Whelan Family Foundation
The Whelan Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan. In its 2025 filing, it reported 10 grants totaling $90,350 to charitable organizations in Michigan and Louisiana.
Key facts about Whelan Family Foundation
In short: Whelan Family Foundation gave $90K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Michigan. 40% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 20-8761406
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $90,350
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- Average grant
- $9,035
- Median grant
- $1,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 40% first-time grantees (4 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $57,603
- Primary geography
- Michigan (75% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- 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. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$58K
+138.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$90K
+8.9% YoY
Grant Count
10
+11.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$9K
-2.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Whelan Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $826 for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Whelan Family Foundation open to new grantees?
40%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 10 grantees (40%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $2K repeat.
- 40% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−19%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing does not state a mission. Its 2025 grantees include organizations working in health care, education, food assistance, and community improvement. Henry Ford Health describes its mission as improving people’s lives through health care and healing; Isidore Newman School says it promotes individual growth and academic excellence; and the Grosse Pointe Park Foundation says it provides community improvements for Grosse Pointe Park. Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana also received a grant.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $90,350. Grants ranged from $200 to $62,000, with a median grant of $1,000. The largest awards were $62,000 to Henry Ford Health System and $20,000 to Isidore Newman School. Other grants included $2,500 each to Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana and the University of Michigan Corp, and $1,500 to the Grosse Pointe Park Foundation. The filing lists the grant purpose as “to support charitable purposes.”
How to Apply
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with Whelan Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 75% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan and 25% to recipients in Louisiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $66K (2019) to $115K (2021). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $90K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Henry Ford Health System ($62K). Together the top 10 received $90K.
Grant Size Distribution
45 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 41 grants of 45 (91%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Henry Ford Health System Detroit, MI | To Support Charitable Purposes | $62,000 |
| Isidore Newman School New Orleans, LA | To Support Charitable Purposes | $20,000 |
| Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana New Orleans, LA | To Support Charitable Purposes | $2,500 |
| University of Michigan Corp Ann Arbor, MI | To Support Charitable Purposes | $2,500 |
| Grosse Pointe Park Foundation Grosse Pointe Park, MI | To Support Charitable Purposes | $1,500 |
| The Helm at the Boll Life Center Grosse Pointe Farms, MI | To Support Charitable Purposes | $500 |
| Henry Ford Health System - Oncostat Detroit, MI | To Support Charitable Purposes | $500 |
| Henry Ford Health System - Superwoman Fund Detroit, MI | To Support Charitable Purposes | $400 |
| Racquetup Detroit Detroit, MI | To Support Charitable Purposes | $250 |
| Rose Hill Foundation Holly, MI | To Support Charitable Purposes | $200 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $57,603 | $125,425 | $92,026 | $90,350 |
| 2024 | $24,204 | $76,127 | $84,480 | $82,980 |
| 2023 | $32,557 | $90,356 | $88,925 | $88,900 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $57,603 | $24,204 | $32,557 |
| Revenue | $125,425 | $76,127 | $90,356 |
| Expenses | $92,026 | $84,480 | $88,925 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $90,350 | $82,980 | $88,900 |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | $243 |
| Distributable Amount | $826 | $1,318 | $3,147 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 26, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists William F Whelan as president and director; Kathleen J Whelan as treasurer and secretary; and Brian C Whelan and Michael P Whelan as directors.
Whelan Family Foundation is led by William F. Whelan, President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
William F. Whelan
President & Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian C. Whelan
Director
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael P. Whelan
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kathleen J. Whelan
Treasurer & Secretary
Treasurer, Secretary & Director → Treasurer & Secretary, 2020
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 800 Ellair Place, Grosse Pointe Park, MI 48230
Phone: (734) 721-6410
Frequently asked questions about Whelan Family Foundation
How much does Whelan Family Foundation give each year?
Whelan Family Foundation gave $90K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $83K across 9 grants.
What is Whelan Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Whelan Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $9,035, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Whelan Family Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Whelan Family Foundation give grants?
Whelan Family Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 75% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Louisiana (25%). The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (4 grants) and New Orleans, LA (2 grants).
Who are Whelan Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Whelan Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Henry Ford Health System ($62,000), Isidore Newman School ($20,000) and Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana ($2,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 94% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Whelan Family Foundation?
Whelan Family Foundation reported $58K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $90K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $826 (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Whelan Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing does not state a mission. Its 2025 grantees include organizations working in health care, education, food assistance, and community improvement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Whelan Family 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 Whelan Family Foundation's EIN?
Whelan Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-8761406. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Whelan Family 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.
Here's the math on researching Whelan Family Foundation by hand.
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Whelan Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/whelan-family-foundation-morg_7507236574c44b5cb513575642630955
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_208761406_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Whelan Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/whelan-family-foundation-morg_7507236574c44b5cb513575642630955},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Whelan Family 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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