Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation
The Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation is a private foundation based in Iselin, New Jersey. Its 2024 filing lists grants to charitable organizations for general charitable or general purposes, including health, education, arts, human services, and other work described by the recipient organizations.
Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation at a glance
In short: Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation gave $1.2M across 32 grants in 2024 (avg $38K), mostly in Ohio. 34% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,209,569
- -4.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 32
- -27.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $37,799
- +31.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $4,505,952
- +29.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 34% first-time grantees (11 of 32, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (50% 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 Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 555 Route One South Suite 300, Iselin, NJ 08830
Phone: (732) 404-1860
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Cleveland Clinic Foundation ($600K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
178 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 165 grants of 178 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Ohio recipients received 50% of grant dollars and California recipients received 40%. Utah accounted for 4%, Nevada 3%, and Colorado 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation open to new grantees?
34%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 11 of 32 grantees (34%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $57K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 63% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 60% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 733% 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 $521K (2020) to $1.3M (2023). In 2024 it made 32 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Clinic Foundation Cleveland, OH | General Charitable Purposes | $600,065 |
| Eisenhower Health Foundation Rancho Mirage, CA | General Charitable Purpose | $350,000 |
| College of the Desert Palm Desert, CA | General Purpose | $71,079 |
| Eye Care 4 Kids Midvale, UT | General Charitable Purposes | $50,000 |
| Woodland Strides Woodland, CA | General Charitable Purposes | $25,000 |
| McCallum Theater Palm Desert, CA | General Charitable Pupose | $16,776 |
| Indio Youth Sports Indio, CA | General Purpose | $16,000 |
| Haiti Children Carbondale, CO | General Charitable Purposes | $15,000 |
| Kline Veterans Fund Las Vegas, NV | General Purpose | $12,667 |
| The Smith Center Las Vegas, NV | General Charitable Purposes | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation?
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 | $4,505,952 | $2,249,730 | $1,289,466 | $1,209,569 | 32 | $1,209,569 | $169,834 | $165,118 |
| 2023 | $3,476,054 | $1,046,559 | $1,294,503 | $1,262,374 | 44 | $1,262,374 | $61,675 | $165,327 |
| 2022 | $3,723,998 | $394,205 | $950,179 | $901,598 | 30 | $901,598 | $345,524 | $208,124 |
| 2021 | $4,279,972 | $2,509,650 | $784,572 | $757,264 | 29 | $757,264 | $182,342 | $142,284 |
| 2020 | $2,554,894 | $92,114 | $544,025 | $521,442 | 43 | — | $69,681 | $148,380 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation reported a distributable amount of $165K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 recipients include organizations whose own stated missions span several areas. For example, Eisenhower Medical Center says it serves healthcare needs through patient care, education, and research; College of the Desert received a grant, though no mission statement for it is provided here. Amigos of Costa Rica says it connects global resources to Costa Rican organizations, while Three Square says it provides food to people experiencing hunger. These are the grantees’ missions, not stated priorities of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 32 grants totaling $1,209,569. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $600,065, with a median of $2,500.
The largest reported grants included $600,065 to Cleveland Clinic Foundation for general charitable purposes; $350,000 to Eisenhower Health Foundation for general charitable purpose; $71,079 to College of the Desert for general purpose; and $50,000 to Eye Care 4 Kids for general charitable purposes. Other listed grants included $25,000 to Woodland Strides and $16,776 to McCallum Theater.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Gerald Wendel as trustee and David Dorfman as successor trustee.
Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
David Dorfman
Successor Trustee
Secretary → Successor Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Gerald Wendel
Trustee
President → Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Brian Wendel (2020–2022)
- Former: Diane Wendel (2020–2022)
- Former: Michael Wendel (2020–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Thomas Bergman (2020–2022) — Vice President
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 Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation
How much does Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation give each year?
Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation gave $1.2M across 32 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.3M across 44 grants.
What is Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation's typical grant size?
Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,500, and its average grant was $37,799, across 32 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation give grants?
Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (40%). The most frequent recipient cities were Las Vegas, NV (5 grants), Cleveland, OH (2 grants), Rancho Mirage, CA (2 grants) and Palm Desert, CA (2 grants).
Does Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (32 of 32) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation's largest grantees?
Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Cleveland Clinic Foundation ($600,065), Eisenhower Health Foundation ($350,000) and College of the Desert ($71,079), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 84% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation?
Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation reported $4.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $165K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 recipients include organizations whose own stated missions span several areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation's EIN?
Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3217479. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lisa-wendel-memorial-foundation-morg_3f7d69de1921421f90eee763bd869a1e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133217479_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lisa Wendel Memorial Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lisa-wendel-memorial-foundation-morg_3f7d69de1921421f90eee763bd869a1e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Lisa Wendel Memorial 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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