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
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
No grants recorded for .
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
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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