The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation
The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Sylvania, Ohio. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in several states, including Ohio, New Hampshire, Connecticut, California, and Iowa.
The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation gave $745K across 54 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), top state Ohio. 22% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $745,000
- +18.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 54
- -3.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $13,796
- +22.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $6,000
- Total assets
- $13,035,846
- +5.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (12 of 54, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (36% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 5800 Monroe St Bldg F, Sylvania, OH 43560
Phone: (419) 882-0081
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts ($160K). Together the top 10 received $447K.
Grant Size Distribution
287 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 269 grants of 287 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Ohio recipients received 36% of grant dollars, followed by New Hampshire (17%), Connecticut (15%), California (14%), and Iowa (9%). The listed grants also included a $20,000 award to the University of New Mexico Foundation in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 54 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 54 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 70% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 22% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 103% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $552K (2020) to $950K (2022). In 2025 it made 54 grants totaling $745K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts Toledo, OH | To Support | $160,000 |
| American Red Cross Boone, IA | To Support | $65,000 |
| Toledo Opera Association Toledo, OH | To Support | $50,000 |
| Littleton Studio School Littleton, NH | To Support | $31,000 |
| Old Globe Theatre San Diego, CA | To Support | $31,000 |
| Yale University New Haven, CT | To Support | $30,000 |
| Connecticut Public Hartford, CT | To Support | $20,000 |
| KPBS Public Media San Diego, CA | To Support | $20,000 |
| New Hampshire Public Broadcasting Durham, NH | To Support | $20,000 |
| Project Blank San Diego, CA | To Support | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $13,035,846 | $1,485,895 | $948,049 | $745,000 | 54 | $745,000 | $1,282,846 | $724,577 |
| 2024 | $12,405,932 | $1,606,128 | $739,112 | $630,000 | 56 | $630,000 | $1,500,140 | $652,291 |
| 2023 | $11,574,190 | $1,305,293 | $836,502 | $725,000 | 59 | $725,000 | $1,094,448 | $584,959 |
| 2022 | $11,093,493 | $-695,550 | $1,116,157 | $950,000 | 67 | $950,000 | $6,307 | $624,678 |
| 2021 | $12,895,400 | $2,277,341 | $928,223 | $771,400 | 51 | $771,400 | $2,133,104 | $742,917 |
| 2020 | $11,549,442 | $4,426,698 | $646,514 | $552,334 | 36 | — | $1,205,901 | $511,962 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $725K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants went to organizations working in areas including performing arts, theater, public broadcasting, higher education, poverty relief, art and science, reproductive health, and land conservation.
The grantees describe their own work in varied terms. Toledo Opera Association says it creates opera experiences in theaters, classrooms, and the community; Old Globe Theatre says it advances American theatre through professional productions, programming, and education. New Hampshire Public Broadcasting says it engages minds and connects communities. Other grantees include Cherry Street Mission Ministries, which says it works to eradicate poverty; Bruce Museum, which says it cultivates discovery through art and science; Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, which says it promotes healthy decision-making about parenthood, relationships, and sexual health; and Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust, which says it protects open spaces and wildlife habitats in western New Hampshire.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 54 grants totaling $745,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $160,000, with a median grant of $6,000. Among the largest awards were $160,000 to Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts, $65,000 to the American Red Cross in Boone, Iowa, $50,000 to Toledo Opera Association, and $31,000 each to Littleton Studio School and Old Globe Theatre. Other reported awards included $30,000 to Yale University and $20,000 each to Connecticut Public, KPBS Public Media, New Hampshire Public Broadcasting, Project Blank, The Friends of the Colonial, and the University of New Mexico Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Elizabeth T Wolfe, Christine W Nichols, Frederica R Wolfe, John D Held, Christopher F Patz, Macallaster Wolfe, and Caroline W Patz as trustees. Christine W Nichols is listed as Chair/Trustee. William A Nichols is listed as CFO/Non-Voting Trustee, Nishma Held as Non-Voting Trustee, and Charles D Rittenhouse as Trustee Secretary/Treasurer.
The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation is led by Christine W Nichols, Chair & Trustee since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 12 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Christine W Nichols
Chair & Trustee
Trustee → Chair & Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Caroline W Patz
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charles D Rittenhouse
Trustee Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christopher F Patz
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth T Wolfe
Trustee
Chairman → Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Frederica R Wolfe
Trustee
Trustee → Chair, 2023
Chair → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John D Held
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Macallaster Wolfe
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nishma Held
Non-Voting Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Olivia W Nichols
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William A Nichols
CFO & Non-Voting Trustee
Trustee → Non-Voting Trustee, 2022
Non-Voting Trustee → CFO & Non-Voting Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary T Nichols
Trustee
On filings since 2022
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation
How much does The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation give each year?
The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation gave $745K across 54 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $630K across 56 grants.
What is The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $6,000, and its average grant was $13,796, across 54 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation give grants?
The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation's top state is Ohio, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New Hampshire (17%) and Connecticut (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Greenwich, CT (9 grants), Toledo, OH (4 grants), San Diego, CA (4 grants) and Albuquerque, NM (4 grants).
Does The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 54 grants with a stated purpose on The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Support" (53 grants).
Who are The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts ($160,000), American Red Cross ($65,000) and Toledo Opera Association ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation?
The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation reported $13.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $745K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $725K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants went to organizations working in areas including performing arts, theater, public broadcasting, higher education, poverty relief, art and science, reproductive health, and land conservation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation's EIN?
The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-1756997. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Wolfe 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 October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 23, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-wolfe-family-charitable-foundation-morg_1edce140f8264b9f957c9c2a9233e83c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_341756997_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Wolfe Family Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-wolfe-family-charitable-foundation-morg_1edce140f8264b9f957c9c2a9233e83c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Wolfe Family Charitable 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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