Wheeler Foundation
The Wheeler Foundation is a private foundation based in Rankin, Illinois, that provides grants to educate, train, or support children and adults with physical or mental disabilities. Its website describes the foundation as carrying forward Charles and Maxine Wheeler’s vision of supporting students with special needs.
Wheeler Foundation at a glance
In short: Wheeler Foundation gave $1.6M across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $99K), mostly in Illinois. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,577,802
- -31.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -15.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $98,613
- -18.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $36,835
- Total assets
- $22,326,625
- -1.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (5 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (88% 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 Wheeler Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The website instructs applicants to submit an application by mail. The board meets quarterly, and applicants are notified of its decision after the meeting. If approved, a grant recipient purchases the approved items and submits paid bills or receipts for reimbursement, up to the approved amount. The foundation says there is no set dollar limit and applicants may apply as often as they wish. Required materials include a project budget, governing-board and responsible-person lists, recent financial statements and tax returns when applicable, and an IRS determination letter for private applicants. School applicants must also submit a superintendent’s letter. The foundation requires follow-up reporting.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists a November 6, 2026 application deadline for a November 16, 2026 meeting. The 2025 filing states that deadlines are none.
- Deadline
- The website lists a November 6, 2026 application deadline for a November 16, 2026 meeting.
- Contact
Application contact: Lynn Magers
Mailing address: PO Box 305, Rankin, IL 60960
Phone: (217) 397-2901
Website: https://www.wheelerfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Wheeler Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Human Resources Center of Edgarclark County ($312K). Together the top 10 received $885K.
Organizations only. It also paid 3 individual scholarships ($688,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
65 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 42 grants of 65 (65%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website limits eligibility to areas contiguous to Vermilion County, Illinois. In 2025, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois and 12% to recipients in Indiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Wheeler Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 13 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $49K; repeat grants $81K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $24K repeat.
- 46% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 164% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 96% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $164K (2020) to $2.3M (2024). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 3 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $688,000 |
| Human Resources Center of Edgarclark County Paris, IL | Vehicles for Speical Education | $311,711 |
| Carle Health Center for Philanthropy Peoria, IL | Schloarships | $228,000 |
| Hanging Rock Christian Camp West Lebanon, IN | Additions at christian camp and full replacement of laundry sprinkler system | $182,407 |
| Milford Area Public Schools #124 Milford, IL | Vehicle for Special Education | $51,750 |
| University of Illinois Foundation Chicago, IL | Annual Scholarship Grant | $45,000 |
| Danville School District Danville, IL | Vechile and Supplies | $28,669 |
| Abra Sheldon, IL | Vehicle for Special Education | $20,000 |
| Hoopeston Area Community School District #11 Hoopeston, IL | Vision/Hearing Screener | $8,687 |
| Douglas Discovery Gardens Danville, IL | Charitable Education Purposes | $4,382 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $22,326,625 | $1,595,820 | $1,955,354 | $1,577,802 | 16 | $1,606,151 | $1,276,618 | $1,669,718 |
| 2024 | $22,690,389 | $2,244,406 | $2,662,766 | $2,306,542 | 19 | $2,334,048 | $1,879,919 | $1,652,492 |
| 2023 | $23,109,345 | $13,546,542 | $1,797,186 | $1,365,247 | 14 | $1,373,719 | $1,819,617 | $1,484,380 |
| 2022 | $20,010,920 | $12,904,443 | $1,073,435 | $598,592 | 11 | $598,592 | $12,429,600 | $833,388 |
| 2021 | $9,494,026 | $954,830 | $558,724 | $217,462 | 5 | $217,462 | — | — |
| 2020 | $8,852,176 | $728,515 | $519,567 | $163,865 | 7 | — | — | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Wheeler Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.7M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to provide financial support to institutions and private or public organizations that educate, train, and support children and adults with mental or physical disabilities. Its website gives examples of eligible projects including classroom technology, curriculum, specialized equipment, and larger vocational or recreational projects serving people with disabilities. It says it does not fund routine operating needs or ongoing projects.
