The Wenden Foundation
The Wenden Foundation is a private foundation based in Washington Depot, Connecticut. It makes grants to charitable organizations; its 2024 filing states that it gives only to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
The Wenden Foundation at a glance
In short: The Wenden Foundation gave $336K across 56 grants in 2024 (avg $6K), top state California. 16% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $336,140
- +32.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 56
- -8.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $6,003
- +44.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $4,250
- Total assets
- $7,026,807
- +22.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (9 of 56, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (25% 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 Wenden Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 68 Lower Church Hill Road, Washington Depot, CT 06794
Phone: (212) 315-2082
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Wenden Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Direct Relief ($78K). Together the top 10 received $186K.
Grant Size Distribution
259 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 257 grants of 259 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 distribution of grant dollars by recipient state was California 25%, Connecticut 25%, New York 20%, Maryland 7%, and the District of Columbia 7%. These figures describe the locations of recipients in that year.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 56 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Wenden Foundation open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 56 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 66% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 133% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 121% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2024). 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $100K (2019) to $336K (2024). In 2024 it made 56 grants totaling $336K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Relief Santa Barbara, CA | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $77,500 |
| A Brightfocus Foundation Clarksburg, MD | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $20,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Incorporated Washington DC, DC | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $16,000 |
| Asap Ministries Berrien Springs, MI | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $12,000 |
| Connecticut Food Bank Wallingford, CT | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $12,000 |
| Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation Inc Torrington, CT | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $10,600 |
| The Dalton School New York, NY | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $10,000 |
| Washington Ambulance Association Washington Depot, CT | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $10,000 |
| Gunn Memorial Library & Museum Washington, CT | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $9,850 |
| Steep Rock Association Inc Washington Depot, CT | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $8,000 |
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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 | $7,026,807 | $915,951 | $412,557 | $336,140 | 56 | $339,607 | $778,944 | $280,575 |
| 2023 | $5,734,094 | $152,959 | $355,034 | $254,300 | 61 | $262,597 | $174,603 | $261,758 |
| 2022 | $5,357,265 | $1,677,251 | $308,461 | $238,660 | 55 | $240,977 | $1,719,770 | $231,261 |
| 2021 | $4,491,280 | $478,907 | $182,213 | $144,158 | 47 | $149,494 | $480,767 | $151,716 |
| 2020 | $2,542,351 | $-133,853 | $152,204 | $123,500 | 40 | — | $17,076 | $89,889 |
| 2019 | $2,362,130 | $195,379 | $131,622 | $100,177 | 47 | — | $225,427 | $112,182 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Wenden Foundation reported a distributable amount of $281K for 2024 — 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 available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants went to organizations working in areas including humanitarian aid, emergency food response, local community welfare, emergency medical services, land conservation, and youth education. For example, Direct Relief describes its work as humanitarian aid for people affected by poverty or emergencies, while World Central Kitchen describes providing meals during humanitarian, climate, and community crises. Other recipients describe work in regional philanthropy and community welfare, emergency medical services in Washington, Connecticut, land conservation, and educational and career support for young people.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 56 grants totaling $336,140. Grant amounts ranged from $230 to $77,500, with a median grant of $4,250. The largest grants included $77,500 to Direct Relief, $20,000 to A BrightFocus Foundation, $16,000 to World Central Kitchen, and $12,000 each to ASAP Ministries and Connecticut Food Bank. The filing describes the listed grants as unrestricted charitable grants.
Other notable awards included $10,600 to Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation, $10,000 each to The Dalton School and Washington Ambulance Association, $9,850 to Gunn Memorial Library & Museum, and $8,000 to Steep Rock Association.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Michael Dennis as president, Katherine Wenning as treasurer, and Mike Rosenberg as director.
The Wenden Foundation is led by Michael Dennis, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Michael Dennis
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike Rosenberg
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katherine Wenning
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 Wenden Foundation
How much does The Wenden Foundation give each year?
The Wenden Foundation gave $336K across 56 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $254K across 61 grants.
What is The Wenden Foundation's typical grant size?
The Wenden Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $4,250, and its average grant was $6,003, across 56 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Wenden Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does The Wenden Foundation give grants?
The Wenden Foundation's top state is California, with 25% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Connecticut (25%) and New York (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (17 grants), Washington, CT (5 grants), Washington Depot, CT (4 grants) and Santa Barbara, CA (3 grants).
Does The Wenden Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Wenden Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (56 of 56) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Wenden Foundation's largest grantees?
The Wenden Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Direct Relief ($77,500), A Brightfocus Foundation ($20,000) and World Central Kitchen Incorporated ($16,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Wenden Foundation?
The Wenden Foundation reported $7.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $340K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $281K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Wenden Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants went to organizations working in areas including humanitarian aid, emergency food response, local community welfare, emergency medical services, land conservation, and youth education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Wenden Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Wenden Foundation's EIN?
The Wenden Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-5548749. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Does The Wenden 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 31, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 30, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 5, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Wenden Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-wenden-foundation-morg_7dd7e8ac732a4ae0ab66919d323868c6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_455548749_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Wenden Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-wenden-foundation-morg_7dd7e8ac732a4ae0ab66919d323868c6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Wenden 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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