Wildfong Family Foundation
The Wildfong Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Traverse City, Michigan. Its 2025 filing reports 10 charitable grants totaling $74,100, all to recipients in Michigan.
Key facts about Wildfong Family Foundation
In short: Wildfong Family Foundation gave $74K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Michigan. 60% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 82-6762184
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $74,100
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- Average grant
- $7,410
- Median grant
- $5,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 60% first-time grantees (6 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $1,906,432
- Primary geography
- Michigan (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. 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
$1.9M
+19.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$74K
+48.2% YoY
Grant Count
10
+66.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$7K
-11.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Wildfong Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $149K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Wildfong Family Foundation open to new grantees?
60%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 10 grantees (60%) 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 $6K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 30% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 102% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 51% 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 (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 2025 grants went to organizations including a Catholic school, a church, a medical clinic, the Salvation Army, a food-assistance program, and organizations serving young parents, athletes, and veterans and their families. The grantees describe their own work as follows: Generations Ahead says it empowers young parents by building positive relationships, strengthening family stability, and raising healthy children; Michigan’s Premier Baseball says it develops athletes’ physical confidence and mental toughness; and Reining Liberty Ranch says it promotes health, primarily for veterans and their families, through equine, agricultural, and educational services. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a stated mission of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 10 grants totaling $74,100. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $28,500, with a median of $5,500. Its largest awards were $28,500 to Grand Traverse Area Catholic School, $10,000 each to Saint Francis Church and Thrive Medical Clinic, and $7,500 to the Salvation Army. Other recipients included Generations Ahead ($6,000), Paraklesis - Peace Ranch ($5,000), Meals on Wheels ($4,000), Michigan’s Premier Baseball ($1,600), Easterseals ($1,000), and Reining Liberty Ranch ($500).
How to Apply
The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Ready to take the next step with Wildfong Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Michigan. The listed recipients were in Traverse City, Rochester, and Auburn Hills.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $37K (2022) to $74K (2025). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $74K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Grand Traverse Area Catholic School ($29K). Together the top 10 received $74K.
Grant Size Distribution
38 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 38 grants of 38 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Traverse Area Catholic School Traverse City, MI | Charitable | $28,500 |
| Saint Francis Church Traverse City, MI | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Thrive Medical Clinic Traverse City, MI | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Salvation Army Traverse City, MI | Charitable | $7,500 |
| Generations Ahead Traverse City, MI | Charitable | $6,000 |
| Paraklesis - Peace Ranch Traverse City, MI | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Meals on Wheels Traverse City, MI | Charitable | $4,000 |
| Michigan's Premier Baseball Rochester, MI | Charitable | $1,600 |
| Easterseals Auburn Hills, MI | Charitable | $1,000 |
| Reining Liberty Ranch Traverse City, MI | Charitable | $500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,906,432 | $380,188 | $76,396 | $74,100 (10 grants) |
| 2024 | $1,602,640 | $105,855 | $52,775 | $50,000 (6 grants) |
| 2023 | $1,549,560 | $363,968 | $38,251 | $37,235 (6 grants) |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,906,432 | $1,602,640 | $1,549,560 |
| Revenue | $380,188 | $105,855 | $363,968 |
| Expenses | $76,396 | $52,775 | $38,251 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $76,095 | $51,294 | $38,251 |
| Net Investment Income | $34,620 | $38,907 | $48,349 |
| Distributable Amount | $148,785 | $109,562 | $67,661 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 30, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 25, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 23, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 12, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 24, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Brian Wildfong and Tonya Wildfong as trustees.
Wildfong Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Brian Wildfong
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Tonya Wildfong
Trustee
On filings since 2019
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: PO Box 6314, Traverse City, MI 49696
Phone: (231) 943-5154
Frequently asked questions about Wildfong Family Foundation
How much does Wildfong Family Foundation give each year?
Wildfong Family Foundation gave $74K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $50K across 6 grants.
What is Wildfong Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Wildfong Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,500, and its average grant was $7,410, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Wildfong Family Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Wildfong Family Foundation give grants?
Wildfong Family Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Traverse City, MI (8 grants).
Does Wildfong Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Wildfong Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (10 grants).
Who are Wildfong Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Wildfong Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Grand Traverse Area Catholic School ($28,500), Saint Francis Church ($10,000) and Thrive Medical Clinic ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Wildfong Family Foundation?
Wildfong Family Foundation reported $1.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $76K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $149K (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 Wildfong Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2025 grants went to organizations including a Catholic school, a church, a medical clinic, the Salvation Army, a food-assistance program, and organizations serving young parents, athletes, and veterans and their families. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wildfong Family Foundation?
The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Wildfong Family Foundation's EIN?
Wildfong Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-6762184. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Wildfong 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.
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