Leo J Wahl Foundation
The Leo J Wahl Foundation is a private foundation based in Sterling, Illinois. Its 2025 filing describes direct charitable activity as post-secondary education scholarships awarded to 60 individuals.
Key facts about Leo J Wahl Foundation
In short: Leo J Wahl Foundation gave $128K across 59 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 36-3447061
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $127,500
- Grants made (2025)
- 59
- Average grant
- $2,161
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $35,799
- Primary geography
- Illinois (93% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The filing says an application form is submitted to the scholarship committee, and a copy of the form is available upon request from the personnel department at Wahl Clipper. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- None listed on the 2025 filing.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$36K
-54.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$128K
+3.7% YoY
Grant Count
59
+1.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2K
+1.9% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Leo J Wahl Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Leo J Wahl Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−8%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s reported direct charitable activity is post-secondary education scholarships. The filing does not state a separate mission.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 59 grants totaling $127,500. Itemized grants ranged from $1,000 to $4,000, with a median of $2,000. The filing’s largest listed awards were to individual recipients for college expenses; the largest was $4,000.
Review Cycle
None listed on the 2025 filing.
How to Apply
The filing says an application form is submitted to the scholarship committee, and a copy of the form is available upon request from the personnel department at Wahl Clipper. Applicants must be dependents of Wahl Clipper employees.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant listing shows that 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois. The remaining reported shares were Wisconsin, Iowa, an individual recipient, and Ohio, each at 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 59 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $101K (2019) to $152K (2023). In 2025 it made 59 grants totaling $128K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top recipient in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Beasley Christian ($2K).
Organizations only. It also paid 58 grants to individuals ($125,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
316 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 316 grants of 316 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 49 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $112,500 |
| Beasley Christian Sterling, IL | College Expenses | $2,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant sum | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $35,799 | $85,046 | $127,553 | $127,500 | 59 |
| 2024 | $78,306 | $75,087 | $110,345 | $123,000 | 58 |
| 2023 | $113,564 | $150,119 | $152,334 | $152,300 | 73 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $35,799 | $78,306 | $113,564 |
| Revenue | $85,046 | $75,087 | $150,119 |
| Expenses | $127,553 | $110,345 | $152,334 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $127,500 | $110,300 | $152,300 |
| Net Investment Income | $46 | $87 | $119 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,809 | $4,724 | $5,646 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 3, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Erin Cushing as president, Melissa Woessner as treasurer, John A Van Osdol as secretary, and Amanda Wahl, Ann B White, and Paula Giblin as board members.
Leo J Wahl Foundation is led by Erin Cushing, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Erin Cushing
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amanda Wahl
Board Member
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ann B. White
Board Member
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John A. Van Osdol
Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Melissa Woessner
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paula Giblin
Board Member
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
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.
Contact
Application contact: Personnel Department Wahl Clipper C
Mailing address: 2902 Locust Rd PO Box 578, Sterling, IL 61081
Phone: (815) 625-6525
Email: woessner@wahlclipper.com
Frequently asked questions about Leo J Wahl Foundation
How much does Leo J Wahl Foundation give each year?
Leo J Wahl Foundation gave $128K across 59 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $123K across 58 grants.
What is Leo J Wahl Foundation's typical grant size?
Leo J Wahl Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,161, across 59 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Leo J Wahl Foundation give grants?
Leo J Wahl Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there.
Does Leo J Wahl Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 59 grants with a stated purpose on Leo J Wahl Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "College Expenses" (55 grants).
How large is Leo J Wahl Foundation?
Leo J Wahl Foundation reported $36K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $128K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Leo J Wahl Foundation fund?
The foundation’s reported direct charitable activity is post-secondary education scholarships. The filing does not state a separate mission. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Leo J Wahl Foundation?
The filing says an application form is submitted to the scholarship committee, and a copy of the form is available upon request from the personnel department at Wahl Clipper. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Leo J Wahl Foundation's EIN?
Leo J Wahl Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3447061. 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 October 2026.
Here's the math on researching Leo J Wahl Foundation by hand.
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