The Alexandra and Spencer Wells
The Alexandra and Spencer Wells is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. Its 2025 filing reports 11 grants totaling $112,337 to charitable organizations.
The Alexandra and Spencer Wells at a glance
In short: The Alexandra and Spencer Wells gave $112K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), mostly in California. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $112,337
- -26.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- -47.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,212
- +40.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,893
- Total assets
- $215,670
- -42.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (2 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (60% 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 The Alexandra and Spencer Wells
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states on its 2023 filing that it does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. The filing lists the contact name as THE A AND S WELLS CHARITABLE FOUND and asks for a description of the charity’s purpose and activities and its identification number. It lists no award restrictions.
- Review Cycle
- N/A, as listed on the 2023 filing.
- Deadline
- N/A, as listed on the 2023 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: The A And S Wells Charitable Found
Mailing address: 2935 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94115
Phone: (203) 542-4065
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Alexandra and Spencer Wells funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was San Francisco Film Society ($51K). Together the top 10 received $112K.
Grant Size Distribution
69 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 66 grants of 69 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 60% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 37% to recipients in New York. The remaining shares were Ohio, 2%; Massachusetts, 1%; and South Carolina, 0% as reported.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Alexandra and Spencer Wells open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 11 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 55% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 42% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $69K (2023) to $153K (2024). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $112K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Film Society San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted | $51,000 |
| Every Mother Counts New York, NY | Unrestricted | $30,526 |
| Blackburn Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Unrestricted | $10,300 |
| Columbia University New York, NY | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| San Francisco Opera San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted | $5,150 |
| Western Reserve Academy Hudson, OH | Unrestricted | $1,893 |
| Manifestworks Los Angeles, CA | Unrestricted | $1,180 |
| Nantucket Historical Association Nantucket, MA | Unrestricted | $1,033 |
| Lowcountry Land Trust Charleston, SC | Unrestricted | $515 |
| Brecker-Metal Foundation Inc Suffern, NY | Unrestricted | $500 |
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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 | $215,670 | $-40,440 | $115,962 | $112,337 | 11 | $114,149 | $13,263 | $9,141 |
| 2024 | $372,854 | $48,079 | $152,662 | $152,662 | 21 | $152,662 | $25,358 | $10,955 |
| 2023 | $478,202 | $-72,275 | $71,428 | $68,869 | 8 | $70,148 | $27,457 | $13,862 |
| 2022 | $622,361 | $23,149 | $81,323 | $79,323 | 13 | $80,323 | $32,803 | $19,740 |
| 2021 | $683,407 | $208,567 | $75,512 | $75,212 | 16 | — | $205,417 | $24,690 |
| 2020 | $551,146 | $51,447 | $87,664 | $85,514 | 21 | — | $38,849 | $21,257 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Alexandra and Spencer Wells reported a distributable amount of $9K 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 included support for organizations working in film, maternal health, education, workforce development, history, and land and water conservation. For example, SFFILM describes its mission as supporting independent voices in film through exhibition, youth education, and artist development. Every Mother Counts describes its work as advancing maternal health, while Lowcountry Land Trust says it works to protect land and water and connect conservation to community. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 11 grants totaling $112,337. Grants ranged from $240 to $51,000, with a median of $1,893. The largest grants were $51,000 to San Francisco Film Society, $30,526 to Every Mother Counts, $10,300 to Blackburn Foundation, $10,000 to Columbia University, and $5,150 to San Francisco Opera. All 11 grants listed for 2025 had an unrestricted purpose.
The 2025 grantees’ stated missions illustrate the range of organizations supported: Western Reserve Academy describes its work as preparing students for learning and life; ManifestWorks describes itself as providing workforce development and job placement for people impacted by foster care, homelessness, and incarceration; and Nantucket Historical Association says it preserves and interprets Nantucket’s history.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists L Spencer Wells as president and treasurer and Alexandra Wells as director.
The Alexandra and Spencer Wells is led by L. Spencer Wells, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
L. Spencer Wells
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alexandra Wells
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 The Alexandra and Spencer Wells
How much does The Alexandra and Spencer Wells give each year?
The Alexandra and Spencer Wells gave $112K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $153K across 21 grants.
What is The Alexandra and Spencer Wells's typical grant size?
The Alexandra and Spencer Wells's median grant in 2025 was $1,893, and its average grant was $10,212, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Alexandra and Spencer Wells that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Alexandra and Spencer Wells give grants?
The Alexandra and Spencer Wells gives mostly in California: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (37%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (3 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (2 grants).
Does The Alexandra and Spencer Wells give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Alexandra and Spencer Wells's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Alexandra and Spencer Wells's largest grantees?
The Alexandra and Spencer Wells's largest 2025 grantees include San Francisco Film Society ($51,000), Every Mother Counts ($30,526) and Blackburn Foundation ($10,300), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 82% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Alexandra and Spencer Wells?
The Alexandra and Spencer Wells reported $216K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $114K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $9K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Alexandra and Spencer Wells fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations working in film, maternal health, education, workforce development, history, and land and water conservation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Alexandra and Spencer Wells?
The foundation states on its 2023 filing that it does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Alexandra and Spencer Wells's EIN?
The Alexandra and Spencer Wells's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1572332. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Alexandra and Spencer Wells 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 15, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 29, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work The Alexandra and Spencer Wells funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in The Alexandra and Spencer Wells's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Alexandra and Spencer Wells funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-alexandra-and-spencer-wells-morg_f1b465671c624cef8f87459b9fdbd8e3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_261572332_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Alexandra and Spencer Wells funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-alexandra-and-spencer-wells-morg_f1b465671c624cef8f87459b9fdbd8e3},
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 The Alexandra and Spencer Wells'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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