Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia
Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia is a private foundation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its 2025 filing reports 13 grants totaling $14,300 to charitable organizations, including organizations providing legal services, supporting LGBTQ youth, and presenting films.
Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia at a glance
In short: Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia gave $14K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $14,300
- -0.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- -7.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,100
- +7.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $109,234
- +1.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (2 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (76% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1111 Locust Street Unit 5Bc, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: (215) 301-5550
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Manna ($3K). Together the top 10 received $14K.
Grant Size Distribution
57 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 57 grants of 57 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 76% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania, 14% to California, 7% to Massachusetts, 2% to Illinois, and 2% to South Carolina. These figures describe the locations of that year’s grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 13 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $625; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $625 first-time, $1K repeat.
- 77% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 77% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 261% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $8K (2022) to $14K (2024). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $14K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Manna Philadelphia, PA | General Program Support | $2,500 |
| Free Library of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA | General Program Support | $2,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | General Support | $2,000 |
| The Trevor Project West Hollywood, CA | Support LGTBQ Youth | $2,000 |
| Homeless Advocacy Project Philadelphia, PA | Support Programs | $1,500 |
| Philadelphia Film Society Philadelphia, PA | Support Film Festival | $1,000 |
| The Attic Youth Center Philadelphia, PA | Programs for Safe Community | $1,000 |
| Oxfam America Boston, MA | General Support | $1,000 |
| West Kensington Ministries Philadelphia, PA | Sponsor Hole in Golf Fundraiser | $300 |
| The Augustana Fund Rock Island, IL | General Support | $250 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $109,234 | $13,171 | $17,547 | $14,300 | 13 | $15,882 | $11,588 | $6,083 |
| 2024 | $108,110 | $7,440 | $17,405 | $14,326 | 14 | $15,833 | $5,868 | $6,383 |
| 2023 | $119,076 | $56,065 | $13,206 | $10,250 | 10 | $11,712 | $4,571 | $3,966 |
| 2022 | $74,208 | $3,163 | $10,008 | $8,100 | 5 | $9,000 | $2,263 | $4,203 |
| 2021 | $82,452 | $19,853 | $14,477 | $13,250 | 15 | $13,850 | $7,712 | $4,250 |
| 2020 | $75,560 | $75,565 | $5 | — | — | — | $1,486 | $3,662 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia reported a distributable amount of $6K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants include general program support and support for programs, a film festival, LGBTQ youth, and a law school.
Among its grantees, the Homeless Advocacy Project describes its mission as providing free civil legal services and advocacy to reduce the frequency and duration of homelessness in Philadelphia. The Attic Youth Center says it creates opportunities for LGBTQ youth to develop within a safe and supportive community and promotes their acceptance in society. The Philadelphia Film Society describes itself as presenting classic and contemporary film, producing the Philadelphia Film Festival, and providing film education and community outreach.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 13 grants totaling $14,300. Grants ranged from $250 to $2,500, with a median of $1,000.
Notable 2025 grants included $2,500 to MANNA for general program support; $2,000 each to the Free Library of Philadelphia for general program support, Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania for general support, and The Trevor Project to support LGBTQ youth; and $1,500 to the Homeless Advocacy Project to support programs. The foundation also gave $1,000 to the Philadelphia Film Society to support its film festival and $1,000 to The Attic Youth Center for programs supporting a safe community.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Thomas Wamser, Julie Donahue Wamser, and Daniel McCollom as trustees.
Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Daniel McCollom
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Donahue Wamser
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Wamser
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia
How much does Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia give each year?
Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia gave $14K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $14K across 14 grants.
What is Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia's typical grant size?
Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,100, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia that year got $625 on average.
Where does Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia give grants?
Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 76% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (14%) and Massachusetts (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (8 grants).
Does Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia give general operating support?
Yes: 54% of Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (7 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia's largest grantees?
Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia's largest 2025 grantees include Manna ($2,500), Free Library of Philadelphia ($2,000) and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania ($2,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia?
Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia reported $109K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $16K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $6K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants include general program support and support for programs, a film festival, LGBTQ youth, and a law school. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia's EIN?
Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-3731333. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Aster Foundation Of Philadelphia accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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