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Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Inc

Annual Giving
$276.0M
Grant Range
$50K - $2.0M

Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $276,012,426 (2023)
  • Average Grant Size: $276,843
  • Number of Grants: 996 grants (2023)
  • Assets: $180 million
  • Geographic Focus: U.S., Africa, Central and South America
  • Application Process: No public application process (invitation only)
  • Status: Winding down - all operations to cease by end of 2028

Contact Details

Note: Wellspring does not accept or respond to unsolicited requests for funding. They welcome introductions through their online contact portal, though new funding opportunities are very limited given the planned closure.

Overview

Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Inc was established in 2000 by brothers C. Frederick Taylor, John R. Taylor, and W. Myles Taylor. Over 25 years of operation, the foundation has distributed over $1.1 billion in grants (2001-2017 data) supporting thousands of organizations working on social justice issues globally. The foundation's approach has been rooted in respect for the dignity and worth of every human being, with investments reflecting a commitment to promoting the realization of human rights and access to economic justice.

In August 2024, Wellspring's Board of Trustees made the decision to wind down the foundation following a leadership transition and the pending retirement of the foundation's President. All operations and grantmaking will cease by or before the end of 2028. Despite this wind-down, Wellspring remains one of the largest grantmakers focused on social justice in the United States, having made 996 grants totaling over $276 million in 2023 alone.

The foundation's strategic approach emphasized vesting power in marginalized communities whose interests they seek to advance, engaging with grantees in a spirit of respect and humility, and listening and learning from organizations closer to the issues than the foundation itself.

Funding Priorities

Core Focus Areas

Wellspring's grantmaking centers on four main priorities:

  1. Human Rights & Justice: Promoting the realization of human rights and access to economic and social justice
  2. Marginalized Communities: Expanding opportunities for women, children, people experiencing poverty, communities of color, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people, and those affected by armed conflict
  3. Democratic Participation: Supporting vibrant, responsive, participatory democracy
  4. Institutional Accountability: Enabling people to hold governments and other powerful institutions accountable to the rule of law

Cross-Programmatic Justice Motifs

Wellspring elevates three justice frameworks across all programs:

  • Racial Justice: Addressing race-based inequities and structural racism
  • Gender Justice: Remedying gender-based inequalities and countering patriarchy
  • Economic Justice: Reducing economic inequality and systemic drivers of inequity

Geographic Priorities

  • United States (primary focus)
  • Africa
  • Central America
  • South America

Strategic Approaches

Wellspring employs three main grantmaking strategies:

  1. Enabling Conditions: Long-term investments in strengthening ecosystems and movements, including shifting beliefs and narratives, building power, deepening learning, strengthening coalitions, and helping organizations anticipate change and mobilize resources

  2. Opportunistic or Responsive: Support for important work at critical moments, helping successful initiatives scale up and build momentum in specific locations

  3. Curated/Thematic: Sustained, focused investment in priority areas that accelerate progress toward the mission while strengthening conditions for future work

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

  • John R. Taylor - President and Trustee
  • C. Frederick Taylor - Trustee (brother)
  • W. Myles Taylor - Vice President and Trustee (brother)
  • Raymond Eng - Treasurer and Director of Finance
  • Adam Barber - Trustee

The foundation was co-founded by the three Taylor brothers in 2000. John R. Taylor serves as President and is also managing partner of Wellspring Advisors, the for-profit consulting firm associated with the foundation. The foundation's decision to wind down was made following a leadership transition involving the pending retirement of the President.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Wellspring Philanthropic Fund does not have a public application process. The foundation explicitly states: "Wellspring Philanthropic Fund does not accept or respond to unsolicited requests for funding."

The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis and appears to fund many of the same organizations year after year, establishing long-term relationships with grantees rather than responding to open applications. Grants are awarded based on trustee discretion and strategic initiatives identified by foundation leadership.

However, the foundation does welcome "introductions" through its online contact portal at wpfund.org/contact-us/, though given the announced wind-down by 2028, new funding opportunities are extremely limited.

Eligibility Requirements

When the foundation was actively accepting new partners:

  • Organizations must have tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status as defined by the Internal Revenue Service
  • Higher education institutions are also eligible
  • Organizations must align with Wellspring's focus on social justice causes in priority geographic areas

Decision Timeline

Given the invitation-only nature of the foundation's grantmaking, there are no standard decision timelines for unsolicited applications. The foundation works directly with organizations they have identified or been introduced to through their network.

