Willens Family Foundation
Willens Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Short Hills, New Jersey. In its 2025 filing, it reported 19 grants totaling $602,800 to charitable organizations, including a university, international aid organizations, and organizations serving communities in several states.
Willens Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Willens Family Foundation gave $603K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $32K), mostly in Illinois. 53% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $602,800
- +26.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- -9.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $31,726
- +39.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,533
- Total assets
- $16,840,171
- +24.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 53% first-time grantees (10 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (53% 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 Willens Family 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: 30 Chatham Rd PO Box 705, Short Hills, NJ 07078
Phone: (973) 202-9463
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Willens Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Northwestern University Office of Alumni Relations & Development ($302K). Together the top 10 received $525K.
Grant Size Distribution
92 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 86 grants of 92 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois (53%), California (22%), New York (9%), Maryland (6%), and New Jersey (3%), among other states. These figures describe the locations of grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Willens Family Foundation open to new grantees?
53%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 19 grantees (53%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $48K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $14K first-time, $12K repeat.
- 47% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 66% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 83% 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 (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 $100K (2020) to $603K (2025). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $603K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University Office of Alumni Relations & Development Evanston, IL | Endowment | $302,000 |
| Civic Soul Woodland Hills, CA | Public Charity | $55,134 |
| Doctors Without Borders USA Hangerstown, MD | Public Charity | $37,600 |
| Med Access International Palm Desert, CA | Public Charity | $37,600 |
| Caltech Advancement and Alumni Relations Pasadena, CA | Endowment | $25,000 |
| My Block My Hood My City Chicago, IL | Public Charity | $15,000 |
| Camfed USA San Francisco, CA | Public Charity | $15,000 |
| Boca Raton Regional Hospital Boca Raton, FL | Public Charity | $12,600 |
| Minds Matter NYC New York, NY | Public Charity | $12,533 |
| Childrens Aid NYC New York, NY | Public Charity | $12,533 |
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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 | $16,840,171 | $1,277,441 | $607,567 | $602,800 | 19 | $602,800 | $278,099 | $723,310 |
| 2024 | $13,535,105 | $1,284,862 | $482,155 | $478,500 | 21 | $478,500 | $277,883 | $602,083 |
| 2023 | $10,761,702 | $1,228,818 | $409,679 | $405,950 | 18 | $405,950 | $223,777 | $473,498 |
| 2022 | $8,809,633 | $1,179,698 | $366,590 | $363,800 | 19 | $363,800 | $183,965 | $405,584 |
| 2021 | $9,073,876 | $2,854,947 | $180,730 | $180,000 | 15 | $180,000 | $99,673 | $363,755 |
| 2020 | $5,654,269 | $3,523,517 | $110,883 | $99,500 | 11 | — | $21,718 | $178,138 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Willens Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $723K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations including Northwestern University and Caltech for endowment purposes, as well as charitable organizations working in areas such as domestic violence services, hunger relief, and youth development. Sanctuary for Families describes itself as a New York service provider and advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking, and related forms of gender violence. The Community FoodBank of New Jersey says it addresses the root causes of hunger, and Urban Initiatives describes its work as sports-based youth development programs addressing equity gaps for Chicago students.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 19 grants totaling $602,800. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $302,000, with a median grant of $12,533.
The largest reported grants included $302,000 to Northwestern University Office of Alumni Relations & Development for endowment; $55,134 to Civic Soul; $37,600 each to Doctors Without Borders USA and Med Access International; and $25,000 to Caltech Advancement and Alumni Relations for endowment. Other 2025 grants included $15,000 each to My Block My Hood My City and CAMFED USA, $12,600 to Boca Raton Regional Hospital, $12,533 each to Minds Matter NYC and Childrens Aid NYC, $12,000 to Matthew Larson Foundation for Pediatric Brain Tumors, and $10,000 to Sanctuary for Families. The Community Food Bank of New Jersey received $8,600, and Urban Initiatives received $2,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2025 filing lists Ronald Willens as Director Chairman; Kevin Willens as Director Treasure; Nicole Willens as Director Secretary; and Steven Willens, Jaclyn Willens, Melissa Wattoo, Mark Willens, and Kirk Willens as directors.
Willens Family Foundation is led by Ronald Willens, Director Chairman since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 8 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ronald Willens
Director Chairman
Director & Chairman → Director Chairman, 2021
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jaclyn Willens
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Willens
Director Treasurer
Director & Treasurer → Director Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kirk Willens
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Willens
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Melissa Wattoo
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nicole Willens
Director Secretary
Director & Secretary → Director Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven Willens
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Joanne Willens (2020–2024) — Director
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.
Frequently asked questions about Willens Family Foundation
How much does Willens Family Foundation give each year?
Willens Family Foundation gave $603K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $479K across 21 grants.
What is Willens Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Willens Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $12,533, and its average grant was $31,726, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Willens Family Foundation that year got $48K on average.
Where does Willens Family Foundation give grants?
Willens Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (22%) and New York (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants) and Chicago, IL (2 grants).
Does Willens Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on Willens Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Public Charity" (17 grants).
Who are Willens Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Willens Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Northwestern University Office of Alumni Relations & Development ($302,000), Civic Soul ($55,134) and Doctors Without Borders USA ($37,600), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Willens Family Foundation?
Willens Family Foundation reported $16.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $603K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $723K (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 Willens Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations including Northwestern University and Caltech for endowment purposes, as well as charitable organizations working in areas such as domestic violence services, hunger relief, and youth development. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Willens 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 Willens Family Foundation's EIN?
Willens Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-3831250. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Willens 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.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 19, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 25, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 28, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 25, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work Willens Family Foundation funds
Medical Research Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Willens Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Willens Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/willens-family-foundation-morg_557111cca1854bf4a805cb4bc9c7b479
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_843831250_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Willens Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/willens-family-foundation-morg_557111cca1854bf4a805cb4bc9c7b479},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Willens 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.
Willens Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?