Wender Weis Foundation for Children
Wender Weis Foundation for Children is a private foundation based in Palo Alto, California. It made 19 grants totaling $97,692 in 2024 to charitable organizations, most of them in California.
Wender Weis Foundation for Children at a glance
In short: Wender Weis Foundation for Children gave $98K across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), mostly in California. 37% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $97,692
- +22.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- +35.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,142
- -9.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,250
- Total assets
- $35,615
- -65.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (7 of 19, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (98% 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 Wender Weis Foundation for Children
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 555 Bryant Street Suite 300, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone: (650) 321-4142
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Wender Weis Foundation for Children funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was SAN FRANCISCO 49ers Foundation ($58K). Together the top 10 received $92K.
Grant Size Distribution
94 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 93 grants of 94 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 98% of grant dollars went to California recipients, 1% to Texas, and 0% each to New York and Indiana. These figures describe the reported distribution of 2024 grant dollars.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Wender Weis Foundation for Children open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 19 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 47% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 33% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $66K (2022) to $106K (2020). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $98K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| SAN FRANCISCO 49ers Foundation Santa Clara, CA | Charitable Contribution | $58,441 |
| San Francisco Ballet San Francisco, CA | Charitable Contribution | $5,318 |
| Healthy Planet Project San Francisco, CA | Charitable Contribution | $5,150 |
| California Academy of Sciences San Francisco, CA | Charitable Contribution | $5,106 |
| DREAMS33 Foundation San Francisco, CA | Charitable Contribution | $5,000 |
| Warriors CommUNITY Foundation San Francisco, CA | Charitable Contribution | $4,000 |
| There With Care Menlo Park, CA | Charitable Contribution | $3,500 |
| Raphael House of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Charitable Contribution | $2,500 |
| Children of Shelters San Francisco, CA | Charitable Contribution | $1,500 |
| Children's Health Council Palo Alto, CA | Charitable Contribution | $1,250 |
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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 | $35,615 | $911,918 | $948,490 | $97,692 | 19 | $576,090 | $4,332 | $3,008 |
| 2023 | $102,132 | $865,464 | $894,743 | $79,807 | 14 | $624,393 | $2,622 | $1,320 |
| 2022 | $84,648 | $794,657 | $810,369 | $66,188 | 16 | $511,564 | $1,752 | $1,997 |
| 2021 | $79,726 | $699,750 | $629,950 | $73,180 | 19 | $430,025 | $8,674 | $1,945 |
| 2020 | $56,464 | $559,395 | $677,753 | $105,520 | 26 | — | $1,472 | $2,027 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Wender Weis Foundation for Children reported a distributable amount of $3K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees describe work in areas including science and environmental education, family housing stability, children’s enrichment, learning differences and mental health, inclusive recreation, and support for families of children with serious illnesses. For example, the California Academy of Sciences says its mission is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration; Raphael House of San Francisco says it helps low-income families and families experiencing homelessness achieve stable housing and financial independence.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $97,692 through 19 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $150 to $58,441, with a median grant of $1,250. Its largest grants included $58,441 to the San Francisco 49ers Foundation, $5,318 to San Francisco Ballet, $5,150 to Healthy Planet Project, $5,106 to the California Academy of Sciences, and $5,000 to Dreams33 Foundation. Other listed recipients included Warriors CommUNITY Foundation ($4,000), There With Care ($3,500), and Raphael House of San Francisco ($2,500).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Amy Wender-Hoch as president and director; Joanne Pasternack as treasurer and director; and Susan Solinsky as secretary and director. It also lists Elizabeth Vabach, John Hoch, Camille Kennedy, Michelle Gilman Jasen, Steve Baker, and Didi Engel as directors.
Wender Weis Foundation for Children is led by Amy Wender-Hoch, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 9 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Amy Wender-Hoch
President & Director
On filings since 2020
45 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Camille Kennedy
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Didi Engel
Director
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
No compensation reported
ELIZABETH vabach
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
joanne pasternack
Treasurer & Director
Vice President & Director → Treasurer & Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Hoch
Director
Treasurer & Director → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Gilman Jasen
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steve Baker
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
susan solinsky
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Michael Herbst (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Heidi Gerber (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Susan Davenport (2020–2021) — Director
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 Wender Weis Foundation for Children
How much does Wender Weis Foundation for Children give each year?
Wender Weis Foundation for Children gave $98K across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $80K across 14 grants.
What is Wender Weis Foundation for Children's typical grant size?
Wender Weis Foundation for Children's median grant in 2024 was $1,250, and its average grant was $5,142, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Wender Weis Foundation for Children that year got $2K on average.
Where does Wender Weis Foundation for Children give grants?
Wender Weis Foundation for Children gives mostly in California: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (9 grants) and Palo Alto, CA (2 grants).
Who are Wender Weis Foundation for Children's largest grantees?
Wender Weis Foundation for Children's largest 2024 grantees include SAN FRANCISCO 49ers Foundation ($58,441), San Francisco Ballet ($5,318) and Healthy Planet Project ($5,150), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 71% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Wender Weis Foundation for Children?
Wender Weis Foundation for Children reported $36K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $576K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Wender Weis Foundation for Children fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wender Weis Foundation for Children?
The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Wender Weis Foundation for Children's EIN?
Wender Weis Foundation for Children's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 77-0381972. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Wender Weis Foundation for Children 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
(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). Wender Weis Foundation for Children funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wender-weis-foundation-for-children-morg_39918535f17e49238b0ca47f9f3e932a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_770381972_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Wender Weis Foundation for Children funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/wender-weis-foundation-for-children-morg_39918535f17e49238b0ca47f9f3e932a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Wender Weis Foundation for Children'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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