Wilkinson Foundation
The Wilkinson Foundation is a private foundation based in Chelsea, Michigan. Its 2025 filing lists 87 grants totaling $352,000 to charitable organizations, with grant purposes including education, community, and social welfare.
Wilkinson Foundation at a glance
In short: Wilkinson Foundation gave $352K across 87 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), top state Michigan. 16% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $352,000
- +13.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 87
- +8.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,046
- +4.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $6,686,469
- +2.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (14 of 87, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (28% 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 Wilkinson Foundation
- 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: 13765 Waterloo, Chelsea, MI 48118
Phone: (734) 904-1484
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Wilkinson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Doctors Without Borders ($18K). Together the top 10 received $133K.
Grant Size Distribution
450 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 450 grants of 450 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Michigan received 28% of grant dollars, Missouri 12%, North Carolina 11%, Maine 10%, and New York 10%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 87 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Wilkinson Foundation open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 14 of 87 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−13%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 98% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $265K (2023) to $405K (2022). In 2025 it made 87 grants totaling $352K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | Social Welfare | $17,750 |
| Columbus School for Girls Columbus, OH | Education | $15,000 |
| Concord Hill School Chevy Chase, MD | Education | $15,000 |
| Mothers Out Front New York, NY | Community | $15,000 |
| Story Tapestries St. Louis, MO | Community | $15,000 |
| Town of Hollis Hollis, ME | Community | $15,000 |
| Covenant Christian School St. Louis, MO | Education | $10,000 |
| Go Global NC Wake Forest, NC | Community | $10,000 |
| Guide Dogs for the Blind Rochester Hills, MI | Social Welfare | $10,000 |
| Marin Catholic School Kentfeild, CA | SCHOOL | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Wilkinson Foundation?
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 | $6,686,469 | $506,905 | $355,816 | $352,000 | 87 | $352,000 | $485,484 | $357,917 |
| 2024 | $6,535,380 | $256,091 | $360,215 | $309,500 | 80 | $309,500 | $231,463 | $359,605 |
| 2023 | $6,603,063 | $48,643 | $306,243 | $265,000 | 77 | $265,000 | $237,564 | $362,745 |
| 2022 | $6,766,396 | $783,229 | $445,143 | $404,750 | 102 | $404,750 | $468,308 | $387,427 |
| 2021 | $6,428,310 | $389,334 | $391,106 | $351,850 | 104 | — | $311,834 | $367,749 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Wilkinson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $358K 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
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for schools, community organizations, and social welfare organizations. For example, grantee Concord Hill School describes its mission as cultivating children’s curiosity and supporting their personal and academic growth. Good Shepherd Food Bank says its mission is to eliminate hunger in Maine, while Leader Dogs for the Blind describes its work as helping people who are blind or visually impaired develop skills for independent travel.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 87 grants totaling $352,000. Grants ranged from $250 to $17,750, with a median grant of $2,500. Among the largest grants were $17,750 to Doctors Without Borders for social welfare; $15,000 each to Columbus School for Girls and Concord Hill School for education; and $15,000 each to Mothers Out Front, Story Tapestries, and the Town of Hollis for community purposes.
Other 2025 grants included $8,000 to Many Hands Lifesharing Community, whose stated work includes housing and activities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities; $8,000 to the Center for Biological Diversity, which describes its work as protecting species and the lands, waters, and climate they need; and $5,000 to COTS, whose mission is to empower families in poverty.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Dr. Stephen Wilkinson as president, Guerin S. Wilkinson as treasurer, and Todd S. Wilkinson as secretary.
Wilkinson Foundation is led by Stephen Wilkinson, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Stephen Wilkinson
President
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Guerin S. Wilkinson
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Todd S. Wilkinson
Secretary
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Wilkinson Foundation
How much does Wilkinson Foundation give each year?
Wilkinson Foundation gave $352K across 87 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $310K across 80 grants.
What is Wilkinson Foundation's typical grant size?
