Lillian S Wells Foundation Inc
The Lillian S Wells Foundation Inc is a private family foundation based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Established in 1975, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with a focus on strategic philanthropic giving across medical research, education, and the arts.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$30.1M
-3.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.0M
-1.6% YoY
Grant Count
10
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$299K
-1.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary giving areas include:
- Medical Research: Emphasis on brain tumor research and neuroscience
- Women's Health
- Substance Abuse
- At-Risk Youth
- Education
- The Arts
The foundation also maintains a commitment to conservative policy organizations and think tanks.
Grantmaking
The foundation operates as a private family foundation without a public website or formal online application portal.
Grant Range
$10,000 to $5,000,000
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds primarily in Florida, with particular emphasis on Fort Lauderdale and Gainesville. Additional national grants are made to conservative policy organizations. Funding activity has been documented in Illinois, Washington D.C., Delaware, Connecticut, and other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- $31,253,505 (2023)
- $30,060,691 (2024)
Annual Giving:
- $3,040,000 (2023)
- $2,990,000 (2024)
Revenue & Expenses:
- Total revenues: $2,085,158 (2024)
- Total expenses: $3,277,972 (2024)
- Total liabilities: $0 (2023)
The foundation's income is derived from investment activities.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $30,060,691 | $31,253,505 | $31,405,100 |
| Revenue | $2,085,158 | $3,086,372 | $2,862,009 |
| Expenses | $3,277,972 | $3,237,967 | $3,415,253 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,990,000 | $3,040,000 | $3,060,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,829,095 | $2,883,877 | $2,605,695 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,851,984 | $1,745,774 | $1,858,251 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
53 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Barbara S. Wells: President and lead trustee (granddaughter of Lillian S. Wells)
- James I. Ulmer: Director
- Walter W. Bell: Contact
- Ellen McPherson: Contact
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BARBARA S WELLS | PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ELLEN MCPHERSON | DIRECTOR, ASSIT TREASURER | 1 | — |
| JAMES I ULMER | DIRECTOR, VP, | 1 | — |
| WALTER W BELL | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL WEYMOUTH | TREASURER, DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| HEIKO DOBRIKOW | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Contact Information
Address: 600 SE 4th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2215
Phone: 754-701-8508
EIN: 23-7433827
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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