Roots & Wings

Private foundation · EIN 32-0581904 · since 2019rootswings.org·California, Massachusetts, New York, Wisconsin·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$66.6M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$375 to $330k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$55,000

Typical grant (median)

518 grants in the latest filing

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.

Key takeaways

Roots & Wings is invitation-only and does not accept unsolicited proposals, so a cold request is unlikely to get a hearing; the filing says it finds partners through research, its grantee network, community outreach and website introductions.
Your work fits if it supports low-income children and families, especially from prenatal through age three, in basic needs, early learning, health, or safety and justice, and the foundation favours prevention and early intervention.
Organisations without current nonprofit status, individuals, lobbyists, political campaigns, religious purposes, national organisations without a Wisconsin presence, and Wisconsin organisations serving only one county outside Dane County are excluded, so check these before reaching out.
Half of its 1,320 grants to organisations were $55,000 or less, and about 8 in 10 fall between $375 and $330,000, though its largest grant was $2,000,000, so a modest request is the realistic starting point.
In its latest filing, 91% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had funded before, so building a relationship through its network or an introduction matters more than a first ask.

Overview

Roots & Wings is a US private foundation based in Seattle, WA.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

Roots & Wings funds nonprofit organisations that support low-income children and families in reaching their full potential, with a particular focus on the prenatal through age three period. It supports basic needs, early learning, health, and safety and justice, providing both direct services and advocacy. Where possible, it prioritises prevention and early-intervention strategies, including in-depth, wrap-around support in early childhood. Its trust-based approach recognises the expertise of people closest to the work and communities served. It favours nonprofits that respond creatively to community needs, involve community in decision-making and are valued by their communities; staff lived experience is also a consideration. When possible, it offers multi-year, unrestricted support and limits paperwork and reporting burdens.

Themes

Basic needs
Early learning
Health
Safety & justice
Prenatal through age three

Geographic Focus

No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Wisconsin, California, New York and Massachusetts.

What They Don't Fund

Organizations without a current nonprofit status
Individuals
Lobbyists
Political campaigns
Religious purposes
National organizations without a Wisconsin presence
Wisconsin organizations serving only one county (outside of Dane County)
Organizations fundraising for other organizations

How to apply

The foundation learns about prospective partners through research, its grantee network, community outreach and website introductions, then invites eligible nonprofits to apply. It does not accept unsolicited proposals.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 91% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 1,320 grants to organisations were $55,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

The foundation favours organisations that respond creatively to community needs.
It values organisations that involve community in decision-making.
It considers whether organisations are valued by their communities.
It considers lived experience among nonprofit staff.
Mission and program-area alignment are selection considerations.
When possible, it prioritises prevention and early-intervention strategies.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Wisconsin52%

California7%

New York6%

Massachusetts5%

Washington4%

District of Columbia2%

6 other states: 11%

Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 12%

The largest single recipient received 3% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 91% of grant dollars went to organisations Roots & Wings had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
3% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

518 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $55,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 518 grants in tax year 2024 by size

Under $1k22%

$1k–$2.5k6%

$2.5k–$5k<1%

$5k–$10k2%

$10k–$25k8%

$25k–$50k8%

$50k–$100k14%

$100k–$250k24%

$250k–$500k12%

$500k–$1M4%

$1M and over1%

Median $55,000 (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Wisconsin Early Childhood Association · Unrestricted grant
$2,000,0002024 tax year
Dane County Parent Council · Unrestricted grant
$1,500,0002024 tax year
Madison Community Foundation · Goodman nonprofit center
$1,000,0002024 tax year
Access Community Health Centers · Unrestricted grant
$1,000,0002024 tax year
Wisconsin Alliance Infant Mental Health · Unrestricted grant
$1,000,0002024 tax year
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin · Unrestricted grant
$1,000,0002024 tax year
Madison Area Technical College Foundation · Goodman south early learning campus
$1,000,0002024 tax year
Nyc Health Hospitals · Prenatal through age three
$820,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Gordon Faulkner — Secretary
Judith Faulkner — President
Shana Dall'osto — Executive Director

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$24,177,672	$40,707,050	$287,662,170	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$48,863,594	$52,666,065	$497,952,730	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$71,690,104	$66,598,179	$611,848,279	Filing for 2024 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.