Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc
The Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in New York Mills, New York. It supports youth athletics and recreation, with its stated mission focused on enhancing athletic experiences for youth ages 5–18 in Oneida and Herkimer Counties.
Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc gave $1.1M across 50 grants in 2025 (avg $22K), mostly in New York. 62% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,112,474
- +20.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 50
- +22.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $22,249
- -0.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $6,000
- Total assets
- $19,573,628
- -1.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 62% first-time grantees (26 of 42, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
Submit the online grant application. The foundation’s 2024 filing states that requests should be made through the application on its website and lists no application deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: Victoria L Cataldo
Mailing address: 587 Main Street PO Box 302, New York Mills, NY 13417
Phone: (315) 982-9003
Email: vcataldo@wadasfoundation.org
Website: https://wadasfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Utica City School District ($254K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $893K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($8,697), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
263 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 247 grants of 263 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that its community grants generally support programs in Oneida and Herkimer Counties, New York. Its 2025 grant dollars were reported as 100% going to recipients in New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 50 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
62%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 26 of 42 grantees (62%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $27K; repeat grants $25K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 17% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 23% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 108% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 $200K (2019) to $1.1M (2025). In 2025 it made 50 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Budda Dame Thuka Temple Frankfort, NY | Funding for Sports Complex and Basketball Court | $250,000 |
| Utica City School District Utica, NY | Funding for Intramural Sports Program | $237,715 |
| Town of Trenton Barneveld, NY | Funding for Purchase of Park Playground Equipment | $113,813 |
| Herkimer County Chapter Nysarc Inc Herkimer, NY | Funding for Puchase of Turf and Dugouts | $101,509 |
| Rome Baseball Association Inc Rome, NY | Funding for Purchase of Baseball Field Lighting | $35,000 |
| Boonville Youth Athletic Association Boonville, NY | Funding for Field Improvement | $32,606 |
| Town of Ohio Ohio, NY | Funding for Puchase Playground Equipment | $30,510 |
| Whitesboro CSD Marcy, NY | Funding for wrestling program, track materials, and field shelters | $28,187 |
| Friends of Woodcraft Old Forge, NY | Funding for Purchase of Pole Climbing Towers | $24,961 |
| Dolgeville Pop Warner Football Dolgeville, NY | Funding for Purchase of Uniforms | $21,726 |
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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 | $19,573,628 | $1,087,276 | $1,315,162 | $1,112,474 | 50 | $1,194,074 | $985,244 | $1,104,217 |
| 2024 | $19,800,385 | $1,016,838 | $1,102,213 | $920,336 | 41 | $999,909 | $919,961 | $1,043,398 |
| 2023 | $19,885,760 | $1,740,481 | $1,117,443 | $891,160 | 43 | $1,021,026 | $510,994 | $1,007,183 |
| 2022 | $19,262,722 | $11,653 | $1,120,816 | $904,783 | 52 | $1,026,482 | $248,421 | $1,005,673 |
| 2021 | $20,371,885 | $1,028,749 | $1,065,780 | $850,061 | 77 | $967,393 | $924,671 | $1,109,090 |
| 2020 | $20,408,916 | $1,118,204 | $726,631 | $463,697 | 49 | — | $1,022,867 | $1,016,294 |
| 2019 | $20,017,343 | $16,761,379 | $293,094 | $199,537 | 46 | — | $1,721,416 | $438,829 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.1M 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 foundation’s mission is to enhance experiences for youth ages 5–18 who participate in athletics in Oneida and Herkimer Counties by providing financial resources to qualified organizations and educational scholarships to participants. Its grants support youth sports, fitness, and recreational programs, including equipment and facility improvements, intramural programming, and playground equipment.
Eligible applicants listed by the foundation include schools, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations. The foundation’s 2025 grants included $35,000 to Rome Baseball Association Inc, whose stated mission is to help educate and promote baseball for the community and area youth. Other 2025 grantees included Center for Family Life and Recovery Inc, whose mission is to improve community emotional health through prevention, counseling, and recovery, and Kirkland Art Center Inc, whose mission includes educating children and adults and engaging the community in cultural experiences.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 50 grants totaling $1,112,474. Award amounts ranged from $500 to $250,000, with a median grant of $6,000. Among the largest awards were $250,000 to Budda Dame Thuka Temple for a sports complex and basketball court; $237,715 to Utica City School District for an intramural sports program; $113,813 to the Town of Trenton for park playground equipment; and $101,509 to Herkimer County Chapter NYSARC Inc for turf and dugouts.
For 2024, the filing reported 41 grants totaling $920,336. The foundation’s filing also described direct charitable activity that year as 24 grants and four scholarships. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 50 grants totaling $1.1 million.
Applicants are asked to submit the foundation’s online application. The application guidelines require the organization to be located in Oneida or Herkimer County, be a school, municipality, or nonprofit, and propose a project serving youth ages 5–18 that enhances athletics or recreation. Individuals, capital campaigns, and booster clubs are excluded. The application asks for project information, the amount requested, organizational background, and information about the project’s fit with the foundation’s mission, among other details. The foundation requires a vendor quote, estimate, or bid for each requested item or service and generally requires multiple quotes for significant requests.
The Game Changer Grant is a separate competitive award. Its stated 2025 application deadline has passed, and the foundation says the grant will be offered again in 2027.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John E Short as president, Alfred J Kupiec Jr as treasurer, Gregory A Hamlin as secretary, and Erin Hamlin Hodge and Perry Nizzi as directors.
Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc is led by John E. Short, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John E. Short
President
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Erin Hamlin Hodge
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Perry Nizzi
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alfred J. Kupiec Jr.
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gregory A. Hamlin
Secretary
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Emily Durr (2020) — Director
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 Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc
How much does Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc give each year?
Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc gave $1.1M across 50 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $920K across 41 grants.
What is Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $6,000, and its average grant was $22,249, across 50 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc that year got $27K on average.
Where does Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc give grants?
Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Utica, NY (13 grants), Rome, NY (8 grants), Frankfort, NY (4 grants) and Marcy, NY (4 grants).
Does Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 50 grants with a stated purpose on Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Funding for Sports Program" (3 grants).
Who are Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Utica City School District ($254,415 across 2 grants), Budda Dame Thuka Temple ($250,000) and Town of Trenton ($113,813), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($8,697), which are not listed by name. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc?
Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc reported $19.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s mission is to enhance experiences for youth ages 5–18 who participate in athletics in Oneida and Herkimer Counties by providing financial resources to qualified organizations and educational scholarships to participants. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc?
Submit the online grant application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc's EIN?
Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 16-1361881. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 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 29, 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 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 25, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/edwin-j-wadas-foundation-inc-morg_ac2e3691d55947e798074b0e546b7d6c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_161361881_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/edwin-j-wadas-foundation-inc-morg_ac2e3691d55947e798074b0e546b7d6c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Edwin J Wadas Foundation Inc'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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