The Weasel Fund

Private foundation · Grantmaker Millstadt, IL EIN: 20-2532948

The Weasel Fund was a private foundation based in Millstadt, Illinois. Its 2025 filing is marked as the organization’s final return and says it was terminated as of December 31, 2025; the filing reports no grants and no assets, so the fund appears to have wound down and stopped grantmaking.

The Weasel Fund at a glance

Revenue (2025)
$6,667
-93.8% vs 2024
Expenses (2025)
$9,843
-96.8% vs 2024
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 Weasel Fund

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The filing says the foundation contributed only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. This policy is from the fund’s final filing and should not be treated as a current application process.

Contact

Mailing address: Pwc Llp 6733 Red Barn Farms Lane, Millstadt, IL 62260
Phone: (314) 206-8500

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who The Weasel Fund funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Grant Size Distribution

94 grants across all recorded years

91<$50K3$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 91 grants of 94 (97%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The 2024 recipients listed here were based in Illinois, Missouri, Virginia, New York, and Washington, DC. These locations describe the listed grantees, not a stated geographic focus for the fund.

Grant Distribution by State

10states
+2 more states

Cities

ChicagoNew YorkWashingtonBurlingtonHillsideOlivetteSacramentoAnnandaleonhudsonDenverLincolnArlingtonAtlantaBemidji

Is The Weasel Fund open to new grantees?

10%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 2 of 21 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $18K; repeat grants $14K. How we count

Medians: $18K first-time, $10K repeat.

  • 86% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving grew 70% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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

$0$100K$200K$300K$400K29 grants2020 25 grants2021 27 grants2022 21 grants2023 21 grants2024 0 grants2025

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $177K (2021) to $301K (2024). In 2024 it made 21 grants totaling $301K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
The Montessori School of Englewood Chicago, ILGeneral Endowment$50,000
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Olivette, MOGeneral Endowment$30,000
The Nature Conservancy Arlington, VAGeneral Endowment$30,000
Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago, ILGeneral Endowment$25,000
Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival Chicago, ILGeneral Endowment$25,000
Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc New York, NYGeneral Endowment$20,000
Zeno Mountain Farm Lincoln, VTGeneral Endowment$17,000
Aspire of Illinois Hillside, ILGeneral Endowment$15,000
Audience Architects NFP Chicago, ILGeneral Endowment$10,000
Deeply Rooted Dance Theater Chicago, ILGeneral Endowment$10,000
Your AI grants department

Ready to take the next step with The Weasel Fund?

Fully replaces Grant database subscriptions Instrumentl · Foundation Directory · GrantStation & similar

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025—$6,667$9,843————$11,118
2024$262,670$107,047$309,312$301,00021$304,675$102,410$22,646
2023$474,543$127,111$260,348$252,50021$255,862$62,979$30,761
2022$623,245$144,463$296,362$291,00027$293,500$40,860$39,447
2021$789,324$21,413$184,112$177,00025$179,500$16,801$50,991
2020$924,422$239,344$211,149$203,00029—$133,556$45,597

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Weasel Fund reported a distributable amount of $11K 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

The available information does not state a mission for The Weasel Fund. Its 2024 grants went to organizations whose stated work included land and water conservation, plant science, hunger relief, reproductive health care, services for people with disabilities, dance, and women’s rights. These are the grantees’ missions, not a stated mission of the fund.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the fund gave $301,000 through 21 grants, averaging about $14,333 per grant. In 2023, it gave $252,500 through 21 grants. Its 2025 final filing reports no grants.

Notable 2024 grants included $30,000 each to The Nature Conservancy and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center; $25,000 to the Greater Chicago Food Depository; $20,000 to Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc; $15,000 to Aspire of Illinois; and $10,000 each to Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Audience Architects NFP. The Nature Conservancy describes its mission as conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. The Greater Chicago Food Depository says its mission is to end hunger, and Aspire of Illinois says it connects people with disabilities to possibilities in learning, jobs, and safe places to live.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Robert B Shapiro, Virginia R Farley, James Shapiro, and Nina Gordon as trustees.

