The Woods Foundation
The Woods Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2025 filing reports grants to a varied group of charitable organizations, including wildlife conservation, education, health, community, and cultural organizations; the listed grant purposes are “general exempt purpose.”
The Woods Foundation at a glance
In short: The Woods Foundation gave $334K across 36 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), top state New York. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $333,900
- -15.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 36
- +20.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,275
- -29.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $5,169
- -70.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 36, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (40% 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 Woods Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2023 filing says requests should be submitted in letter form with a description of the organization and its activities. Only requests from organized charities or government entities are considered. The filing states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- The 2023 filing lists no deadlines.
- Deadline
- The 2023 filing lists no deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: The Woods Fdn - Co Bessemer Tr Co N
Mailing address: 1271 Avenue Of The Americas 42 Fl, New York, NY 10020
Phone: (516) 508-6923
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Woods Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Wildlife Conservation Society ($100K). Together the top 10 received $250K.
Grant Size Distribution
189 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 184 grants of 189 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (40%), California (22%), Idaho (15%), Massachusetts (9%), and Montana (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 36 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Woods Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 36 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. How we count
- 69% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+0%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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 $274K (2020) to $450K (2023). In 2025 it made 36 grants totaling $334K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wildlife Conservation Society Bronx, NY | General Exempt Purpose | $100,000 |
| Champions Club Missoula, MT | General Exempt Purpose | $25,000 |
| Hospice of Wood River Valley Ketchum, ID | General Exempt Purpose | $25,000 |
| Santa Cruz Waldorf School Santa Cruz, CA | General Exempt Purpose | $25,000 |
| Stanford Hoover House Stanford, CA | General Exempt Purpose | $25,000 |
| Planned Parenthood New York, NY | General Exempt Purpose | $10,000 |
| Precourt Director's Discretionary Fund New York, NY | General Exempt Purpose | $10,000 |
| St Timothy's School Stevenson, MA | General Exempt Purpose | $10,000 |
| Stanford Live Stanford, CA | General Exempt Purpose | $10,000 |
| The Woods Institute Washington, DC | General Exempt Purpose | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Woods 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 | $5,169 | $324,261 | $336,322 | $333,900 | 36 | $336,295 | $622 | $766 |
| 2024 | $17,230 | $411,644 | $398,347 | $395,900 | 30 | $398,303 | $1,604 | $1,657 |
| 2023 | $3,933 | $380,010 | $452,170 | $449,723 | 38 | $452,093 | $9,644 | $4,016 |
| 2022 | $76,259 | $352,514 | $336,270 | $333,700 | 40 | $336,110 | $114 | $6,639 |
| 2021 | $60,014 | $400,000 | $407,733 | $405,400 | 45 | — | — | $4,965 |
| 2020 | $67,747 | $325,393 | $275,983 | $273,700 | 25 | — | $295 | $4,198 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Woods Foundation reported a distributable amount of $766 for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations whose own missions span several areas. The Wildlife Conservation Society says it works to save wildlife and wild places through science, conservation, education, and inspiring people to value nature. Santa Cruz Waldorf School says it supports students’ development and love of learning through its curriculum and community.
Other 2025 recipients describe work in writing and literature, open-space preservation, youth winter sports, community library services, health care, and supportive homes and activities for adults with special needs.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 36 grants totaling $333,900. Awards ranged from $200 to $100,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest listed grant was $100,000 to the Wildlife Conservation Society. Other notable grants included $25,000 each to Champions Club, Hospice of Wood River Valley, Santa Cruz Waldorf School, and Stanford Hoover House; and $10,000 each to Planned Parenthood, the Precourt Director’s Discretionary Fund, St Timothy’s School, Stanford Live, The Woods Institute, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
The 2025 filing also lists grants of $8,000 to Sun Valley Writer’s Conference and $5,000 to Peninsula Open Space Trust, Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, The Community Library, and Partners in Health Network. Camphill Village USA received $2,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ward W Woods Jr as president and director; Priscilla B Woods as vice president and director; Alexandra Woods and Katharine Woods Emerick as directors; and Robert Roriston as secretary and treasurer.
The Woods Foundation is led by Ward W. Woods Jr., President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ward W. Woods Jr.
President & Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alexandra Woods
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Katharine Woods Emerick
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Priscilla B. Woods
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Roriston
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
3 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 Woods Foundation
How much does The Woods Foundation give each year?
The Woods Foundation gave $334K across 36 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $396K across 30 grants.
What is The Woods Foundation's typical grant size?
The Woods Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $9,275, across 36 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Woods Foundation give grants?
The Woods Foundation's top state is New York, with 40% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (22%) and Idaho (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Ketchum, ID (6 grants), New York, NY (5 grants), Stanford, CA (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does The Woods Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Woods Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (36 of 36) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Woods Foundation's largest grantees?
The Woods Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Wildlife Conservation Society ($100,000), Champions Club ($25,000) and Hospice of Wood River Valley ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Woods Foundation?
The Woods Foundation reported $5K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $336K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $766 (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Woods Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations whose own missions span several areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Woods Foundation?
The foundation’s 2023 filing says requests should be submitted in letter form with a description of the organization and its activities. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Woods Foundation's EIN?
The Woods Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3314966. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Woods Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Woods Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-woods-foundation-morg_f2fd50604a564268b18ecb48bf8f4056
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133314966_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Woods Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-woods-foundation-morg_f2fd50604a564268b18ecb48bf8f4056},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Woods 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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