Wheelwright Scientific School
Wheelwright Scientific School is a private foundation based in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Its 2024 filing says it provided scholarships for students attending university; the filing describes award restrictions as residents of Newburyport pursuing engineering or basic science.
Wheelwright Scientific School at a glance
In short: Wheelwright Scientific School gave $294K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $25K), top state Massachusetts. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $294,194
- -14.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- -7.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $24,516
- -7.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $26,232
- Total assets
- $3,864,056
- +7.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (40% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Wheelwright Scientific School
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing lists John C Elwell as the contact and says to see the attached application for the form and materials. It describes award restrictions as Newburyport residency and study in engineering or basic science. The filing also states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- The 2024 filing lists April 30. The filing does not specify a year for that deadline.
- Deadline
- The 2024 filing lists April 30.
- Contact
Application contact: John C Elwell
Mailing address: 266 High Street, Newburyport, MA 01950
Phone: (978) 462-8749
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Wheelwright Scientific School funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Vermont ($30K). Together the top 6 received $140K.
Organizations only. It also paid 6 individual scholarships ($154,330), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
45 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 45 grants of 45 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grants went to recipients in Massachusetts (40% of grant dollars), New York (19%), Vermont (10%), Virginia (10%) and California (8%). These percentages describe the locations of grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Wheelwright Scientific School gives
- In 2025 it paid out 123% of 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $151K (2021) to $345K (2024). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $294K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 6 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $154,330 |
| University of Vermont Burlington, VT | Tuition Scholarship | $30,000 |
| Rochester Inst of Tech Rochester, NY | Tuition Scholarship | $26,987 |
| Simmons University Boston, MA | Tuition Scholarship | $25,477 |
| Wentworth Institute of Tech Boston, MA | Tuition Scholarship | $21,220 |
| Georgia Inst of Technology Atlanta, GA | Tuition Scholarship | $21,180 |
| Loyola University Chicago, IL | Tuition Scholarship | $15,000 |
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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 | $3,864,056 | $651,224 | $382,429 | $294,194 | 12 | $340,264 | $614,727 | $276,594 |
| 2024 | $3,595,261 | $323,188 | $426,570 | $344,928 | 13 | $392,375 | $288,993 | $259,177 |
| 2023 | $3,698,643 | $317,007 | $335,378 | $256,361 | 12 | $300,358 | $285,339 | $238,297 |
| 2021 | $3,460,328 | $745,770 | $236,411 | $150,767 | 8 | — | $712,455 | $240,440 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Wheelwright Scientific School reported a distributable amount of $277K 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
No separate mission statement is provided. The foundation’s 2024 filing describes its direct charitable activity as providing university scholarships, with awards restricted to Newburyport residents pursuing engineering or basic science. Its 2025 grants went to universities and other higher-education institutions for tuition scholarships. Simmons University, a 2025 grantee, describes itself as “a community of higher learning that unites passion with purpose.”
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 12 grants totaling $294,194. Grants ranged from $11,099 to $30,000, with a median of $26,232. The listed grants were all for tuition scholarships. Recipients included two individual recipients, the University of Vermont and an individual recipient, each receiving $30,000; Simmons University received $25,477.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John W Pramberg and the Honorable Sean Reardon as trustees; John C Elwell as president; Mark Littlefield as treasurer; Cindy Johnson as secretary; and Anna Makos as an officer.
Wheelwright Scientific School is led by John C Elwell, President since 2023 (on filings since 2021); all 6 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John C Elwell
President
Trustee → President, 2023
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$9K (2021) → $9K (2025)
John W Pramberg
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$6K (2021) → $7K (2025)
Honorable Sean Reardon
Trustee
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
$6K (2023) → $7K (2025)
Cindy Johnson
Secretary
Clerk → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
$500 (2023) → $5K (2025)
Mark Littlefield
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
$4K (2023) → $9K (2025)
Anna Makos
Officer
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
$7K (2024) → $7K (2025)
Former officers (4)
- Former: Peter DeMaranville (2021–2024) — Ex-Trustee
- Former: Honorable Donna Holaday (2021) — Trustee
- Former: James G Zafris Jr. (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Josiah Welch (2021) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 $9K, to John C Elwell (President). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Wheelwright Scientific School
How much does Wheelwright Scientific School give each year?
Wheelwright Scientific School gave $294K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $345K across 13 grants.
What is Wheelwright Scientific School's typical grant size?
Wheelwright Scientific School's median grant in 2025 was $26,232, and its average grant was $24,516, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Wheelwright Scientific School give grants?
Wheelwright Scientific School's top state is Massachusetts, with 40% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (19%) and Vermont (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does Wheelwright Scientific School give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on Wheelwright Scientific School's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Tuition Scholarship" (12 grants).
Who are Wheelwright Scientific School's largest grantees?
Wheelwright Scientific School's largest 2025 grantees include University of Vermont ($30,000), Rochester Inst of Tech ($26,987) and Simmons University ($25,477), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 6 individual scholarships ($154,330), which are not listed by name. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Wheelwright Scientific School?
Wheelwright Scientific School reported $3.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $340K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $277K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Wheelwright Scientific School fund?
No separate mission statement is provided. The foundation’s 2024 filing describes its direct charitable activity as providing university scholarships, with awards restricted to Newburyport residents pursuing engineering or basic science. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wheelwright Scientific School?
The 2024 filing lists John C Elwell as the contact and says to see the attached application for the form and materials. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Wheelwright Scientific School's EIN?
Wheelwright Scientific School's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6004390. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Wheelwright Scientific School funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wheelwright-scientific-school-morg_5cee17a42c644a758f0e85b739434c72
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046004390_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Wheelwright Scientific School funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/wheelwright-scientific-school-morg_5cee17a42c644a758f0e85b739434c72},
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 Wheelwright Scientific School'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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