Abele Family Foundation
The Abele Family Foundation is a private family foundation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in 2013, it operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with tax-exempt status. The foundation functions as a grantmaking entity focused on supporting educational and charitable initiatives.
Key facts about Abele Family Foundation
In short: Abele Family Foundation gave $2.0M across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $103K), mostly in Ohio. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990 filing.
- EIN
- 45-3795823
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990 filing, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,951,499
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- Average grant
- $102,710
- Median grant
- $5,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (4 of 17, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (82% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990 filing, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 filing · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$2.0M
+13.9% YoY
Grant Count
19
+46.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$103K
-22.1% YoY
Is Abele Family Foundation open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 17 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $150K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 59% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−6%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation provides funding for scholarships and supports a range of charitable purposes. Primary funding focus areas include:
- Education
- Philanthropy and Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- STEM Education
- Science Education
- Community and School Gardens
Grantmaking
The foundation made total grants of $1,703,890 in its most recent fiscal year (ending September 2024).
Grant Range
s:**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking priorities are primarily concentrated in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maine.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 19 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
79 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION Hudson, OH | GRANTS | $1,600,000 |
| CHEWONKI FOUNDATION Wiscasset, ME | OPERATING FUNDS/SCHOLARSHIP | $135,000 |
| FOUNDING FORWARD Philadelphia, PA | OPERATING | $124,000 |
| URSINUS COLLEGE Collegeville, PA | OPERATING FUNDS | $19,812 |
| WILLIAMSON COLLEGE OF THE TRADES Media, PA | OPERATING | $12,000 |
| FREDS FOOTSTEPS Bryn Mawr, PA | OPERATING FUNDS/SCHOLARSHIP | $10,000 |
| UNION LEAGUE LEGACY FOUNDATION Philadelphia, PA | SCHOLARSHIP | $10,000 |
| PENN STATE University Park, PA | SCHOLARSHIPS | $8,231 |
| HADDONFIELD FRIENDS Haddonfield, NJ | OPERATING | $7,500 |
| PYC MUSIC INSTITUTE Philadelphia, PA | OPERATING FUNDS/SCHOLARSHIP | $5,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Fiscal Year Ending September 2024:
- Total Assets: $37,277,404
- Total Revenue: $1,150,593
- Total Expenses: $2,134,700
- Total Liabilities: $0
- Investment Income and Dividends: $915,958
Staffing: The foundation operates with no employees.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Wilbert D Abele serves as Director of the foundation.
Abele Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 5 officers; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Wilbert D. Abele
Founding Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$346K (2019) → $0 (2025)
Joan Abele
Director
On filings since 2019
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karen E. Scheu
Director
On filings since 2019
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nina B. Stryker
Director
On filings since 2019
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Theodore Piotrowicz
Director
On filings since 2023
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Edward Abele (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Ted Piotrowicz (2019–2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.
Frequently asked questions about Abele Family Foundation
How much does Abele Family Foundation give each year?
Abele Family Foundation gave $2.0M across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing. In 2024 it gave $1.7M across 13 grants.
What is Abele Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Abele Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $102,710, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing. Organizations receiving their first grant from Abele Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Abele Family Foundation give grants?
Abele Family Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing went to recipients there. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (11%) and Maine (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (8 grants) and University Park, PA (2 grants).
Does Abele Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 68% of Abele Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing.
Who are Abele Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Abele Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include American Endowment Foundation ($1,600,000), Chewonki Foundation ($135,000) and Founding Forward ($127,500 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing. Together they received 95% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
What does Abele Family Foundation fund?
The foundation provides funding for scholarships and supports a range of charitable purposes. Primary funding focus areas include: • Education • Philanthropy and Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • STEM Education • Science Education • Community and School Gardens
How do I apply for a grant from Abele Family Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** The foundation made total grants of $1,703,890 in its most recent fiscal year (ending September 2024). **Grant Sizes:** Typical grant awards range from $500 to $1,403,861. **Recent Grants (FY 2024):** • Ursinus College: $910,380 (Operating Funds) • American Endowment Foundation: $400,000 (Grants) • The Union League Legacy Foundation: $300,000 (Operating) The foundation made a total of 10 grants during the 2024 fiscal year. **Contact Information:** Phone: 267-773-8416
What is Abele Family Foundation's EIN?
Abele Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-3795823. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
Here's the math on researching Abele Family Foundation by hand.
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