James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation
The James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Its 2024 filing reports 14 grants totaling $36,700, including grants to organizations in Georgia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and the District of Columbia. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 11 grants totaling $38,750.
James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation gave $39K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Georgia. 45% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $38,750
- +5.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- -21.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,523
- +34.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $329,924
- +18.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 45% first-time grantees (5 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Georgia (54% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 2549, Chattanooga, TN 37409
Phone: (423) 664-7486
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Haven Lafayette ($10K). Together the top 10 received $38K.
Grant Size Distribution
48 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 48 grants of 48 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 82% of grant dollars went to recipients in Georgia and 13% to recipients in Tennessee. Recipients in Pennsylvania received 3% of grant dollars, while those in Kentucky and the District of Columbia each received 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Is James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
45%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 11 grantees (45%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 45% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 113% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 87% 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 $14K (2020) to $39K (2025). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $39K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Haven Lafayette Lafayette, GA | General | $10,000 |
| GFWC Lafayette Womens Club Lafayette, GA | General | $5,000 |
| St Jude Childrens Hospital Memphis, TN | General | $5,000 |
| Beloved Women Chattanooga, TN | General | $5,000 |
| Church of the Good Sheperd Lookout MTN, TN | General | $3,000 |
| Walker County Historical Society Lafayette, GA | General | $3,000 |
| Friends of the Marsh House Lafayette, GA | General | $3,000 |
| The Stepping Stones Foundation Katonah, NY | General | $2,500 |
| Tunnel to Towers Foundation Philadelphia, PA | General | $1,000 |
| University of Kentucky Lexington, KY | General | $750 |
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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 | $329,924 | $99,533 | $48,408 | $38,750 | 11 | $38,750 | $5,369 | $44,600 |
| 2024 | $278,799 | $24,693 | $45,400 | $36,700 | 14 | $36,700 | $695 | $30,365 |
| 2023 | $299,506 | $59,434 | $27,925 | $21,250 | 8 | $21,250 | $34,203 | $29,078 |
| 2022 | $267,997 | $-1,175 | $25,590 | $18,200 | 9 | $18,200 | — | $27,660 |
| 2021 | $294,762 | $2,645 | $35,655 | $27,500 | 6 | — | — | $26,647 |
| 2020 | $327,772 | $7,731 | $20,245 | $13,500 | 9 | — | $3,371 | $26,791 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $45K 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 available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants went to charitable organizations including universities, community and historical organizations, a public library, and an arts organization.
Emory University, which received $10,000 in 2024, describes its mission as creating, preserving, teaching, and applying knowledge in the service of humanity. Scenic City Clay Arts, which received $1,900, describes its mission as sharing access to all things clay through collaborative education in a community studio. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 14 grants totaling $36,700. Grant amounts ranged from $300 to $10,000, with a median of $1,450. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 11 grants totaling $38,750.
Among the largest reported grants were $10,000 to Emory University; $5,000 each to NO GA Community Foundation, GFWC Lafayette Women’s Club, and Walker County African American Historical Society; and $2,500 each to Walker County Historic Society and Friends of the Marsh House.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists James C Wadlaw and Charlotte Wardlaw as directors.
James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Charlotte Wardlaw
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James C. Wadlaw
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation
How much does James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation give each year?
James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation gave $39K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $37K across 14 grants.
What is James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $3,523, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation give grants?
James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Georgia: 54% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Tennessee (35%) and New York (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lafayette, GA (4 grants) and Chattanooga, TN (2 grants).
Does James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Haven Lafayette ($10,000), GFWC Lafayette Womens Club ($5,000) and St Jude Childrens Hospital ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation?
James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation reported $330K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $39K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $45K (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 James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants went to charitable organizations including universities, community and historical organizations, a public library, and an arts organization. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation's EIN?
James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 58-2342888. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
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 2025 (received by the IRS September 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work James C & Charlotte Wardlaw Charitable Foundation funds
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