Firefly Scientists Foundation
Firefly Scientists Foundation is a private foundation based in St. Louis, Missouri. Its 2025 mission statement describes its work as investing in novel, practical solutions that enhance integration and community connection for people sidelined by limited functional abilities.
Firefly Scientists Foundation at a glance
In short: Firefly Scientists Foundation gave $3.6M across 49 grants in 2024 (avg $74K), top state Minnesota. 59% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,645,400
- -2.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 49
- +6.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $74,396
- -8.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $74,893,305
- +4.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 59% first-time grantees (29 of 49, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (45% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Firefly Scientists Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Wilhelm 7777 Bonhomme 2001, St Louis, MO 63105-1946
Phone: (314) 727-1155
Website: HTTPS://APPLY.FSFDN.ORG
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Firefly Scientists Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Minnesota Opera ($450K). Together the top 10 received $1.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
214 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 101 grants of 214 (47%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Minnesota received 45% of the foundation’s grant dollars, followed by New York at 12%. California, Nevada, and Missouri each received 5%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 49 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Firefly Scientists Foundation open to new grantees?
59%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 29 of 49 grantees (59%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $55K; repeat grants $103K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $53K repeat.
- 24% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−11%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 90% 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 (2019–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $3.4M (2020) to $4.1M (2021). In 2024 it made 49 grants totaling $3.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Opera Minneapolis, MN | Lab Theater Renovation | $450,000 |
| Jewish National Fund New York, NY | Ecological Rooftop at Lotem Construction Project | $300,000 |
| Dodge Nature Center West St Paul, MN | Pledge Payment | $250,000 |
| Leland Stanford Junior University Stanford, CA | Pledge Payment | $200,000 |
| Classical Tahoe Incline Village, NV | Livestream Programming | $187,000 |
| Hugs Cafe McKinney, TX | Construction of Cafe Training Facility and Headqtr | $125,000 |
| Walker West Music Academy St. Paul, MN | Capital Campaign | $125,000 |
| Access Ability WI Inc Verona, WI | Outdoors access 4 all building awareness, participants, leaders proj | $121,000 |
| Friends of the Arava Institute Newton Centre, MA | Matching Commitment Pledge | $100,000 |
| Artists Breaking Limits & Expectations Chicago, IL | Ensemble Program & Producing | $85,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Firefly Scientists Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $74,893,305 | $7,795,292 | $4,632,914 | $3,645,400 | 49 | $3,833,238 | $7,179,468 | $4,258,472 |
| 2023 | $71,785,701 | $3,875,605 | $4,742,571 | $3,755,000 | 46 | $3,998,691 | $2,851,268 | $3,972,830 |
| 2022 | $72,656,586 | $2,362,624 | $5,093,792 | $4,071,300 | 24 | $4,373,413 | $2,070,975 | $4,144,022 |
| 2021 | $75,388,702 | $8,066,324 | $5,079,136 | $4,101,320 | 46 | $4,432,809 | $7,366,089 | $4,513,634 |
| 2020 | $72,403,459 | $3,349,872 | $4,061,178 | $3,367,700 | 49 | — | $3,020,257 | $3,809,938 |
| 2019 | $73,115,118 | $3,273,046 | $4,302,060 | $3,796,600 | 34 | — | $2,894,291 | $3,879,416 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Firefly Scientists Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.3M for 2024 — 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 stated mission is to invest in practical, novel solutions that improve integration and community connection for people with limited functional abilities. Its stated values emphasize justice, inclusion, belonging, equity, and diversity, including engaging people with disabilities in designing solutions and supporting their participation as community members, peers, and leaders.
Its 2024 grants included support for a theater renovation, livestream programming, a music academy capital campaign, a café training facility, and an outdoors-access project. Among the grantees, Hugs Cafe describes its mission as enhancing the lives of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through training and employment. Walker West Music Academy describes its mission as creating a music-learning community rooted in the African-American cultural experience. Minnesota Opera describes its mission as connecting people through musical storytelling.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 49 grants totaling $3,645,400. Grant amounts ranged from $3,000 to $450,000, with a median of $50,000. The largest awards included $450,000 to Minnesota Opera for a lab theater renovation; $300,000 to Jewish National Fund for an ecological rooftop construction project; $250,000 to Dodge Nature Center as a pledge payment; and $200,000 to an individual recipient Junior University as a pledge payment.
Other notable 2024 awards included $187,000 to Classical Tahoe for livestream programming, $125,000 to Hugs Cafe for construction of a café training facility and headquarters, and $125,000 to Walker West Music Academy for a capital campaign.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Miriam G. Wilhelm as director, Scott Mortensen as director and administrative officer, and Melanie Broida Werl as president and director.
Firefly Scientists Foundation is led by Melanie Broida Werl, President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Melanie Broida Werl
President & Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$10K (2021) → $0 (2024)
Miriam G. Wilhelm
Director
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Scott Mortensen
Director & Administrator Officer
Director → Director & Administrator Officer, 2022
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2021 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2021 filing was $10K, to Melanie Broida Werl (President and Director).
Frequently asked questions about Firefly Scientists Foundation
How much does Firefly Scientists Foundation give each year?
Firefly Scientists Foundation gave $3.6M across 49 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.8M across 46 grants.
What is Firefly Scientists Foundation's typical grant size?
Firefly Scientists Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $74,396, across 49 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Firefly Scientists Foundation that year got $55K on average.
Where does Firefly Scientists Foundation give grants?
Firefly Scientists Foundation's top state is Minnesota, with 45% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (12%) and California (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Paul, MN (10 grants), Minneapolis, MN (7 grants), St. Louis, MO (3 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Firefly Scientists Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 10% of Firefly Scientists Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (5 of 49) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Firefly Scientists Foundation's largest grantees?
Firefly Scientists Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Minnesota Opera ($450,000), Jewish National Fund ($300,000) and Dodge Nature Center ($250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Firefly Scientists Foundation?
Firefly Scientists Foundation reported $74.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.3M (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 Firefly Scientists Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to invest in practical, novel solutions that improve integration and community connection for people with limited functional abilities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Firefly Scientists Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Firefly Scientists Foundation's EIN?
Firefly Scientists Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-2340029. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Does Firefly Scientists 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 2019 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 31, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Firefly Scientists Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/firefly-scientists-foundation-morg_13d243e7ce72444580bc3b66f72c4bfd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_472340029_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Firefly Scientists Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/firefly-scientists-foundation-morg_13d243e7ce72444580bc3b66f72c4bfd},
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 Firefly Scientists 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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