Wilkinson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $4,046, across 87 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Wilkinson Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Wilkinson Foundation give grants?
Wilkinson Foundation's top state is Michigan, with 28% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Missouri (12%) and North Carolina (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (9 grants), St. Louis, MO (6 grants), Arlington, MA (5 grants) and Chelsea, MI (4 grants).
Does Wilkinson Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 87 grants with a stated purpose on Wilkinson Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community" (59 grants), "Education" (10 grants) and "Social Welfare" (5 grants).
Who are Wilkinson Foundation's largest grantees?
Wilkinson Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Doctors Without Borders ($17,750), Columbus School for Girls ($15,000) and Concord Hill School ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 14% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Wilkinson Foundation?
Wilkinson Foundation reported $6.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $352K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $358K (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 Wilkinson Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for schools, community organizations, and social welfare organizations. For example, grantee Concord Hill School describes its mission as cultivating children’s curiosity and supporting their personal and academic growth. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wilkinson 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 Wilkinson Foundation's EIN?
Wilkinson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-6497639. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Wilkinson 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 22, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 19, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Wilkinson Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in Michigan
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
Detroit, MI
The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan funds nonprofits working in economic opportunity, health equity, youth and education, arts and culture, and public space and the environment across seven southeast Michigan counties. Its 2024 grants had a median of $25,000, though awards varied widely; organizations begin with a brief proposal, and selected applicants are invited to submit a full application.
Assets
$1.2B
Grants
938
Total Given
$105.1M
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Inc
Princeton, NJ
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation supports health access and stronger health systems, with a focus on adult and pediatric cancers, blood disorders, brain health, and clinical-trial participation in the United States, Brazil, India, and ten Sub-Saharan African countries. In 2024, its median grant was about $134,000, though awards varied widely; it does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests, and advises prospective applicants to contact the Foundation about its process.
Assets
$83.3M
Grants
144
Total Given
$67.7M
WK Kellogg Foundation
Battle Creek, MI
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation funds work to help children, families, and communities thrive, including early education, health equity, food systems, family economic well-being, and racial equity. In 2025, its grants ranged from $50 to nearly $5 million, with a median of $100,000; it funds across the United States, with long-term commitments in several states and communities, as well as parts of Mexico and Haiti. It accepts unsolicited proposals online at any time.
Assets
$481.0M
Grants
1,818
Total Given
$303.9M
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
Flint, MI
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation funds nonprofits working in civil society, youth engagement, environmental sustainability, and Flint-area community development, in Flint and communities around the world. Its 2024 grants had a median of $55,000, though awards ranged widely; it does not accept unsolicited funding requests and supports preselected organizations.
Assets
$3.8B
Grants
834
Total Given
$166.4M
The Kresge Foundation
Troy, MI
The Kresge Foundation funds nonprofit operations, projects, and planning across arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services, and community development, with a focus on equity and opportunity in U.S. cities—especially Detroit, Memphis, New Orleans, and Fresno. Its 2024 grants ranged from $150 to $5 million, with a median of $140,000. Program teams most often invite applicants, though some programs issue open calls or RFPs; unsolicited requests are not described as generally accepted.
Assets
$4.0B
Grants
800
Total Given
$170.0M
DTE Energy Foundation
Detroit, MI
DTE Energy Foundation funds community transformation, human needs, economic development, education, employment, and environmental initiatives, primarily in Michigan. Its 2024 grants had a median of about $10,000, though amounts ranged from $100 to $1.2 million. Its general application process is invitation-only, but it has offered open calls for specific Michigan programs.
Assets
$129.1M
Grants
442
Total Given
$15.8M
More similar funders
More Funders in Michigan
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Wilkinson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wilkinson-foundation-morg_ba5117ceb9ca475fa41db54192b4e14a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_386497639_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Wilkinson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/wilkinson-foundation-morg_ba5117ceb9ca475fa41db54192b4e14a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Wilkinson 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.
Wilkinson Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?