Vance Wall Foundation Inc
The Vance Wall Foundation Inc is a private foundation established in 1990 and based in Montclair, New Jersey. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that has been designated as such since August 1991. The foundation operates as a family foundation steered by Carol and Terry Wall, maintaining a low public profile with no website.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$4.2M
+3.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$400K
-69.1% YoY
Grant Count
4
-20.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$100K
-61.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Vance Wall Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $186K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation does not maintain a published mission statement. However, based on its grant activity, the Vance Wall Foundation primarily supports:
- Arts and Culture: Particularly art museums and established cultural institutions
- Education: Including art education programs
- Health: With specific emphasis on breast cancer initiatives
- Human Services: Various community-focused programs
- Philanthropy and Grantmaking: Support for charitable organizations
The foundation has demonstrated a particular commitment to arts education, notably through a $5 million gift to the Montclair Art Museum that established the Vance Wall Art Education Center, which encompasses the museum's educational efforts including the Yard School of Art and enhanced programs for all ages.
Grantmaking
The foundation operates on a "preselected only" basis, meaning it does not accept unsolicited letters of inquiry or applications from nonprofits. The foundation takes a proactive approach to funding, identifying and selecting its grantees rather than responding to external requests.
Grant Range
of $38,000, with grants ranging from $25,000 to $300,000
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
While the foundation historically gave heavily in New Jersey and New York State, its funding interests have increasingly shifted to national organizations. Recent grants have been awarded to organizations operating in:
- California (particularly San Francisco)
- District of Columbia (particularly Washington, D.C.)
- Massachusetts (Boston)
- Hawaii (Kailua Kona)
- New Jersey (Montclair)
- Washington State
- Bellevue
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets and Giving (as of most recent filings):
- Total assets: $4,222,012 (2024 filing) / $4,070,000 (2023 filing)
- Total annual giving: approximately $400,000
- Total liabilities: $75,000 (2023)
- Revenue: -$71,138 (2023, negative revenue)
- Total expenses: $1,362,246 (2023)
The foundation ranks in the top 25% of foundations by asset size (#27,044 of 159,550 foundations nationally).
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,222,012 | $4,067,990 | $5,426,374 |
| Revenue | $672,834 | $-71,138 | $3,129,531 |
| Expenses | $448,756 | $1,362,246 | $2,391,874 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $408,046 | $1,302,400 | $2,333,762 |
| Net Investment Income | $642,124 | $12,709 | $2,093,629 |
| Distributable Amount | $185,814 | $227,247 | $315,146 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 4 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
36 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund ($300,000), University of California San Francisco Foundation ($50,000), Family House Inc ($25,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| FAMILY HOUSE INC SAN FRANCISCO, CA | UNRESTRICTED | $25,000 |
| FINE ARTS MUSEUMS OF SAN FRANCISCO SAN FRANCISCO, CA | UNRESTRICTED | $25,000 |
| NATIONAL BREAST CANCER COALITION FUND WASHINGTON, DC | UNRESTRICTED | $300,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO FOUNDATION SAN FRANCISCO, CA | UNRESTRICTED | $50,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is managed by a board of trustees:
- Terry D Wall - Trustee (1 hour per week, no compensation)
- Douglas V Wall - Trustee (10 hours per week, $18,000 annual compensation)
- Stephen V Wall - Trustee (1 hour per week, $2,000 annual compensation)
Terry Wall is noted as a co-founder of Vital Signs, Inc., a medical device manufacturer that was acquired by GE in 2008.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| TERRY D WALL | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| DOUGLAS V WALL | TRUSTEE | 10 | $18,148 |
| STEPHEN V WALL | TRUSTEE | 1 | $2,017 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In October 2015, the Montclair Art Museum announced the creation of the Vance Wall Art Education Center at MAM, made possible by a $5 million gift from Carol and Terry Wall through the Vance Wall Foundation. The center encompasses all of the museum's educational efforts and was designed to enhance accessible educational offerings and outreach programs for people of all ages.
JWPF awards over $330K to Vance County nonprofits | John William Pope FoundationContact Information
Address: Co Terry Wall 160 Lloyd Road Montclair, NJ 07042
Telephone: 973-605-1040
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Vance Wall Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation does not maintain a published mission statement. However, based on its grant activity, the Vance Wall Foundation primarily supports: • **Arts and Culture**: Particularly art museums and established cultural institutions • **Education**: Including art education programs • **Health**: With specific emphasis on breast cancer initiatives • **Human Services**: Various community-focused programs • **Philanthropy and Grantmaking**: Support for charitable organizations The foundation has…
How do I apply for a grant from Vance Wall Foundation Inc?
**Grant Activity:** • Total giving in recent years: approximately $400,000 annually • Typical award range: $5,000 to $1,585,000 • Recent grant snapshot shows a median grant size of $38,000, with grants ranging from $25,000 to $300,000 • The foundation reported 4 grants in its most recent tax filing **Application Process:** The foundation operates on a "preselected only" basis, meaning it does not accept unsolicited letters of inquiry or applications from nonprofits. The foundation takes a proac…
Where does Vance Wall Foundation Inc make grants?
While the foundation historically gave heavily in New Jersey and New York State, its funding interests have increasingly shifted to national organizations. Recent grants have been awarded to organizations operating in: • California (particularly San Francisco) • District of Columbia (particularly Washington, D.C.) • Massachusetts (Boston) • Hawaii (Kailua Kona) • New Jersey (Montclair) • Washington State • Bellevue
What size grants does Vance Wall Foundation Inc award?
In 2024, Vance Wall Foundation Inc awarded 4 grants totaling $400K — an average of about $100K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Vance Wall Foundation Inc required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Vance Wall Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $186K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Vance Wall Foundation Inc's EIN?
Vance Wall Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1739419. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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