Wells Fargo Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 41-1367441 · since 1980wellsfargo.com/about/responsibility-and-impact/community-giving·California, District of Columbia, New York, South Carolina, Texas, United States·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$157M

Annual giving, 2025 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$15,000 to $200k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$35,000

Typical grant (median)

1,376 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

Wells Fargo Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests, so a small charity should not send it a cold proposal; it invites nonprofits whose work fits its financial opportunity, housing access and affordability, and small business growth priorities, and invited organisations then apply through an invitation code.
If you are invited, most grants fall between $15,000 and $200,000 (about 8 in 10), with a median of $30,000 and half of grants at $30,000 or less, though the largest grant was $8,000,000, so that band is typical rather than a ceiling.
Repeat giving is strong, with 64% of its grant dollars to organisations going to groups it had also funded in the previous filing, and its filings show grants mainly in California, New York, South Carolina, Texas, District of Columbia and the United States, although it states no geographic focus.
Frame your request around a specific programs or projects with measurable outcomes, innovation and scalability, and any human-capital or volunteerism opportunities, since it prefers these over unrestricted sponsorships and events, and do not apply if your organisation is an individual, a political or lobbying group, a labor, alumni, or fraternal group, a recreation or sports body, a for-profit entity including a start-up small business, or seeking travel grants.

Overview

Wells Fargo Foundation is a US private foundation based in Minneapolis, MN.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Wells Fargo Foundation, together with Wells Fargo, is committed to helping communities thrive by supporting financially resilient families, vibrant small businesses and affordable places to call home. Its grantmaking focuses on financial opportunity, housing access and affordability, and small business growth, with grants to nonprofit organisations at national and local level. Financial-opportunity funding supports economic advancement through financial mobility, reducing debt, savings and wealth-building. Housing funding supports solutions that help people access a quality, affordable home. For business growth, it funds nonprofits providing capital, technical assistance and networks of support for entrepreneurs. Eligible organisations must have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or be a qualified governmental agency, tribal entity, public school or school system, demonstrate fiscal and administrative stability, and deliver services addressing critical community needs. Proposals are assessed for measurable outcomes, innovation and scalability, and human-capital and volunteerism opportunities.

Themes

Financial opportunity
Housing access and affordability
Small business growth

Geographic Focus

No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in California, New York, South Carolina, Texas, District of Columbia and the United States.

What They Don't Fund

Individuals
Political action committees, candidates, causes, and lobbying
Labor, alumni, or fraternal groups
Recreation, athletic, or sports teams, programs, or leagues
For-profit entities, including start-up small businesses
Grants specifically for travel, including student trips or tours

How to apply

Invited nonprofits aligned with the giving priorities use the invitation code provided to access the online application portal and complete a grant application.

Deadlines: Applications are accepted from February 1 through October 1.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 64% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2024 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 2,986 grants to organisations were $30,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

The foundation assesses proposals for measurable outcomes aligned with strategic objectives, including expected outcomes and, when required, reports on actual results.
The foundation considers proposals that promote innovative and scalable solutions.
The foundation considers proposals that incorporate human capital and volunteerism opportunities.
The foundation gives priority to organisations supporting its funding priority areas.
The foundation prefers programs and projects over unrestricted sponsorships and events for nonprofits.
The foundation asks applicants to submit a thoughtful, concise request that follows the section guidelines and clearly explains the need and how funding will help address it.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.

Grant dollars by state

California13%

New York10%

South Carolina9%

Texas7%

District of Columbia7%

Georgia7%

6 other states: 23%

Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 25%

The largest single recipient received 8% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2025, 64% of grant dollars went to organisations Wells Fargo Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
18% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

1,376 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $35,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 1,376 grants in tax year 2025 by size

$2.5k–$5k<1%

$5k–$10k<1%

$10k–$25k23%

$25k–$50k35%

$50k–$100k21%

$100k–$250k11%

$250k–$500k5%

$500k–$1M3%

$1M and over2%

Median $35,000 (tax year 2025)

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

Concordance · Concordance Reentry Program National Expansion Jul 2025 - Jun 2028
$8,000,0002025 tax year
Enterprise Community Partners · Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge
$5,000,5002025 tax year
Blackbaud Giving Fund · 2025 CCG Prefund 1
$5,000,0002025 tax year
Habitat for Humanity International · 2025 Wells Fargo Builds & Research / Flexible Funding Grant
$4,900,0002025 tax year
African American Leadership Forum · Support for Northside Forward
$2,000,0002025 tax year
Center for Land Reform · Expanding National Heirs' Property Work, PT 2
$2,000,0002025 tax year
Local Initiatives Support Corporation · New York City WORTH Planning Collaborative
$1,875,0002025 tax year
Neighborhood Development Center · Capitol Support for the Ruckus Innovation Center
$1,800,0002025 tax year

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

Officers and directors

Kara Mcshane — Director
Molly Porter — Treasurer & Vice President
Martine Olson-Daniel — Secretary
James C Gantt — Vice President
Deanna Ernst — Assistant Secretary
Ashley Hager — Assistant Secretary
Saul Van Beurden — Director
Phillip Smith — Director
Kristy Fercho — Director
Jonathan Weiss — Director
Jason Rosenberg — Director & Chairperson
Darlene Goins — Director & President
Bei Ling — Director
Ather Williams III — Director

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2023 tax year	$218,435,764	$217,631,092	$50,523,797	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$155,668,350	$155,188,258	$12,239,451	Filing for 2024 tax year
2025 tax year	$157,756,944	$157,383,750	$8,589,696	Filing for 2025 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.