Western Futures Fund Inc
Western Futures Fund Inc is a public charity based in Sheridan, Wyoming, formed in 2021. It says it works to strengthen civil society and promote responsible leadership in the Western United States, supporting civic organizations and political organizations through grants and other support.
Western Futures Fund Inc at a glance
In short: Western Futures Fund Inc gave $6.8M across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $308K), top state Illinois. 68% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $6,770,000
- +282.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- -4.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $307,727
- +299.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $100,000
- Total assets
- $3,863,873
- +301.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 68% first-time grantees (15 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (29% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Western Futures Fund Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 30 N Gould Street 23616, Sheridan, WY 82801
Phone: (307) 278-9258
Website: https://westernfuturesfund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Western Futures Fund Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Institute for Responsive Government Action Inc ($1.9M). Together the top 10 received $6.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
59 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 18 grants of 59 (31%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The funder’s website describes its work as focused on the Western United States. In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state went to Illinois (29%), Delaware (22%), Washington, DC (14%), Montana (9%), and Alaska (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Western Futures Fund Inc open to new grantees?
68%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 15 of 22 grantees (68%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $420K; repeat grants $68K. How we count
Medians: $100K first-time, $95K repeat.
- 23% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2022–2024). 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 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.8M (2023) to $6.8M (2024). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $6.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Institute for Responsive Government Action Inc Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $1,950,000 |
| Your Community Pac Inc Wilmington, DE | General Purpose | $1,500,000 |
| Retire Career Politicians Inc Washington, DC | General Purpose | $970,000 |
| Clean and Prosperous America Education Fund Seattle, WA | General Purpose | $500,000 |
| Alaska Jobs Coalition Anchorage, AK | General Purpose | $400,000 |
| Working Montanans Billings, MT | General Purpose | $300,000 |
| NMM Lincoln, NE | General Purpose | $200,000 |
| 907 Initiative Anchorage, AK | General Purpose | $100,000 |
| Wyoming Way Pac Lingle, WY | General Purpose | $100,000 |
| Your Nebraska Omaha, NE | General Purpose | $100,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Western Futures Fund Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $3,863,873 | $8,735,000 | $7,813,000 | $6,770,000 | 22 | — |
| 2023 | $961,830 | $3,260,000 | $2,431,197 | $1,770,625 | 23 | — |
| 2022 | $372,070 | $3,427,856 | $3,055,786 | $2,972,750 | 14 | $6 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to educate and advance public policy discussions that strengthen civil society and promote responsible leadership in the Western United States. Its 2024 filing describes work in three areas: civil society, including support for organizations that keep the public informed and engaged on policy matters; electoral work, including leadership development related to potential candidates for public office and grants to political organizations; and advocacy on local, state, and national policy issues. The filing also describes donations to political action committees that support its stated mission.
Examples of grantees’ stated missions illustrate the range of organizations supported. Working Montanans says it advocates for an economy that works for working people and other critical issues. The 907 Initiative describes itself as an Alaska-based government watchdog working to increase public transparency. A Better Big Sky says it informs and engages Montanans on issues including public education, voting rights, public lands access, and economic justice, primarily through financial support for nonprofit organizations. Western States Strategies describes its mission as strengthening inclusive democracy through nonpartisan education and advocacy.
Grantmaking
In 2024, Western Futures Fund reported 22 grants totaling $6,770,000. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $1,950,000, with a median of $100,000. The largest grants included $1,950,000 to Institute for Responsive Government Action Inc., $1,500,000 to Your Community PAC Inc., and $970,000 to Retire Career Politicians Inc.; each was listed for general purpose. Other large grants included $500,000 to Clean and Prosperous America Education Fund, $400,000 to Alaska Jobs Coalition, and $300,000 to Working Montanans.
Other 2024 recipients included NMM ($200,000), 907 Initiative ($100,000), Wyoming Way PAC ($100,000), Your Nebraska ($100,000), Way Back PAC ($100,000), and Montanans for Election Reform Action Fund ($100,000). Additional reported grants included $95,000 to Montana State AFL-CIO, $75,000 to Wyoming Donor Alliance, $50,000 to A Better Big Sky, $20,000 to Votes Idaho Company, and $10,000 to Western States Strategies.
The organization says it monitors grant conditions through written and verbal reports, ongoing monitoring, and interaction with grantees; it provides regular updates depending on the grant’s amount and term. No application process or unsolicited-request policy is stated.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Michael Hennesy as president, Jeremy Krones as treasurer, and Christopher Hirsch as secretary.
Western Futures Fund Inc is led by Michael Hennesy, President on every filing since 2022; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Michael Hennesy
President
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christopher Hirsch
Secretary
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeremy Krones
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2024. "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 Western Futures Fund Inc
How much does Western Futures Fund Inc give each year?
Western Futures Fund Inc gave $6.8M across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $1.8M across 23 grants.
What is Western Futures Fund Inc's typical grant size?
Western Futures Fund Inc's median grant in 2024 was $100,000, and its average grant was $307,727, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Western Futures Fund Inc that year got $420K on average.
Where does Western Futures Fund Inc give grants?
Western Futures Fund Inc's top state is Illinois, with 29% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Delaware (22%) and District of Columbia (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Anchorage, AK (3 grants), Helena, MT (3 grants) and Boise, ID (2 grants).
Does Western Futures Fund Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Western Futures Fund Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 22) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are Western Futures Fund Inc's largest grantees?
Western Futures Fund Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Institute for Responsive Government Action Inc ($1,950,000), Your Community Pac Inc ($1,500,000) and Retire Career Politicians Inc ($970,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Western Futures Fund Inc?
Western Futures Fund Inc reported $3.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $8.7M.
What does Western Futures Fund Inc fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to educate and advance public policy discussions that strengthen civil society and promote responsible leadership in the Western United States. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Western Futures Fund Inc?
Western Futures Fund Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check westernfuturesfund.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Western Futures Fund Inc's EIN?
Western Futures Fund Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-3907363. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 25, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 10, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2024
Live grants for the work Western Futures Fund Inc funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Western Futures Fund Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Western Futures Fund Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/western-futures-fund-inc-morg_afea504e366b41f18decf30196cf958a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_873907363_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Western Futures Fund Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/western-futures-fund-inc-morg_afea504e366b41f18decf30196cf958a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Western Futures Fund Inc'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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