The Wise Family Charitable Foundation
The Wise Family Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Chester, New York. In its 2025 filing, it reported 15 grants totaling $123,800 to organizations in New York, Florida, and California.
Key facts about The Wise Family Charitable Foundation
In short: The Wise Family Charitable Foundation gave $124K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in New York. 40% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 13-3861747
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $123,800
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- Average grant
- $8,253
- Median grant
- $5,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 40% first-time grantees (6 of 15, 2025)
- Total assets
- $261,212
- Primary geography
- New York (71% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states in its 2023 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$261K
-31.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$124K
+42.9% YoY
Grant Count
15
+7.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$8K
+33.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Wise Family Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $17K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Wise Family Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
40%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 15 grantees (40%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 40% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−16%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 748% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Bard College describes its mission as providing a challenging academic program and a supportive environment for the exchange of ideas and academic achievement. New Music USA says it works to nurture an inclusive community for artists and listeners by supporting new music. Concern Foundation says it distributes research grants to fund cancer research.
The foundation also gave to organizations whose stated work includes performance, commissioning, and education in American orchestral music. American Composers Orchestra describes these as its activities, alongside professional development for composers.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 15 grants totaling $123,800. Grants ranged from $600 to $25,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest listed grants were $25,000 each to Bard College, NY Eye & Ear Infirmary, and University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; each was designated for general support. Other listed grants included $10,000 to New Music USA for general support, and $5,000 each to American Composers Orchestra and Concern Foundation for general support. Other 2025 recipients included Luna Composition Lab, which received $2,000, and Penny Lane Centers, which received $600.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 71% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 20% to recipients in Florida, and 9% to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $21K (2021) to $148K (2022). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $124K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Bard College ($25K). Together the top 10 received $115K.
Grant Size Distribution
67 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 67 grants of 67 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bard College Annandaleonhudson, NY | General Support | $25,000 |
| NY Eye & Ear Infirmary New York, NY | General Support | $25,000 |
| University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Coral Gables, FL | General Support | $25,000 |
| New Music USA New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| Harmony Program New York, NY | General Support | $5,200 |
| American Composers Orchestra New York, NY | General Support | $5,000 |
| Arts and Letters New York, NY | General Support | $5,000 |
| Concern Foundation Los Angeles, CA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music Boonville, CA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Peace Club Tivoli, NY | General Support | $5,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $261,212 | $41,905 | $176,531 | $123,800 | 15 |
| 2024 | $382,798 | $45,643 | $92,097 | $86,625 | 14 |
| 2023 | $429,251 | $32,010 | $133,062 | $126,250 | 18 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $261,212 | $382,798 | $429,251 |
| Revenue | $41,905 | $45,643 | $32,010 |
| Expenses | $176,531 | $92,097 | $133,062 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $123,800 | $86,625 | $126,250 |
| Net Investment Income | $25,110 | $10,912 | $21,606 |
| Distributable Amount | $16,548 | $22,329 | $25,618 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 26, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 20, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 30, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Tomas Wise and John Castaldo as trustees.
The Wise Family Charitable Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John Castaldo
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tomas Wise
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Robert Wise (2019–2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 572, Chester, NY 10918
Phone: (845) 469-2271
Frequently asked questions about The Wise Family Charitable Foundation
How much does The Wise Family Charitable Foundation give each year?
The Wise Family Charitable Foundation gave $124K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $87K across 14 grants.
What is The Wise Family Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
The Wise Family Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $8,253, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Wise Family Charitable Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does The Wise Family Charitable Foundation give grants?
The Wise Family Charitable Foundation gives mostly in New York: 71% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Florida (20%) and California (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants).
Does The Wise Family Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Wise Family Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Wise Family Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
The Wise Family Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Bard College ($25,000), NY Eye & Ear Infirmary ($25,000) and University of Miami Miller School of Medicine ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Wise Family Charitable Foundation?
The Wise Family Charitable Foundation reported $261K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $124K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $17K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Wise Family Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Bard College describes its mission as providing a challenging academic program and a supportive environment for the exchange of ideas and academic achievement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Wise Family Charitable Foundation?
The foundation states in its 2023 filing 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 Wise Family Charitable Foundation's EIN?
The Wise Family Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3861747. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Wise Family Charitable Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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