Waddell Foundation
Waddell Foundation is a private foundation based in Marion, Ohio. Its 2025 filing reports grants to Ohio organizations for purposes including historical activities, health, senior services, arts and culture, nutrition, and reutilization.
Waddell Foundation at a glance
In short: Waddell Foundation gave $148K across 12 grants in 2026 (avg $12K), mostly in Ohio. 0% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $148,300
- -10.1% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 12
- -14.3% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $12,358
- +4.9% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $5,312,243
- +14.2% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 12, 2026; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (100% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Waddell Foundation
- Contact
Application contact: James Waddell
Mailing address: P O Box 358, Marion, OH 43302
Phone: (419) 845-3316
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Waddell Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Marion County Fed Womens ($36K). Together the top 10 received $138K.
Grant Size Distribution
67 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 67 grants of 67 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing shows that 100% of grant dollars went to Ohio recipients. The 2024 filing states that awards are restricted to Marion and adjacent counties.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Waddell Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 0 of 12 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. How we count
- 100% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2023 to 2026 (+12%). Method
- In 2026 it paid out 86% 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 (2021–2026). 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 2021 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $133K (2023) to $168K (2024). In 2026 it made 12 grants totaling $148K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Marion County Fed Womens Marion, OH | Historical | $35,800 |
| Life Care Alliance Columbus, OH | Health & Nutrition | $27,500 |
| Marion General Hospital Foundation Marion, OH | HEALTH | $20,000 |
| Ohio Historical Society Columbus, OH | Historical | $15,000 |
| Marion Palace Theatre Marion, OH | Arts/Cultural | $10,000 |
| Axess Pointe Ravenna, OH | Services for Seniors | $10,000 |
| Prospect Senior Center Prospect, OH | Services for Seniors | $5,000 |
| Pleasant Senior Center Marion, OH | Services for Seniors | $5,000 |
| Marion Senior Center Marion, OH | Services for Seniors | $5,000 |
| Green Camp Senior Center Green Camp, OH | Services for Seniors | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $5,312,243 | $466,726 | $240,498 | $148,300 | 12 | $207,309 | $361,817 | $240,300 |
| 2025 | $4,650,342 | $262,442 | $230,658 | $165,000 | 14 | $223,964 | $234,001 | $221,605 |
| 2024 | $4,480,931 | $216,037 | $219,425 | $167,560 | 15 | $214,696 | $188,934 | $207,171 |
| 2023 | $4,038,723 | $158,576 | $183,791 | $132,500 | 13 | $179,299 | $133,227 | $202,160 |
| 2022 | $4,246,835 | $308,650 | $200,526 | $145,000 | 13 | $191,362 | $279,796 | $218,721 |
| 2021 | $4,793,971 | $361,060 | $209,807 | $150,000 | 8 | — | $334,035 | $210,142 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Waddell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $240K for 2026 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for historical organizations, health services, senior centers, and an arts and cultural organization. The foundation’s 2024 filing says applications must be for charities and activities assisting senior citizens.
Marion General Hospital Foundation described its mission as supporting the work of Marion General Hospital. LifeCare Alliance described its mission as identifying and delivering health and nutrition services to meet community needs.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $165,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $30,000, with a median of $7,500. Among the largest grants were $30,000 and $25,000 to the Ohio Historical Society, $25,000 to Marion County Fed Womens, $20,000 to Marion General Hospital Foundation, and $10,000 each to LifeCare Alliance, MLS Construction Services, and Axess Pointe. Its 2026 filing, the latest on this page, reports 12 grants totaling $148,300.
The 2024 filing states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. How to apply: The filing says to contact James Waddell and submit an application for funds for charities and activities assisting senior citizens. It states that awards are restricted to Marion and adjacent counties. Deadline: The filing states that applications may be submitted any time during the year.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists James P. Waddell as president; Michael Payette as vice president; Trenton J. Waddell and Robert Waddell as trustees; and Tim Waddell as secretary.
Waddell Foundation is led by James P. Waddell, President on every filing since 2021; all 5 officers listed in 2026 are compensated.
Officers on the 2026 filing
James P. Waddell
President
On filings since 2021
$6K (2021) → $8K (2026)
Robert Waddell
Trustee
On filings since 2021
$6K (2021) → $9K (2026)
Trenton J. Waddell
Trustee
On filings since 2022
$2K (2022) → $8K (2026)
Michael Payette
Vice President
On filings since 2021
$6K (2021) → $2K (2026)
Tim Waddell
Secretary
On filings since 2021
$8K (2021) → $14K (2026)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Betty Dendinger (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: David Williamson (2021) — Attorney
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2026 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $14K, to Tim Waddell (Secretary). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Waddell Foundation
How much does Waddell Foundation give each year?
Waddell Foundation gave $148K across 12 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $165K across 14 grants.
What is Waddell Foundation's typical grant size?
Waddell Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $7,500, and its average grant was $12,358, across 12 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Waddell Foundation give grants?
Waddell Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Marion, OH (6 grants) and Columbus, OH (2 grants).
Does Waddell Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2026: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on Waddell Foundation's 2026 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Services for Seniors" (7 grants).
Who are Waddell Foundation's largest grantees?
Waddell Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include Marion County Fed Womens ($35,800), Life Care Alliance ($27,500) and Marion General Hospital Foundation ($20,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Waddell Foundation?
Waddell Foundation reported $5.3M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $207K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $240K (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 Waddell Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for historical organizations, health services, senior centers, and an arts and cultural organization. The foundation’s 2024 filing says applications must be for charities and activities assisting senior citizens. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Waddell Foundation?
Waddell Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Waddell Foundation's EIN?
Waddell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-4386851. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS September 21, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Waddell Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/waddell-foundation-morg_234d2961e1f74611b2be7b82b59aa86f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_314386851_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Waddell Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/waddell-foundation-morg_234d2961e1f74611b2be7b82b59aa86f},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-05. 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 Waddell 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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