Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation
Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation is a private foundation based in Plainfield, Illinois. It supports golf-related charitable work and describes golf as a way to promote self-discipline, respect, integrity, and community enrichment.
Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation at a glance
In short: Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation gave $749K across 68 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), top state Illinois. 26% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $749,000
- +12.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 68
- +17.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,015
- -4.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $6,250
- Total assets
- $12,337,376
- +2.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (18 of 68, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (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 Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The website directs applicants to submit requests by mail or email to the foundation’s director. The 2025 filing lists a written application supporting the applicant’s tax-exempt status, with a statement of purpose and proposed use of the grant. The filing says the proposed use must indicate how it will promote social improvement through golf.
- Review Cycle
- The 2025 filing lists no deadlines.
- Deadline
- The 2025 filing lists no deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Leslie Wadsworth
Mailing address: 13941 N Van Dyke Road, Plainfield, IL 60544-7727
Phone: (815) 436-8400
Website: https://wadsworthgolffoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation
Who Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Metropolitan Golf Foundation ($100K). Together the top 10 received $350K.
Grant Size Distribution
269 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 250 grants of 269 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Illinois, and its 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. The largest shares went to Illinois (40%), Missouri (15%), and Washington, DC (7%); Ohio and Florida each received 5%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 68 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 18 of 68 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 71% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 92% 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $600K (2019) to $795K (2022). In 2025 it made 68 grants totaling $749K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Golf Foundation St. Louis, MO | To Further the Foundation's Exempt Purpose. | $100,000 |
| Evanston Wilmette Golf Course Assoc Evanston, IL | To Further the Foundation's Exempt Purposes. | $50,000 |
| National Links Trust Washington, DC | To Further the Foundation's Exempt Purpose. | $50,000 |
| The First Tee of Greater Chicago Glenview, IL | To Further the Foundation's Exempt Purposes. | $25,000 |
| Chicago District Golf Association F Lemont, IL | To Further the Foundation's Exempt Purposes. | $25,000 |
| Illinois PGA Foundation Golf, IL | To Further the Foundation's Exempt Purposes. | $25,000 |
| Maryville Golf Academy Des Plaines, IL | To Further the Foundation's Exempt Purposes. | $20,000 |
| Revelationgolf Elk Grove, IL | To Further the Foundation's Exempt Purposes. | $20,000 |
| The Turn North Olmsted, OH | To Further the Foundation's Exempt Purposes. | $20,000 |
| Southern California PGA Ontario, CA | To Further the Foundation's Exempt Purposes. | $15,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $12,337,376 | $1,191,082 | $881,442 | $749,000 | 68 | $749,000 | $803,140 | $817,292 |
| 2024 | $12,042,247 | $1,049,099 | $783,550 | $666,000 | 58 | $666,000 | $931,549 | $756,145 |
| 2023 | $11,792,994 | $533,689 | $753,268 | $657,500 | 39 | $657,500 | $437,771 | $657,049 |
| 2022 | $12,021,280 | $750,326 | $876,723 | $795,378 | 50 | $795,378 | $668,831 | $684,624 |
| 2021 | $12,473,375 | $1,742,404 | $765,631 | $675,000 | 54 | $675,000 | $1,646,873 | $767,091 |
| 2020 | $11,499,224 | $1,004,562 | $692,294 | $614,000 | 50 | — | $920,668 | $675,866 |
| 2019 | $11,189,269 | $856,176 | $665,173 | $600,350 | 44 | — | $508,470 | $624,237 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation reported a distributable amount of $817K for 2025 — 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 says it is dedicated to improving communities through the moral, ethical, and cultural values of golf. Its stated interests include golf programs benefiting people of all ages, First Tee programs, and handicapped and therapeutic programs. Its Links Across America initiative aims to develop three-, six-, or nine-hole “feeder” courses that expand affordable access to golf.
Its 2025 grants included organizations whose own missions span several golf-related purposes. For example, Metropolitan Golf Foundation describes its work as using golf to improve the lives of young people from all socioeconomic backgrounds; National Links Trust focuses on affordable and accessible municipal golf; and The Turn combines functional fitness training and adaptive recreation for people with physical disabilities. Other 2025 recipients included Western Golf Association, which says it promotes and supervises activities benefiting Evans Scholars and promotes golf, and Special Olympics Illinois, which provides sports training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 68 grants totaling $749,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, with a median of $6,250. Its largest grants included $100,000 to Metropolitan Golf Foundation; $50,000 each to Evanston Wilmette Golf Course Association and National Links Trust; and $25,000 each to The First Tee of Greater Chicago, Chicago District Golf Association, and Illinois PGA Foundation. Other notable awards included $20,000 each to Maryville Golf Academy, RevelationGolf, and The Turn, and $15,000 each to Southern California PGA, US Adaptive Golf Association, and Northern Texas PGA Foundation.
The foundation’s website says it accepts and reviews Program Grant applications once a year. It requires a request of no more than two typewritten pages describing the organization, proposed use, and target audience; a copy of the first page of the IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter; the prior year’s financial statements; and a list of other grants or funding received and the organizations providing them. The website says funding decisions are based on the two-page request. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations. Program Grant recipients must submit an annual Responsibility Report documenting programming activity, rounds played, and progress; the website says failure to submit it will result in future requests being denied.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Eric Wadsworth as president; Leslie Wadsworth as treasurer; and Douglas Myslinski, John McNair, and Patrick Karnick as directors. The foundation’s website lists Leslie Wadsworth as secretary/treasurer.
Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation is led by Eric Wadsworth, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Eric Wadsworth
President
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Douglas Myslinski
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John McNair
Director
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patrick Karnick
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leslie Wadsworth
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
$10K (2019) → $0 (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $8K, to Leslie Wadsworth (Treasurer).
Frequently asked questions about Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation
How much does Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation give each year?
Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation gave $749K across 68 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $666K across 58 grants.
What is Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation's typical grant size?
Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $6,250, and its average grant was $11,015, across 68 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation that year got $14K on average.
Where does Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation give grants?
Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 40% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Missouri (15%) and District of Columbia (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Glenview, IL (3 grants), Lemont, IL (3 grants), St. Louis, MO (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Who are Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation's largest grantees?
Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Metropolitan Golf Foundation ($100,000), Evanston Wilmette Golf Course Assoc ($50,000) and National Links Trust ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation?
Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation reported $12.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $749K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $817K (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 Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation fund?
The foundation says it is dedicated to improving communities through the moral, ethical, and cultural values of golf. Its stated interests include golf programs benefiting people of all ages, First Tee programs, and handicapped and therapeutic programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation?
The website directs applicants to submit requests by mail or email to the foundation’s director. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation's EIN?
Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4028075. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 22, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 23, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 18, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 25, 2024)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2023
Live grants for the work Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wadsworth-golf-charities-foundation-morg_164537b320a34f278bc9d008122a8374
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364028075_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/wadsworth-golf-charities-foundation-morg_164537b320a34f278bc9d008122a8374},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Wadsworth Golf Charities 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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