Whaley Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $1,144,000 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: $500 - $123,000
• Geographic Focus: United States, with emphasis on Minnesota
• Total Assets: $9,463,937 (2024)

Contact Details

The Whaley Foundation does not provide public contact information for grant applications. The foundation is based in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.

Overview

The Whaley Foundation was established in 2000 by John Whaley, a retired partner with Norwest Equity Partners, along with his wife Annette and their three daughters. The private independent foundation has total assets of approximately $9.5 million and distributed $1.14 million in grants in 2024. The foundation focuses on supporting educational and religious initiatives across several U.S. cities and states, with a particular emphasis on Christianity, Catholicism, and entrepreneurship education. The foundation operates with an uncompensated leadership team and makes grants exclusively to preselected charitable organizations, reflecting a strategic approach to philanthropy centered on education and faith-based communities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Whaley Foundation does not offer named grant programs with open application cycles. Instead, the foundation operates on a discretionary basis, with trustees identifying and selecting grant recipients aligned with their mission.

Typical Grant Range: $500 - $123,000 Average Grant Size: Approximately $30,000-$40,000 Number of Grants: Approximately 29 grants awarded in 2024

Priority Areas

Education:

• Elementary and secondary education
• Higher education institutions
• Entrepreneurship education programs
• Business development and commercialization initiatives

Religious Organizations:

• Christianity and Catholic-focused organizations
• Faith-based educational institutions
• Religious community programs

Specific Documented Interests:

• Entrepreneurship programs at University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management
• Business incubation and startup development
• Technology commercialization initiatives
• Catholic schools and religious education

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications from any organization. Only preselected organizations identified by the foundation's trustees receive funding consideration.

Governance and Leadership

Leadership Team (all uncompensated):

• John P. Whaley - Director and Co-Founder (retired partner, Norwest Equity Partners; University of Minnesota accounting graduate, 1974)
• Annette M. Whaley - Director and Co-Founder
• Megan J. Whaley - Vice President

The foundation was established as a family foundation and remains governed by the Whaley family. John Whaley has expressed his commitment to supporting entrepreneurial education, stating: "We have to learn how to develop and grow the new Target, the new Cargill, the new 3M." He believes it's "important for these kinds of skills to be developed at the University because there's a big need for Minnesota to develop new businesses."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Whaley Foundation explicitly states that it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Grants are awarded at the discretion of the foundation's directors, who identify organizations that align with the foundation's mission in education and religious causes. Organizations seeking funding cannot submit applications or proposals.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Grant decisions are made internally by the foundation's board of directors on their own timeline.

Success Rates

Not applicable. The foundation does not accept applications from the general public.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as the foundation does not accept initial applications.

Application Success Factors

Since the Whaley Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, there are no application success factors for prospective grantees to consider. The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis.

Documented Funding Interests: The foundation has demonstrated a commitment to:

• Entrepreneurship Education: The Whaleys funded the Business Hatchery curriculum at the University of Minnesota, which led to the formal establishment of the STARTUP course at the Holmes Center
• Technology Commercialization: Support for MIN-Corps, a joint initiative to increase research-based technology commercialization capabilities across the University of Minnesota
• Strategic Educational Investment: Focus on developing skills that will help Minnesota develop new major businesses

Organizations that have received support align with these documented interests in entrepreneurship, business development, higher education, and Catholic/Christian religious communities.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application Process: The Whaley Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications under any circumstances
• Invitation-Only Grantmaking: All grants are made to preselected organizations identified by the foundation's trustees
• Focus on Education and Religion: Priority areas are educational initiatives (especially entrepreneurship) and Christian/Catholic organizations
• Minnesota Connection: Strong emphasis on supporting Minnesota institutions and developing the state's business ecosystem
• Family Foundation: Governed entirely by the Whaley family with no compensated staff
• Strategic Philanthropy: The foundation takes a targeted approach focused on specific programs that align with the founders' vision for entrepreneurship and education
• Relationship-Based: Organizations receiving funding appear to have pre-existing connections to the Whaley family or their areas of documented interest

References

• Whaley Foundation Form 990-PF filings, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, accessed January 21, 2026: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/411988112
• "Why We Give: The Whaleys," Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, accessed January 21, 2026: https://carlsonschool.umn.edu/news/why-we-give-the-whaleys
  • Quote from John Whaley: "We have to learn how to develop and grow the new Target, the new Cargill, the new 3M."
  • Quote from John Whaley: "important for these kinds of skills to be developed at the University because there's a big need for Minnesota to develop new businesses."
• Whaley Foundation profile, Cause IQ, accessed January 21, 2026: https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/whaley-foundation,411988112/
• Whaley Foundation profile, Instrumentl, accessed January 21, 2026: https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/whaley-foundation
• Whaley Foundation profile, Grantmakers.io, accessed January 21, 2026: https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/411988112-whaley-foundation/