His First Foundation
His First Foundation is a private foundation based in Peoria, Illinois. Its 2025 filing says it distributes funds to faith-based organizations, secular “good works” organizations whose values align with the foundation, and people experiencing hardship because of circumstances outside their control.
His First Foundation at a glance
In short: His First Foundation gave $1.0M across 37 grants in 2025 (avg $28K), mostly in Illinois. 16% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,042,500
- -43.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 37
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $28,176
- -43.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $29,536,912
- +34.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (6 of 37, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (79% 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 His First Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing lists John Wieland as the contact and requests a written letter explaining the need, amount requested, and purpose. The filing states that awards are for faith-based organizations, aligned secular “good works” organizations, and people in need because of circumstances outside their control.
- Review Cycle
- None listed on the 2025 filing.
- Deadline
- None listed on the 2025 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: John Wieland
Mailing address: 8901 N Industrial Rd, Peoria, IL 61615
Phone: (309) 686-4048
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who His First Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was WTVP ($300K). Together the top 10 received $740K.
Grant Size Distribution
150 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 121 grants of 150 (81%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 79% of grant dollars went to Illinois recipients. Other reported shares were New York (5%), Kansas (5%), Texas (3%), and Indiana (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is His First Foundation open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 37 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $32K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 73% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 49% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 80% 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 $685K (2021) to $2.0M (2022). In 2025 it made 37 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| WTVP Peoria, IL | Charitable | $300,000 |
| Dream Center Peoria Peoria, IL | Charitable | $100,000 |
| Pathway Ministries Peoria, IL | Charitable | $100,000 |
| Citi Vision New York, NY | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Wpeo East Peoria, IL | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Youth for Christ Peoria, IL | Charitable | $40,000 |
| Destiny for Women Peoria, IL | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Friendship House Peoria, IL | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Lifesong Gridley, IL | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Lone Pine Ministries Dallas, TX | Charitable | $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 | $29,536,912 | $6,401,023 | $1,233,426 | $1,042,500 | 37 | $1,042,500 | $1,210,097 | $1,304,008 |
| 2024 | $21,905,157 | $8,248,247 | $1,973,360 | $1,832,500 | 37 | $1,832,500 | $2,657,387 | $952,640 |
| 2023 | $14,900,194 | $2,752,214 | $1,838,725 | $1,745,000 | 30 | $1,745,000 | $293,444 | $667,196 |
| 2022 | $10,372,033 | $3,700,558 | $2,111,006 | $2,030,000 | 22 | $2,030,000 | $203,950 | $578,481 |
| 2021 | $12,794,213 | $2,037,280 | $763,676 | $685,000 | 24 | $685,000 | $558,604 | $611,629 |
| 2020 | $10,902,147 | $2,434,629 | $871,442 | $814,000 | 24 | — | $377,187 | $479,616 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, His First Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.3M 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 describes three recipient groups: faith-based organizations; secular “good works” organizations whose values align with the foundation; and people in need suffering because of circumstances completely outside their control.
Grantees’ stated missions illustrate the range of organizations supported. Pathway Ministries says it ministers to the spiritual and welfare needs of individuals and families. Community Workshop & Training Center says it serves adults with disabilities, while Peoria Historical Society says it works to preserve and promote the history of central Illinois through education. Faith-based grantees include Lifesong, which describes work in Christian orphan care, adoption, and foster care, and Young Life, which says it helps adolescents encounter Jesus Christ through activities including weekly meetings, Bible studies, camps, and short-term missions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 37 grants totaling $1,042,500. Awards ranged from $2,500 to $300,000, with a median grant of $10,000. Notable grants included $300,000 to WTVP, $100,000 each to Dream Center Peoria and Pathway Ministries, and $50,000 each to Citi Vision and WPEO.
Other 2025 grants included $25,000 to Lifesong and Lone Pine Ministries, and $10,000 each to Child Evangelism Fellowship, Young Life, Community Workshop & Training Center, and Peoria Christian School. Peoria Historical Society received $2,500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John S Wieland, Julie Wieland, Jennifer Wieland, and Richard Wieland as directors.
His First Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John S. Wieland
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julie Wieland
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Wieland
Director
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard Wieland
Director
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/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 His First Foundation
How much does His First Foundation give each year?
His First Foundation gave $1.0M across 37 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.8M across 37 grants.
What is His First Foundation's typical grant size?
His First Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $28,176, across 37 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from His First Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does His First Foundation give grants?
His First Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Peoria, IL (17 grants), Wichita, KS (3 grants) and Dallas, TX (2 grants).
Does His First Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 37 grants with a stated purpose on His First Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (37 grants).
Who are His First Foundation's largest grantees?
His First Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include WTVP ($300,000), Dream Center Peoria ($100,000) and Pathway Ministries ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is His First Foundation?
His First Foundation reported $29.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.3M (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 His First Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing describes three recipient groups: faith-based organizations; secular “good works” organizations whose values align with the foundation; and people in need suffering because of circumstances completely outside their control. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from His First Foundation?
The 2025 filing lists John Wieland as the contact and requests a written letter explaining the need, amount requested, and purpose. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is His First Foundation's EIN?
His First Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 37-1414330. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 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 2025 (received by the IRS August 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). His First Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/his-first-foundation-morg_41fe255372fb464096cc05ad80aa7dad
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_371414330_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{His First Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/his-first-foundation-morg_41fe255372fb464096cc05ad80aa7dad},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 His First 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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