The Watts Family Foundation
The Watts Family Foundation is a private foundation, based in Charleston, SC. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $3.9M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 4 grants totaling $215K. Net investment income was $542K.
The Watts Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Watts Family Foundation gave $215K across 4 grants in 2025 (avg $54K), mostly in South Carolina. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $215,000
- -8.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 4
- -33.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $53,750
- +37.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $3,903,316
- +6.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- South Carolina (81% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who The Watts Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 4 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Citadel Foundation ($170K). Together the top 4 received $215K.
Grant Size Distribution
23 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 14 grants of 23 (61%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 4 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Watts Family Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+6%). 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
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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $152K (2019) to $308K (2020). In 2025 it made 4 grants totaling $215K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Citadel Foundation Charleston, SC | General Operating Grant | $170,000 |
| Charlotte Ballet Charlotte, NC | General Operating Grant | $25,000 |
| Open Space Institute New York, NY | General Operating Grant | $15,000 |
| Belle W Baruch Foundation Georgetown, SC | General Operating Grant | $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 | $3,903,316 | $609,007 | $289,341 | $215,000 | 4 | $219,364 | $542,292 | $240,574 |
| 2024 | $3,662,284 | $150,898 | $300,986 | $235,000 | 6 | $239,000 | $88,675 | $245,739 |
| 2023 | $4,088,229 | $142,488 | $285,894 | $239,000 | 6 | $239,000 | $92,891 | $281,708 |
| 2022 | $3,982,620 | $268,512 | $268,611 | $203,000 | 5 | $203,000 | $167,118 | $234,384 |
| 2021 | $4,180,431 | $326,166 | $363,776 | $262,000 | 2 | — | $217,591 | $223,128 |
| 2020 | $4,199,209 | $1,143,653 | $373,276 | $308,441 | 8 | — | $1,056,267 | $155,161 |
| 2019 | $3,354,443 | $380,216 | $183,569 | $151,500 | 3 | — | $302,709 | $154,240 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Watts Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $241K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
The Watts Family Foundation is led by Claudius E. Watts IV, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Claudius E. Watts IV
President
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melesa E. Watts
Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Watts Family Foundation
How much does The Watts Family Foundation give each year?
The Watts Family Foundation gave $215K across 4 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $235K across 6 grants.
What is The Watts Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Watts Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $53,750, across 4 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Watts Family Foundation give grants?
The Watts Family Foundation gives mostly in South Carolina: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were North Carolina (12%) and New York (7%).
Does The Watts Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Watts Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 4) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
How large is The Watts Family Foundation?
The Watts Family Foundation reported $3.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $219K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $241K (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 is The Watts Family Foundation's EIN?
The Watts Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1834414. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 22, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 24, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 16, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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