The Wollenberg Foundation
The Wollenberg Foundation is a private foundation based in Menlo Park, California. In 2024, it awarded grants to charitable organizations including colleges and universities, arts and cultural organizations, and human-services organizations.
The Wollenberg Foundation at a glance
In short: The Wollenberg Foundation gave $2.5M across 80 grants in 2024 (avg $31K), top state Oregon. 9% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,479,100
- +38.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 80
- +5.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $30,989
- +31.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $31,924,362
- -2.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (7 of 80, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Oregon (36% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Wollenberg Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 800 El Camino Real 210, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Phone: (650) 325-7600
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Wollenberg Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Reed College ($450K). Together the top 10 received $1.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
393 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 331 grants of 393 (84%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Oregon (36%), Washington (23%), and California (21%). Massachusetts and Virginia each received 5%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 80 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Wollenberg Foundation open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 80 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $35K; repeat grants $31K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 85% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 32% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 118% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.8M (2023) to $2.5M (2024). In 2024 it made 80 grants totaling $2.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Reed College Portland, OR | Restricted | $450,000 |
| Oregon Museum of Science & Industry Portland, OR | Unrestricted | $210,000 |
| Filoli Historic House & Garden Woodside, CA | Unrestricted | $151,000 |
| Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts Longview, WA | Unrestricted | $125,000 |
| Smith College Northampton, MA | Restricted | $125,000 |
| Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges & Universities Tualatin, OR | Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Willamette University Salem, OR | Restricted | $100,000 |
| Lower Columbia College Head Start Longview, WA | Unrestricted | $88,500 |
| Independent Colleges of Washington Seattle, WA | Unrestricted | $75,000 |
| Stanford University GSB Stanford, CA | Unrestricted | $75,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $31,924,362 | $2,268,696 | $2,778,334 | $2,479,100 | 80 | $2,479,100 | $1,969,462 | $2,097,396 |
| 2023 | $32,652,334 | $1,049,474 | $2,110,541 | $1,796,500 | 76 | $1,796,500 | $779,471 | $1,841,529 |
| 2022 | $33,670,699 | $1,573,995 | $2,532,277 | $2,166,000 | 81 | $2,166,000 | $1,207,718 | $1,897,165 |
| 2021 | $34,610,082 | $3,130,153 | $2,303,763 | $1,876,000 | 79 | $1,876,000 | $2,739,990 | $2,313,010 |
| 2020 | $33,722,672 | $-1,240,672 | $2,374,245 | $1,972,332 | 77 | — | $744,473 | $1,859,822 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Wollenberg Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Willamette University describes its work as connecting liberal education to professional practice and preparing graduates for lives of achievement, contribution, and meaning. Independent Colleges of Washington describes itself as an advocate for not-for-profit private campuses in Washington State. United Planning Organization says its mission is “uniting people with opportunities,” while Rebuilding Together Peninsula says it repairs homes, revitalizes communities, and rebuilds lives.
Other 2024 recipients included libraries, performing-arts organizations, and organizations supporting human services.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 80 grants totaling $2,479,100. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $450,000, with a median of $10,000.
Among its largest 2024 grants were $450,000 to Reed College (restricted), $210,000 to Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (unrestricted), $151,000 to Filoli Historic House & Garden (unrestricted), and $125,000 each to Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts (unrestricted) and Smith College (restricted). Other grants included $100,000 to Willamette University (restricted), $75,000 to Independent Colleges of Washington (unrestricted), and $60,000 to United Planning Organization (unrestricted).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists David A Wollenberg, Christopher Wollenberg, and Richard H Wollenberg as trustees.
The Wollenberg Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Christopher Wollenberg
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David A. Wollenberg
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard H. Wollenberg
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Wollenberg Foundation
How much does The Wollenberg Foundation give each year?
The Wollenberg Foundation gave $2.5M across 80 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.8M across 76 grants.
What is The Wollenberg Foundation's typical grant size?
The Wollenberg Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $30,989, across 80 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Wollenberg Foundation that year got $35K on average.
Where does The Wollenberg Foundation give grants?
The Wollenberg Foundation's top state is Oregon, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Washington (23%) and California (21%). The most frequent recipient cities were Longview, WA (12 grants), Seattle, WA (5 grants), Stanford, CA (4 grants) and San Francisco, CA (4 grants).
Does The Wollenberg Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 93% of The Wollenberg Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (74 of 80) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Restricted" (6 grants).
Who are The Wollenberg Foundation's largest grantees?
The Wollenberg Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Reed College ($450,000), Oregon Museum of Science & Industry ($210,000) and Filoli Historic House & Garden ($151,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Wollenberg Foundation?
The Wollenberg Foundation reported $31.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Wollenberg Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Willamette University describes its work as connecting liberal education to professional practice and preparing graduates for lives of achievement, contribution, and meaning. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Wollenberg Foundation?
The foundation 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 Wollenberg Foundation's EIN?
The Wollenberg Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-6072264. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Wollenberg 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Wollenberg Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-wollenberg-foundation-morg_2f230eb7de5040e792a3148eda26de59
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_946072264_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Wollenberg Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-wollenberg-foundation-morg_2f230eb7de5040e792a3148eda26de59},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-03. 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 Wollenberg 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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