The Lisa Wade Foundation
The Lisa Wade Foundation is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. Its 2023 IRS filing is marked as the organization’s final return, so the foundation appears to have wound down or stopped grantmaking.
The Lisa Wade Foundation at a glance
In short: The Lisa Wade Foundation gave $674K across 11 grants in 2023 (avg $61K), mostly in New York. 55% of 2023 grantees were new. Source: 2023 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2023)
- $674,058
- +1211.0% vs 2022
- Grants made (2023)
- 11
- +10.0% vs 2022
- Average grant
- $61,278
- +1091.8% vs 2022
- Median grant
- $3,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 55% first-time grantees (6 of 11, 2023; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (96% of itemized 2023 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2023 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2023; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Lisa Wade 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. Its 2023 filing is marked as its final return; application information should not be treated as current.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3734 Broderick St Apt 2, San Francisco, CA 94123
Phone: (916) 214-0579
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Lisa Wade Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2023
The largest 2023 recipient was Frankel-Wade Donor Advised Fund ($634K). Together the top 10 received $674K.
Grant Size Distribution
38 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 37 grants of 38 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2023 filing reports that 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York. The remaining shares were Colorado, Nevada, and Oregon at 1% each, and California at 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2023 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Lisa Wade Foundation open to new grantees?
55%
first-time grantees, 2023
In 2023, 6 of 11 grantees (55%) 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 $109K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 27% of 2023 grantees were also funded in 2022. Method
- Giving grew 2444% from 2020 to 2023. Method
- In 2023 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2023). 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 2023, annual grant giving ranged from $27K (2020) to $674K (2023). In 2023 it made 11 grants totaling $674K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Frankel-Wade Donor Advised Fund Purchase, NY | General Support | $633,997 |
| Threshold Foundation Brewster, NY | Climate Change Documentary Films | $11,500 |
| Unite America Institute Denver, CO | General Support | $10,000 |
| SSP Eddy House Reno, NV | General Support | $5,000 |
| Sierra Nevada Journeys Reno, NV | General Support | $5,000 |
| Oregon Natural Desert Association Bend, OR | Conservation program protects the most spectacular places in Oregon's high desert and guides people to experience its natural legacy | $3,000 |
| Tahoe Fund Tahoe City, CA | General Support | $2,500 |
| WINDY25 Memorial Fund Bend, OR | Preserve windy25 legacy to make the world a better place | $1,060 |
| Alliance for Middle East Peace Washington, DC | General Support | $1,000 |
| Movember US Santa Monica, CA | General Support | $501 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2023 filing reported 11 grants; the 2022 and 2021 filings reported 10 and 12 grants, respectively.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | — | $20,373 | $697,055 | $674,058 | 11 | $686,901 | $10,069 | $31,177 |
| 2022 | $604,584 | $26,687 | $74,594 | $51,417 | 10 | $64,412 | $14,827 | $33,109 |
| 2021 | $801,072 | $59,193 | $71,113 | $40,199 | 12 | $60,987 | $50,408 | $38,674 |
| 2020 | $791,869 | $57,414 | $36,958 | $26,500 | 5 | — | $49,524 | $33,458 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lisa Wade Foundation reported a distributable amount of $31K for 2023 — 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 2023 grants went to organizations whose stated work included environmental sustainability, conservation, outdoor science education, civic engagement, youth empowerment, and peacebuilding. For example, the Threshold Foundation describes its mission as fostering environmental sustainability and community empowerment, while Sierra Nevada Journeys says it delivers outdoor science-based education for youth.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2023, the foundation reported 11 grants totaling $674,058. Grants ranged from $500 to $633,997, with a median of $3,000. The largest grant was $633,997 to the Frankel-Wade Donor Advised Fund for general support. Other notable grants included $11,500 to the Threshold Foundation for climate change documentary films, $10,000 to the Unite America Institute for general support, and $5,000 each to SSP Eddy House and Sierra Nevada Journeys for general support.
Other 2023 recipients included the Oregon Natural Desert Association ($3,000), Tahoe Fund ($2,500), Windy25 Memorial Fund ($1,060), Alliance for Middle East Peace ($1,000), Movember US ($501), and Breaking Walls ($500). The Oregon Natural Desert Association describes its mission as protecting, defending, and restoring Oregon’s high desert landscapes; Tahoe Fund says it uses philanthropy to improve the Lake Tahoe environment; and Alliance for Middle East Peace describes its work as leading a network of civil society organizations seeking conditions for security, peace, and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2023 filing lists Lisa Wade as president, Michael James Wade as CFO, and Laura Wade as secretary.
The Lisa Wade Foundation is led by Lisa Wade, President since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2023 report compensation.
Officers on the 2023 filing
Lisa Wade
President
President & Board → President, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Wade
Secretary
Secretary & Board → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael James Wade
CFO
CFO & Board → CFO, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2023. "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 Lisa Wade Foundation
How much does The Lisa Wade Foundation give each year?
The Lisa Wade Foundation gave $674K across 11 grants in 2023, according to its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2022 it gave $51K across 10 grants.
What is The Lisa Wade Foundation's typical grant size?
The Lisa Wade Foundation's median grant in 2023 was $3,000, and its average grant was $61,278, across 11 grants on its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Lisa Wade Foundation that year got $109K on average.
Where does The Lisa Wade Foundation give grants?
The Lisa Wade Foundation gives mostly in New York: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Reno, NV (2 grants) and Bend, OR (2 grants).
Does The Lisa Wade Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 64% of The Lisa Wade Foundation's 2023 grants with a stated purpose (7 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Lisa Wade Foundation's largest grantees?
The Lisa Wade Foundation's largest 2023 grantees include Frankel-Wade Donor Advised Fund ($633,997), Threshold Foundation ($11,500) and Unite America Institute ($10,000), according to its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 97% of its itemized 2023 grant dollars.
What does The Lisa Wade Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2023 grants went to organizations whose stated work included environmental sustainability, conservation, outdoor science education, civic engagement, youth empowerment, and peacebuilding. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lisa Wade 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 ↑
How much is The Lisa Wade Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2023, The Lisa Wade Foundation reported a distributable amount of $31K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Lisa Wade Foundation's EIN?
The Lisa Wade Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-4348673. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2023.
Does The Lisa Wade 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2023
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from The Lisa Wade 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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