Community Foundation of Wabash
The Community Foundation of Wabash County (CFWC) is a community foundation based in North Manchester, Indiana. Established in 1954 as the North Manchester Community Foundation, it expanded to serve the entire county in 1991 and adopted its current name. The organization serves as a professional manager of charitable funds, a grantmaker, and a community leader dedicated to strengthening the Wabash County region.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$99.4M
+15.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.8M
+26.7% YoY
Grant Count
56
+24.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$67K
+1.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: The Community Foundation of Wabash County serves the citizens of Wabash County by implementing their charitable aspirations, making grants, investing and safeguarding charitable assets, providing information regarding charitable endeavors, and convening citizens and linking resources to address issues confronting our shared lives.
Primary Funding Areas:
- Arts and culture
- Community and civic development
- Health and human services
- Education
- Recreation
- Environment
- Nonprofit capacity building
The foundation identifies education as a particularly significant focus area, recognizing that many other local issues are linked to educational outcomes.
Grantmaking
The Community Foundation accepts grant applications from area organizations two times per year. The foundation awards grants at its discretion without advice or recommendations from donors or persons designated by donors.
Review Cycle
, the foundation distributed over $100,000 to 28 nonprofit organizations. Recent recipients included organizations focused on food insecurity, early learning, mental health services, arts education, veteran services, substance abuse recovery, children's literacy, and community development.
Grant Types
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Wabash County, Indiana, with headquarters in North Manchester.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Giving (2024):
- Total assets: $99,365,618
- Total revenues: $16,413,318
- Total expenses: $5,935,208
- Total giving: $4,121,386
Fund Structure:
- More than 350 permanently endowed funds
- Over 30 non-permanent funds
Historical Distribution: Over 70 years, the foundation has distributed $35 million in grants to Wabash County nonprofits and programs.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $99,365,618 | $86,192,405 | $75,052,845 |
| Revenue | $16,413,318 | $9,659,765 | $13,444,485 |
| Expenses | $5,935,208 | $5,705,878 | $4,226,083 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $5,703,750 | $2,231,862 | $2,132,241 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
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 2024
Grant Size Distribution
220 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from Community Foundation of Wabash
Field-of-Interest Grants
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF WABASH
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Fiscal Sponsorships
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF WABASH
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Good Deeds Grant
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF WABASH
Amount
Up to US $5,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include 85 Hope Inc ($539,929), Wabash First United Methodist ($469,384), Wabash County Ymca ($363,964).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 85 HOPE INC WABASH, IN | HEALTHCARE SERVICES | $539,929 |
| ARC OF WABASH COUNTY INC WABASH, IN | GENERAL SUPPORT | $5,900 |
| BABE OF WABASH COUNTY WABASH, IN | STRATEGIC INITIATIVE | $99,353 |
| BOOMERANG BACKPACKS NORTH MANCHESTER, IN | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $6,210 |
| CLAYPOOL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH CLAYPOOL, IN | GENERAL SUPPORT | $6,500 |
| DANIEL'S PLACE INC NORTH MANCHESTER, IN | ACCESSIBILITY/EQUIP. | $10,381 |
| EEL RIVER COMMUNITY CHURCH OF THE SILVER LAKE, IN | VULNERABLE CHILDREN | $56,600 |
| FISH OF WABASH INC WABASH, IN | GENERAL SUPPORT | $5,768 |
| FIRST FRIENDS EARLY LEARNING WABASH, IN | STRATEGIC INITIATIVE | $81,540 |
| GROW WABASH COUNTY FOUNDATION WABASH, IN | WORKFORCE PROGRAM | $98,795 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRIAN HOWENSTINE | CHAIR | 3 | — |
| JIM SMITH | VICE CHAIR | 3 | — |
| BRIAN PEAS | TREASURER | 3 | — |
| JIM WIDNER | SECRETARY | 3 | — |
| JIM CHINWORTH | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RUSSELL COULTER-KERN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| BETH GILLESPIE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KELSEY JO KESSIE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DOUG LEHMAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TODD LYBARGER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DAVE MANN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SUSAN MANWARING | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TYLER OLSON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOHN PHILIPPSEN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| STACY YOUNG | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TENILLE ZARTMAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PATRICIA GRANT | PRESIDENT/CE | 40 | $121,709 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**70-Year Anniversary (2024):**
The Community Foundation celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2024 with a weeklong celebration of philanthropy. The organization introduced the "Philly Awards" to recognize outstanding contributions to the community, including awards for Philanthropist of the Year, Nonprofit of the Year, and the "Giving Here" award.
Community Foundation receives grant - The Paper of Wabash County**Contact Information:**
Address: 220 E Main St, North Manchester, IN 46962-1823
Phone: 260-982-4824
Website: www.cfwabash.org
The foundation maintains a transparent approach to grantmaking and encourages local grantseekers to visit in person or contact the office with questions.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Community Foundation of Wabash fund?
**Mission Statement:** The Community Foundation of Wabash County serves the citizens of Wabash County by implementing their charitable aspirations, making grants, investing and safeguarding charitable assets, providing information regarding charitable endeavors, and convening citizens and linking resources to address issues confronting our shared lives. **Primary Funding Areas:** • Arts and culture • Community and civic development • Health and human services • Education • Recreation • Environm…
How do I apply for a grant from Community Foundation of Wabash?
**Grant Types & Characteristics:** • Good Deeds Grants: Unrestricted grants typically $5,000 or less that address urgent needs, boost nonprofit capacity, or fill service gaps • Designated endowment grants: Provide financial support in perpetuity to organizations named by donors • Scholarships: Grants to individuals, including the Early Award Scholarship Program for students in grades 4-8 **Application Process:** The Community Foundation accepts grant applications from area organizations two tim…
Where does Community Foundation of Wabash make grants?
Wabash County, Indiana, with headquarters in North Manchester.
What size grants does Community Foundation of Wabash award?
In 2024, Community Foundation of Wabash awarded 56 grants totaling $3.8M — an average of about $67K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Community Foundation of Wabash's EIN?
Community Foundation of Wabash's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-6019016. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Community Foundation of Wabash's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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