Harriett B West Foundation
The Harriett B West Foundation is a private foundation based in Richmond, Virginia. It makes grants to organizations, with 2025 awards supporting recipients in Virginia and Maryland.
Harriett B West Foundation at a glance
In short: Harriett B West Foundation gave $650K across 27 grants in 2025 (avg $24K), mostly in Virginia. 44% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $650,000
- +4.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 27
- +42.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $24,074
- -26.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $10,944,578
- +4.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 44% first-time grantees (11 of 25, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (72% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Harriett B West Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Send a written request with a letter or brochure outlining activities. The filing names Fred J. Bernhardt as the contact for requests.
- Contact
Application contact: Fred J Bernhardt
Mailing address: 901 East Cary Street Fl 19, Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: (804) 697-5100
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Harriett B West Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Community Foundation of Richmon ($180K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $460K.
Grant Size Distribution
103 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 93 grants of 103 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 72% of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia and 28% to recipients in Maryland.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Harriett B West Foundation open to new grantees?
44%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 25 grantees (44%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $30K; repeat grants $23K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 52% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 98% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $600K (2023) to $660K (2021). In 2025 it made 27 grants totaling $650K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Community Foundation of Richmon Baltimore, MD | Community Grants Pool | $165,000 |
| VCU Massey Cancer Center Richmond, VA | Area of Greatest Need | $50,000 |
| Anna Julia Cooper Episcopal School Richmond, VA | Area of Greatest Need | $35,000 |
| Bon Secours Health Care Fdn Richmond, VA | Millhiser Hospice Care Fund Area of Greatest Need | $30,000 |
| Elk Hill Farminc Goochland, VA | Area of Greatest Need | $30,000 |
| Richmond Metro Habitat for Humanity Richmond, VA | Area of Greatest Need | $30,000 |
| Good Neighbor Village Richmond, VA | Area of Greatest Need | $30,000 |
| Boys Girls Club of Metro Richmond Richmond, VA | Area of Greatest Need | $25,000 |
| Jackson-Feild Behavioral HLTH Svcs Jarratt, VA | Area of Greatest Need | $25,000 |
| Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens Richmond, VA | Area of Greatest Need | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Harriett B West 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $10,944,578 | $1,347,410 | $841,345 | $650,000 | 27 | $665,000 | $1,204,683 | $679,219 |
| 2024 | $10,438,513 | $1,640,130 | $778,413 | $625,000 | 19 | $640,000 | $1,501,717 | $625,227 |
| 2023 | $9,576,796 | $465,050 | $759,475 | $600,000 | 19 | $612,278 | $317,853 | $588,717 |
| 2022 | $9,871,221 | $356,651 | $826,976 | $635,000 | 19 | $646,619 | $205,205 | $644,800 |
| 2021 | $10,341,546 | $1,270,272 | $835,179 | $660,000 | 19 | — | $1,104,702 | $672,049 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Harriett B West Foundation reported a distributable amount of $679K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations working in areas including health care, education, housing, services for children and families, support for older adults, and community programs. For example, Richmond Metro Habitat for Humanity describes its work as bringing people together to build homes and communities; Elk Hill Farm says it helps children and families turn challenges into successful futures; and Good Neighbor Village operates a group home for adults with intellectual disabilities. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 27 grants totaling $650,000. Individual grants ranged from $5,000 to $165,000, with a median of $20,000. The largest listed awards included $165,000 to The Community Foundation of Richmond for a community grants pool and $50,000 to VCU Massey Cancer Center for its area of greatest need. Other notable awards included $35,000 to Anna Julia Cooper Episcopal School, $30,000 each to Bon Secours Health Care Foundation, Elk Hill Farm, Richmond Metro Habitat for Humanity, and Good Neighbor Village, and $25,000 each to Boys & Girls Club of Metro Richmond, Jackson-Feild Behavioral Health Services, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, Westminster Canterbury Foundation, and Challenge Discovery Projects.
The foundation’s application policy says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Its filing describes a written request with a letter or brochure outlining activities; it lists no award restrictions and no deadline.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Fred J. Bernhardt is listed as a trustee on the 2025 filing.
Harriett B West Foundation is led by Fred J. Bernhardt, Trustee on every filing since 2021 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Fred J. Bernhardt
Trustee
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
$58K (2021) → $55K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $55K, to Fred J Bernhardt (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Harriett B West Foundation
How much does Harriett B West Foundation give each year?
Harriett B West Foundation gave $650K across 27 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $625K across 19 grants.
What is Harriett B West Foundation's typical grant size?
Harriett B West Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $24,074, across 27 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Harriett B West Foundation that year got $30K on average.
Where does Harriett B West Foundation give grants?
Harriett B West Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 72% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Maryland (28%). The most frequent recipient cities were Richmond, VA (19 grants), Baltimore, MD (3 grants) and Goochland, VA (2 grants).
Does Harriett B West Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 27 grants with a stated purpose on Harriett B West Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Area of Greatest Need" (21 grants).
Who are Harriett B West Foundation's largest grantees?
Harriett B West Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Community Foundation of Richmon ($180,000 across 3 grants), VCU Massey Cancer Center ($50,000) and Anna Julia Cooper Episcopal School ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Harriett B West Foundation?
Harriett B West Foundation reported $10.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $665K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $679K (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 Harriett B West Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations working in areas including health care, education, housing, services for children and families, support for older adults, and community programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Harriett B West Foundation?
Send a written request with a letter or brochure outlining activities. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Harriett B West Foundation's EIN?
Harriett B West Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-2284013. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 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 2021 (received by the IRS December 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 22, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 28, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 21, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Harriett B West Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/harriett-b-west-foundation-morg_8ff1e143dbf44ebc852937f898bd76b6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_472284013_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Harriett B West Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/harriett-b-west-foundation-morg_8ff1e143dbf44ebc852937f898bd76b6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Harriett B West 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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