Pepper Whiston Foundation
Pepper Whiston Foundation is a private foundation based in West Hartford, Connecticut. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations working in areas including animal welfare, cat welfare, and wildlife conservation.
Pepper Whiston Foundation at a glance
In short: Pepper Whiston Foundation gave $1.9M across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $102K), top state District of Columbia. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,945,000
- +166.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- +18.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $102,368
- +124.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $130,000
- Total assets
- $36,602,711
- -0.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (25% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Pepper Whiston 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: Day Pitney Llp 75 Isham Rd 300, West Hartford, CT 06107
Phone: (860) 313-5729
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Pepper Whiston Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ($200K). Together the top 10 received $1.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
50 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 32 grants of 50 (64%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grants went to recipients in multiple states and Washington, DC. By share of grant dollars, the largest listed recipient-state shares were Washington, DC (25%), Connecticut (13%), North Carolina (9%), Maryland (9%), and California (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Pepper Whiston Foundation gives
- 68% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 1420% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 98% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). 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 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $77K (2023) to $1.9M (2025). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $1.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Washington, DC | For Benefit the Cats | $200,000 |
| Humane Society International Washington, DC | End Animal Abuse and Neglect | $160,000 |
| Animal Legal Defense Fund Cotati, CA | For All Animals with Special Focus on Cats | $130,000 |
| Best Friend Animal Society Kanab, UT | For Benefit of Cats | $130,000 |
| Connecticut Humane Society Newington, CT | For Benefit of Cats | $130,000 |
| Every Cat Health Foundation Wyckoff, NJ | For Benefit of Cats | $130,000 |
| International Fund for Animal Welfare Yarmouth Port, MA | For Benefit of Cats in Ukraine and Gaza | $130,000 |
| Panthera New York, NY | For Benefit of Cats | $130,000 |
| Pets for Vets Inc Wilmington, NC | For Benefit of Animals | $130,000 |
| World Wildlife Fund Washington, DC | Protect Endangered Wildlife | $130,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $36,602,711 | $2,338,052 | $2,568,205 | $1,945,000 | 19 | $2,025,597 | $1,662,007 | $2,069,003 |
| 2024 | $36,801,850 | $5,161,352 | $1,231,974 | $729,000 | 16 | $783,126 | $1,758,205 | $1,893,052 |
| 2023 | $32,856,874 | $23,384,799 | $305,563 | $76,500 | 4 | $122,946 | $678,392 | $887,122 |
| 2022 | $9,860,389 | $10,012,987 | $152,598 | $128,000 | 11 | $146,718 | $6,978 | $43,753 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Pepper Whiston Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.1M for 2025 — 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 2025 grants went to animal welfare and conservation organizations. The Connecticut Humane Society describes its work as companion-animal welfare through adoption services, medical care, education, and cruelty prevention. Panthera says its mission is conserving the world’s wild cat species, while World Wildlife Fund describes its mission as conserving nature and reducing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 19 grants totaling $1,945,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $200,000, with a median of $130,000. Among the largest grants were $200,000 to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, $160,000 to Humane Society International, and $130,000 each to Animal Legal Defense Fund, Best Friends Animal Society, Connecticut Humane Society, Every Cat Health Foundation, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Panthera, Pets for Vets, and World Wildlife Fund.
Other reported grants included $120,000 to Our Companions Animal Rescue & Sanctuary and $110,000 to Alley Cat Allies. Pets for Vets describes its work as pairing veterans with trained shelter or rescue pets and supporting those partnerships. Alley Cat Allies says it works to protect and improve cats’ lives.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Edward F. Krzanowski and Peggy J. Webbe as trustees.
Pepper Whiston Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; 1 of 2 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Peggy J. Webbe
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
$3K (2022) → $7K (2025)
Edward F. Krzanowski
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $7K, to Peggy J Webbe (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Pepper Whiston Foundation
How much does Pepper Whiston Foundation give each year?
Pepper Whiston Foundation gave $1.9M across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $729K across 16 grants.
What is Pepper Whiston Foundation's typical grant size?
Pepper Whiston Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $130,000, and its average grant was $102,368, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Pepper Whiston Foundation give grants?
Pepper Whiston Foundation's top state is District of Columbia, with 25% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Connecticut (13%) and North Carolina (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (3 grants).
Does Pepper Whiston Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on Pepper Whiston Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "For Benefit of Cats" (9 grants) and "Advocate for Cats" (3 grants).
Who are Pepper Whiston Foundation's largest grantees?
Pepper Whiston Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ($200,000), Humane Society International ($160,000) and Animal Legal Defense Fund ($130,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Pepper Whiston Foundation?
Pepper Whiston Foundation reported $36.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Pepper Whiston Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to animal welfare and conservation organizations. The Connecticut Humane Society describes its work as companion-animal welfare through adoption services, medical care, education, and cruelty prevention. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Pepper Whiston 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 Pepper Whiston Foundation's EIN?
Pepper Whiston Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 88-2811358. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2025.
Does Pepper Whiston 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Pepper Whiston Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/pepper-whiston-foundation-morg_a9429612a6554154873ac6821aacf5a0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_882811358_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Pepper Whiston Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/pepper-whiston-foundation-morg_a9429612a6554154873ac6821aacf5a0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Pepper Whiston 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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