William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn

Private foundation · Grantmaker Saint Louis, MO EIN: 23-7981677

The William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn is a private foundation based in Saint Louis, Missouri. Its filing says it primarily supports organizations in New Jersey or New York that help people who are blind or conduct medical research for the blind.

William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn at a glance

In short: William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn gave $340K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $20K), mostly in New York. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$340,000
+30.8% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
17
+13.3% vs 2024
Average grant
$20,000
+15.4% vs 2024
Median grant
$17,500
Total assets
$4,071,343
+3.3% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
24% first-time grantees (4 of 17, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
New York (57% 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 William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn

How to Apply

The filing directs applicants to apply online using the application form and materials specified there. It states that the foundation has no geographic or program limitations, while primarily supporting organizations in New Jersey or New York that help people who are blind or conduct medical research for the blind.

Review Cycle
The filing lists January 15 and August 22. Both 2026 dates have passed.
Deadline
The filing lists January 15 and August 22.
Contact

Application contact: Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services
Mailing address: 100 N Main St Fl 5D4001-052, Winston Salem, NC 27101
Phone: (888) 730-4933
Email: grantadministration@wellsfargo.com

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Guiding Eyes for the Blind Inc: $30KGuiding Eyes for the Blind Inc$30KEversight: $30KEversight$30KVision Loss Alliance of NJ: $30KVision Loss Alliance of NJ$30KSafe Toddles: $30KSafe Toddles$30KThe Metropolitan Museum of Art: $25KThe Metropolitan Museum of Art$25KJewish Family Service Agency of Ctr JER: $25KJewish Family Service Agencyof Ctr JER$25KSt Josephs School for the Blind: $25KSt Josephs School for theBlind$25KThe Seeing Eye Inc: $20KThe Seeing Eye Inc$20KSUNY College of Optometry Foundation: $18KSUNY College of OptometryFoundation$18KVisions Services Blind and Visual Impair: $16KVisions Services Blind andVisual Impair$16K

The largest 2025 recipient was Guiding Eyes for the Blind Inc ($30K). Together the top 10 received $249K.

Grant Size Distribution

74 grants across all recorded years

73<$50K1$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 73 grants of 74 (99%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The filing states that the foundation has no geographic limitations but primarily supports organizations in New Jersey or New York. In 2025, 57% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 40% to recipients in New Jersey, and 3% to recipients in Illinois.

Grant Distribution by State

5states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.

Cities

New YorkElizabethBrooklynJersey CityMorristownBuffaloCassvilleClarkBrickDenvilleYorktown HeightsCedar KnollsSmithtownFishkillAvalonBaltimoreColumbiaLas VegasMorris PlainsValley Stream

Is William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn open to new grantees?

24%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 4 of 17 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $22K. How we count

Medians: $16K first-time, $25K repeat.

  • 59% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+19%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 84% 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.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$100K$200K$300K$400K12 grants2019 12 grants2020 16 grants2021 11 grants2022 15 grants2023 15 grants2024 17 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $260K (2024) to $340K (2025). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $340K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Guiding Eyes for the Blind Inc Yorktown Heights, NYGeneral Operating$30,000
Eversight Clark, NJGeneral Operating$30,000
Vision Loss Alliance of NJ Morris Plains, NJGeneral Operating$30,000
Safe Toddles Fishkill, NYGeneral Operating$30,000
The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, NYGeneral Operating$25,000
Jewish Family Service Agency of Ctr JER Elizabeth, NJGeneral Operating$25,000
St Josephs School for the Blind Jersey City, NJGeneral Operating$25,000
The Seeing Eye Inc Morristown, NJGeneral Operating$20,000
SUNY College of Optometry Foundation New York, NYGeneral Operating$17,500
Visions Services Blind and Visual Impair New York, NYGeneral Operating$16,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$4,071,343$568,869$439,074$340,00017$351,091$479,580$418,873
2024$3,941,212$65,749$318,882$260,00015$270,116$139,966$380,592
2023$4,195,776$432,789$376,178$295,00015$304,480$373,941$336,603
2022$4,139,685$571,984$354,260$285,00011$294,552$512,430$338,132
2021$3,922,076$162,581$357,017$285,00016$294,883$100,288$368,840
2020$4,116,514$245,267$348,960$285,00012—$189,435$310,768
2019$4,220,204$325,572$353,374$275,00012—$271,249$298,230

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn reported a distributable amount of $419K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working with people with vision loss, including guide-dog services, mobility and independence, education, vision care, and eye research. For example, Safe Toddles describes its work as helping blind toddlers walk independently and safely using pediatric belt canes. Guiding Eyes for the Blind says it provides guide dogs to people with vision loss, and Research to Prevent Blindness describes its work as supporting a comprehensive program of eye research. The foundation also supported the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which describes its mission as collecting, studying, conserving, and presenting works of art across times and cultures.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $340,000 through 17 grants. Grants ranged from $6,500 to $30,000, with a median grant of $17,500. The largest grants included $30,000 each to Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Eversight, Vision Loss Alliance of NJ, and Safe Toddles. Other notable grants included $25,000 each to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Jewish Family Service Agency of Central Jersey, and St. Joseph’s School for the Blind; and $20,000 to The Seeing Eye.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Wells Fargo Bank N.A. is listed as trustee on the 2025 filing.

William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn's only listed officer is Wells Fargo Bank N A, Trustee on every filing since 2019 (compensated).

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Wells Fargo Bank N A

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    $30K (2019) → $39K (2025)

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.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

Wells Fargo Bank N a — Trustee: $39KWells Fargo Bank N aTrustee$39K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $39K, to Wells Fargo Bank N a (Trustee).

Frequently asked questions about William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn

How much does William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn give each year?

William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn gave $340K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $260K across 15 grants.

What is William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn's typical grant size?

William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn's median grant in 2025 was $17,500, and its average grant was $20,000, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn that year got $15K on average.

Where does William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn give grants?

William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn gives mostly in New York: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New Jersey (40%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (4 grants) and Brooklyn, NY (2 grants).

Does William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (17 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn's largest grantees?

William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn's largest 2025 grantees include Guiding Eyes for the Blind Inc ($30,000), Eversight ($30,000) and Vision Loss Alliance of NJ ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn?

William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn reported $4.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $351K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $419K (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 William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working with people with vision loss, including guide-dog services, mobility and independence, education, vision care, and eye research. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn?

The filing directs applicants to apply online using the application form and materials specified there. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn's EIN?

William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7981677. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.

Data update history

(3)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 3, 2020)
  2. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
  3. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/william-g-and-helen-c-hoffman-fdn-morg_a8f22fb3ba904bf6b0b098cfe225491c

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237981677_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/william-g-and-helen-c-hoffman-fdn-morg_a8f22fb3ba904bf6b0b098cfe225491c},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn'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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