The Wells Foundation
The Wells Foundation is a private foundation based in Louisville, Kentucky. Its 2025 filing reports 15 grants totaling $212,500, with most grant dollars going to recipients in Kentucky. Its 2026 filing, the latest on this page, reports 23 grants totaling $316,370.
The Wells Foundation at a glance
In short: The Wells Foundation gave $316K across 23 grants in 2026 (avg $14K), mostly in Kentucky. 39% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $316,370
- +48.9% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 23
- +53.3% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $13,755
- -2.9% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $6,004,711
- -1.4% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 39% first-time grantees (9 of 23, 2026; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (95% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Wells 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4350 Brownsboro Road 310, Louisville, KY 40207
Phone: (502) 893-4215
Website: https://wellsinternationalfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Wells Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Saint Xavier High School ($75K). Together the top 10 received $284K.
Grant Size Distribution
85 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 77 grants of 85 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in Kentucky. The remaining reported shares were Florida (4%), California (2%), Washington, DC (0%), and Virginia (0%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Wells Foundation open to new grantees?
39%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 9 of 23 grantees (39%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 48% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2023 to 2026 (+5%). Method
- In 2026 it paid out 93% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2026). 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 2021 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $177K (2021) to $418K (2024). In 2026 it made 23 grants totaling $316K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Saint Xavier High School Louisville, KY | Unrestricted Gift | $75,000 |
| St Vincent De Paul Louisville Louisville, KY | Unrestricted Gift | $50,000 |
| St Agnes Catholic Church Louisville, KY | Unrestricted Gift | $50,000 |
| Holy Trinity Louisville, KY | Unrestricted Gift | $40,000 |
| Catholic Education Foundation Louisville, KY | Unrestricted Gift | $20,000 |
| Filson Historical Society Louisville, KY | Unrestricted Gift | $12,500 |
| Louisville Orchestra Louisville, KY | Unrestricted Gift | $12,070 |
| Sacred Heart Academy Annual Fund Louisville, KY | Unrestricted Gift | $10,000 |
| Lost Tree Foundation North Palm Beach, FL | Unrestricted Gift | $8,000 |
| River Fields Louisville, KY | Unrestricted Gift | $6,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $6,004,711 | $237,954 | $324,749 | $316,370 | 23 | $316,370 | $229,575 | $338,752 |
| 2025 | $6,091,506 | $302,818 | $223,142 | $212,500 | 15 | $212,500 | $292,176 | $292,570 |
| 2024 | $6,011,858 | $356,226 | $426,344 | $417,801 | 14 | $417,801 | $347,683 | $320,706 |
| 2023 | $6,080,886 | $182,258 | $311,143 | $301,600 | 17 | $301,600 | $173,317 | $319,300 |
| 2022 | $6,196,448 | $1,014,436 | $269,442 | $226,500 | 16 | $226,500 | $14,436 | $298,397 |
| 2021 | $5,130,853 | $2,141,462 | $207,584 | $177,050 | 12 | — | $2,135,769 | $237,786 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Wells Foundation reported a distributable amount of $339K for 2026 — 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 Wells Foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations, schools, and other nonprofits. The Speed Art Museum describes its own mission as inviting everyone to celebrate art; Virginia Chance School describes its own work as educating children from ages 2 through 5th grade through a whole-child approach. River Fields says it works to protect and enhance natural and cultural resources along the Ohio River, and The Nicholson Project describes itself as an artist residency and neighborhood garden.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 15 grants totaling $212,500. Grants ranged from $500 to $65,000, with a median grant of $7,500. Recent totals were $417,801 across 14 grants in 2024 and $301,600 across 17 grants in 2023. Its 2026 filing, the latest on this page, reports 23 grants totaling $316,370.
The largest reported 2025 grants included Holy Trinity ($65,000), Speed Art Museum ($44,000), Filson Historical Society ($32,000), Catholic Services Appeal ($10,000), Sacred Heart Academy Annual Fund ($10,000), Saint Xavier High School ($10,000), and Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana ($10,000). Each was listed as an unrestricted gift.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ann Wells and Darrell Wells as directors.
The Wells Foundation's 2026 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Ann Wells
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Darrell Wells
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "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 Wells Foundation
How much does The Wells Foundation give each year?
The Wells Foundation gave $316K across 23 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $213K across 15 grants.
What is The Wells Foundation's typical grant size?
The Wells Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $5,000, and its average grant was $13,755, across 23 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Wells Foundation that year got $14K on average.
Where does The Wells Foundation give grants?
The Wells Foundation gives mostly in Kentucky: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Louisville, KY (20 grants).
Does The Wells Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Wells Foundation's 2026 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Wells Foundation's largest grantees?
The Wells Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include Saint Xavier High School ($75,000), St Vincent De Paul Louisville ($50,000) and St Agnes Catholic Church ($50,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is The Wells Foundation?
The Wells Foundation reported $6.0M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $316K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $339K (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 does The Wells Foundation fund?
No mission statement for The Wells Foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations, schools, and other nonprofits. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Wells Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Wells Foundation's EIN?
The Wells Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-6157507. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.
Does The Wells Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS September 2, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 23, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS December 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS December 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS September 30, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Wells Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-wells-foundation-morg_aca3752b116b447e8439874878c95406
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_386157507_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Wells Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-wells-foundation-morg_aca3752b116b447e8439874878c95406},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Wells 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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