Edwards Mother Earth Foundation
Edwards Mother Earth Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware, with additional offices in Seattle, Washington and Edmonds, Washington. Established in May 1997, the foundation operates as a family foundation dedicated to enhancing sustainability and addressing global climate disruption through strategic grantmaking and impact investing.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$30.4M
-2.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.9M
+9.8% YoY
Grant Count
50
-32.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$38K
+62.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Edwards Mother Earth Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation is dedicated to enhancing the sustainability and diverse quality of life by addressing global climate disruption. Primary focus areas include:
- Agroforestry
- Energy efficiency
- Climate-wise building
- Historic grantees
- Impact investing
The foundation's grantmaking priorities span community development, education, environmental protection, health and well-being, human rights, hunger and food insecurity, and youth development.
Grantmaking
The foundation maintains interest income from several impact investment vehicles:
Grant Range
$50 to $440,888
Average Grant
amount: approximately $23,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated in specific regions:
Top Grantmaking Locations:
- Seattle, WA (10 grants)
- Washington, DC (7 grants)
- Portland, OR (6 grants)
- Woodland, WA (4 grants)
- San Francisco, CA (3 grants)
- Boise, ID (3 grants)
- Ithaca, NY (2 grants)
- Hood River, OR (2 grants)
- Greenville, SC (2 grants)
- Knoxville, TN (2 grants)
Primary grantmaking focus areas include Washington, Oregon, and California.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2023):
- Total assets: $31.1 million to $32.3 million
- Total revenues: $1.79 million
- Total expenses: $2.49 million
- Total liabilities: $0
Assets & Revenue (2024):
- Total assets: $30.4 million to $42 million (varying by source)
- Total giving: $1.9 million
Annual Grants Made:
- 2023: $1,288,350 in annual grants
The foundation maintains a strong financial position with no liabilities and consistent grantmaking activity year over year.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $30,402,937 | $31,066,338 | $31,760,025 |
| Revenue | $2,034,005 | $1,792,357 | $1,825,440 |
| Expenses | $2,697,406 | $2,486,044 | $2,388,312 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,231,806 | $2,009,503 | $2,032,133 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,625,918 | $1,337,009 | $1,281,603 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,011,162 | $2,300,671 | $1,913,953 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Appalachian Sustainable Development ($425,394), Cooperative Extension Association in the State of ($400,000), Rodale Institute ($400,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AGROFORESTRY NORTHWEST BOTHELL, WA | Accelerating Agroforestry in the Pacific Northwest | $50,000 |
| ALZHEIMERS DISEASE AND RELATED DISORDERS ASSOCIATI NEWTON, MA | Ride to End ALZ New England | $1,000 |
| APPALACHIAN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT DUFFIELD, VA | agroforestry technical assistance for forest farming, alley cropping, and silvopasture | $425,394 |
| ARTIST MENTORSHIP PROGRAM PORTLAND, OR | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION INC BOISE, ID | Charitable Event | $2,000 |
| BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION INC BOISE, ID | Idaho Policy Institute fund | $5,000 |
| BROOK OF LIFE CHURCH JURUPA VALLEY, CA | General & Unrestricted | $250 |
| BRYANTS BRIDGE INC KNOXVILLE, TN | General & Unrestricted | $3,000 |
| CAL POLY HUMBOLDT FOUNDATION ARCATA, CA | the Y.E.S. program | $2,000 |
| CHILDSAFE COLORADO INC FORT COLLINS, CO | ChildSafe | $1,500 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board & Staff:
- Andrew M Bell (President, Director)
- Sutter Wehmeier (Vice President, Director)
- John Ryan (Treasurer, Director)
- Kelsey Reinertson (Secretary, Director)
- Bryce Edwards (Director)
- Otis Bell (Director)
- Penelope Bell (Director)
- Johanna M Bell (Director)
- Deborah Bell (Director)
- Tawny Keene (Director)
- Megan Allen (Director)
- Scott Baker (Director)
- Bruce Reed (Operations Director)
The foundation operates with minimal paid staff, with most board members serving on a part-time basis (1 hour per week) except for the Operations Director who works 20 hours per week.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Megan Allen | DIR | 1 | $1,100 |
| Scott Baker | DIR | 1 | $600 |
| Andrew M Bell | Pres, DIR | 1 | $2,400 |
| Deborah Bell | Dir | 1 | $1,800 |
| Johanna M Bell | DIR | 1 | $2,400 |
| Otis Bell | DIR | 1 | $2,400 |
| Penelope Bell | DIR | 1 | $2,400 |
| Bryce Edwards | DIR | 1 | $2,400 |
| Tawny Keene | DIR | 1 | $3,620 |
| Kelsey Reinertson | DIR, Sec | 1 | $2,400 |
| John Ryan | DIR, Treas | 1 | $2,400 |
| Sutter Wehmeier | DIR, VP | 1 | $2,400 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has been active in supporting climate justice and environmental initiatives. Recent grantmaking has supported organizations working on frontline climate justice, community-based environmental stewardship, and grassroots climate action. The foundation's impact investing activities demonstrate a commitment to combining philanthropic grants with strategic investments in green building, renewable energy, and sustainable agriculture initiatives.
Groundbreaking grassroots-run Fund for Frontline Power awards $5 millionSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Edwards Mother Earth Foundation fund?
The foundation is dedicated to enhancing the sustainability and diverse quality of life by addressing global climate disruption. Primary focus areas include: • Agroforestry • Energy efficiency • Climate-wise building • Historic grantees • Impact investing The foundation's grantmaking priorities span community development, education, environmental protection, health and well-being, human rights, hunger and food insecurity, and youth development.
How do I apply for a grant from Edwards Mother Earth Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Awarded 74 grants totaling $1,736,024 in 2023 • 50 grants reported in 2024 filings • Average grant amount: approximately $23,000 • Typical grant range: $50 to $440,888 • Median grant amount: $2,300 **Recent Notable Grants:** • Rodale Institute: $400,000 (Propagate Program, 2023) **Program Areas:** The foundation maintains interest income from several impact investment vehicles: • The Redd LLC: Low-interest loan financing for new market tax credit projects, including renova…
Where does Edwards Mother Earth Foundation make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated in specific regions: **Top Grantmaking Locations:** • Seattle, WA (10 grants) • Washington, DC (7 grants) • Portland, OR (6 grants) • Woodland, WA (4 grants) • San Francisco, CA (3 grants) • Boise, ID (3 grants) • Ithaca, NY (2 grants) • Hood River, OR (2 grants) • Greenville, SC (2 grants) • Knoxville, TN (2 grants) Primary grantmaking focus areas include Washington, Oregon, and California.
What size grants does Edwards Mother Earth Foundation award?
In 2024, Edwards Mother Earth Foundation awarded 50 grants totaling $1.9M — an average of about $38K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Edwards Mother Earth Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Edwards Mother Earth Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.0M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Edwards Mother Earth Foundation's EIN?
Edwards Mother Earth Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-1789783. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Edwards Mother Earth Foundation'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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