Fitzsimmons Foundation
The Fitzsimmons Foundation is a private foundation based in Wheeling, West Virginia. Established by the Fitzsimmons family in 2007, it says it aims to improve quality of life in its home region and help people who are less fortunate.
Fitzsimmons Foundation at a glance
In short: Fitzsimmons Foundation gave $443K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $26K), mostly in West Virginia. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $443,000
- +12.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- -19.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $26,059
- +38.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $4,318,610
- -5.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (2 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- West Virginia (98% 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 Fitzsimmons Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Applicants are asked to submit a written application describing charitable purposes and evidence of 501(c)(3) status. The application materials listed by the foundation include a cover sheet and proposal narrative, proof of 501(c)(3) status, a program budget, two years of audited financial statements, an annual report, a board-member list, and recent publications, news articles, or other relevant materials. Awards are limited to charitable-exempt purposes under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3).
- Contact
Application contact: Robert P Fitzsimmons
Mailing address: 1609 Warwood Avenue, Wheeling, WV 26003
Phone: (304) 277-1700
Website: https://fitzsimmonsfirm.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Fitzsimmons Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Oglebay Foundation ($311K). Together the top 10 received $436K.
Grant Size Distribution
95 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 85 grants of 95 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its giving commitment as focused on the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia and the Ohio Valley. In 2025, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in West Virginia, 2% to Ohio, and less than 1% to New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Fitzsimmons Foundation open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 17 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $29K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 82% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 94% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $373K (2020) to $468K (2023). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $443K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Oglebay Foundation Wheeling, WV | Paws in the Park | $310,600 |
| Wheeling Central Catholic High Sch Wheeling, WV | General Purposes | $50,000 |
| Corpus Christi School Wheeling, WV | General Purposes | $40,000 |
| Triadelphia Fire Dept Triadelphia, WV | General Purposes | $10,000 |
| Drug Free Clubs Cincinnati, OH | General Purposes | $8,000 |
| St Michael Parish School Wheeling, WV | General Purposes | $5,000 |
| Pike Cubs Baseball Softball Wheeling, WV | General Purposes | $5,000 |
| City of Wheeling Wheeling, WV | Gateway Park | $3,250 |
| Bethlehem Apostolic Church Wheeling, WV | Christmas Giveaway | $2,500 |
| Cornell University Ithaca, NY | Football and Womens Basketball & General Purposes | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Fitzsimmons Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Grantmaking totals reported by filing year:
The foundation states that it has grown to over $7 million and contributed more than $3.7 million to community and charitable organizations and events throughout the Ohio Valley.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,318,610 | $200,091 | $445,930 | $443,000 | 17 | $443,098 | $200,062 | $470,584 |
| 2024 | $4,564,449 | $194,430 | $398,414 | $395,000 | 21 | $395,125 | $197,354 | $443,333 |
| 2023 | $4,768,433 | $196,473 | $473,075 | $468,125 | 21 | $468,213 | $196,473 | $399,973 |
| 2022 | $5,045,035 | $155,407 | $448,543 | $446,100 | 19 | $446,197 | $156,680 | $452,028 |
| 2021 | $5,338,698 | $162,525 | $389,433 | $387,000 | 17 | $387,025 | $162,430 | $455,601 |
| 2020 | $5,567,662 | $167,868 | $375,912 | $373,335 | 19 | — | $157,787 | $390,822 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Fitzsimmons Foundation reported a distributable amount of $471K 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 stated mission is to improve quality of life for its neighbors and help those who are less fortunate. It identifies better education and opportunities for children—particularly children with disabilities—and access to basic essentials as particular areas of emphasis.
The foundation also lists support for local schools and athletic programs, violence against women, substance abuse prevention, mental health awareness and treatment, people experiencing homelessness or need, disabled children and adults, dog shelters, churches, children’s recreational facilities, and community landmarks among its giving. Its 2025 grants included schools, a fire department, a church, a baseball and softball organization, a city park project, and other recipients. Oglebay Foundation, which received $310,600, says its mission is to raise private funds for the welfare, maintenance, and future development of Oglebay and Wheeling parks and their affiliated organizations and programs. Mountain State Spotlight, which received $1,000, describes itself as an independent civic news organization serving the public with reporting on issues and challenges facing West Virginians.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 17 grants totaling $443,000 in 2025. Grants ranged from $150 to $310,600, with a median grant of $2,500. Notable awards included $310,600 to Oglebay Foundation for “Paws in the Park,” $50,000 to Wheeling Central Catholic High School for general purposes, and $40,000 to Corpus Christi School for general purposes. Other listed awards included $10,000 to Triadelphia Fire Department and $8,000 to Drug Free Clubs.
The foundation reported 21 grants totaling $395,000 in 2024 and 21 grants totaling $468,125 in 2023.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kayleen F. Clough as trustee and second vice president; Robert P. Fitzsimmons as trustee and president; Sunni L. Fitzsimmons as trustee and vice president; Robert J. Fitzsimmons as trustee and secretary; and Clayton J. Fitzsimmons as trustee and treasurer.
Fitzsimmons Foundation is led by Robert J. Fitzsimmons, Trustee, President, Trustee & Secretary on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Robert J. Fitzsimmons
Trustee, President, Trustee & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Clayton J. Fitzsimmons
Trustee & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kayleen F. Clough
Trustee & 2nd Vice President
Trustee & 2nd V President → Trustee & 2nd Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sunni L. Fitzsimmons
Trustee & Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Fitzsimmons Foundation
How much does Fitzsimmons Foundation give each year?
Fitzsimmons Foundation gave $443K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $395K across 21 grants.
What is Fitzsimmons Foundation's typical grant size?
Fitzsimmons Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $26,059, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Fitzsimmons Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Fitzsimmons Foundation give grants?
Fitzsimmons Foundation gives mostly in West Virginia: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Wheeling, WV (11 grants).
Does Fitzsimmons Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 76% of Fitzsimmons Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Fitzsimmons Foundation's largest grantees?
Fitzsimmons Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Oglebay Foundation ($310,600), Wheeling Central Catholic High Sch ($50,000) and Corpus Christi School ($40,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 90% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Fitzsimmons Foundation?
Fitzsimmons Foundation reported $4.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $443K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $471K (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 Fitzsimmons Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to improve quality of life for its neighbors and help those who are less fortunate. It identifies better education and opportunities for children—particularly children with disabilities—and access to basic essentials as particular areas of emphasis. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Fitzsimmons Foundation?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Fitzsimmons Foundation's EIN?
Fitzsimmons Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-8728898. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Fitzsimmons Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 4, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Fitzsimmons Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Fitzsimmons Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/fitzsimmons-foundation-morg_95befdac278d4cf99f8f1af328b97890
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_208728898_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Fitzsimmons Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/fitzsimmons-foundation-morg_95befdac278d4cf99f8f1af328b97890},
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 Fitzsimmons 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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