Wilson W Phelps Foundation

IRVINE, CA EIN: 33-0743687

The Wilson W Phelps Foundation is a private foundation located in Irvine, California. Established in 1997, it operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with a focus on educational scholarships and community support programs.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$5.1M

+2.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$599K

+1.6% YoY

Grant Count

19

-9.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$32K

+12.3% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation primarily funds scholarships and supports educational initiatives. Beyond scholarships, the foundation's activities include:

  • Kitchen and cafeteria renovations
  • Providing recorders and music books for 4th grade students
  • Supporting the Orange County Farm to Family program
  • Funding Operation School Bell clothing assistance

Grantmaking

The foundation made 17 grants in 2024, including:

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation operates primarily in Orange County, California, with a particular emphasis on Irvine and surrounding communities.

Grant Distribution by State

1states

States

Cities

AnaheimFullertonGarden GroveLa HabraSanta AnaYorba Linda

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

2024 Financial Summary

  • Total Assets: $5,145,353
  • Total Revenues: $721,318
  • Total Expenses: $620,617
  • Number of Employees: 0

The foundation operates with no paid staff, relying on volunteer leadership.

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$256K$513K$769K$1M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$5,145,353$5,044,652$5,052,876
Revenue$721,318$596,391$630,449
Expenses$620,617$604,615$626,940
Qualifying Distributions$600,616$590,718$598,940
Net Investment Income$709,073$586,787$625,396
Distributable Amount$605,136$522,251$523,172

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$150K$300K$450K$599K17 grants202016 grants202120 grants202221 grants202319 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Fullerton School District$178KCommunity Action Partner…$75KBoys and Girls Club$55KCal State University Ful…$40KMuckenthaler Cultural Ce…$40KFullerton Museum Center$35KCrittenton Services$25KYoung Lives Redeemed$25KMeals on Wheels of Fulle…$20KAdvance On to College$20K

Grant Size Distribution

93 grants across all recorded years

80<$50K9$50–100K4$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

  • John W Phelps - Chief Executive Officer
  • James Phelps - Chief Financial Officer
  • Louise Phelps Shamblen - Representative/Contact

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
John W PhelpsCEO2
James PhelpsCFO2
Louise ShamblenDirector1
Carol B PhelpsDirector1
Marlene McGlenseySecretary1
Becky McGlenseyDirector1
Torane PhelpsDirector

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

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

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