, which is the source of annual distributions to the Evjue Foundation. In its 2024 tax return, the Trust reported net assets of $24,785,018. ^{9  10}

As of 2025, the Evjue Foundation board was made up of seven members of the Capital Times board, four representatives from the University of Wisconsin Foundation, and four representatives of the Madison Community Foundation. ³ It lists the University of Wisconsin Foundation and the Madison Community Foundation as supported organizations and also as related tax-exempt organizations in its tax filings. ¹¹

The foundation’s annual giving typically ranges from $1.5 million to more than $2 million. ¹⁰

In 2024, the foundation made two sets of grants totaling over $2 million. Its June grants included $322,500 for 22 projects at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and $1,240,500 to 91 community organizations. Some of its largest grants were awarded to the Badger Prairie Needs Network food pantry, the Black Men Coalition of Dane County, Briarpatch Youth Services to shelter runaway youth, Economic Justice LIFT Wisconsin, the Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness, Progress Center for Black Women, Voces de la Frontera, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign (WDC), and many community arts and education programs. ¹²

In December 2024, the foundation announced $493,500 in grants to 50 organizations. Its largest grants went to the Dane County United Way, Access Community Health Centers which provide services to low-income and uninsured patients, Centro Hispano, left-of-center magazine The Progressive, and the Wisconsin chapter of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. ²

The Evjue Foundation is listed as a funder of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign (WDC), ¹³ a left-of-center advocacy group that considers itself a watchdog for campaign financing, redistricting, lobbying, and election reform. ¹⁴ It also awards annual grants to the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism (WCIIJ) which publishes left-of-center news publication Wisconsin Watch. Other donors to the WCIIJ include the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, Open Society Foundations, the Ford Foundation, and the Joyce Foundation. ¹⁵

Leadership

As of February 2025, James D. Lussier was the foundation’s president, and Capital Times publisher Paul Fanlund was its vice president. The foundation at the time had a large board with 15 members. ¹⁶ Several were members of the Lussier family. Then-director Dawn Lussier is James D. Lussier’s wife. Then-director Laura J. Lussier-Lee is his sister. ¹⁷ The members who represented the Capital Times included James D. Lussier, Laura Lussier-Lee, Dawn Lussier, Nancy Gage, Pam Wells, Dave Zweifel, and Paul Fanlund. Michelle Reynolds was the foundation’s executive director. ²

The Lussier family is a well-known philanthropic family in Madison, Wisconsin. They were major funders of the Lussier Community Education Center which promotes many left-of-center values, especially around inclusiveness, equity, and community empowerment, and the Lussier Family Heritage Center which focuses on environmental education. ^{18  19}