Messing Family Charitable Foundation
The Messing Family Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. It made 81 grants totaling $352,006 in 2024 to charitable organizations, with listed grants supporting recipients in several states.
Messing Family Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Messing Family Charitable Foundation gave $352K across 81 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), top state California. 18% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $352,006
- +4.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 81
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $4,346
- +4.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $3,228,942
- -3.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (14 of 77, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (48% 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 Messing Family Charitable 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: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Messing Family Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Synergy School ($58K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $213K.
Grant Size Distribution
405 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 400 grants of 405 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in California (48%) and Colorado (38%). Wisconsin and New York each received 5%, and Texas received 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 81 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Messing Family Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 14 of 77 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 75% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+5%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 130% 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 $333K (2022) to $352K (2024). In 2024 it made 81 grants totaling $352K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Synergy School San Francisco, CA | General & Unrestricted | $57,000 |
| The Nature Conservancy Boulder, CO | Yampa River Conservation | $30,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin Santa Rosa, CA | General & Unrestricted | $21,000 |
| Butterfly Effect Theatre of Colorado Boulder, CO | General & Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Morgan Adams Foundation Denver, CO | General & Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| St Luke Lutheran Church Middleton, WI | Hefty Scholarship Fund | $10,006 |
| Alliance Medical Center Healdsburg, CA | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Frequent Flyers Productions Inc Boulder, CO | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Friends of Perry Mansfield Steamboat Springs, CO | 2024 Dance Program Scholarship Fund | $10,000 |
| Healdsburg Education Foundation Healdsburg, CA | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Messing Family Charitable 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 | $3,228,942 | $273,092 | $403,103 | $352,006 | 81 | $380,605 | $224,553 | $291,984 |
| 2023 | $3,358,953 | $459,360 | $389,689 | $337,996 | 81 | $365,660 | $450,744 | $272,443 |
| 2022 | $3,288,282 | $446,259 | $383,309 | $332,722 | 77 | $361,536 | $401,255 | $281,186 |
| 2021 | $3,225,332 | $393,070 | $387,779 | $336,000 | 85 | $364,579 | $363,694 | $291,180 |
| 2020 | $3,220,041 | $406,469 | $390,318 | $342,964 | 81 | — | $367,958 | $257,054 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Messing Family Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $292K 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 grants included general and unrestricted support, Yampa River conservation, scholarships, and a charitable event.
The grantees’ own descriptions show a range of work: Synergy School says it provides quality education that helps children flourish academically and grow as self-confident, creative learners. Healdsburg Education Foundation says it invests in programs to improve student learning and prepare K–12 students for college, careers, and citizenship. Alliance Medical Center says it works to improve community health and wellness by providing accessible, high-quality healthcare. Friends of Perry Mansfield says it provides young people with world-class arts training, while Wonderbound describes using dance to deepen human connection through discovery and creation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 81 grants totaling $352,006. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $57,000, and the median grant was $1,000. Its largest awards included $57,000 to Synergy School for general and unrestricted support; $30,000 to The Nature Conservancy for Yampa River Conservation; $21,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin for general and unrestricted support; and $20,000 each to Butterfly Effect Theatre of Colorado and Morgan Adams Foundation for general and unrestricted support.
Other notable 2024 grants included $10,006 to St Luke Lutheran Church for the Hefty Scholarship Fund and $10,000 each to Friends of Perry Mansfield for its 2024 Dance Program Scholarship Fund, Healdsburg Education Foundation and Alliance Medical Center for general and unrestricted support, and Wonderbound for a charitable event.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jake Messing as president; Jeanne Elise Messing as vice president; Tara Hefty as treasurer; and Ali True as secretary. Directors listed are Noel Messing Hefty, Terrance Hefty, Roswell Messing III, and Arlene Naschke.
Messing Family Charitable Foundation is led by Jake Messing, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 8 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jake Messing
President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Arlene Naschke
Director
Director & Secretary → Director & Sec*, 2021
Director & Sec* → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Noel Messing Hefty
Director
Director & Treasurer → Director & Treas*, 2021
Director & Treas* → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roswell Messing III
Director
Director & President → Director & Pres*, 2021
Director & Pres* → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Terrance Hefty
Director
Director & Vice President → Director & Vp*, 2021
Director & Vp* → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ali True
Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeanne Elise Messing
Vice President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tara Hefty
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
1 hr/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 Messing Family Charitable Foundation
How much does Messing Family Charitable Foundation give each year?
Messing Family Charitable Foundation gave $352K across 81 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $338K across 81 grants.
What is Messing Family Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Messing Family Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $4,346, across 81 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Messing Family Charitable Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Messing Family Charitable Foundation give grants?
Messing Family Charitable Foundation's top state is California, with 48% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest state was Colorado (38%). The most frequent recipient cities were Healdsburg, CA (8 grants), Boulder, CO (6 grants), San Francisco, CA (6 grants) and Santa Rosa, CA (6 grants).
Does Messing Family Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 83% of Messing Family Charitable Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (67 of 81) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Messing Family Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Messing Family Charitable Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Synergy School ($58,000 across 2 grants), The Nature Conservancy ($33,000 across 2 grants) and Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin ($21,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Messing Family Charitable Foundation?
Messing Family Charitable Foundation reported $3.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $381K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $292K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Messing Family Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included general and unrestricted support, Yampa River conservation, scholarships, and a charitable event. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Messing Family Charitable 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 Messing Family Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Messing Family Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-6034863. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Messing Family Charitable 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 26, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 17, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 23, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Messing Family Charitable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Messing Family Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/messing-family-charitable-foundation-morg_91c033e8316341ed85d2e8fe7f6ef75b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_436034863_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Messing Family Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/messing-family-charitable-foundation-morg_91c033e8316341ed85d2e8fe7f6ef75b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Messing Family Charitable 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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