Whelan Foundation Inc
Whelan Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Sea Girt, New Jersey. Its 2025 filing reports 19 grants totaling $202,220, with recipients primarily in New Jersey. The foundation’s website describes programs supporting special education, people with developmental disabilities, and students and educators pursuing special education-related fields.
Whelan Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Whelan Foundation Inc gave $202K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in New Jersey. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $202,220
- -2.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- -9.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,643
- +7.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,402,414
- -13.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New Jersey (87% 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 Whelan Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The filing states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Requests should be submitted in writing; award restrictions are listed as not applicable.
- Review Cycle
- None, according to the filing.
- Deadline
- None, according to the filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Margaret Whelan
Mailing address: 201 Washington Blvd, Sea Girt, NJ 08750-3104
Phone: (732) 974-0513
Website: https://whelanfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Whelan Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Make a Wish Foundation ($50K). Together the top 10 received $172K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($20,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
93 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 88 grants of 93 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website says its scholarship programs focus especially on Long Island schools and students. In its 2025 grantmaking, 87% of grant dollars went to New Jersey recipients, 10% to Tennessee, 3% to New York, and less than 1% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Whelan Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 18 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. How we count
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). 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 $159K (2021) to $208K (2024). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $202K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Make a Wish Foundation Union, NJ | Various Charitable Needs | $50,000 |
| Georgian Court University Lakewood, NJ | Funding College Funds for the Poor | $20,000 |
| Saint Peter's University Jersey City, NJ | Challange Grant for Community Projects | $20,000 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $20,000 |
| St Jude Hospital Memphis, TN | Various Charitable Needs | $20,000 |
| Our Lady of Mt Carmel School Berlin, NJ | Various Charitable Needs | $16,000 |
| Mercy Center Asbury Park, NJ | Donation used to support a food bank for the homeless | $15,500 |
| Fulfill Neptune, NJ | Various Charitable Needs | $15,000 |
| Collier Services Wickatunk, NJ | Various Charitable Needs | $5,000 |
| Ocean's Harbor House Toms River, NJ | Various Charitable Needs | $5,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,402,414 | $101,948 | $232,395 | $202,220 | 19 | $202,220 | $87,471 |
| 2024 | $1,618,190 | $3,819 | $261,347 | $207,775 | 21 | $207,775 | $83,691 |
| 2023 | $1,906,950 | $97,392 | $234,802 | $203,000 | 16 | $203,000 | $85,286 |
| 2022 | $1,927,799 | $168,371 | $197,420 | $192,800 | 20 | $192,800 | $159,003 |
| 2021 | $1,956,848 | $115,345 | $183,630 | $158,600 | 17 | $158,630 | $113,592 |
| 2020 | $2,025,133 | $99,778 | $218,363 | $179,625 | 18 | — | $111,569 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website says its mission is to identify and empower people and programs advancing special education, particularly across Long Island and beyond. Its stated programs include college scholarships for students pursuing special education-related fields, student loan debt reduction for graduates working in the special-needs arena, and summer enrichment at Camp Northstar for children and adults with developmental disabilities.
The 2025 grants also went to organizations serving varied charitable purposes. For example, Georgian Court University describes its work as providing a liberal arts education that promotes scholarship, service, and personal development; Saint Peter’s University describes educating a diverse community and promoting service and justice. Mercy Center says it serves people facing socioeconomic challenges, with special emphasis on women and children. Interfaith Neighbors describes providing meals, housing, and other assistance to underserved people and communities, while Ocean’s Harbor House describes providing shelter and support to vulnerable youth.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 19 grants totaling $202,220. Awards ranged from $220 to $50,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest reported awards included $50,000 to Make-A-Wish Foundation in Union, New Jersey; $20,000 each to Georgian Court University, Saint Peter’s University, an individual recipient, and St. Jude Hospital; and $16,000 to Our Lady of Mount Carmel School. Other listed recipients included Mercy Center ($15,500), Fulfill ($15,000), Collier Services ($5,000), Ocean’s Harbor House ($5,000), Interfaith Neighbors ($5,000), and Tunnel to Towers ($5,000).
The foundation’s website describes scholarships of up to $80,000 over four years and student loan reduction awards of up to $20,000 over four years. These are awards for individual participants, rather than grants to outside organizations. The scholarship page says it is not accepting new applications at this time.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Margaret Whelan as president; Thomas Whelan Jr and Jon Whelan as trustees; and Katherine Whelan and Patrick Whelan as directors.
Whelan Foundation Inc is led by Margaret Whelan, President on every filing since 2020; 2 of 5 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Margaret Whelan
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Katherine Whelan
Director
On filings since 2020
$13K (2020) → $13K (2025)
Patrick Whelan
Director
On filings since 2020
$13K (2020) → $13K (2025)
Jon Whelan
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Thomas Whelan Jr.
Trustee
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $13K, to Katherine Whelan (Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Whelan Foundation Inc
How much does Whelan Foundation Inc give each year?
Whelan Foundation Inc gave $202K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $208K across 21 grants.
What is Whelan Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Whelan Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $10,643, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Whelan Foundation Inc give grants?
Whelan Foundation Inc gives mostly in New Jersey: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Tennessee (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Asbury Park, NJ (3 grants) and Manasquan, NJ (2 grants).
Does Whelan Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on Whelan Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Various Charitable Needs" (12 grants).
Who are Whelan Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Whelan Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Make a Wish Foundation ($50,000), Georgian Court University ($20,000) and Saint Peter's University ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($20,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Whelan Foundation Inc?
Whelan Foundation Inc reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $102K.
What does Whelan Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s website says its mission is to identify and empower people and programs advancing special education, particularly across Long Island and beyond. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Whelan Foundation Inc?
The filing states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Whelan Foundation Inc's EIN?
Whelan Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-3321789. 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 September 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 May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Whelan Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/whelan-foundation-inc-morg_76c9ac45b4444a278b1344b69e26201e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_223321789_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Whelan Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/whelan-foundation-inc-morg_76c9ac45b4444a278b1344b69e26201e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Foundation Inc'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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