Weeden Foundation
The Weeden Foundation is a private foundation based in Bedford Hills, New York, whose overarching priority is protecting biodiversity. Its grantmaking addresses conservation in specific landscapes and broader issues including bird conservation, global biodiversity, and environmental education.
Weeden Foundation at a glance
In short: Weeden Foundation gave $2.0M across 132 grants in 2024 (avg $15K), top state California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,000,049
- +17.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 132
- -4.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $15,152
- +22.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $37,710,205
- +1.0% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (15% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Weeden Foundation
- How to Apply
-
New applicants must submit a Letter of Inquiry through the Foundation’s online application system. The Foundation reviews LOIs and invites a full proposal when the proposed work is of interest or fits a program area. Returning grantees and new applicants invited to submit a full application use the online system as well. The Foundation funds 501(c)(3) organizations or their international equivalents. Returning-grantee proposals should describe the grant purpose and a brief evaluation process and include an executive summary. The Foundation lists areas of little interest, including museums, capital construction, animal rights, films and videos, wildlife rehabilitation, government-based projects, universities, student fellowships, and basic scientific research.
- Review Cycle
- The listed Fall Board Meeting cycle had an LOI deadline of August 7, 2026, and a full-application deadline of September 4, 2026. Both dates have passed. The application page states that the next grant cycle begins June 15, 2026; that date has also passed.
- Deadline
- The listed Fall Board Meeting cycle had an LOI deadline of August 7, 2026, and a full-application deadline of…
- Contact
Application contact: Weeden Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 606, Bedford Hills, NY 10507
Phone: (914) 864-1375
Email: info@weedenfoundation.org
Website: https://weedenfoundation.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 Weeden Foundation
Who Weeden Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Resolve ($52K). Together the top 10 received $386K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($27,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
273 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 265 grants of 273 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation identifies four direct biodiversity program areas: Southeastern Alaska, with a focus on the Tongass National Forest; the California Floristic Province, primarily Northern California; Montana’s High Divide in southwest Montana; and Chilean Patagonia. Its broader programs address bird conservation throughout the Americas, systemic support at the U.S. national policy level, and global biodiversity, mainly in Africa and Latin America.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 132 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Weeden Foundation gives
- 59% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 39% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 109% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $1.5M (2020) to $3.3M (2021). In 2024 it made 132 grants totaling $2.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Resolve Washington, DC | GRANT | $52,000 |
| Center for Biological Diversity Tucson, AZ | GRANT | $50,000 |
| National Wildlife Federation Missoula, MT | GRANT | $50,000 |
| Pacific Forest Trust San Francisco, CA | GRANT | $42,000 |
| Puelo Patagonia | GRANT | $40,000 |
| The Vital Ground Foundation Inc Missoula, MT | GRANT | $32,000 |
| American Bird Conservancy The Plains, VA | GRANT | $30,000 |
| Center for Large Landscape Conservation Bozeman, MT | GRANT | $30,000 |
| Futaleufu Riverkeeper | GRANT | $30,000 |
| Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Washington, WA | GRANT | $30,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $37,710,205 | $3,354,762 | $2,531,199 | $2,000,049 | 132 | $2,204,446 | $3,046,975 | $2,025,059 |
| 2023 | $37,327,728 | $1,555,681 | $2,234,743 | $1,705,283 | 138 | $1,944,048 | $1,290,086 | $1,844,968 |
| 2022 | $37,905,006 | $991,882 | $2,584,620 | $1,846,227 | 1 | $2,149,406 | $608,679 | $1,995,476 |
| 2021 | $39,499,588 | $4,452,588 | $4,142,922 | $3,280,800 | 1 | $3,573,482 | $3,691,584 | $2,209,801 |
| 2020 | $39,188,211 | $14,230,166 | $2,238,306 | $1,544,925 | 1 | — | $3,703,259 | $1,885,867 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Weeden Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to protect biodiversity. Its website describes place-based programs in Alaska, the California Floristic Province, Montana, and Chilean Patagonia, alongside broader work in bird conservation, systemic support for wildlife corridors and other protections, global biodiversity, and environmental education. Its website also identifies education topics including sustainable consumption, international issues, and environmental education.
The Foundation says its Global Biodiversity work is mainly located in Africa and Latin America. Its objectives include protecting biodiversity hotspots and endangered species, involving local or Indigenous communities in stewardship, supporting conservation-related sustainable livelihoods, and developing wildlife corridors. Its Conservation Infrastructure program prioritizes legal, policy, institutional, civic, and scientific frameworks that support durable conservation.
The 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported. The Center for Biological Diversity describes its work as using science, law, and creative media to protect species and the lands, waters, and climate they need. The Vital Ground Foundation says it works to protect and restore wildlife habitat and landscape linkages and to prevent conflicts between people and wildlife. American Bird Conservancy describes its mission as conserving wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. Population Media Center says it uses entertainment media to promote smaller families, family planning, women’s status, gender equity, and global sustainability. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Foundation reported 132 grants totaling $2,000,049. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $52,000, with a median of $15,000. The Foundation says grants are usually $10,000–$30,000 and that it does not make multi-year grants.
Among the larger 2024 grants were $52,000 to RESOLVE, $50,000 each to the Center for Biological Diversity and the National Wildlife Federation, $42,000 to Pacific Forest Trust, and $40,000 to Puelo Patagonia. Other notable awards included $32,000 to the Vital Ground Foundation, $30,000 each to American Bird Conservancy and the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, $28,000 to WildEarth Guardians, and $25,000 each to Population Media Center, the Population Institute, and Manomet. RESOLVE describes its work as forging partnerships to address social, health, and environmental challenges; Manomet says it uses science and collaboration to improve the health of flyways, coastal ecosystems, and working lands and seas.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Leslie Weeden as president, Barbara Daugherty as vice president, John Weeden as secretary, and Nick Leibowitz as treasurer. It also lists Robert Weeden and Norman Weeden as directors.
Weeden Foundation is led by Leslie Weeden, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Leslie Weeden
President
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Norman F Weeden
Director
President, Drctor P & T → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robert E Weeden
Director
Treasurer → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
John H Weeden
Secretary
Vice President → Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Barbara Daugherty
Vice President
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Nick Leibowitz
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Norm Weeden (2022) — Director
- Former: H Leslie Weeden (2020) — 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.
Frequently asked questions about Weeden Foundation
How much does Weeden Foundation give each year?
Weeden Foundation gave $2.0M across 132 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.7M across 138 grants.
What is Weeden Foundation's typical grant size?
Weeden Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $15,152, across 132 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Weeden Foundation give grants?
Weeden Foundation's top state is California, with 15% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Montana (10%) and New York (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (8 grants), New York, NY (7 grants), Seattle, WA (5 grants) and Washington, DC (4 grants).
Does Weeden Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 132 grants with a stated purpose on Weeden Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Grant" (122 grants) and "Grants" (10 grants).
Who are Weeden Foundation's largest grantees?
Weeden Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Resolve ($52,000), Center for Biological Diversity ($50,000) and National Wildlife Federation ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($27,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 8% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Weeden Foundation?
Weeden Foundation reported $37.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Weeden Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to protect biodiversity. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Weeden Foundation?
New applicants must submit a Letter of Inquiry through the Foundation’s online application system. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Weeden Foundation's EIN?
Weeden Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-6109313. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 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). Weeden Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/weeden-foundation-morg_6d5b748f63ce4a5f84dcf410e3d0d0ae
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_946109313_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Weeden Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/weeden-foundation-morg_6d5b748f63ce4a5f84dcf410e3d0d0ae},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Weeden 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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