The 2025 grants include scholarships and special-education vehicles, as well as support for a Christian camp addition and sprinkler-system replacement. Among the organizations supported, the Illinois State University Foundation describes its mission as elevating Illinois State University through philanthropy. The an individual recipient Community College Foundation says it supports the college’s success and its educational, cultural, and economic impact. The Eastern Illinois University Foundation says it provides private support for the university’s educational mission through scholarships and grants. The University of Illinois Foundation describes its role as encouraging and administering private gifts for the University of Illinois System.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 16 grants totaling $1,577,802. Grant amounts ranged from $291 to $468,000, with a median grant of $36,834. The largest awards included $468,000 to the Illinois State University Foundation for scholarships, $311,711 to the Human Resources Center of Edgar-Clark County for special-education vehicles, and $228,000 to Carle Health Center for Philanthropy for scholarships. Other notable awards were $182,407 to Hanging Rock Christian Camp for additions and replacement of its laundry sprinkler system, and $175,000 to an individual recipient Community College Foundation for scholarships.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Bob Swires as president, Lynn Magers as treasurer, Heather Lane as secretary, and Christine McTaggert, Dennis Weber, Jerry McGlaughlin, Patrick Halloran, and Mendy Spesard as directors or executive director. Sarah Wilson is listed as a director through May 2025; Mendy Spesard is listed as a director beginning August 2025.
Wheeler Foundation is led by Bob Swires, President on every filing since 2020; all 9 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Bob Swires
President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$2K (2023) → $1K (2025)
Patrick Halloran
Executive Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
$7K (2025)
Dennis Weber
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$300 (2023) → $300 (2025)
Sarah Wilson
Director
On filings since 2020
0.8 hrs/week
$250 (2023) → $100 (2025)
Christine McTaggert
Director
On filings since 2022
0.8 hrs/week
$300 (2023) → $100 (2025)
Jerry McGlaughlin
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
$300 (2023) → $250 (2025)
Mendy Spesard
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
$50 (2025)
Lynn Magers
Treasurer
Secretary → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$2K (2023) → $1K (2025)
Heather Lane
Secretary
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
$3K (2023) → $2K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Karen Evans (2020–2021) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $7K, to Patrick Halloran (Executive Director). 9 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Wheeler Foundation
How much does Wheeler Foundation give each year?
Wheeler Foundation gave $1.6M across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.3M across 19 grants.
What is Wheeler Foundation's typical grant size?
Wheeler Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $36,835, and its average grant was $98,613, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Wheeler Foundation that year got $49K on average.
Where does Wheeler Foundation give grants?
Wheeler Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Indiana (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Danville, IL (3 grants) and Armstrong, IL (2 grants).
Does Wheeler Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on Wheeler Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Education Purposes" (3 grants) and "Scholarships" (3 grants).
Who are Wheeler Foundation's largest grantees?
Wheeler Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Human Resources Center of Edgarclark County ($311,711), Carle Health Center for Philanthropy ($228,000) and Hanging Rock Christian Camp ($182,407), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 3 individual scholarships ($688,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Wheeler Foundation?
Wheeler Foundation reported $22.3M 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 $1.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Wheeler Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to provide financial support to institutions and private or public organizations that educate, train, and support children and adults with mental or physical disabilities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wheeler Foundation?
The website instructs applicants to submit an application by mail. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Wheeler Foundation's EIN?
Wheeler Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-1445596. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Wheeler Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Wheeler Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Wheeler Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wheeler-foundation-morg_5e74890aba8e4f6ca89aa520a150ede4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_611445596_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Wheeler Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/wheeler-foundation-morg_5e74890aba8e4f6ca89aa520a150ede4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Wheeler 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.
Wheeler Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?