Wheaton College
Wheaton College is a public charity based in Wheaton, Illinois, formed in 1860. Its mission is to serve Jesus Christ and advance His kingdom through liberal arts and graduate programs that educate the whole person to build the church and benefit society worldwide.
Wheaton College at a glance
In short: Wheaton College gave $796K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $42K), mostly in Ohio. 16% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $796,125
- -15.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- -9.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $41,901
- -6.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $1,183,288,122
- +7.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (3 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (50% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Wheaton College
- Contact
Mailing address: 501 College Avenue, Wheaton, IL 60187
Phone: (630) 752-5085
Website: https://wheaton.edu
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Wheaton College funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Mars Hill Academy ($250K). Together the top 10 received $706K.
Grant Size Distribution
143 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 114 grants of 143 (80%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant filing reports recipients in multiple states. By share of grant dollars, Ohio received 50%, Florida 26%, Illinois 10%, Michigan 3%, and North Carolina 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Wheaton College open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 19 grantees (16%) 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 $105K; repeat grants $30K. How we count
Medians: $54K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−14%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $487K (2019) to $2.4M (2021). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $796K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mars Hill Academy Mason, OH | campaign | $250,000 |
| Covenant Church of Naples Naples, FL | missions fund | $200,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fnd Cincinnati, OH | fund a new DAF | $54,358 |
| Moody Bible Institute Chicago, IL | Moody Aviation | $50,000 |
| Grace Bible Presbyterian Church Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $40,000 |
| Life Forward Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $35,000 |
| Maranatha Bible & Missionary Conference Norton Shores, MI | $25K capital campaign/$1K sponsorship | $26,000 |
| The Mercy Kids Foundation Moores Hill, IN | General Support | $20,000 |
| Messiah Lutheran Church of Roanoke Roanoke, VA | General Support | $16,000 |
| CEF of Greater Cincinnati Mason, OH | General Support | $15,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,183,288,122 | $249,246,344 | $197,785,333 | $796,125 | 19 | $56,868,909 |
| 2024 | $1,104,861,704 | $206,496,165 | $184,983,837 | $938,103 | 21 | $32,102,438 |
| 2023 | $1,048,214,568 | $181,635,763 | $175,303,151 | $830,400 | 32 | $18,740,032 |
| 2022 | $1,009,461,058 | $231,489,050 | $169,298,848 | $925,496 | 25 | $51,732,979 |
| 2021 | $1,105,725,018 | $280,776,360 | $163,618,905 | $2,356,434 | 46 | $122,812,635 |
| 2020 | $933,202,060 | $176,853,672 | $162,031,167 | $505,292 | 31 | $27,474,285 |
| 2019 | $930,846,496 | $212,894,342 | $160,312,654 | $487,190 | 26 | $47,046,603 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Wheaton’s stated mission is to advance Christ’s kingdom through education that builds the church and benefits society worldwide. Its strategic plan identifies four pillars: mission integrity, academic vitality, workplace engagement, and financial sustainability. The plan describes priorities including strengthening belonging and constituent engagement, investing in academic programs and enrollment partnerships, and supporting faculty and staff development and well-being.
The College’s 2025 grants show support for a range of religious, educational, and human-service organizations. For example, Mars Hill Ministries describes its mission as operating a classical Christian school serving students from kindergarten through grade 12. Life Forward says it provides no-charge, life-affirming services to women with pregnancy-related concerns. The Mercy Kids Foundation describes support for children and families experiencing disability in Nicaragua, while Outreach Community Ministries says it works to restore hope and provide opportunities for people. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not Wheaton’s.
The College also offers grant programs for its own campus community. These include competitive faculty grants for globalizing curriculum and student awards for global research, as well as Life with God Together mini-grants for Wheaton students, staff, and faculty. These programs are for campus participants rather than outside organizations.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Wheaton reported 19 grants totaling $796,125. Grant amounts ranged from $5,367 to $250,000, with a median of $15,000. The largest reported grants included $250,000 to Mars Hill Academy for a campaign, $200,000 to Covenant Church of Naples for a missions fund, $54,358 to Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund to fund a new donor-advised fund, and $50,000 to Moody Bible Institute for Moody Aviation. Other listed awards included $40,000 to Grace Bible Presbyterian Church and $35,000 to Life Forward, both for general support.
The College’s filing reports that 50% of 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio, 26% to Florida, 10% to Illinois, and 3% each to Michigan and North Carolina. Its filing also states that donor-advised fund donors may recommend distributions to College programs or other charitable organizations, subject to approval by the College’s charity selection committee.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Dale C. Wong as chair and trustee; Kathryn H. Vaselkiv as vice chair as of May 2025 and trustee; Kurt A. Keilhacker as secretary as of May 2025 and trustee; and Philip G. Ryken as president and trustee. It also lists Jeffrey S. Meyer as vice chair through May 2025 and trustee, and trustees Andrea D. Scott, Carlene Ellerman, Charles Pollard III, David K. Gieser (through May 2025), and Dr. Darrell L. Bock.
