Walske Charitable Foundation
Walske Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its 2024 filing lists grants to organizations in several states, including arts and cultural organizations, a university, churches, and other nonprofits.
Walske Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Walske Charitable Foundation gave $375K across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $23K), mostly in California. 19% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $375,000
- +2.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 16
- -11.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $23,438
- +15.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $3,951,038
- -2.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (3 of 16, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (81% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Walske Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and accepts unsolicited requests. Its filing says to contact Steve Walske; no special form is required, and it lists no award restrictions.
- Review Cycle
- None listed.
- Deadline
- None listed.
- Contact
Application contact: Steve Walske
Mailing address: 565 Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94123
Phone: (415) 624-2228
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Walske Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was San Francisco Ballet ($110K). Together the top 10 received $330K.
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 64 grants of 80 (80%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Boston. In 2024, California recipients received 81% of grant dollars, followed by recipients in Tennessee (9%), Massachusetts (5%), New Jersey (3%), and New York (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Walske Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 16 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $27K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 81% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+4%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 96% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $328K (2020) to $375K (2024). In 2024 it made 16 grants totaling $375K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Ballet San Francisco, CA | General | $110,000 |
| The Music Center of La County Los Angeles, CA | General | $75,000 |
| Uc Berkeley Foundation Berkeley, CA | General | $50,000 |
| Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN | General | $25,000 |
| Los Angeles County Museum of Art Los Angeles, CA | General | $15,000 |
| Fine Arts Museum of SF Deyoung Museum San Francisco, CA | GUO PEI Couture Fantasy Exhibit | $15,000 |
| Beverly Hills Presyterian Church Beverly Hills, CA | General | $10,000 |
| Bridges Impact Foundation Boston, MA | Miint Project | $10,000 |
| Calvary Presbyterian Church San Francisco, CA | General | $10,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Memphis, TN | General | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Walske Charitable Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation files Form 990-PF.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $3,951,038 | $349,902 | $441,048 | $375,000 | 16 | $375,000 | $287,558 | $391,516 |
| 2023 | $4,042,184 | $324,689 | $427,946 | $366,600 | 18 | $366,670 | $267,106 | $360,281 |
| 2022 | $4,145,441 | $277,208 | $418,836 | $355,300 | 18 | $355,370 | $219,337 | $360,445 |
| 2021 | $4,287,065 | $375,068 | $419,954 | $360,000 | 14 | $362,920 | $317,676 | $382,361 |
| 2020 | $4,331,951 | $147,146 | $387,753 | $327,500 | 14 | — | $86,096 | $332,279 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Walske Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $392K for 2024 — 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’s filing does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations such as San Francisco Ballet, The Music Center of LA County, and UC Berkeley Foundation. Grantees describe their own missions in varied terms: San Francisco Opera Guild says it provides opera education and supports the San Francisco Opera Association; Calvary Presbyterian Church says its nursery school nurtures children’s curiosity and fosters a caring community; and Princeton Prospect Foundation says it facilitates historic preservation of Princeton eating clubs and furthers education for their student members. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a stated mission of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation awarded 16 grants totaling $375,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $110,000, with a median grant of $10,000.
Among the largest grants were $110,000 to San Francisco Ballet, $75,000 to The Music Center of LA County, $50,000 to UC Berkeley Foundation, and $25,000 to Vanderbilt University. Other listed awards included $15,000 each to Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Fine Arts Museum of SF de Young Museum; the latter grant was for the “Guo Pei Couture Fantasy” exhibit. The foundation also gave $10,000 to Bridges Impact Foundation for the MIINT project.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Steven C. Walske and Jennifer M. Walske as trustees.
Walske Charitable Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jennifer M. Walske
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steven C. Walske
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Walske Charitable Foundation
How much does Walske Charitable Foundation give each year?
Walske Charitable Foundation gave $375K across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $367K across 18 grants.
What is Walske Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Walske Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $23,438, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Walske Charitable Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does Walske Charitable Foundation give grants?
Walske Charitable Foundation gives mostly in California: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Tennessee (9%) and Massachusetts (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (5 grants), Los Angeles, CA (2 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does Walske Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 88% of Walske Charitable Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Walske Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Walske Charitable Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include San Francisco Ballet ($110,000), The Music Center of La County ($75,000) and Uc Berkeley Foundation ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Walske Charitable Foundation?
Walske Charitable Foundation reported $4.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $375K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $392K (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 Walske Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations such as San Francisco Ballet, The Music Center of LA County, and UC Berkeley Foundation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Walske Charitable Foundation?
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Walske Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Walske Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6818329. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Walske Charitable Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Walske Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/walske-charitable-foundation-morg_94fa36848d9f4436b03e631fc3274810
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046818329_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Walske Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/walske-charitable-foundation-morg_94fa36848d9f4436b03e631fc3274810},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Walske Charitable 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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