Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation
The Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation is a private foundation based in Greenville, Delaware. Its 2025 filing reports 24 grants totaling $1,115,985, including support for organizations in Delaware and several other states.
Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation at a glance
In short: Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation gave $1.1M across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $46K), mostly in Delaware. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,115,985
- +20.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- +26.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $46,499
- -5.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $22,736,733
- -0.0% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Delaware (86% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing says to submit a formal written request outlining the agency’s purpose and the reason it should be considered for a contribution. It lists no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- The 2024 filing lists September 30 each year as the deadline for consideration that year.
- Deadline
- The 2024 filing lists September 30 each year as the deadline for consideration that year.
- Contact
Application contact: Gretchen Kennedy
Mailing address: PO Box 3898, Greenville, DE 19807
Phone: (302) 428-8638
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Humane Animal Partners DE ($250K). Together the top 10 received $905K.
Grant Size Distribution
67 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 53 grants of 67 (79%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in Delaware. The remaining shares went to recipients in Montana (4%), New York (4%), North Carolina (2%), and Pennsylvania (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
Cities
How Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation gives
- 42% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 1278% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 96% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $21K (2021) to $1.1M (2025). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Humane Animal Partners DE Wilmington, DE | Operations | $250,000 |
| Biggs Museum Dover, DE | Operations | $250,000 |
| The Challenge Program Wilmington, DE | Operations | $75,000 |
| De Historical Society Wilmington, DE | Operations | $65,000 |
| Talon Reach Foundation Three Forks, MT | Operations | $50,000 |
| First Comm Foundation Wilmington, DE | Operations | $50,000 |
| YMCA of DE Wilmington, DE | Operations | $50,000 |
| Leukemia Lymphoma Soc New York, NY | Annual Fundraiser | $50,000 |
| Delaware Art Museum Wilmington, DE | Operations | $40,000 |
| Camphill Village Kimberton, PA | Operations | $25,000 |
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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 | $22,736,733 | $1,265,839 | $1,276,088 | $1,115,985 | 24 | $1,145,542 | $1,161,008 | $1,199,416 |
| 2024 | $22,746,982 | $1,124,669 | $1,020,638 | $929,564 | 19 | $959,014 | $1,080,642 | $1,124,390 |
| 2023 | $22,727,108 | $986,178 | $167,255 | $100,000 | 6 | $124,000 | $965,041 | $997,094 |
| 2022 | $1,798,851 | $144,768 | $114,872 | $81,000 | 10 | $105,000 | $142,440 | $91,012 |
| 2021 | $1,766,925 | $163,037 | $52,341 | $20,700 | 8 | $44,700 | $160,638 | $93,104 |
| 2020 | $1,656,229 | $-31,790 | $74,267 | $41,200 | 15 | — | $17,955 | $85,240 |
| 2019 | $1,762,286 | $-39,109 | $79,931 | $38,400 | 13 | — | $22,242 | $91,700 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M 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
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, the Delaware Art Museum describes its mission as connecting people to art and serving as an inclusive community resource through its collections, exhibitions, and programs. Delaware Nature Society says it connects people with the natural world to improve the environment through education, advocacy, and conservation. Samaritan’s Purse describes itself as a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to people facing hardship around the world.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 24 grants totaling $1,115,985. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $250,000, with a median grant of $25,000. Its largest awards included $250,000 each to Humane Animal Partners DE and Biggs Museum, both for operations; $75,000 to The Challenge Program for operations; and $65,000 to Delaware Historical Society for operations.
Other 2025 grants included $40,000 to Delaware Art Museum, $25,000 to Samaritan’s Purse, $15,000 to Delaware Nature Society, and $2,500 to Stop Soldier Suicide.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Martha F. Dewees, Donald C. Dewees Jr., and Cecelia L. Dugan as board members.
Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Cecelia L. Dugan
Board Member
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Donald C. Dewees Jr.
Board Member
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Martha F. Dewees
Board Member
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Donald C. Dewees Sr. (2019–2022) — Board Member
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.
Frequently asked questions about Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation
How much does Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation give each year?
Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation gave $1.1M across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $930K across 19 grants.
What is Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation's typical grant size?
Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $46,499, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation give grants?
Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation gives mostly in Delaware: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Wilmington, DE (12 grants) and Dover, DE (2 grants).
Does Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 24 grants with a stated purpose on Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Operations" (23 grants).
Who are Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation's largest grantees?
Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Humane Animal Partners DE ($250,000), Biggs Museum ($250,000) and The Challenge Program ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation?
Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation reported $22.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation?
The 2024 filing says to submit a formal written request outlining the agency’s purpose and the reason it should be considered for a contribution. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation's EIN?
Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-0873138. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 11, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 22, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 7, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/donald-and-martha-dewees-foundation-morg_d6709e5bd62a4834bb99ca2d8ef65c9f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_260873138_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Donald \& Martha Dewees Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/donald-and-martha-dewees-foundation-morg_d6709e5bd62a4834bb99ca2d8ef65c9f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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