The Wollenberg Foundation

MENLO PARK, CA EIN: 94-6072264

The Wollenberg Foundation is a private foundation based in Menlo Park, California. Established in 1954, it operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a focus on grantmaking to charitable causes.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$31.9M

-2.2% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.5M

+38.0% YoY

Grant Count

+5.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$31K

+31.1% YoY

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 April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's grant-making priorities include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services

Grantmaking

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in:

Washington
California
Virginia

Grant Distribution by State

Oregon $3.3M (44%)

Washington $1.6M (22%)

California $1.0M (14%)

Virginia $708K (9%)

Massachusetts $158K (2%)

Hawaii $150K (2%)

New York $117K (2%)

Missouri $110K (1%)

+12 more states

States

Alaska Arkansas California Colorado District of Columbia Hawaii Iowa Louisiana Massachusetts Maryland Maine Missouri Mississippi New York Oklahoma Oregon South Carolina Tennessee Virginia Washington

Cities

AlexandriaAnchorageAnnandaleBellinghamBerkeleyCalvertonCambridgeCentennialCharlestonChesterfieldClarksvilleColorado SpringsCorvallisCupertinoErieFalls ChurchFloydGainsvilleHarrisonburgHonolulu

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Most Recent Filing (2023-2024):

Total assets: $31.9–$41 million
Total giving: $1.8–$2.5 million annually
Total revenues: $1,049,474 (2023)
Total expenses: $2,110,541 (2023)
Investment income and dividends: $1,093,053 (2023)

Number of employees: 0

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$31,924,362	$32,652,334	$33,670,699
Revenue	$2,268,696	$1,049,474	$1,573,995
Expenses	$2,778,334	$2,110,541	$2,532,277
Qualifying Distributions	$2,479,100	$1,796,500	$2,166,000
Net Investment Income	$1,969,462	$779,471	$1,207,718
Distributable Amount	$2,097,396	$1,841,529	$1,897,165

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

250 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Reed College ($450,000), Oregon Museum of Science & Industry ($210,000), Filoli Historic House & Garden ($151,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ACCA INC ANNANDALE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY FOR ACTION ANNANDALE, VA	UNRESTRICTED	$2,500
ADOPTIONS TOGETHER CALVERTON, MD	UNRESTRICTED	$2,500
AKIN FORMERLY CHILDHAVEN SEATTLE, WA	UNRESTRICTED	$2,500
ALLIANCE FOR FULL ACCEPTANCE NORTH CHARLESTON, SC	UNRESTRICTED	$5,000
BATES COLLEGE LEWISTON, ME	UNRESTRICTED	$10,000
BERKELEY LAW - UC BERKELEY GIFT SERVICES BERKELEY, CA	UNRESTRICTED	$30,000
BETA OMICRON CHAPTER OF GPB CENTENNIAL, CO	UNRESTRICTED	$3,000
CAPITAL CARING FALLS CHURCH, VA	UNRESTRICTED	$5,000
CASA OF SAN MATEO COUNTY REDWOOD CITY, CA	UNRESTRICTED	$10,000
CHILDRENS DISCOVERY MUSEUM LONGVIEW, WA	UNRESTRICTED	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation is governed by three trustees:

David A Wollenberg
Christopher Wollenberg
Richard H Wollenberg

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
DAVID A WOLLENBERG	TRUSTEE	5	—
CHRISTOPHER WOLLENBERG	TRUSTEE	1	—
RICHARD H WOLLENBERG	TRUSTEE	1	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The Wollenberg Foundation has been recognized as a significant benefactor, with the foundation's name associated with community awards. The foundation has supported institutions including Reed College and various Oregon-based educational and cultural organizations.

Benefactor of the Year: Wollenberg Foundation (2022-2023)

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Wollenberg Foundation fund?

The foundation's grant-making priorities include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services

How do I apply for a grant from The Wollenberg Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Made 74-76 grants in recent fiscal years • Typical grant awards range from $1,000 to $450,000 • Median grant amount: $10,000 • Maximum grant observed: $400,000 **Recent Grants (2023):** • Reed College: $400,000 (Restricted) • Oregon Museum of Science and Industry: $110,000 (Unrestricted) • Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities: $100,000 (Unrestricted)

Where does The Wollenberg Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • Washington • California • Virginia

What size grants does The Wollenberg Foundation award?

In 2024, The Wollenberg Foundation awarded 80 grants totaling $2.5M — an average of about $31K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

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

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Wollenberg Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.1M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.