Wilson Sheehan Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 32-6266976 · since 2014wilsonsheehan.org·Clark County, United States·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$10.7M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$5,000 to $300k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$37,500

Typical grant (median)

79 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

Work fits this foundation best if it is domestic and aims to prevent or alleviate poverty through education, economic mobility, or thriving families and children, ideally with innovative, replicable approaches supported by research; its stated geographic focus is domestic, with Clark County, OH and surrounding areas named as a priority.
Organisations working outside the US, individuals, scholarship programmes, emergency relief, sponsorships, advertising for fundraising events, mass funding appeals and political campaigns are not funded, and the foundation expects applicants to be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3).
Most of its grants to organisations are modest: half are $30,000 or less, and about 8 in 10 fall between $5,000 and $300,000, though its largest grant was $4,000,000, so that band is not a ceiling and a request in the low tens of thousands is a sensible starting point.
Applications are rolling, so there is no deadline, and first-time applicants begin by creating an account on the grant portal.
Because 69% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded, a first approach may be less certain, and any returning grantee must submit the previous grant's annual report before a new request is considered.

Overview

Wilson Sheehan Foundation is a US private foundation based in Springfield, OH.

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

The foundation invests in people by funding nonprofit organisations that help prevent and alleviate poverty, focusing on education, economic mobility, and thriving families and children. It expects eligible organisations to be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3). It partners with organisations whose leaders have proven capacity to steward funds effectively and achieve results, particularly through approaches that are innovative, replicable and supported by research. Most investments are domestic, and a portion is directed to Clark County and surrounding areas. Its approach includes rigorously studying results and valuing trust and transparency, while recognising both success and failure as part of learning.

Themes

Poverty alleviation
Education
Economic mobility
Thriving families and children

Geographic Focus

Priority: Domestic; Clark County, OH and surrounding areas.

What They Don't Fund

Individual Scholarships
Mass funding appeals
Sponsorships
Advertising for fundraising events
Emergency relief
Non-domestic projects and programs
Individuals
Political campaigns and activities

How to apply

First-time applicants begin by creating an account on the grant portal.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 69% 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 220 grants to organisations were $30,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

It partners with organisations whose leaders have proven capacity to steward funds effectively and achieve results.
It particularly values approaches that are innovative, replicable and supported by research.
It expects grantees and their projects to align with its priorities and values.
Returning grantees must submit the previous grant’s annual report before a new request is considered.

Where grants go

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

Grant dollars by state

Indiana42%

Ohio15%

Washington11%

New York6%

Illinois5%

Pennsylvania4%

6 other states: 11%

Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 6%

The largest single recipient received 37% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 69% of grant dollars went to organisations Wilson Sheehan Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
16% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

79 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $37,500

How much do they typically give?

Share of 79 grants in tax year 2024 by size

$1k–$2.5k1%

$2.5k–$5k4%

$5k–$10k5%

$10k–$25k24%

$25k–$50k18%

$50k–$100k23%

$100k–$250k15%

$250k–$500k6%

$500k–$1M1%

$1M and over3%

Median $37,500 (tax year 2024)

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

University of Notre Dame · Endowment of excellence
$4,000,0002024 tax year
The Drexel Fund · Multiple schools grant, operations 2024-27
$1,275,6352024 tax year
World Vision · Zambia water, sanitation and hygiene (wash)
$500,0002024 tax year
Modern Classrooms Project · Scaling curriculum-embedded solutions
$333,3342024 tax year
Per Scholas · Building capabilities to scale employer partnerships
$333,3332024 tax year
Rocking Horse Community Health Center · James e. sheehan health bus
$315,5332024 tax year
Partnership Schools · Expanding the impact of partnership schools in cleveland and beyond
$300,0002024 tax year
Corner to Corner · The academy: invitation into sustaining partnership
$300,0002024 tax year

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

Officers and directors

Maureen S Massaro — Executive Director
Lorraine Wilson — Trustee
Christopher E Wilson — Trustee

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$8,860,924	$10,831,202	$77,368,023	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$6,576,807	$10,999,027	$78,706,557	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$8,423,545	$10,706,306	$77,400,094	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.