Wheaton College is led by Philip G Ryken, President & Trustee on every filing since 2019; 15 of 34 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Philip G Ryken
President & Trustee
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$372K (2019) → $408K (2025)
Jamie Aten
Professor & Executive Director of Hdi
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$143K (2020) → $166K (2025)
Dale C Wong
Chair & Trustee
Former Secretary & Trustee → Trustee, 2022
Trustee → Chair & Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gregory L Waybright
Trustee
Trustee → Trustee -Reinstated May, 2022
Trustee -Reinstated May → Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$137K (2022) → $0 (2025)
Randy Norbeck
Director of Construction Services
Director of Construction & Maintenance → Interim Director of Construction & Maintenance, 2022
Interim Director of Construction & Maintenance → Director of Construction Services, 2025
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$147K (2021) → $164K (2025)
Jay Bieszke
Director of Facilities
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$162K (2023) → $174K (2025)
Andrea D Scott
Trustee
Trustee → Vice Chair & Trustee, 2021
Vice Chair & Trustee → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Darrell L Bock
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David K Gieser
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James A Goetz
Trustee
Chair & Trustee → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey S Meyer
Vice Chair & Trustee
Secretary & Trustee → Vice Chair, Secretary & Trustee, 2024
Vice Chair, Secretary & Trustee → Vice Chair & Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John H Augustine
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kathryn H Vaselkiv
Secretary, Vice Chair & Trustee
Trustee → Secretary & Trustee, 2024
Secretary & Trustee → Secretary, Vice Chair & Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kurt A Keilhacker
Secretary & Trustee
Trustee → Secretary & Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary J Schaller
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven C Preston
Trustee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charles Pollard III
Trustee
Trustee-Elected May → Trustee, 2022
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gregory L Jao
Trustee
Trustee-Elected May → Trustee, 2022
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Irwyn L Ince
Trustee
Trustee-Elected May → Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa K Beamer
Trustee
Trustee-Elected May → Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carlene Ellerman
Trustee
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Chung
Trustee
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ricky Jenkins
Trustee
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kenneth Larson
Investment Manager
Investment Manager, Interim Vice President Finance, Operations & Treasurer → Investment Manager, 2020
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$181K (2019) → $199K (2025)
Kirk D Farney
Vice President for Advancement & Alumni Relations
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$235K (2019) → $253K (2025)
Paul Chelsen
Vice President for Student Development
Vice President - Student Development → Vice President for Student Development, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$164K (2019) → $184K (2025)
Silvio Vazquez
Chief Enrollment Management Officer
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$180K (2019) → $189K (2025)
J Chadwick Rynbrandt
Vice President for Finance, Operations & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$123K (2020) → $264K (2025)
Karen Lee
Provost
Provost-Started August → Provost, 2022
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$104K (2021) → $238K (2025)
Alan Wolff
Chief Information Officer
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$208K (2023) → $203K (2025)
Mark Yarhouse
Professor
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$167K (2023) → $180K (2025)
Vanessa Wynder Quainoo
Chief Intercultural Engagement Officer
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$78K (2023) → $138K (2025)
Edward Davis
Professor of Psychology
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$159K (2024) → $195K (2025)
Charles Garcia
Controller
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$160K (2025)
Former officers (22)
- Former: Barbara W Anderson (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Michael Wilder (2021–2024) — Dean of Music & Communications
- Former: Anthony Drea (2024) — Chief Development Officer
- Former: Edward Stetzer (2019–2023) — Dean & Executive Director Wcbgc
- Former: Carlos Garcia (2021–2023) — Controller
- Former: Emery Lindsay (2019–2022) — Trustee-
- Former: Philip G Hubbard (2019–2022) — Trustee-
- Former: Margaret Diddams (2019–2021) — Provost
- Former: Sheila Caldwell (2019–2021) — Chief Intercultural Engagement Officer
- Former: Shundrawn A Thomas (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Wendy Woodward (2019–2021) — Cicso
- Former: Scott Okesson (2020–2021) — Director of Facilities
- Former: Dale A Kemp (2019–2020) — Former Vice President for Finance, Operations & Treasurer
- Former: David Iglesias (2019–2020) — Director of the Center for Faith, Politics & Economics
- Former: David Teune (2019–2020) — Director of Gift Planning Services
- Former: Samuel Rodriguez (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: J THomas McCully (2020) — Associate Investment Manager & Senior Trust Officer
- Former: Stanton Jones (2020) — Former Provost & Former Professor
- Former: Dorothy Chappell (2019) — Dean, Natural & Social Sciences
- Former: Jeanette L Hsieh (2019) — Trustee -
- Former: Joseph M Stowell (2019) — Trustee -
- Former: Karen Tucker (2019) — Director of Human Resources
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $408K, to Philip G Ryken (President/Trustee). 15 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Wheaton College
How much does Wheaton College give each year?
Wheaton College gave $796K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $938K across 21 grants.
What is Wheaton College's typical grant size?
Wheaton College's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $41,901, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Wheaton College that year got $105K on average.
Where does Wheaton College give grants?
Wheaton College gives mostly in Ohio: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were Florida (26%) and Illinois (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cincinnati, OH (3 grants) and Mason, OH (2 grants).
Does Wheaton College give general operating support?
Yes: 63% of Wheaton College's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are Wheaton College's largest grantees?
Wheaton College's largest 2025 grantees include Mars Hill Academy ($250,000), Covenant Church of Naples ($200,000) and Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fnd ($54,358), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Wheaton College?
Wheaton College reported $1.2B in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $249.2M.
What does Wheaton College fund?
Wheaton’s stated mission is to advance Christ’s kingdom through education that builds the church and benefits society worldwide. Its strategic plan identifies four pillars: mission integrity, academic vitality, workplace engagement, and financial sustainability. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wheaton College?
Wheaton College has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check wheaton.edu for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Wheaton College's EIN?
Wheaton College's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-2182171. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 13, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Wheaton College funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wheaton-college-morg_6539fcedfdf54db8b27c141efecfa343
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_362182171_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Wheaton College funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/wheaton-college-morg_6539fcedfdf54db8b27c141efecfa343},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Wheaton College'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.
Wheaton College down — hundreds of funders to go?