The Wolverine Foundation
The Wolverine Foundation is a private foundation based in Greenwich, Connecticut. Its 2024 filing reports grants to organizations working in areas including medical research, education, and charitable services.
The Wolverine Foundation at a glance
In short: The Wolverine Foundation gave $3.5M across 28 grants in 2024 (avg $124K), mostly in California. 32% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,458,332
- +104.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 28
- +27.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $123,512
- +61.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $18,665,746
- +25.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (9 of 28, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (59% 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 Wolverine Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Review Cycle
- The website’s research grant guidelines give an October 31 application deadline, with decisions by the end of November.
- Deadline
- The website’s research grant guidelines give an October 31 application deadline, with decisions by the end of November.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Edgewood 600 Steamboat Rd 103, Greenwich, CT 06830
Phone: (203) 769-7606
Website: https://wolverinefoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Wolverine Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was N-Lorem Foundation ($2.0M). Together the top 10 received $3.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
113 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 73 grants of 113 (65%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went primarily to recipients in California (59%), followed by Connecticut (10%), New York (9%), Alabama (8%), and Massachusetts (6%). The listed grants also included recipients in Kentucky, Florida, and Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Wolverine Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 28 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $43K; repeat grants $161K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 43% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+11%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 517% 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 $1.7M (2023) to $7.8M (2022). In 2024 it made 28 grants totaling $3.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| N-Lorem Foundation Carlsbad, CA | Medical Research | $2,000,110 |
| The University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL | Medical Research | $293,500 |
| Yale University New Haven, CT | Educational | $279,662 |
| Boston Children's Hospital Boston, MA | Medical Research | $200,000 |
| Norton Children's Hospital Foundation Louisville, KY | Charitable | $100,000 |
| Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach Palm Beach, FL | Charitable | $100,000 |
| Cold Spring Harbor Labs Cold Spring Harbor, NY | Medical Research | $75,000 |
| Boys Club of New York New York, NY | Charitable | $50,000 |
| Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine New York, NY | Medical Research | $50,000 |
| Robin Hood Foundation New York, NY | Charitable | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Wolverine 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $18,665,746 | $6,899,495 | $3,811,983 | $3,458,332 | 28 | $3,701,944 | $1,846,657 | $716,498 |
| 2023 | $14,821,286 | $3,903,733 | $2,064,521 | $1,687,894 | 22 | $1,961,548 | $2,522,658 | $542,635 |
| 2022 | $9,887,677 | $2,611,104 | $8,146,731 | $7,807,569 | 23 | $8,031,817 | $2,580,016 | $768,207 |
| 2021 | $26,504,157 | $6,550,234 | $3,425,080 | $3,118,566 | 19 | $3,283,063 | $5,663,495 | $1,175,348 |
| 2020 | $23,192,278 | $2,631,191 | $3,876,132 | $3,693,540 | 21 | — | $5,197,145 | $905,441 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Wolverine Foundation reported a distributable amount of $716K 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
The foundation’s website describes a research grant program intended to support science that directly benefits wolverines and/or their habitat. It says it supports research through grants to qualified applicants, subject to available funding, and gives priority to proposals designed to produce peer-reviewed publications. However, the website currently states that the foundation is not offering grants.
The 2024 grants also went to organizations with other missions. For example, N-Lorem Foundation describes its mission as creating individual treatments for patients with nano-rare diseases; Third Option Foundation says it supports families of government employees who died or were seriously injured in service; and Neighbor to Neighbor says it provides food, clothing, and basic essentials to residents in need in the Greenwich area.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 28 grants totaling $3,458,332. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $2,000,110, with a median of $25,000. The largest awards included $2,000,110 to N-Lorem Foundation for medical research, $293,500 to the University of Alabama at Birmingham for medical research, $279,662 to Yale University for educational purposes, and $200,000 to Boston Children’s Hospital for medical research.
Other 2024 recipients included Norton Children’s Hospital Foundation and Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, each receiving $100,000; Cold Spring Harbor Labs, $75,000; and Boys Club of New York, Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine, and Robin Hood Foundation, each receiving $50,000.
The website’s research grant guidelines describe support for field studies, population monitoring, census and survey work, laboratory studies, Indigenous or cultural research, and research publishing. It excludes non-research conservation programs, administrative activities, advocacy, business-related activities, travel to scientific or professional meetings, land acquisition, building construction, and capital purchases not exceeding $500. The guidelines describe grants commonly in the $5,000–$10,000 range, with larger amounts possible in special circumstances, and say that matching-fund requests are often more highly considered. The website currently states that no grants are being offered.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Alan W Breed as president and treasurer, Caroline Breed as vice president, Ellen G Breed as secretary, and Amy McCooe as executive director.
The Wolverine Foundation is led by Amy McCooe, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Amy McCooe
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$55K (2020) → $222K (2024)
Alan W. Breed
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Caroline Breed
Vice President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$25K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Ellen G. Breed
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $222K, to Amy McCooe (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about The Wolverine Foundation
How much does The Wolverine Foundation give each year?
The Wolverine Foundation gave $3.5M across 28 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.7M across 22 grants.
What is The Wolverine Foundation's typical grant size?
The Wolverine Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $123,512, across 28 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Wolverine Foundation that year got $43K on average.
Where does The Wolverine Foundation give grants?
The Wolverine Foundation gives mostly in California: 59% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Connecticut (10%) and New York (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants), Greenwich, CT (4 grants) and Southampton, NY (2 grants).
Does The Wolverine Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 28 grants with a stated purpose on The Wolverine Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (19 grants), "Medical Research" (5 grants) and "Educational" (4 grants).
Who are The Wolverine Foundation's largest grantees?
The Wolverine Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include N-Lorem Foundation ($2,000,110), The University of Alabama at Birmingham ($293,500) and Yale University ($279,662), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 74% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Wolverine Foundation?
The Wolverine Foundation reported $18.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $716K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Wolverine Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website describes a research grant program intended to support science that directly benefits wolverines and/or their habitat. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Wolverine Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Wolverine Foundation's EIN?
The Wolverine Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-0394484. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Wolverine 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 Wolverine Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-wolverine-foundation-morg_69462b3d91c641aea7492d8ac45457bd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_510394484_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Wolverine Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-wolverine-foundation-morg_69462b3d91c641aea7492d8ac45457bd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Wolverine 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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