The Wendys Foundation is a corporate foundation established in 2002 and based in Dublin, Ohio. It operates as a 501(c)(3) private foundation with a focus on philanthropic grantmaking to support various charitable causes.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$516K
-33.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$393K
+19.2% YoY
Grant Count
21
-16.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$19K
+41.9% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Wendys Foundation reported a distributable amount of $36K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation primarily funds initiatives to:
- Transform the lives of homeless men, women, and children by providing crucial services to end homelessness
- Support efforts to strengthen America's military
- Support foster care adoption efforts
- Fund hospitals and organizations involved with golf and human services
Grantmaking
Written requests with background literature are accepted for proposals.
Grant Range
$2,500 to $200,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports initiatives across multiple U.S. states and cities, including Ohio, Texas, California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and other locations nationwide.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Fiscal Year (2024):
- Total Revenue: $132,178
- Total Expenses: $396,718
- Total Assets: $516,104
- Total Liabilities: $0
- Net Income: -$264,540
Tax Status: Tax-exempt since March 2002 (EIN: 31-1807834)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $516,104 | $780,644 | $1,032,412 |
| Revenue | $132,178 | $81,143 | $355,000 |
| Expenses | $396,718 | $332,911 | $429,548 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $396,718 | $332,911 | $429,548 |
| Net Investment Income | $31,378 | $46,143 | — |
| Distributable Amount | $36,334 | $46,824 | $97,755 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
131 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption ($200,000), WeCare ($55,800), MidOhio Food Collective ($25,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| MidOhio Food Collective Grove City, OH | To end hunger one nourishing meal at a time while co-creating sustainable communities where everyone thrives. | $25,000 |
| Columbus Urban League Columbus, OH | To empower African Americans and underrepresented groups through economic educational and social progress. | $10,000 |
| Columbus Urban League Columbus, OH | To empower African Americans and disenfranchised groups through economic educational and social progress. | $15,000 |
| Casa Valentina Miami, FL | To provide at-risk and former foster care youth with safe affordable housing life skills and continued support so that they can achieve and maintain self-sufficiency. | $2,500 |
| Church and Community Assistance Program Kissimmee, FL | To aid and assist individuals and their families to achieve self-sufficiency. | $2,500 |
| Keep Ohio Beautiful Fairlawn, OH | To empower Ohio communities to take greater responsibility for improving the local environment through litter prevention beautification community greening waste reduction and recycling. | $5,000 |
| Law and Leadership Institute Columbus, OH | To work with high school students from underserved communities to educate them about and prepare them for careers in the legal profession. | $2,500 |
| Licking County Coalition of Care Newark, OH | To break the cycle of poverty in Licking County OH | $2,500 |
| My Project USA Columbus, OH | To be a catalyst for protecting and empowering youth by uplifting families througheducation social services civic engagement and advocacy. | $5,000 |
| Northern Rhode Island Food Pantry Cumberland, RI | To provide high-quality foods and services to individuals and families in the Northern Rhode Island area to sustain and enrich our neighbors in need so they can become as self-sufficient as possible and to improve their quality of life. | $5,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- President: Liliana M Esposito
- Chief Executive Officer: Kirk Tanner
- Treasurer: Aaron Kale
- Secretary: Kirk A Vidra
All board members serve without compensation and dedicate minimal hours (1 hour per week) to their roles.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Kale | Treasurer | 1 | — |
| Liliana M Esposito | President | 1 | — |
| Kirk Tanner | Chief Executive Officer | 1 | — |
| Kirk A Vidra | Secretary | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In March 2024, Wendy's announced record support for foster care adoption, with restaurant teams and supporters raising $22.6 million benefiting the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption over the previous year. This fundraising included programs such as "Make A Biggie Difference," coin canister collection, Boo! Books, and Frosty Key Tags.
Nashville Foundations Deploy Millions in Community GrantsSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Wendys Foundation fund?
The foundation primarily funds initiatives to: • Transform the lives of homeless men, women, and children by providing crucial services to end homelessness • Support efforts to strengthen America's military • Support foster care adoption efforts • Fund hospitals and organizations involved with golf and human services
How do I apply for a grant from The Wendys Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Made 25 grants in 2024 • Grant range: $2,500 to $200,000 • Median grant size: $5,000 • Recent notable grant: $200,000 to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (2024) • Other recent grants include $15,000 and $10,000 to Columbus Urban League (2024) **Application Process:** Written requests with background literature are accepted for proposals. **Approachability:** The foundation appears open to applications and has recent grant activity, though it operates with limited st…
Where does The Wendys Foundation make grants?
The foundation supports initiatives across multiple U.S. states and cities, including Ohio, Texas, California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and other locations nationwide.
What size grants does The Wendys Foundation award?
In 2024, The Wendys Foundation awarded 21 grants totaling $393K — an average of about $19K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Wendys Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Wendys Foundation reported a distributable amount of $36K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Wendys Foundation's EIN?
The Wendys Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1807834. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Wendys Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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