Whaley Foundation
The Whaley Foundation is a private foundation based in Mendota Heights, Minnesota. Its giving includes education and general-purpose support for charitable organizations; the foundation’s website also describes scholarships and support for health, recreation, youth sports, and adult recreation.
Whaley Foundation at a glance
In short: Whaley Foundation gave $1.6M across 30 grants in 2025 (avg $52K), mostly in Minnesota. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,561,500
- +36.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 30
- +3.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $52,050
- +31.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $15,393,008
- -2.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (5 of 30, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (98% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Whaley Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Its website separately provides application instructions for scholarships.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1327 Riverside Lane, Mendota Heights, MN 55118
Phone: (612) 215-1667
Website: https://thewhaleyfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Whaley Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Minnesota Foundation ($500K). Together the top 10 received $1.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
133 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 110 grants of 133 (83%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota and 2% to recipients in Colorado; the reported shares for Washington, D.C., and New York were 0%. The listed 2025 grants included recipients in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Denver.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Whaley Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 30 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $120K; repeat grants $38K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 83% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 119% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 234% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $659K (2021) to $1.6M (2025). In 2025 it made 30 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota Foundation Minneapolis, MN | Education - General Purposes | $500,000 |
| Walker Art Center Minneapolis, MN | Public Charity - General Purposes | $290,000 |
| Cretin-Derham Hall Saint Paul, MN | Education - General Purposes | $250,000 |
| Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library Saint Paul, MN | Public Charity - General Purposes | $125,000 |
| Sisters Rising Worldwide Saint Paul, MN | Public Charity - General Purposes | $70,000 |
| Nativity School Fund Saint Paul, MN | Education - General Purposes | $62,500 |
| Catholic Schools Center of Excellence Saint Paul, MN | Public Charity - General Purposes | $50,000 |
| United Way Minneapolis, MN | Public Charity - General Purposes | $40,000 |
| Macalester College - Annual Fund Saint Paul, MN | Education - General Purposes | $30,000 |
| Kiberia Girls Soccer Academy Foundation Saint Paul, MN | Education - General Purposes | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Whaley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $15,393,008 | $1,445,110 | $1,786,976 | $1,561,500 | 30 | $1,561,525 | $659,736 | $668,385 |
| 2024 | $15,734,874 | $9,600,261 | $1,196,700 | $1,144,000 | 29 | $1,144,025 | $7,548,089 | $311,933 |
| 2023 | $7,331,313 | $371,465 | $900,592 | $859,000 | 28 | $859,025 | $428,147 | $365,450 |
| 2022 | $7,860,440 | $343,401 | $762,114 | $713,500 | 23 | $713,525 | $394,202 | $394,724 |
| 2021 | $8,279,153 | $527,767 | $710,017 | $659,000 | 23 | $659,025 | $649,479 | $459,961 |
| 2020 | $8,461,403 | $245,333 | $1,162,283 | $1,107,000 | 21 | — | $614,986 | $407,415 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Whaley Foundation reported a distributable amount of $668K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website says it is committed to building communities through education and recreation opportunities that support individual endeavors. It describes offering two academic or continuing-education scholarships each year, funding organizations that promote community building through health and recreation, supporting youth sports and adult recreation programs, and partnering with organizations focused on senior wellness, health, and nutrition.
Its 2025 grants included education and general-purpose support to schools and colleges, as well as general-purpose support to public charities. Among 2024 recipients, the Walker Art Center describes its mission as helping people experience the possibilities of art and ideas; Sisters Rising Worldwide says it supports women doing powerful work; and the Highland Friendship Club describes providing opportunities for friendship, connection, choice, and independence for teens and young adults of all abilities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 30 grants totaling $1,561,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $500,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest grants included $500,000 to the University of Minnesota Foundation for education; $290,000 to Walker Art Center for general purposes; $250,000 to Cretin-Derham Hall for education; and $125,000 to Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library for general purposes. Other grants among the largest were $70,000 to Sisters Rising Worldwide, $62,500 to Nativity School Fund, and $50,000 to Catholic Schools Center of Excellence.
The website provides application instructions for its scholarships. The listed materials include a completed application, an application statement of up to 1,000 words, high school transcripts, confirmation of university enrollment, and a non-family reference. Applicants are asked to provide academic and personal information, and the applicant and guardian must agree that scholarship funds will be used for tuition and fees, books, housing, or required technology.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John P. Whaley and Annette M. Whaley as directors, and Megan J. Whaley as vice president.
Whaley Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Annette M. Whaley
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
John P. Whaley
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Megan J. Whaley
Vice President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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 Whaley Foundation
How much does Whaley Foundation give each year?
Whaley Foundation gave $1.6M across 30 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.1M across 29 grants.
What is Whaley Foundation's typical grant size?
Whaley Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $52,050, across 30 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Whaley Foundation that year got $120K on average.
Where does Whaley Foundation give grants?
Whaley Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Saint Paul, MN (13 grants) and Minneapolis, MN (12 grants).
Does Whaley Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Whaley Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (30 of 30) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Whaley Foundation's largest grantees?
Whaley Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Minnesota Foundation ($500,000), Walker Art Center ($290,000) and Cretin-Derham Hall ($250,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 67% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Whaley Foundation?
Whaley Foundation reported $15.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $668K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Whaley Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website says it is committed to building communities through education and recreation opportunities that support individual endeavors. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Whaley Foundation?
The foundation states 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 Whaley Foundation's EIN?
Whaley Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1988112. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Whaley 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 25, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Whaley Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Whaley Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/whaley-foundation-morg_47e06c9ba44c4adebbf39281ac422d75
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_411988112_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Whaley Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/whaley-foundation-morg_47e06c9ba44c4adebbf39281ac422d75},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Whaley 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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