Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation
The Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation is a private foundation based in Louisville, Kentucky. Its filing says awards are primarily for assistance to people in poverty, children, and school-related activities.
Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation at a glance
In short: Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation gave $742K across 46 grants in 2025 (avg $16K), mostly in Kentucky. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $742,000
- +8.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 46
- -6.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $16,130
- +15.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $3,314,447
- -4.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Qualifying charities submit an application in the form of a letter stating the organization’s purpose and giving a general idea of how the funds would be used. The foundation says the letter has no particular requirements beyond this, and that all submissions are considered. Awards are primarily for assistance to the poor, children, and school-related activities.
- Review Cycle
- November 30.
- Deadline
- November 30.
- Contact
Application contact: Ford Klapheke Meyer
Mailing address: 231 S Fifth St 2Nd Floor, Louisville, KY 40202
Phone: (502) 584-2134
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Lincoln Heritage Council BSA ($35K). Together the top 10 received $275K.
Grant Size Distribution
98 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 95 grants of 98 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for filing year 2025 went to recipients in Kentucky. Listed recipients include organizations in Louisville and Goshen.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 46 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation gives
- 87% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 22% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 188% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $606K (2022) to $742K (2025). In 2025 it made 46 grants totaling $742K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Heritage Council BSA Louisville, KY | Public Support | $35,000 |
| Gilda's Club Louisville, KY | Public Support | $30,000 |
| Home of the Ionnocents Louisville, KY | Public Support | $30,000 |
| Little Sistrers of the Poor Lousville, KY | Public Support | $30,000 |
| Blessings in a Backpack Louisville, KY | Public Support | $25,000 |
| Cabbage Patch Settlement HOUSE3 Louisville, KY | Public Support | $25,000 |
| Carole's Kitchen Louisville, KY | Public Support | $25,000 |
| Catholic Education Fdn Louisville, KY | Public Support | $25,000 |
| Community Foundation of Louisville Louisville, KY | Public Support | $25,000 |
| Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve Louisville, KY | Public Support | $25,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,314,447 | $649,490 | $790,040 | $742,000 | 46 | $742,293 | $603,486 | $394,942 |
| 2024 | $3,455,110 | $622,547 | $733,993 | $687,000 | 49 | $688,565 | $125,366 | $362,303 |
| 2023 | $3,565,319 | $487,284 | $708,322 | $667,000 | 1 | $668,513 | $110,383 | $332,133 |
| 2022 | $3,786,357 | $290,721 | $649,387 | $606,000 | 1 | $607,392 | $90,347 | $366,931 |
| 2021 | $4,145,023 | $704,008 | $686,090 | $640,000 | 1 | $641,318 | $187,301 | $389,469 |
| 2020 | $4,127,105 | $432,331 | $716,793 | $677,000 | 1 | — | $130,664 | $358,102 |
| 2019 | $4,404,879 | $414,311 | $676,077 | $634,000 | 1 | — | $140,163 | $329,680 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation reported a distributable amount of $395K 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 filing does not state a mission. It says awards are primarily for assistance to the poor and assistance for children and school-related activities.
Its grantees include organizations working in a range of areas. For example, Blessings in a Backpack describes its mission as providing weekend food for school-aged children who might otherwise go hungry. St. John Center says it provides refuge, resources, and services to people experiencing homelessness. Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve describes its work as enriching the community through conservation, education, and community enjoyment.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 46 grants totaling $742,000. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $35,000, with a median of $15,000. The largest listed awards included $35,000 to Lincoln Heritage Council BSA and $30,000 each to Gilda’s Club, Home of the Innocents, and Little Sisters of the Poor. Other listed grants included $25,000 each to Blessings in a Backpack, Catholic Education Foundation, Community Foundation of Louisville, and Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve.
In 2024, the foundation gave $25,000 to New Life Directions Ministries, $20,000 each to Blessings in a Backpack, Bellarmine University, and Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve, and $15,000 to Cure CF.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Katherine A. Ford, Arthur C. Peter, Beverly S. Clark, J. McFerra Barr II, and David A. Bell as directors.
Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation's 2025 filing lists 5 officers; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Arthur C. Peter
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Beverly S. Clark
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
David A. Bell
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
J. McFerra Barr II
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Katherine A. Ford
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
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 Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation
How much does Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation give each year?
Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation gave $742K across 46 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $687K across 49 grants.
What is Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation's typical grant size?
Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $16,130, across 46 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation give grants?
Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation gives mostly in Kentucky: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Louisville, KY (45 grants).
Does Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 46 grants with a stated purpose on Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Public Support" (45 grants).
Who are Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation's largest grantees?
Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Lincoln Heritage Council BSA ($35,000), Gilda's Club ($30,000) and Home of the Ionnocents ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 13% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation?
Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation reported $3.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $742K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $395K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing does not state a mission. It says awards are primarily for assistance to the poor and assistance for children and school-related activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation?
Qualifying charities submit an application in the form of a letter stating the organization’s purpose and giving a general idea of how the funds would be used. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation's EIN?
Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-1104319. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 21, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Fred R & Opal S Woosley Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/fred-r-and-opal-s-woosley-foundation-morg_2cdf290751e7455a95afdae5b33bc05f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_611104319_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Fred R \& Opal S Woosley Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/fred-r-and-opal-s-woosley-foundation-morg_2cdf290751e7455a95afdae5b33bc05f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Fred R & Opal S Woosley 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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