John and Marilyn Wells
John and Marilyn Wells is a private foundation based in Encino, California. In 2024, it reported 42 grants totaling $1,281,000.
John and Marilyn Wells at a glance
In short: John and Marilyn Wells gave $1.3M across 42 grants in 2024 (avg $31K), mostly in California. 17% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,281,000
- -28.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 42
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $30,500
- -28.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $13,629,071
- +20.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (7 of 42, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (95% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to John and Marilyn Wells
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Mercer 6345 Balboa Bl 375, Encino, CA 91316
Phone: (818) 774-1000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who John and Marilyn Wells funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of Southern California-School of Cinematic Art ($500K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
202 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 170 grants of 202 (84%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 4% to recipients in New York, and 1% to recipients in Hawaii. The filing also lists shares of 0% for Georgia and Colorado.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 42 itemized grants.
Cities
Is John and Marilyn Wells open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 42 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $35K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 81% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−4%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 179% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.3M (2024) to $2.7M (2022). In 2024 it made 42 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Southern California-School of Cinematic Art Los Angeles, CA | Unrestricted | $500,000 |
| Alexandria House Los Angeles, CA | Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Entertainment Community Fund Los Angeles, CA | Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Los Angeles Room & Board Los Angeles, CA | Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Motion Picture & Television Fund Woodland Hills, CA | Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Sunnyside Baptist Church Los Angeles, CA | Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Los Angeles Philharmonic Association Los Angeles, CA | Unrestricted | $50,000 |
| Corporation for Supportive Housing New York, NY | Unrestricted | $45,000 |
| National Foster Youth Institute Los Angeles, CA | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Southern California Grantmakers Los Angeles, CA | Unrestricted | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $13,629,071 | $3,749,007 | $1,455,379 | $1,281,000 | 42 | $1,281,000 | $635,926 | $717,300 |
| 2023 | $11,335,443 | $2,665,115 | $1,964,210 | $1,780,425 | 42 | $1,780,425 | $1,645,953 | $596,970 |
| 2022 | $10,702,427 | $2,592,162 | $2,850,772 | $2,713,470 | 41 | $2,713,470 | $1,526,224 | $568,891 |
| 2021 | $10,960,007 | $1,863,365 | $1,468,008 | $1,339,250 | 39 | $1,339,250 | $1,588,775 | $662,695 |
| 2020 | $10,564,650 | $1,909,918 | $1,774,460 | $1,547,527 | 38 | — | $1,436,892 | $560,126 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John and Marilyn Wells reported a distributable amount of $717K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants included organizations working in housing and homelessness services, the arts, religious community ministries, foster youth advocacy, and philanthropy. For example, Alexandria House describes its work as providing supportive housing for women and children experiencing homelessness and trauma; the National Foster Youth Institute says it empowers current and former foster youth to bring about policy improvements in child welfare. These are descriptions of the grantees’ missions.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 42 grants totaling $1,281,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $500,000, with a median of $5,000. Notable grants included $500,000 to the University of Southern California-School of Cinematic Art and $100,000 each to Alexandria House, Entertainment Community Fund, Los Angeles Room & Board, Motion Picture & Television Fund, and Sunnyside Baptist Church. Other grants included $50,000 to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, $45,000 to Corporation for Supportive Housing, and $25,000 each to the National Foster Youth Institute, Southern California Grantmakers, and UCLA. The listed purposes for these grants were unrestricted.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
John Wells and Marilyn Wells were listed as co-chairmen on the 2024 filing.
John and Marilyn Wells is led by John Wells, Co-Chairman on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
John Wells
Co-Chairman
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marilyn Wells
Co-Chairman
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 John and Marilyn Wells
How much does John and Marilyn Wells give each year?
John and Marilyn Wells gave $1.3M across 42 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.8M across 42 grants.
What is John and Marilyn Wells's typical grant size?
John and Marilyn Wells's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $30,500, across 42 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from John and Marilyn Wells that year got $8K on average.
Where does John and Marilyn Wells give grants?
John and Marilyn Wells gives mostly in California: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (22 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does John and Marilyn Wells give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of John and Marilyn Wells's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (42 of 42) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are John and Marilyn Wells's largest grantees?
John and Marilyn Wells's largest 2024 grantees include University of Southern California-School of Cinematic Art ($500,000), Alexandria House ($100,000) and Entertainment Community Fund ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is John and Marilyn Wells?
John and Marilyn Wells reported $13.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $717K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does John and Marilyn Wells fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants included organizations working in housing and homelessness services, the arts, religious community ministries, foster youth advocacy, and philanthropy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from John and Marilyn Wells?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is John and Marilyn Wells's EIN?
John and Marilyn Wells's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 68-0526427. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does John and Marilyn Wells accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work John and Marilyn Wells funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). John and Marilyn Wells funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/john-and-marilyn-wells-morg_91a6401748a34c97b5459a3a5092ca40
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_680526427_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{John and Marilyn Wells funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/john-and-marilyn-wells-morg_91a6401748a34c97b5459a3a5092ca40},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 John and Marilyn Wells'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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