Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation
The Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In filing year 2025, it reported 12 grants totaling $468,874 to organizations in several states.
Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation gave $469K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $39K), mostly in Rhode Island. 55% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $468,874
- -88.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- +100.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $39,073
- -94.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $13,750
- Total assets
- $5,612,697
- +3.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 55% first-time grantees (6 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Rhode Island (51% 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 Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 540 W Madison Street Suite 2500, Chicago, IL 60661
Phone: (312) 207-1040
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was US Sailing Foundation ($197K). Together the top 10 received $464K.
Grant Size Distribution
47 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 19 grants of 47 (40%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 51% of grant dollars went to recipients in Rhode Island and 34% to recipients in Illinois. The remaining reported shares were New York (5%), Virginia (5%), and Florida (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation open to new grantees?
55%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 11 grantees (55%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $74K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 18% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 51% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 70% 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 (2018–2025). 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 2018 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $60K (2018) to $5.9M (2023). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $469K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| US Sailing Foundation Bristol, RI | General Support | $197,415 |
| University of Chicago Chicago, IL | General Support | $94,983 |
| Chicago Architecture Biennial Inc Chicago, IL | General Support | $50,000 |
| University of RI Foundation & Alumni Engagement Kingston, RI | General Support | $39,952 |
| Navy Seal Foundation INC Virginia beach, VA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Shake-A-Leg Miami Inc Coconut Grove, FL | General Support | $15,000 |
| Callen Lorde Community Health Project Inc New York, NY | General Operating Support | $12,500 |
| Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center Inc New York, NY | General Support | $12,500 |
| Noble Network of Charter Schools Chicago, IL | General Support | $7,000 |
| Lincoln Park Conservancy Chicago, IL | General Support | $5,000 |
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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 | $5,612,697 | $290,341 | $594,023 | $468,874 | 12 | $468,874 | $208,534 | $669,628 |
| 2024 | $5,426,500 | $3,150,646 | $4,034,698 | $3,960,000 | 6 | $3,960,000 | $3,118,132 | $256,902 |
| 2023 | $2,888,582 | $3,080,105 | $5,993,681 | $5,944,303 | 11 | $5,944,303 | $3,034,792 | $362,384 |
| 2022 | $5,814,007 | $350,111 | $1,021,991 | $965,000 | 14 | $965,000 | $312,524 | $534,719 |
| 2021 | $6,485,839 | $1,454,028 | $1,758,826 | $1,700,000 | 4 | $1,700,000 | $1,395,990 | $697,613 |
| 2020 | $1,923,538 | $77,803 | $120,447 | $99,226 | 6 | — | $56,660 | $119,643 |
| 2018 | $2,021,629 | $73,840 | $90,889 | $60,000 | 4 | — | $48,738 | $103,752 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $670K 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 show support for a range of organizations. For example, the University of Chicago describes its mission as communicating and creating knowledge and fostering a community of scholars and students. Chicago Architecture Biennial describes its work as bringing people together to explore ideas and shape the future of design through exhibitions and events. The Navy SEAL Foundation says it supports warriors, veterans, and families of Naval Special Warfare.
Other 2025 grantees include Noble Network of Charter Schools, which says it aims to equip students to complete college and lead choice-filled lives, and Lincoln Park Conservancy, which describes its mission as preserving and enhancing Chicago’s largest and most visited park.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $468,874. Grant amounts ranged from $4,524 to $197,415, with a median of $13,750. Its largest grants included:
All five were listed for general support. Other 2025 recipients included Shake-A-Leg Miami, Callen-Lorde Community Health Project, Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center, Noble Network of Charter Schools, Lincoln Park Conservancy, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Donald R Wilson Jr as trustee.
Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation is led by Donald R. Wilson Jr., Trustee on every filing since 2018 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Donald R. Wilson Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2018
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2018–2025. "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 R Wilson Jr Family Foundation
How much does Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation give each year?
Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation gave $469K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $4.0M across 6 grants.
What is Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $13,750, and its average grant was $39,073, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation that year got $17K on average.
Where does Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation give grants?
Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation gives mostly in Rhode Island: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Illinois (34%) and New York (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (5 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include US Sailing Foundation ($197,415), University of Chicago ($99,507 across 2 grants) and Chicago Architecture Biennial Inc ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 74% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation?
Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation reported $5.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $469K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $670K (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 R Wilson Jr Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, the University of Chicago describes its mission as communicating and creating knowledge and fostering a community of scholars and students. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation's EIN?
Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-6959383. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2018–2025.
Does Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2018 (received by the IRS August 15, 2019)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 30, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 24, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 1, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/donald-r-wilson-jr-family-foundation-morg_2cddf8f08910492dbbed6f5f60189696
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_816959383_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Donald R Wilson Jr Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/donald-r-wilson-jr-family-foundation-morg_2cddf8f08910492dbbed6f5f60189696},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 R Wilson Jr Family 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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