Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation
The Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation is a private foundation based in Buffalo, New York. It made 15 grants totaling $262,000 in 2025, primarily to organizations in Pennsylvania, with one grant recipient in Texas. Its 2026 filing, the latest on this page, reports 19 grants totaling $305,500.
Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation at a glance
In short: Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation gave $306K across 19 grants in 2026 (avg $16K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 42% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $305,500
- +16.6% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 19
- +26.7% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $16,079
- -7.9% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $6,200,621
- +3.7% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (8 of 19, 2026; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (92% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Submit materials in writing to Joseph A Macri. The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Joseph A Macri
Mailing address: PO Box 1504, Buffalo, NY 14240
Phone: (712) 255-2174
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Messiah University ($50K). Together the top 10 received $247K.
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 75 grants of 80 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania and 3% to recipients in Texas. Listed recipients included organizations in Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, Enola, Middletown, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Houston, Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 8 of 19 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 37% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving grew 30% from 2023 to 2026. Method
- In 2026 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 (2021–2026). 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 2021 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $236K (2023) to $357K (2021). In 2026 it made 19 grants totaling $306K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Salvation Army Harrisburg, PA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Capital Region Literacy Council Harrisburg, PA | General Support | $29,500 |
| Trine University Angola, IN | General Support | $25,000 |
| United Way of the Capital Region Enola, PA | General Support | $20,000 |
| Midwest Food Bank Pennsylvania Middletown, PA | General Support | $20,000 |
| Bethesda Mission Harrisburg, PA | General Support | $15,000 |
| Joshua Group Harrisburg, PA | General Support | $15,000 |
| Historic Harrisburg Association Harrisburg, PA | General Support | $12,500 |
| Community Aid York, PA | General Support | $10,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $6,200,621 | $584,063 | $370,959 | $305,500 | 19 | $331,343 | $555,249 | $351,622 |
| 2025 | $5,979,331 | $581,234 | $316,479 | $262,000 | 15 | $284,747 | $553,579 | $318,702 |
| 2024 | $5,714,890 | $306,841 | $341,542 | $272,715 | 15 | $292,852 | $280,086 | $301,272 |
| 2023 | $5,751,313 | $1,703,005 | $272,232 | $235,780 | 18 | $235,780 | $1,668,568 | $266,305 |
| 2022 | $4,325,017 | $334,232 | $360,563 | $311,500 | 13 | $311,500 | $295,955 | $347,528 |
| 2021 | $4,352,162 | $501,039 | $393,413 | $356,900 | 12 | — | $464,573 | $318,846 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation reported a distributable amount of $352K for 2026 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations including the Salvation Army, universities, human-services organizations, and community nonprofits.
Grantees describe their own missions in varied terms: United Way of the Capital Region says it works to improve lives in Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry counties by identifying community needs and finding solutions. United Disabilities Services Foundation says it raises funds to support services that enhance the independence and lives of people with physical and age-related disabilities. Messiah University describes its mission as educating students toward maturity of intellect, character, and Christian faith for lives of service, leadership, and reconciliation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 15 grants totaling $262,000. Awards ranged from $8,000 to $50,000, with a median grant of $15,000. Its largest listed grants were $50,000 to the Salvation Army in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; $25,000 each to New Hope Ministries in Mechanicsburg and Penn State University Harrisburg in Middletown; and $20,000 each to United Way of the Capital Region in Enola and Hospice of Central Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. These grants were listed for general support. Its 2026 filing, the latest on this page, reports 19 grants totaling $305,500.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation is led by Joseph A. Macri, Executive Director on every filing since 2024; all 2 officers listed in 2026 are compensated.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Joseph A. Macri
Executive Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
$10K (2024) → $13K (2026)
M AND T Trust Company
Trustee
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
$24K (2023) → $26K (2026)
Former officers (2)
- Former: M & T Trust Company (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Miles J. Gibbons Jr. (2021) — Executive Director & Committee Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2026 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $26K, to M and T Trust Company (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation
How much does Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation give each year?
Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation gave $306K across 19 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $262K across 15 grants.
What is Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation's typical grant size?
Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $10,000, and its average grant was $16,079, across 19 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation give grants?
Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Indiana (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Harrisburg, PA (9 grants), Mechanicsburg, PA (3 grants) and York, PA (2 grants).
Does Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation's 2026 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation's largest grantees?
Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include Messiah University ($50,000), Salvation Army ($50,000) and Capital Region Literacy Council ($29,500), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation?
Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation reported $6.2M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $331K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $352K (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 Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations including the Salvation Army, universities, human-services organizations, and community nonprofits. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation?
Submit materials in writing to Joseph A Macri. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
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 2021–2026.
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS September 2, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/franklin-h-and-ruth-l-wells-foundation-morg_82bc62075e124ba1a592c0627469e4e5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_222541749_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Franklin H and Ruth L Wells Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/franklin-h-and-ruth-l-wells-foundation-morg_82bc62075e124ba1a592c0627469e4e5},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-11. 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 Franklin H and Ruth L Wells 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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