The Weasel Fund's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Robert B. Shapiro

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Virginia R. Farley

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • James Shapiro

    Trustee

    New on the 2025 filing

    No compensation reported

  • Nina Gordon

    Trustee

    New on the 2025 filing

    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 Weasel Fund

What does The Weasel Fund fund?

The available information does not state a mission for The Weasel Fund. Its 2024 grants went to organizations whose stated work included land and water conservation, plant science, hunger relief, reproductive health care, services for people with disabilities, dance, and women’s rights. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Weasel Fund?

The filing says the foundation contributed 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 ↑

Where does The Weasel Fund make grants?

The 2024 recipients listed here were based in Illinois, Missouri, Virginia, New York, and Washington, DC. These locations describe the listed grantees, not a stated geographic focus for the fund.

How much is The Weasel Fund required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, The Weasel Fund reported a distributable amount of $11K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is The Weasel Fund's EIN?

The Weasel Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-2532948. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does The Weasel Fund 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

(6)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 8, 2021)
  2. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 22, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 8, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 20, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
  6. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 29, 2026)

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in The Weasel Fund's focus areas in our free grants database

Similar Funders

Funders that support many of the same organizations

The Martha Struthers Farley and Donald C

Pennington, NJ

The foundation supports varied charitable work, including music and dance education, abortion care, Indigenous community power, health services, and college and career success. Its 2023 grants totaled $1 million across 69 organizations, with notable awards of $30,000–$50,000; grantees were not limited to a stated geographic area. It gives only to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$429K

Grants

69

Total Given

$1.0M

Aetna Foundation Inc

Hartford, CT

Aetna Foundation supported health and wellness, access to health care, and related community needs; its 2021 grants ranged from $5,000 to $1 million, with a median of $40,000, and went to organizations across multiple states, especially in D.C. and Connecticut. Its 2021 filing was marked final, so it appears to have ended or be winding down grantmaking; that filing said there were no restrictions on who could apply and pointed applicants to its website for application materials.

Assets

—

Grants

65

Total Given

$7.2M

Chauncey and Marion D McCormick Family Foundation

Chicago, IL

The foundation funds a broad range of work, including social services, conservation, education, arts and culture, and health, with 2025 grants ranging from $2,500 to $350,000 and a median of $50,000. It is based in Chicago, and nearly half of its 2025 grant dollars went to Illinois, with additional funding across several other states. The filing names a contact for application information but does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.

Assets

$116.9M

Grants

68

Total Given

$4.2M

Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation

Chicago, IL

The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation funds land conservation, arts organizations, and efforts to broaden narratives, primarily in the Chicago region and South Carolina Lowcountry. Its 2024 grants ranged from $60 to $235,500, with a median of $10,000; published arts-program grants range from $2,500–$13,500 in Chicago and $5,000–$25,000 in the Lowcountry. It accepts applications through an online system, but arts applicants are asked to contact program staff before applying.

Assets

$194.0M

Grants

355

Total Given

$7.1M

Walder Foundation

Wilmington, DE

The Walder Foundation funds science innovation, environmental sustainability, the performing arts, migration and immigrant communities, and Jewish life, primarily in the Chicago metropolitan area, with select projects elsewhere. Its 2024 grants ranged from $5,000 to $2.25 million, with a median of $77,500. It does not accept unsolicited requests; grantmaking is primarily by invitation.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$154.6M

Grants

200

Total Given

$24.4M

Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Inc

Princeton, NJ

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation supports health access and stronger health systems, with a focus on adult and pediatric cancers, blood disorders, brain health, and clinical-trial participation in the United States, Brazil, India, and ten Sub-Saharan African countries. In 2024, its median grant was about $134,000, though awards varied widely; it does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests, and advises prospective applicants to contact the Foundation about its process.

Assets

$83.3M

Grants

144

Total Given

$67.7M

More similar funders

More Funders in Illinois

The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from The Weasel Fund'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 Weasel Fund down — hundreds of funders to go?

Want AI to do this for you?