Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation

BUFFALO, NY EIN: 22-2541749

The Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1983 (incorporated in Pennsylvania) and currently based in Amherst, New York. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) exempt private foundation with a focus on startup funding for new programs across multiple sectors.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$6.0M

+4.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$262K

-3.9% YoY

Grant Count

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$17K

-3.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation reported a distributable amount of $319K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation provides startup funding for new programs in the following areas:

Education
Human Services
Community Development
Health Care
Cultural Arts

Grantmaking

The foundation made 18 grants in the most recent reporting period.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on Pennsylvania and Texas, with a notable presence in the Capital Region area.

Grant Distribution by State

Pennsylvania $1.3M (87%)

Indiana $148K (10%)

New Jersey $30K (2%)

Texas $8K (1%)

States

Indiana New Jersey Pennsylvania Texas

Cities

AngolaBlue BellCarlisleDeltaElizabethtownEnolaErieHarrisburgHersheyLancasterMechanicsburgMiddletownNewportPittsburghWest Long BranchWimberley

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Most Recent Financial Data (as of May 2024):

Total Assets: $5,714,890
Total Revenues: $306,841
Total Expenses: $341,542
Number of Employees: 0

Contact Information:

Address: PO Box 1504, Buffalo, NY 14240-1504
Telephone: 712-255-2174
EIN: 22-2541749

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2025	2024	2023
Total Assets	$5,979,331	$5,714,890	$5,751,313
Revenue	$581,234	$306,841	$1,703,005
Expenses	$316,479	$341,542	$272,232
Qualifying Distributions	$284,747	$292,852	$235,780
Net Investment Income	$553,579	$280,086	$1,668,568
Distributable Amount	$318,702	$301,272	$266,305

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 2025

Grant Size Distribution

73 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include Salvation Army ($50,000), New Hope Ministries ($25,000), Penn State University Harrisburg ($25,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
UNITED WAY OF THE CAPITAL REGION Enola, PA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$20,000
MESSIAH UNIVERSITY Mechanicsburg, PA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$15,000
BETHESDA MISSION Harrisburg, PA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$15,000
HOSPICE OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA Harrisburg, PA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$20,000
NEW HOPE MINISTRIES MECHANICSBURG, PA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$25,000
HARRISBURG UNIVERSITY Harrisburg, PA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$10,000
UNITED DISABILITIES SERVICES FOUNDATION LANCASTER, PA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$15,000
JOSHUA GROUP Harrisburg, PA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$15,000
MIDWEST FOOD BANK PENNSYLVANIA Middletown, PA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$10,000
WILDHEART INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES Harrisburg, PA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$10,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Joseph A MacRi – Executive Director
M T Trust Company – Senior Vice President

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

No officer/director data available.

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation has supported literacy initiatives and pediatric patient development programs, demonstrating active engagement in education and health care sectors aligned with its stated funding priorities.

Wells Foundation gift promotes literacy, enhances development for pediatric

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation fund?

The foundation provides startup funding for new programs in the following areas: • Education • Human Services • Community Development • Health Care • Cultural Arts

How do I apply for a grant from Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation?

**Grant Amounts & Patterns:** • Typical grant awards range from $5,000 to $50,000 • Recent grants have included awards of $37,500, $27,375, and $20,000 **Recent Grantees (2024):** • Trine University ($37,500) • The Capital Region Literacy Council ($27,375) • United Way of the Capital Region ($20,000) The foundation made 18 grants in the most recent reporting period.

Where does Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation make grants?

The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on Pennsylvania and Texas, with a notable presence in the Capital Region area.

What size grants does Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation award?

In 2025, Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation awarded 15 grants totaling $262K — an average of about $17K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation reported a distributable amount of $319K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation's EIN?

Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-2541749. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.