Grant Amounts

  • Average Grant Size: $276,843 (2023)
  • Total Annual Distribution: $276,012,426 (2023)
  • Number of Annual Grants: Approximately 1,000 grants per year

Based on 2017 data showing $28.5 million distributed to 56 advocacy organizations, individual grants to advocacy groups averaged around $500,000 each, though grant sizes vary significantly based on organization type and project scope.

Application Success Factors

Since Wellspring operates by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited proposals, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, based on the foundation's documented approach and values, the following factors are important to organizations seeking to be on Wellspring's radar:

Foundation Values and Preferences

  1. Community-Centered Power: Wellspring embraces grantmaking strategies that vest power in the marginalized communities whose interests they seek to advance. Organizations led by and accountable to the communities they serve are prioritized.

  2. Means Consistent with Ideals: The foundation believes that "social justice movements should employ means consistent with their ideals and give agency to the people whose interests they seek to advance."

  3. Systemic Change Focus: Wellspring invests in addressing systemic drivers of inequity, building power among marginalized communities, and countering structural discrimination rather than providing direct services alone.

  4. Long-Term Relationships: The foundation "appears to fund many of the same organizations year after year," indicating a preference for sustained partnerships over one-time grants.

  5. Movement Building: Investments in "enabling conditions" include shifting beliefs and narratives, building power, deepening learning, and strengthening coalitions.

Strategic Alignment

Organizations that align with Wellspring's three cross-programmatic motifs—racial justice, gender justice, and economic justice—and can demonstrate work that addresses multiple intersecting forms of oppression are well-positioned.

Organizations working in Wellspring's priority geographies (U.S., Africa, Central and South America) on issues related to human rights, democratic participation, and institutional accountability have received funding.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: Wellspring does not accept unsolicited proposals and operates strictly by invitation or through trusted referrals. Traditional grant applications are not possible.

  • Foundation Wind-Down: With all operations ceasing by the end of 2028, Wellspring is unlikely to be accepting new grantee partners at this stage, focusing instead on completing commitments to existing grantees.

  • Major Funder Scale: Despite the wind-down, understanding Wellspring's approach is valuable as they have been one of the largest social justice funders, with an average grant size of nearly $277,000.

  • Values-Driven Grantmaking: The foundation prioritizes community-led organizations, long-term movement building, and systemic change over direct service provision.

  • Relationship-Based: Organizations are most likely to receive funding through introductions from trusted partners, participation in shared initiatives, or by being identified through the foundation's proactive research into key social justice issues.

  • Justice Framework: All work must clearly align with at least one (ideally multiple) of the three justice motifs: racial, gender, and economic justice.

  • Limited New Opportunities: Given the 2028 closure timeline, organizations should not invest significant time attempting to establish new relationships with Wellspring, but should instead study their model and identify other invitation-only funders with similar values.

References

  1. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Inc Profile, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/223692921 (accessed December 2024)

  2. Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Official Website, https://wpfund.org/ (accessed December 2024)

  3. Wellspring Philanthropic Fund - Our Priorities, https://wpfund.org/our-priorities/ (accessed December 2024)

  4. Wellspring Philanthropic Fund - Our Approach, https://wpfund.org/our-approach/ (accessed December 2024)

  5. Inside Philanthropy - Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Profile, https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/grants-w/wellspring-philanthropic-fund (accessed December 2024)

  6. InfluenceWatch - Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Profile, https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/wellspring-philanthropic-fund/ (accessed December 2024)

  7. Philanthropy New York - Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Member Profile, https://philanthropynewyork.org/redhen/org/257 (accessed December 2024)

  8. Candid Foundation Directory - Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Inc, https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=BSET001 (accessed December 2024)

  9. Instrumentl - Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Inc 990 Report, https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/wellspring-philanthropic-fund-inc (accessed December 2024)

  10. Grantable - Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Inc Foundation Profile, https://www.grantable.co/search/funders/profile/wellspring-philanthropic-fund-inc-us-foundation-223692921 (accessed December 2024)

  11. Capital Research Center - Wellspring Philanthropic: Wellspring Advisors, https://capitalresearch.org/article/wellspring-part-3/ (accessed December 2024)

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