Wenaweser Foundation
The Wenaweser Foundation is a private foundation based in Mercer Island, Washington. It provides support to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations so they can carry out charitable activities.
Wenaweser Foundation at a glance
In short: Wenaweser Foundation gave $62K across 39 grants in 2026 (avg $2K), mostly in Washington. 15% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $62,300
- +12.2% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 39
- +5.4% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $1,597
- +6.5% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $700
- Total assets
- $398,931
- -3.1% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (6 of 39, 2026)
- Primary geography
- Washington (85% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Wenaweser Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4519 Forest Avenue Se, Mercer Island, WA 98040
Phone: (206) 730-9752
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Wenaweser Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Hopelink ($10K). Together the top 10 received $46K.
Grant Size Distribution
132 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 132 grants of 132 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2026, 85% of grant dollars went to organizations in Washington. The remaining shares went to Montana (5%), Washington, D.C. (3%), Virginia (3%), and Maryland (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 39 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Wenaweser Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 6 of 39 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $550 first-time, $700 repeat.
- 82% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving grew 108% from 2023 to 2026. Method
- In 2026 it paid out 277% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2026). 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 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $25K (2021) to $62K (2026). In 2026 it made 39 grants totaling $62K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hopelink Redmond, WA | Help Fund Organization's General Operations | $10,000 |
| Northwest Harvest Seattle, WA | Help Fund Organization's General Operations | $5,000 |
| Treehouse Seattle, WA | Help Fund Organization's General Operations | $5,000 |
| Wellspring Family Services Seattle, WA | Help Fund Organization's General Operations | $5,000 |
| Rainier Scholars Seattle, WA | Help Fund Organization's General Operations | $4,000 |
| Vision House Renton, WA | Help Fund Organization's General Operations | $4,000 |
| YWCA Seattle, WA | Help Fund Organization's General Operations | $4,000 |
| National Forest Foundation Missoula, MT | Help Fund Organization's General Operations | $3,000 |
| Seattle's Union Gospel Mission Seattle, WA | Help Fund Organization's General Operations | $3,000 |
| Solid Ground Seattle, WA | Help Fund Organization's General Operations | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Wenaweser Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $398,931 | $62,676 | $73,401 | $62,300 | 39 | $62,300 | $51,894 | $22,490 |
| 2025 | $411,492 | $37,631 | $65,418 | $55,523 | 37 | $55,523 | $28,678 | $23,807 |
| 2024 | $450,071 | $41,129 | $48,095 | $39,900 | 28 | $39,900 | $33,214 | $23,430 |
| 2023 | $457,152 | $26,492 | $37,003 | $30,000 | 13 | $30,000 | $20,143 | $23,890 |
| 2022 | $467,163 | $55,148 | $59,211 | $50,000 | 15 | $50,000 | $46,311 | $29,754 |
| 2021 | $473,691 | $33,135 | $31,467 | $25,000 | 12 | — | $26,872 | $28,158 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Wenaweser Foundation reported a distributable amount of $22K for 2026 — 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 activity is supporting other qualified 501(c)(3) organizations. Its 2026 grants included general operating support for organizations working in areas such as poverty services, family homelessness, foster care, education, health care, food assistance, and conservation. For example, Hopelink describes its mission as helping people exit poverty, while Wellspring Family Services works to end family homelessness and Treehouse supports children who have experienced foster care. These are the grantees’ missions, not stated focus areas of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2026, the foundation made 39 grants totaling $62,300. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $10,000, with a median grant of $700. The largest awards included $10,000 to Hopelink; $5,000 each to Northwest Harvest, Treehouse, and Wellspring Family Services; and $4,000 each to Rainier Scholars, Vision House, and YWCA. The filing describes these awards as support for the organizations’ general operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Joseph C. Wenaweser as president; Craig K. Wenaweser and Amy J. Wenaweser as vice presidents; and Gail R. Wenaweser as secretary/treasurer.
Wenaweser Foundation is led by Joseph C. Wenaweser, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 4 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Joseph C. Wenaweser
President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy J. Wenaweser
Vice President
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Craig K. Wenaweser
Vice President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gail R. Wenaweser
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "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 Wenaweser Foundation
How much does Wenaweser Foundation give each year?
Wenaweser Foundation gave $62K across 39 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $56K across 37 grants.
What is Wenaweser Foundation's typical grant size?
Wenaweser Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $700, and its average grant was $1,597, across 39 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Wenaweser Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Wenaweser Foundation give grants?
Wenaweser Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (14 grants), Washington DC, DC (7 grants) and Merrifield, VA (3 grants).
Does Wenaweser Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Wenaweser Foundation's 2026 grants with a stated purpose (39 of 39) were for general or operating support, per its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Wenaweser Foundation's largest grantees?
Wenaweser Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include Hopelink ($10,000), Northwest Harvest ($5,000) and Treehouse ($5,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Wenaweser Foundation?
Wenaweser Foundation reported $399K in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $62K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $22K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Wenaweser Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated activity is supporting other qualified 501(c)(3) organizations. Its 2026 grants included general operating support for organizations working in areas such as poverty services, family homelessness, foster care, education, health care, food assistance, and conservation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wenaweser Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Wenaweser Foundation's EIN?
Wenaweser Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-4824366. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.
Does Wenaweser 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS August 26, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Wenaweser Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wenaweser-foundation-morg_e67638fadc354d54b0e7689dfe65c875
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_204824366_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Wenaweser Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/wenaweser-foundation-morg_e67638fadc354d54b0e7689dfe65c875},
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 Wenaweser 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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