The W Wright Foundation
The W Wright Foundation is a Tucson, Arizona foundation established in 2016 to fulfill Wyvon Wright’s wishes by providing scholarships for women who are U.S. citizens. Its scholarship program supports eligible students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, or technical education at accredited U.S. institutions.
The W Wright Foundation at a glance
In short: The W Wright Foundation gave $107K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), top state Colorado. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $107,000
- +11.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- -18.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,944
- +36.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,152,985
- +3.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Colorado (15% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The W Wright Foundation
- Contact
Application contact: Mindy Griffith
Mailing address: 33 N Tucson Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85716
Phone: (520) 624-3000
Website: https://www.wwrightfoundation.org/
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The W Wright Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
103 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 103 grants of 103 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing’s grant-dollar distribution shows the largest recipient-state shares were Colorado (15%), New Jersey (14%), Utah (14%), Texas (12%), and Virginia (7%). The website’s eligibility criteria require enrollment at an accredited institution in the United States.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The W Wright Foundation gives
- Giving grew 37% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 209% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $67K (2020) to $107K (2025). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $107K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 18 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $107,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The filing type is Form 990-PF (a private foundation).
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,152,985 | $64,749 | $138,363 | $107,000 | 18 | $115,947 | $51,311 | $55,591 |
| 2024 | $1,118,605 | $335,516 | $109,269 | $96,000 | 22 | $96,000 | $335,516 | — |
| 2023 | $1,119,711 | $68,133 | $99,971 | $89,500 | 29 | $89,500 | $68,133 | — |
| 2022 | $1,049,479 | $46,772 | $82,407 | $78,000 | 17 | $78,000 | $46,772 | — |
| 2021 | $1,331,826 | $81,484 | $78,234 | $74,500 | 17 | $74,500 | $81,396 | — |
| 2020 | $1,255,313 | $21,673 | $79,898 | $66,750 | 23 | — | $25,250 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The W Wright Foundation reported a distributable amount of $56K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation says its purpose is to help women attain higher education. It offers scholarships for undergraduate and graduate study and technical school. Applicants must be female U.S. citizens, be high school graduates or current post-secondary students, have at least a 3.0 GPA or equivalent, and provide proof of enrollment at an accredited U.S. institution upon receiving an award.
The foundation considers academic records, volunteer work, financial need, future goals, and writing skills. Its website says individual awards may range from $750 to $10,000; awards are not automatically renewed, but recipients may reapply.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $107,000. The grants ranged from $2,000 to $15,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest awards listed were $15,000 to an individual recipient in New Jersey and $10,000 each to individual recipients in Texas, Utah, and Colorado; the listed purposes were scholarships.
The foundation’s 2025 filing states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Its application information identifies a scholarship application and income information as required materials, lists no restrictions on awards, and gives a May 21, 2025 deadline. That deadline has passed.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Caro Patterson as president and Melinda Griffith as secretary. It lists Shanelle Schmitz, Audriana Hurbon, Amber Fehrs-Battey, and Heylie Eigen as directors.
The foundation’s website identifies Mindy, Heylie, Caro, Audriana, Shanelle, and Amber as members of its board.
The W Wright Foundation is led by Caro Patterson, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Caro Patterson
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Amber Fehrs-Battey
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Audriana Hurbon
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Heylie Eigen
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Shanelle Schmitz
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Melinda Griffith
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Pettie Martin (2020–2022) — Director
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 W Wright Foundation
How much does The W Wright Foundation give each year?
The W Wright Foundation gave $107K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $96K across 22 grants.
What is The W Wright Foundation's typical grant size?
The W Wright Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $5,944, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The W Wright Foundation give grants?
The W Wright Foundation's top state is Colorado, with 15% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New Jersey (14%) and Utah (14%).
Does The W Wright Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on The W Wright Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (18 grants).
How large is The W Wright Foundation?
The W Wright Foundation reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $116K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $56K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The W Wright Foundation fund?
The foundation says its purpose is to help women attain higher education. It offers scholarships for undergraduate and graduate study and technical school. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The W Wright Foundation?
The W Wright Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check wwrightfoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The W Wright Foundation's EIN?
The W Wright Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-2199519. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 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 May 25, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 26, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 19, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 22, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 29, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The W Wright Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The W Wright Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Figures come from The W Wright 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.
The W Wright Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?