Walter S Mander Foundation
The Walter S. Mander Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. It honors the legacy of Walter S. Mander, a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany who settled in Chicago and became a successful figure in the meatpacking industry. The Foundation supports work related to food and agriculture, community development, Jewish life and culture, and cancer research.
Walter S Mander Foundation at a glance
In short: Walter S Mander Foundation gave $538K across 58 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Illinois. 28% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $538,351
- -2.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 58
- +23.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,282
- -21.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $7,748,391
- +1.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 28% first-time grantees (16 of 58, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (86% 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 Walter S Mander Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. It allows brief introductory letters for review and, if invited, organizations may submit a full proposal. It makes grants on a rolling basis.
- Review Cycle
- The Foundation has no proposal deadlines.
- Deadline
- The Foundation has no proposal deadlines.
- Contact
Mailing address: 525 W Monroe Street 2360, Chicago, IL 60661
Phone: (312) 641-3070
Website: https://waltermanderfoundation.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 Walter S Mander Foundation
Who Walter S Mander Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Forefront ($116K). Together the top 10 received $317K.
Grant Size Distribution
248 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 233 grants of 248 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation identifies Chicago and Illinois as focal areas for urban agriculture, sustainable food systems, and community development. It states that grants for direct service are limited to organizations serving Chicago and its immediate surrounding area (Cook County). In 2025, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois; the remaining reported shares went to New York (3%), Pennsylvania (3%), Massachusetts (2%), and North Carolina (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 58 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Walter S Mander Foundation open to new grantees?
28%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 16 of 58 grantees (28%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 62% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+14%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 139% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $470K (2022) to $553K (2024). In 2025 it made 58 grants totaling $538K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Forefront Chicago, IL | To Further the Purpose of the Organization | $116,393 |
| Northwestern Memorial Foundation Chicago, IL | To Further the Purpose of the Organization | $50,000 |
| University of Chicago Law School Chicago, IL | To Further the Purpose of the Organization | $50,000 |
| Star Farm Chicago Chicago, IL | To Further the Purpose of the Organization | $20,350 |
| Chicago Botanic Garden Glencoe, IL | To Further the Purpose of the Organization | $15,000 |
| Garfield Park Community Council Chicago, IL | To Further the Purpose of the Organization | $15,000 |
| Jewish United Fund Chicago, IL | To Further the Purpose of the Organization | $15,000 |
| Opportunity Knocks River Forest, IL | To Further the Purpose of the Organization | $15,000 |
| Court Theatre Chicago, IL | To Further the Purpose of the Organization | $10,750 |
| Babson College Wellesley, MA | Scholarship | $10,000 |
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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 | $7,748,391 | $688,826 | $666,889 | $538,351 | 58 | $538,435 | $569,161 | $388,376 |
| 2024 | $7,649,518 | $470,737 | $650,260 | $552,793 | 47 | $552,793 | $373,285 | $375,494 |
| 2023 | $7,826,866 | $315,241 | $671,486 | $540,709 | 44 | $540,709 | $187,272 | $380,304 |
| 2022 | $8,191,818 | $776,162 | $603,215 | $470,275 | 49 | $470,275 | $646,992 | $442,362 |
| 2021 | $8,037,670 | $593,480 | $663,507 | $548,291 | 50 | — | $489,304 | $409,298 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Walter S Mander Foundation reported a distributable amount of $388K 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 its work honors Walter S. Mander’s interests and accomplishments. Its focus areas include urban agriculture and greening that promote access to healthy food and job-related skills; local, sustainable food and agriculture in Chicago and Illinois; and community development programs offering employment training, financial literacy, and job opportunities in higher-paying and skilled industries. Cancer research and Jewish and Israeli organizations are supported by invitation only. The Foundation also makes grants outside these areas at the board’s discretion.
Its 2025 grantees illustrate a range of supported work. Star Farm Chicago describes its work as increasing access to locally grown organic produce while providing jobs and training for adults with developmental disabilities and employment barriers. Garfield Park Community Council says it works to revitalize Chicago’s Garfield Park community. Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago describes providing resources in areas including food, health care, education, and emergency assistance. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the Foundation made 58 grants totaling $538,351. Grants ranged from $300 to $116,393, with a median of $5,000. The largest listed awards went to Forefront ($116,393), Northwestern Memorial Foundation ($50,000), University of Chicago Law School ($50,000), and Star Farm Chicago ($20,350). Other notable awards included $15,000 each to Chicago Botanic Garden, Garfield Park Community Council, Jewish United Fund, and Opportunity Knocks.
The Foundation frequently provides general operating support and does not require proposals to be tailored specifically to it. Introductory letters of one to two pages may be submitted for review; if the board approves moving forward, the organization will be contacted about next steps. A full proposal, if invited, usually includes an organizational history and purpose, program description, contact information, project and organizational budgets, recent financial statements and audit, IRS 501(c)(3) documentation, funding-source lists, and an explanation of how the organization evaluates results. Direct-service grants are limited to organizations serving Chicago and its immediate surrounding area (Cook County).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The Foundation’s website identifies Peter Wolf as president and treasurer, Chuck Wolf as chairman, Lou Wolf as vice president and board member, and Peter Goschi as secretary. It states that Peter Wolf became president on April 1, 2026, succeeding Chuck Wolf. The 2025 filing lists C. B. Wolf as president/director, P. E. Goschi as secretary/director, and Peter B. Wolf and Walter L. Wolf as directors.
Walter S Mander Foundation is led by C. B. Wolf, President & Director on every filing since 2021; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
C. B. Wolf
President & Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
P. E. Goschi
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter Bwolf
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Walter L. Wolf
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: James J. Stevens (2021–2023) — Vice President & Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Walter S Mander Foundation
How much does Walter S Mander Foundation give each year?
Walter S Mander Foundation gave $538K across 58 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $553K across 47 grants.
What is Walter S Mander Foundation's typical grant size?
Walter S Mander Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $9,282, across 58 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Walter S Mander Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Walter S Mander Foundation give grants?
Walter S Mander Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (30 grants), Oak Park, IL (4 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does Walter S Mander Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 58 grants with a stated purpose on Walter S Mander Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Further the Purpose of the Organization" (54 grants) and "Scholarship" (4 grants).
Who are Walter S Mander Foundation's largest grantees?
Walter S Mander Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Forefront ($116,393), Northwestern Memorial Foundation ($50,000) and University of Chicago Law School ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Walter S Mander Foundation?
Walter S Mander Foundation reported $7.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $538K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $388K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Walter S Mander Foundation fund?
The Foundation says its work honors Walter S. Mander’s interests and accomplishments. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Walter S Mander Foundation?
The Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Walter S Mander Foundation's EIN?
Walter S Mander Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3961599. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Walter S Mander Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 22, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 25, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS December 18, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS September 26, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Walter S Mander Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Walter S Mander Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/walter-s-mander-foundation-morg_ffc2e5b0f241421292a2b9babb2165b2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363961599_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Walter S Mander Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/walter-s-mander-foundation-morg_ffc2e5b0f241421292a2b9babb2165b2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Walter S Mander 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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