W Sherman Winseman Foundation
The W Sherman Winseman Foundation is a private foundation based in Rancho San Clemente, California. Its stated mission includes assisting children, older adults, disabled and disadvantaged people through support for needs, awareness, and educational opportunities. Its giving includes charitable organizations working in areas such as family assistance, disability services, education, and veterans’ support.
Key facts about W Sherman Winseman Foundation
In short: W Sherman Winseman Foundation gave $344K across 35 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), mostly in California. 53% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 95-3202989
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $343,883
- Grants made (2024)
- 35
- Average grant
- $9,825
- Median grant
- $1,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 53% first-time grantees (18 of 34, 2024)
- Total assets
- $22,186,382
- Primary geography
- California (96% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$22.2M
+18.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$344K
-32.6% YoY
Grant Count
35
+34.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$10K
-49.9% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, W Sherman Winseman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $999K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is W Sherman Winseman Foundation open to new grantees?
53%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 18 of 34 grantees (53%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 47% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 97% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 80% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation says its purpose is to “Educate, Enlighten, and Inspire,” and describes supporting children, older adults, disabled and disadvantaged people. Its website also describes educational assistance, including scholarships and support for nursing and home-care students, as well as help for veterans and people facing serious health conditions.
The 2024 grants show support for organizations addressing varied needs. Valley Achievement Center says its mission is to provide education and skills to people with autism. HEAR Center describes its work as helping people at all stages of life participate in the hearing and speaking world. Other 2024 recipients included Children’s Hospital of Orange County, whose mission is to nurture, advance, and protect children’s health and well-being; City of Hope, whose mission is to support people affected by cancer and diabetes; and Heroes Linked, which assists veterans, transitioning service members, military spouses, and Gold Star families with post-military career success.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 35 grants totaling $343,883. Grant amounts ranged from $120 to $102,679, with a median grant of $1,000. The largest grants included $102,679 to Ronald McDonald House (and Orange) for bags of food to help families in need; $69,129 to the Mental Health Association of Orange County for clothing, hygiene kits, pet supplies, and cash for homeless and low-income families; and $29,734 to Burrito Project for donations of goods and cash. Other notable grants were $28,080 to Valley Achievement Center and $22,671 to HEAR Center.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in California. The remaining reported shares went to Colorado (2%), Virginia (1%), New York (1%), and Tennessee (0%). Several of the largest grants supported organizations in Bakersfield, Santa Ana, Los Angeles, and Pasadena, California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 35 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $112K (2020) to $510K (2023). In 2024 it made 35 grants totaling $344K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Ronald McDonald House (And Orange) ($103K). Together the top 10 received $317K.
Grant Size Distribution
123 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 115 grants of 123 (93%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald McDonald House (And Orange) Los Angeles, CA | Bags of Food to Help Families in Need | $102,679 |
| Mental Health Association of Orange County Santa Ana, CA | Clothing, hygeine kits, pet supplies, and cash for homeless and low income families | $69,129 |
| Burrito Project Bakersfield, CA | Donations of Goods and Cash | $29,734 |
| Valley Achievement Center Bakersfield, CA | Cash donation, socks, hygeine kits, toy packages, with raising canes | $28,080 |
| Children First Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA | Cash Donation for Charitable Purpose | $27,776 |
| Hear Center Pasadena, CA | Donations of Goods and Cash | $22,671 |
| Public Use via WSWF Programs Various, CA | Charitable Purpose | $21,541 |
| Haven House Olathe, CO | Hygeine kits, socks, toys, blankets, stuffed animals, and pet supplies for charity's use | $7,485 |
| Open Door Network Bakersfield, CA | 40 Hygeine Kits, 100 Shirts | $4,405 |
| Vehicles for Veterans Los Angeles, CA | Ford Taurus | $3,381 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $22,186,382 | $2,341,208 | $953,600 | $343,883 |
| 2023 | $18,689,569 | $1,066,226 | $986,922 | $509,948 |
| 2022 | $16,869,695 | $1,653,088 | $570,545 | $212,219 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $22,186,382 | $18,689,569 | $16,869,695 |
| Revenue | $2,341,208 | $1,066,226 | $1,653,088 |
| Expenses | $953,600 | $986,922 | $570,545 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $800,071 | $872,828 | $454,455 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,308,705 | $854,462 | $1,211,938 |
| Distributable Amount | $998,687 | $856,537 | $841,382 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Dana D. Winseman as president, CFO, and director; Michael Ullo as secretary and director; and James G. Jones, Esq. as director.
W Sherman Winseman Foundation is led by Dana D. Winseman, President, CFO & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Dana D. Winseman
President, CFO & Director
On filings since 2020
70 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James G. Jones Esq.
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Ullo
Secretary & Director
Secretary → Secretary & Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: David E. Winseman (2020–2021) — Vice President & Director
- Former: Tricia Drambowy (2020–2021) — Secretary
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 905 Calle Negocio Rt 74146, Rancho San Clemente, CA 92673
Phone: (949) 933-8893
Website: https://wsw-foundation.com
Frequently asked questions about W Sherman Winseman Foundation
How much does W Sherman Winseman Foundation give each year?
W Sherman Winseman Foundation gave $344K across 35 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $510K across 26 grants.
What is W Sherman Winseman Foundation's typical grant size?
W Sherman Winseman Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $9,825, across 35 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from W Sherman Winseman Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does W Sherman Winseman Foundation give grants?
W Sherman Winseman Foundation gives mostly in California: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Bakersfield, CA (4 grants), Los Angeles, CA (3 grants), Santa Ana, CA (3 grants) and Irvine, CA (3 grants).
Who are W Sherman Winseman Foundation's largest grantees?
W Sherman Winseman Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Ronald McDonald House (And Orange) ($102,679), Mental Health Association of Orange County ($69,129) and Burrito Project ($29,734), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 59% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is W Sherman Winseman Foundation?
W Sherman Winseman Foundation reported $22.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $800K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $999K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does W Sherman Winseman Foundation fund?
The foundation says its purpose is to “Educate, Enlighten, and Inspire,” and describes supporting children, older adults, disabled and disadvantaged people. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from W Sherman Winseman Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is W Sherman Winseman Foundation's EIN?
W Sherman Winseman Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-3202989. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does W Sherman Winseman Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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