The W Foundation
The W Foundation is a private foundation based in Seattle, Washington. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations providing social services and cultural enrichment.
The W Foundation at a glance
In short: The W Foundation gave $32K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $2K), mostly in Washington. 69% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $31,500
- +246.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +225.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $2,423
- +6.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $231,299
- -7.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 69% first-time grantees (9 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Washington (71% 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 The W 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: 2821 Fairview Ave E 11, Seattle, WA 98102
Phone: (206) 324-8933
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The W Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Sun Valley Music Festival ($6K). Together the top 10 received $29K.
Grant Size Distribution
41 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 41 grants of 41 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Seattle. In 2024, 71% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, 19% to Idaho, 6% to Missouri, and 3% to the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The W Foundation open to new grantees?
69%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 13 grantees (69%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 23% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 76% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 148% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $9K (2023) to $32K (2024). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $32K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sun Valley Music Festival Ketchum, ID | Cultural Enrichment | $6,000 |
| Mary's Place Seattle, WA | Social Service | $5,000 |
| Pike Place Market Foundation Seattle, WA | Social Service | $5,000 |
| Jewish Federation Seattle, WA | Social Service | $3,500 |
| Kuow Seattle, WA | Social Service | $2,500 |
| Northwest Harvest Kent, WA | Social Service | $2,000 |
| St Louis Food Bank Bridgeton, MO | Social Service | $2,000 |
| Seattle Times Fund For The Needy Seattle, WA | Social Service | $1,000 |
| National Air and Space Washington, DC | Education | $1,000 |
| Salvation Army Seattle, WA | Social Service | $1,000 |
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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 | $231,299 | $15,901 | $34,708 | $31,500 | 13 | $31,500 | $15,901 | $21,327 |
| 2023 | $250,105 | $14,006 | $12,363 | $9,100 | 4 | $9,100 | $14,006 | $20,132 |
| 2022 | $248,463 | — | $18,407 | $15,000 | 5 | $15,000 | — | $22,379 |
| 2021 | $266,870 | $13,296 | $24,183 | $17,850 | 11 | $17,850 | $13,296 | $24,275 |
| 2020 | $277,755 | $15,188 | $18,358 | $18,150 | 8 | — | $15,188 | $22,445 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The W Foundation reported a distributable amount of $21K 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 foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included social service, cultural enrichment, and education purposes. The Pike Place Market Foundation describes its mission as supporting programs for low-income people, heritage programs, and public improvements in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Union Gospel Mission describes its mission as helping people move from homelessness to wholeness. Maris Place for the Arts says it fosters creativity and self-confidence in low-income and BIPOC children and teens through arts and culture programs.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $31,500 across 13 grants. Grants ranged from $500 to $6,000, with a median grant of $2,000. Notable grants included $6,000 to Sun Valley Music Festival, $5,000 each to Mary’s Place and the Pike Place Market Foundation, and $3,500 to Jewish Federation. The 2024 filing also lists $2,500 to KUOW and $2,000 each to Northwest Harvest and St Louis Food Bank.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Arthur L Wahl and Eva S Wahl as directors.
The W Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Arthur L Wahl
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eva S Wahl
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/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 The W Foundation
How much does The W Foundation give each year?
The W Foundation gave $32K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $9K across 4 grants.
What is The W Foundation's typical grant size?
The W Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,423, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The W Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The W Foundation give grants?
The W Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 71% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Idaho (19%) and Missouri (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (9 grants).
Does The W Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on The W Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Social Service" (10 grants).
Who are The W Foundation's largest grantees?
The W Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Sun Valley Music Festival ($6,000), Mary's Place ($5,000) and Pike Place Market Foundation ($5,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The W Foundation?
The W Foundation reported $231K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $32K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $21K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The W Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included social service, cultural enrichment, and education purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The W 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 The W Foundation's EIN?
The W Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-2014762. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The W 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 2020–2024
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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 W 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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