Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust
Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Madison, Wisconsin. In 2024, it made 15 grants totaling $631,500, mostly to organizations in Wisconsin.
Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust gave $632K across 15 grants in 2024 (avg $42K), mostly in Wisconsin. 13% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $631,500
- -4.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 15
- -68.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $42,100
- +200.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $11,495,046
- -4.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (2 of 15, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (91% 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 Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Mailing address: 6102 South Highlands Avenue, Madison, WI 53705
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Wis Nature Conservancy ($410K). Together the top 10 received $595K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($10,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
111 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 105 grants of 111 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin. Other recipient states and areas were New York (4%), Illinois (2%), DC (2%), and Massachusetts (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 15 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $48K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 87% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 93% 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 (2022–2024). 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 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $632K (2024) to $661K (2022). In 2024 it made 15 grants totaling $632K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wis Nature Conservancy Madison, WI | General Purpose | $410,000 |
| PBS Wisconsin Madison, WI | General Purpose | $75,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin Inc Madison, WI | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| The Clearing Folk School Ellison Bay, WI | General Purpose | $15,000 |
| NRDC Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $15,000 |
| Wilderness Society Washington, DC | General Purpose | $15,000 |
| Environmental Defense Fund New York, NY | General Purpose | $15,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Wis Academy Columbus, WI | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $10,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $11,495,046 | $283,371 | $750,060 | $631,500 | 15 | $633,675 | $166,986 | $680,548 |
| 2023 | $12,001,735 | $-415,193 | $758,430 | $657,500 | 47 | $659,475 | $136,378 | $608,533 |
| 2022 | $13,172,358 | $-248,148 | $763,808 | $661,000 | 49 | $662,750 | $168,976 | $620,086 |
| 2021 | $13,794,876 | $110,940 | $94,877 | — | — | $1,235 | $94,596 | $684,014 |
| 2020 | $13,509,362 | $12,007,396 | $10,113 | — | — | — | $27,020 | $97,152 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $681K 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 trust is provided. Its 2024 grantees include organizations working in several areas. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin says its mission is to empower individuals to manage their sexual and reproductive health through patient services, education, and advocacy. Women’s Medical Fund describes its work as providing funding and logistical support for abortion access in Wisconsin, alongside community organizing and education.
Environmental grantees include Environmental Defense Fund, whose stated mission is to preserve the natural systems on which life depends, and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, which says it works to protect and improve habitat for birds and other wildlife through land acquisition and management, education, and advocacy.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the trust made 15 grants totaling $631,500. Grants ranged from $4,000 to $410,000, with a median grant of $10,000. The listed grants were designated for general purposes.
Among the largest grants were $410,000 to Wisconsin Nature Conservancy, $75,000 to PBS Wisconsin, and $20,000 to Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. Other grants included $15,000 each to The Clearing Folk School, NRDC, Wilderness Society, and Environmental Defense Fund; and $10,000 each to Doctors Without Borders, Wisconsin Academy, Eagle School, Wisconsin Public Radio, and Women’s Medical Fund. Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance received $7,500, and Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society received $5,000.
The trust states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Thomas R Wolfe and Patricia A Powers as trustees.
Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Patricia A. Powers
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas R. Wolfe
Trustee
On filings since 2020
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 Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust
How much does Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust give each year?
Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust gave $632K across 15 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $658K across 47 grants.
What is Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $42,100, across 15 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust that year got $6K on average.
Where does Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust give grants?
Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust gives mostly in Wisconsin: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Madison, WI (7 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust's largest 2024 grantees include Wis Nature Conservancy ($410,000), PBS Wisconsin ($75,000) and Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin Inc ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($10,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 80% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust?
Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust reported $11.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $634K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $681K (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 Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2024 grantees include organizations working in several areas. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin says its mission is to empower individuals to manage their sexual and reproductive health through patient services, education, and advocacy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust?
Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines.
What is Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust's EIN?
Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-6609049. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust 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 August 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/powers-wolfe-charitable-trust-morg_6d6cd8c96e0443a9b85476d0c19359ef
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_396609049_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/powers-wolfe-charitable-trust-morg_6d6cd8c96e0443a9b85476d0c19359ef},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Powers-Wolfe Charitable Trust'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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