Wenger Foundation
Wenger Foundation was a private foundation based in Wayzata, Minnesota. Its 2023 filing is marked as a final return: the foundation adopted a termination plan, distributed its assets to Schwab Charitable Fund on December 31, 2023, and adopted a dissolution resolution on December 26, 2023. It therefore appears to have wound down and is not an active grantmaker.
Wenger Foundation at a glance
In short: Wenger Foundation gave $12.6M across 5 grants in 2023 (avg $2.5M), mostly in California. Source: 2023 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2023)
- $12,562,724
- +4323.5% vs 2022
- Grants made (2023)
- 5
- -73.7% vs 2022
- Average grant
- $2,512,545
- +16709.3% vs 2022
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Primary geography
- California (99% of itemized 2023 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2023 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2023; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Wenger Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The final filing listed any form of application and generally limited awards to public charities. It does not provide current application instructions.
- Review Cycle
- None was listed on the final filing.
- Deadline
- None was listed on the final filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Wendy Wenger Dankey
Mailing address: PO Box 2, Crystal Bay, MN 55323
Phone: (952) 471-3667
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Wenger Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 5 recipients in 2023
The largest 2023 recipient was Schwab Charitable Fund ($12.5M). Together the top 5 received $12.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
87 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 84 grants of 87 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2023 filing reported that 99% of grant dollars went to California recipients, 1% to Minnesota recipients, and less than 1% to New York recipients. These shares include the large transfer to Schwab Charitable Fund in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2023 grant dollars across all 5 itemized grants.
Cities
How Wenger Foundation gives
- Giving grew 3180% from 2020 to 2023. Method
- In 2023 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2023, annual grant giving ranged from $284K (2022) to $12.6M (2023). In 2023 it made 5 grants totaling $12.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Schwab Charitable Fund San Francisco, CA | Transfer of funds to newly created daf to finalize the dissolution of the wenger foundation | $12,490,724 |
| Owatonna Arts Center Foundation Owatonna, MN | Assist Operations | $37,000 |
| Harry Wenger Marching Band Festival Inc Owatonna, MN | Assist Operations | $20,000 |
| Little Theatre of Owatonna Owatonna, MN | Assist Operations | $10,000 |
| Newman Student Award-Asa Melville, NY | Assist Operations | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The filing type is Form 990-PF.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | — | $-944,880 | $12,582,458 | $12,562,724 | 5 | $12,564,947 | $51,415 | $541,089 |
| 2022 | $13,610,491 | $1,119,294 | $398,993 | $284,000 | 19 | $339,142 | $1,085,755 | $598,961 |
| 2021 | $12,931,568 | $2,485,405 | $734,923 | $678,000 | 33 | $720,821 | $1,965,783 | $659,414 |
| 2020 | $11,181,086 | $117,569 | $434,243 | $383,000 | 30 | — | $101,420 | $566,905 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Wenger Foundation reported a distributable amount of $541K for 2023 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. The 2023 grants included support for arts organizations in Owatonna, Minnesota. Little Theatre of Owatonna describes its own mission as promoting interest in and enjoyment of dramatic arts in the Owatonna area through education, involvement, and exposure to public performances.
Grantmaking
In 2023, the foundation reported five grants totaling $12,562,724. The grants ranged from $5,000 to $12,490,724, with a median of $20,000. The largest grant, $12,490,724 to Schwab Charitable Fund, was for transferring funds to a newly created donor-advised fund to finalize the foundation’s dissolution. Other reported grants included $37,000 to Owatonna Arts Center Foundation, $20,000 to Harry Wenger Marching Band Festival Inc., and $10,000 to Little Theatre of Owatonna, each to assist operations. Newman Student Award-ASA received $5,000 to assist operations.
The final filing listed Wendy Wenger Dankey as the contact and stated that applications could be made in any form, with no deadline. These instructions are from the final filing and should not be treated as current application opportunities.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2023 filing listed Wendy Wenger Dankey as executive director and Jerry A. Wenger as president. Nancy Benjamin, Kirsten Johnson, and Hanna Johnson were listed as directors.
Wenger Foundation is led by Wendy Wenger Dankey, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2023 report compensation.
Officers on the 2023 filing
Wendy Wenger Dankey
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$45K (2020) → $0 (2023)
Jerry A. Wenger
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hanna Johnson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kirsten Johnson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Benjamin
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2023. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2022 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2022 filing was $50K, to Wendy Wenger Dankey (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Wenger Foundation
How much does Wenger Foundation give each year?
Wenger Foundation gave $12.6M across 5 grants in 2023, according to its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2022 it gave $284K across 19 grants.
What is Wenger Foundation's typical grant size?
Wenger Foundation's median grant in 2023 was $20,000, and its average grant was $2,512,545, across 5 grants on its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Wenger Foundation give grants?
Wenger Foundation gives mostly in California: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Owatonna, MN (3 grants).
Does Wenger Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2023: none of the 5 grants with a stated purpose on Wenger Foundation's 2023 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Assist Operations" (4 grants).
Who are Wenger Foundation's largest grantees?
Wenger Foundation's largest 2023 grantees include Schwab Charitable Fund ($12,490,724), Owatonna Arts Center Foundation ($37,000) and Harry Wenger Marching Band Festival Inc ($20,000), according to its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF.
What does Wenger Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. The 2023 grants included support for arts organizations in Owatonna, Minnesota. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wenger Foundation?
The final filing listed any form of application and generally limited awards to public charities. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is Wenger Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2023, Wenger Foundation reported a distributable amount of $541K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Wenger Foundation's EIN?
Wenger Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1436658. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2023.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 18, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 3, 2024)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2023
Live grants for the work Wenger Foundation funds
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Wenger Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?