The Wenger Family Foundation

SANTA BARBARA, CA EIN: 52-1744058

The Wenger Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Santa Barbara, California, established in 1991 and recognized as tax-exempt since November 1992. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and functions as a family foundation with a focus on philanthropic grantmaking.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$16K

-98.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$825K

+1851.6% YoY

Grant Count

-26.1% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$49K

+2540.4% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Wenger Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $45K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary funding interests include:

Education
Environment
Human Services
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Arts and Creative Writing
Historic Buildings
Journalism

Grantmaking

The foundation appears open to new applicants, with approximately 12% of new applicants receiving funding.

Grant Range

$200–$781,818

Average Grant

amount: $8

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation supports projects across multiple states and regions, with primary focus areas including:

California
Maryland
District of Columbia
New York
Pennsylvania
Texas
Florida
Illinois

Specific cities where the foundation has funded include: Bethesda, Bronx, Goleta, New York, Philadelphia, Santa Barbara, and Towson.

Grant Distribution by State

Florida $782K (78%)

California $120K (12%)

District of Columbia $76K (8%)

Maryland $11K (1%)

New York $6K (1%)

Pennsylvania $4K (0%)

Virginia $3K (0%)

Illinois $500 (0%)

+1 more states

States

California District of Columbia Florida Illinois Maryland New York Oregon Pennsylvania Virginia

Cities

ArlingtonBaltimoreBethesdaBronxCulver CityEastonGoletaMcleanNew YorkPhiladelphiaPortlandSan FranciscoSan Luis ObispoSanta BarbaraSanta MariaSt PetersburgTowsonWashingtonWinnetka

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Most Recent Filing (Fiscal Year Ending June 2025):

Total Assets: $15,857
Total Revenue: $77,061
Total Expenses: $831,786
Net Income: -$754,725
Total Liabilities: $0

Prior Year (Fiscal Year Ending June 2024):

Total Assets: $780,327
Total Revenue: $50,921
Total Expenses: $47,145
Investment Income: $15,034
Net Gain from Sale of Non-Inventory Assets: $35,435

The foundation's revenue sources include investment income and dividends, with no contributions received in recent years.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2025	2024	2023
Total Assets	$15,857	$780,327	$776,551
Revenue	$77,061	$50,921	$19,346
Expenses	$831,786	$47,145	$58,710
Qualifying Distributions	$828,662	$44,436	$54,330
Net Investment Income	$74,636	$47,760	$16,991
Distributable Amount	$44,643	$46,141	$44,420

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 2025

Grant Size Distribution

123 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund Daf ($781,818), National Multiple Sclerosis Society ($6,000), Ganna Walska Lotusland ($5,122).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
GRACE REPRODUCTIVE FUND WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL PURPOSES	$2,500
PROFANT FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS SANTA BARBARA, CA	GENERAL PURPOSES	$500
ROUND HOUSE THEATER BETHESDA, MD	GENERAL PURPOSES	$1,500
SANTA BARBARA BOTANIC GARDEN SANTA BARBARA, CA	GENERAL PURPOSES	$2,500
WOMEN'S FUND OF SANTA BARBARA SANTA BARBARA, CA	GENERAL PURPOSES	$2,500
SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SANTA BARBARA, CA	GENERAL PURPOSES	$2,472
JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY BALTIMORE, MD	GENERAL PURPOSES	$500
KIDSAVE CULVER CITY, CA	GENERAL PURPOSES	$5,000
GANNA WALSKA LOTUSLAND SANTA BARBARA, CA	GENERAL PURPOSES	$5,122
SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF ART SANTA BARBARA, CA	GENERAL PURPOSES	$1,550

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Robert M Wenger - Trustee, dedicating 5 hours per week on a voluntary basis without compensation.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

From 2025 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
ROBERT M WENGER	TRUSTEE	5	$1,147

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Wenger Family Foundation fund?

The foundation's primary funding interests include: • Education • Environment • Human Services • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Arts and Creative Writing • Historic Buildings • Journalism

How do I apply for a grant from The Wenger Family Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Total giving: $824,762 (fiscal year ending June 2025) • Typical grant range: $200–$781,818 • Median grant amount: $1,771 • Average grant amount: $8 • Number of grants awarded: 40 (most recent year) **Recent Grant Examples (2024):** • Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History: $5,000 • Ganna Walska Lotusland: $3,100 • Santa Barbara Botanic Garden: $2,500 **Giving Rate:** 5.7% of assets The foundation appears open to new applicants, with approximately 12% of new applicants rec…

Where does The Wenger Family Foundation make grants?

The foundation supports projects across multiple states and regions, with primary focus areas including: • California • Maryland • District of Columbia • New York • Pennsylvania • Texas • Florida • Illinois Specific cities where the foundation has funded include: Bethesda, Bronx, Goleta, New York, Philadelphia, Santa Barbara, and Towson.

What size grants does The Wenger Family Foundation award?

In 2025, The Wenger Family Foundation awarded 17 grants totaling $825K — an average of about $49K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Wenger Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, The Wenger Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $45K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.