Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc
The Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Fairlawn, Ohio. Its filing describes its purpose as supporting charitable and educational activities for the cultural, educational, and general well-being of residents in the Akron and Canton area.
Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc gave $175K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), mostly in Ohio. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $175,000
- +94.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +100.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,500
- -2.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $1,880,857
- -0.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (2 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc
- 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: 3320 W Market Street 300, Fairlawn, OH 44333
Phone: (330) 714-6421
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Haven of Rest Ministries ($35K). Together the top 10 received $155K.
Grant Size Distribution
59 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 59 grants of 59 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to organizations in Ohio. Listed recipients include organizations in Akron, Tallmadge, Copley, and Solon.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 14 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 0% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 91% 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $90K (2024) to $175K (2025). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $175K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Haven of Rest Ministries Akron, OH | Support | $35,000 |
| Akron Canton Regional Food Bank Akron, OH | Support | $25,000 |
| Habitat for Humanity of Summit and Medina CO Akron, OH | Support | $25,000 |
| Boys and Girls Club Akron, OH | Support | $15,000 |
| Akron Fossils & Science Center Copley, OH | Support | $10,000 |
| American Red Cross Akron, OH | Support | $10,000 |
| Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center Akron, OH | Support | $10,000 |
| Shelter Care Inc Tallmadge, OH | Support | $10,000 |
| Akron Urban League Akron, OH | Support | $10,000 |
| Child Guidance & Family Solutions Akron, OH | Support | $5,000 |
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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 | $1,880,857 | $282,133 | $290,925 | $175,000 | 14 | $175,000 | $237,892 | $191,543 |
| 2024 | $1,889,649 | $349,732 | $190,423 | $90,000 | 7 | $90,000 | $308,351 | $179,616 |
| 2023 | $1,730,340 | $89,651 | $252,275 | $165,000 | 11 | $165,000 | $41,477 | $165,949 |
| 2022 | $1,892,964 | $104,362 | $276,918 | $168,500 | 10 | $168,500 | $51,900 | $178,249 |
| 2021 | $2,065,520 | $261,782 | $224,962 | $130,250 | 17 | — | $228,809 | $177,322 |
| 2020 | $2,028,700 | $49,734 | $178,739 | $130,000 | 22 | — | $83,607 | $147,219 |
| 2019 | $2,157,705 | $195,585 | $189,545 | $139,500 | 21 | — | $195,585 | $139,229 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $192K 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
The foundation’s purpose, as described in an earlier profile, is to aid charitable and educational activities benefiting residents of Akron and Canton. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations serving a range of community needs. For example, Shelter Care Inc describes its work as providing community mental health services to youth and families, while Child Guidance & Family Solutions describes its mission as providing mental health services for youth, adults, and families. Empowering Epilepsy says it connects people with epilepsy to experts and peers for education, care, and friendship.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $175,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $35,000, with a median of $10,000. Among the listed grants were $35,000 to Haven of Rest Ministries, $25,000 each to Akron Canton Regional Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity of Summit and Medina County, and $15,000 to Boys and Girls Club. Other listed recipients included Akron Fossils & Science Center, American Red Cross, Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center, Shelter Care Inc, Akron Urban League, Child Guidance & Family Solutions, Empowering Epilepsy, and Goodwill Industries.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Michele R. Wayman, Nicolet Miller, and Naomi Ganoe as trustees.
Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michele R. Wayman
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$11K (2019) → $16K (2025)
Nicolet Miller
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$11K (2019) → $16K (2025)
Naomi Ganoe
Trustee
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
$14K (2024) → $16K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Charlotte Graves (2019–2023) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $16K, to Michele R Wayman (Trustee). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc
How much does Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc give each year?
Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc gave $175K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $90K across 7 grants.
What is Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $12,500, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc that year got $8K on average.
Where does Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc give grants?
Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc gives mostly in Ohio: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Akron, OH (11 grants).
Does Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support" (14 grants).
Who are Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Haven of Rest Ministries ($35,000), Akron Canton Regional Food Bank ($25,000) and Habitat for Humanity of Summit and Medina CO ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc?
Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc reported $1.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $175K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $192K (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 Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s purpose, as described in an earlier profile, is to aid charitable and educational activities benefiting residents of Akron and Canton. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations serving a range of community needs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc?
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 Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc's EIN?
Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-1662189. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc 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
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 3, 2020)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/samuel-reese-willis-foundation-inc-morg_b4ab19c6ce2e4d58969e22f970e605d5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_341662189_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/samuel-reese-willis-foundation-inc-morg_b4ab19c6ce2e4d58969e22f970e605d5},
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 Samuel Reese Willis Foundation Inc'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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