Wellness Advocacy Fund
Wellness Advocacy Fund is a public charity based in Fulton, Maryland. Formed in 2019, it makes grants to other organizations for work on voting rights and access for communities and leaders of color, climate action, and redistricting.
Wellness Advocacy Fund at a glance
In short: Wellness Advocacy Fund gave $3.2M across 29 grants in 2025 (avg $111K), top state District of Columbia. 41% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,225,000
- -38.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 29
- -17.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $111,207
- -25.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $100,000
- Total assets
- $17,452,938
- -39.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 41% first-time grantees (12 of 29, 2025)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (40% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Wellness Advocacy Fund
- Contact
Mailing address: 8171 Maple Lawn Blvd 375, Fulton, MD 20759
Phone: (240) 295-1612
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Wellness Advocacy Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Alliance for Youth Action ($200K). Together the top 10 received $1.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
126 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 79 grants of 126 (63%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund is based in Maryland. In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in DC (46%), California (13%), New Hampshire (10%), Arizona (9%), and New York (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Wellness Advocacy Fund open to new grantees?
41%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 29 grantees (41%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $119K; repeat grants $106K. How we count
Medians: $100K first-time, $100K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.9M (2021) to $5.3M (2024). In 2025 it made 29 grants totaling $3.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance for Youth Action Washington, DC | See Part IV | $200,000 |
| Forward Action Fund Concord, NH | See Part IV | $200,000 |
| Sixteen Thirty - Modern Election Baltimore, MD | See Part IV | $200,000 |
| Center for Voter Information Washington, DC | See Part IV | $150,000 |
| Climate Equity Action Washington, DC | See Part IV | $150,000 |
| Future Action Now Washington, DC | See Part IV | $150,000 |
| Indivisible Washington, DC | See Part IV | $150,000 |
| Sixteen Thirty - Galvanize Baltimore, MD | See Part IV | $150,000 |
| Sixteen Thirty - Rural Victory Baltimore, MD | See Part IV | $150,000 |
| Way to Win Washington, DC | See Part IV | $150,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Wellness Advocacy Fund?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $17,452,938 | $3,806,135 | $3,692,114 | $3,225,000 | 29 | $3,806,135 |
| 2024 | $28,841,102 | $8,860,819 | $5,408,109 | $5,250,000 | 35 | $8,841,261 |
| 2023 | $28,063,004 | $4,267,063 | $3,182,108 | $2,750,000 | 22 | $267,063 |
| 2022 | $26,819,804 | $2,281,869 | $4,645,508 | $4,500,000 | 27 | $2,277,035 |
| 2021 | $42,284,192 | $3,562,740 | $2,032,483 | $1,875,000 | 13 | $3,562,740 |
| 2020 | $31,242,262 | $31,497,496 | $2,028,517 | $2,000,000 | 17 | $92,616 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The fund says it currently focuses on voting rights and access for communities and leaders of color, climate action, and redistricting. Its filing also describes a focus on redistricting integrity and says grants support these purposes.
Among the 2024 grantees, the Center for Voter Information says it works to increase civic engagement among under-represented communities, including unmarried women, people of color, and young people. Rural Arizona Action describes its work as pursuing more equitable and just systems through advocacy, accountability, and leadership training in rural Arizona. Stand Up America says it works to increase voter participation and build a more representative democracy. America Votes describes its mission as coordinating and promoting progressive issues and pursuing electoral reform that expands ballot access. These are grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the fund reported 35 grants totaling $5,250,000. Grants ranged from $25,000 to $500,000, with a median of $100,000. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 29 grants totaling $3.2 million.
Notable 2024 grants included $500,000 to Somos PAC for political activity; $400,000 to Tides Advocacy for “Black leaders organizing for communities support”; $350,000 to the Center for Voter Information for voter registration and mobilization; and $250,000 to Rural Arizona Action to foster fair and equitable systems in rural Arizona. Other grants included $250,000 to Sixteen Thirty Fund – Climate Equity for climate equity action fund outreach and $200,000 each to America Votes, Stand Up America, Voces de La Frontera Action, Leaders We Deserve, and Indivisible Project.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Barbara Bainum as president and director; Mary C. Acker as treasurer and secretary; David J. Korotkin as assistant secretary; and Wilfried Busse, Scott Renschler, Todd Renschler, and Katherine Renschler as directors.
The filing states that Bainum and Busse are married, and that Bainum’s two adult children and their spouses—Scott and Katherine, and Todd and Amanda Renschler—also serve as directors. It says White Oak Resources, LLC performs certain finance, administration, and tax duties for the fund. The filing states that the management company is ultimately owned by the directors, trusts for their benefit, and descendants of Bainum’s parents, and that two officers are employed by the company.
Wellness Advocacy Fund is led by Barbara Bainum, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 8 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Barbara Bainum
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amanda Renschler
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott Renschler
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Todd Renschler
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wilfried Busse
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katherine Renschler
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David J. Korotkin
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary C. Acker
Treasurer & Secretary
Treasurer → Treasurer & Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Christine A Shreve (2020–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Katie Renschler (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Wellness Advocacy Fund
How much does Wellness Advocacy Fund give each year?
Wellness Advocacy Fund gave $3.2M across 29 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $5.3M across 35 grants.
What is Wellness Advocacy Fund's typical grant size?
Wellness Advocacy Fund's median grant in 2025 was $100,000, and its average grant was $111,207, across 29 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Wellness Advocacy Fund that year got $119K on average.
Where does Wellness Advocacy Fund give grants?
Wellness Advocacy Fund's top state is District of Columbia, with 40% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Maryland (25%) and California (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (9 grants), Baltimore, MD (5 grants), Brooklyn, NY (2 grants) and Detroit, MI (2 grants).
Does Wellness Advocacy Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 29 grants with a stated purpose on Wellness Advocacy Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "See Part IV" (29 grants).
Who are Wellness Advocacy Fund's largest grantees?
Wellness Advocacy Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Alliance for Youth Action ($200,000), Forward Action Fund ($200,000) and Sixteen Thirty - Modern Election ($200,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Wellness Advocacy Fund?
Wellness Advocacy Fund reported $17.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.8M.
What does Wellness Advocacy Fund fund?
The fund says it currently focuses on voting rights and access for communities and leaders of color, climate action, and redistricting. Its filing also describes a focus on redistricting integrity and says grants support these purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wellness Advocacy Fund?
Wellness Advocacy Fund has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Wellness Advocacy Fund's EIN?
Wellness Advocacy Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-3757375. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS September 23, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 30, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 6, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Total Given
$29.5M
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Wellness Advocacy Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wellness-advocacy-fund-morg_56b793658daf47febfd95ef69f248df0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_843757375_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Wellness Advocacy Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/wellness-advocacy-fund-morg_56b793658daf47febfd95ef69f248df0},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-06. 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 Wellness Advocacy Fund'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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