Wise Foundation
Wise Foundation is a private foundation based in Marshall, Virginia. Its 2024 grantmaking included support for organizations in education, historic preservation and community services, with most grant dollars going to Virginia recipients.
Wise Foundation at a glance
In short: Wise Foundation gave $944K across 86 grants in 2024 (avg $11K), mostly in Virginia. 9% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $943,500
- -5.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 86
- -1.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $10,971
- -3.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $6,250
- Total assets
- $19,700,039
- +0.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (8 of 86, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (77% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Wise Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 557, Marshall, VA 20116-0557
Phone: (540) 364-2470
Website: https://wisefamilyfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Wise Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Buchanan Hall ($60K). Together the top 10 received $370K.
Grant Size Distribution
432 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 418 grants of 432 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 77% of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia, 9% to Florida, 6% to Pennsylvania, 3% to West Virginia and 2% to Maryland.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 86 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Wise Foundation open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 86 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $9K repeat.
- 91% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−2%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 91% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $944K (2024) to $1.1M (2022). In 2024 it made 86 grants totaling $944K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Buchanan Hall Upperville, VA | Historic Preservation - General Operating Fund | $60,000 |
| The Hill School (PA) Pottstown, PA | Education - General Operating Fund | $60,000 |
| Flagler College St Augustine, FL | Education - General Operating Fund | $50,000 |
| University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA | Education - General Operating Fund | $50,000 |
| Flagler Museum Palm Beach, FL | Education - General Operating Fund | $35,000 |
| Fauquier Free Clinic Warrenton, VA | Community Services - General Operating Fund | $30,000 |
| Fauquier County Food Bank Warrenton, VA | Community Services - General Operating Fund | $25,000 |
| Boulder Crest Retreat for Wounded Warriors Bluemont, VA | Community Services - General Operating Fund | $20,000 |
| Fauquier County Mental Health Association Warrenton, VA | Community Services - General Operating Fund | $20,000 |
| Fauquier Family Shelter Services Warrenton, VA | Community Services - General Operating Fund | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Wise 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $19,700,039 | $1,074,125 | $1,049,374 | $943,500 | 86 | $969,373 | $994,124 | $1,059,515 |
| 2023 | $19,667,227 | $460,520 | $1,115,503 | $993,500 | 87 | $1,029,878 | $463,265 | $979,657 |
| 2022 | $20,456,298 | $1,794,469 | $1,235,142 | $1,095,000 | 86 | $1,138,664 | $1,697,991 | $1,002,167 |
| 2021 | $19,731,457 | $1,620,501 | $1,073,325 | $966,000 | 89 | $990,352 | $1,537,528 | $971,639 |
| 2020 | $19,190,243 | $557,966 | $1,070,054 | $978,000 | 84 | — | $487,440 | $985,348 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Wise Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.1M for 2024 — 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 is provided for this foundation in the available information. Its 2024 grants show support for education, historic preservation and community services. For example, Fauquier Free Clinic says it provides medical, dental and mental health care to residents lacking appropriate alternatives; Fauquier Family Shelter Services says it provides shelter, transitional housing and related services to families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Buchanan Hall Corporation describes its work as providing educational and recreational facilities and programs for people in Upperville and surrounding areas.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 86 grants totaling $943,500. Grants ranged from $500 to $60,000, with a median grant of $6,250. Among the largest were $60,000 to Buchanan Hall for historic preservation and $60,000 to The Hill School for education; $50,000 each to Flagler College and the University of Virginia for education; and $30,000 to Fauquier Free Clinic for community services. Other recipients included Fauquier County Food Bank, Fauquier County Mental Health Association, Fauquier Family Shelter Services and Seven Loaves Food Pantry.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Lewis B Pollard as president and Lewis S Wiley, Frederick G Pollard II, Sheila W Harrell and Dawn E Confer as board members.
Wise Foundation is led by Lewis B. Pollard, President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Lewis B. Pollard
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dawn E. Confer
Board Member
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$24K (2022) → $24K (2024)
Frederick G. Pollard II
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lewis S. Wiley
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sheila W. Harrell
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $24K, to Dawn E Confer (Board Member).
Frequently asked questions about Wise Foundation
How much does Wise Foundation give each year?
Wise Foundation gave $944K across 86 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $994K across 87 grants.
What is Wise Foundation's typical grant size?
Wise Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $6,250, and its average grant was $10,971, across 86 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Wise Foundation that year got $11K on average.
Where does Wise Foundation give grants?
Wise Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 77% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Florida (9%) and Pennsylvania (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Warrenton, VA (19 grants), Middleburg, VA (9 grants), Marshall, VA (8 grants) and Charlottesville, VA (3 grants).
Does Wise Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Wise Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (86 of 86) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Wise Foundation's largest grantees?
Wise Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Buchanan Hall ($60,000), The Hill School (PA) ($60,000) and Flagler College ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Wise Foundation?
Wise Foundation reported $19.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $969K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (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 Wise Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided for this foundation in the available information. Its 2024 grants show support for education, historic preservation and community services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wise Foundation?
The foundation 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 Wise Foundation's EIN?
Wise Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-1942771. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Wise 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Browse active grant opportunities in Wise Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Wise Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wise-foundation-morg_849fb9769f634448bab9f17c4a31621d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_541942771_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Wise Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/wise-foundation-morg_849fb9769f634448bab9f17c4a31621d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Wise 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.
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