Wheeler Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The foundation makes grants to 501(c)(3) organisations, and its filings show no stated geographic limit, with grants to universities, disaster relief, food, arts, environmental, health and church groups.
- A typical grant falls between $10,000 and $100,000: about 8 in 10 of its 204 grants to organisations sit in that band, and half were $30,000 or less, so a request near $30,000 is a realistic starting point.
- Its largest grant was about $405,000, so that band is not a ceiling, but larger requests are less typical.
- Applications go through its online grant application form before the deadlines of February 1 or August 1, so plan to submit ahead of one of those dates.
- Organisations seeking financial aid or educational scholarships should not apply, as the foundation does not fund them, and the filing says nothing about how competitive or relationship-led its process is.
Overview
Wheeler Foundation is a US private foundation based in Salt Lake City, UT.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation makes grants to organisations qualifying as exempt under section 501(c)(3), with no geographic limitations, and does not consider financial aid or educational scholarships. Its recorded grants have gone to a broad mix of charitable organisations, including universities, disaster-relief and humanitarian organisations, food and meal programmes, arts organisations, environmental and heritage groups, health organisations and churches. The stated purposes include general operating support, immigration legal services, food provision, cardiovascular health, cancer care, education and heritage preservation. The available evidence shows varied recipients and purposes rather than one stated field of grantmaking.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Utah, Maryland, New York, Oregon and District of Columbia.
What They Don't Fund
- Financial aid or educational scholarships
How to apply
Applications must be submitted through the online grant application form.
Deadlines: Applications have deadlines on February 1 and August 1.
Application success factors
- Grant size: Across its TY2022 and TY2023 filings, half of its 204 grants to organisations were $30,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 8%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 3%
- The largest single recipient received 10% of grant dollars to organisations.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 4% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 99 grants in tax year 2023 by size
Median $25,000 (tax year 2023)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- University of Utah · General operating$402,5002023 tax year
- American National Red Cross · Gen op/disaster cycle ut &$260,0002023 tax year
- International Rescue Committee · General operating/rai$250,0002023 tax year
- Brigham Young University · General operating$160,0002023 tax year
- Farm Alliance of Baltimore · Growing healthy food &$150,0002023 tax year
- National Audubon Society · Baltimore for birds$135,0002023 tax year
- Catholic Charities · Immigration legal services$125,0002023 tax year
- Producers Club of Maryland · Visionary fd/ctr for moving$120,0002023 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Connie Wheeler — Secretary / Director
- Mary Katherine Younker — Treasurer / Director
- Rebecca Davis — President / Director
- Alison W Jensen — Vice President / Director
- Susan Holt — Vice President / Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $5,521,686 | $4,879,000 | $89,162,074 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $5,499,680 | $4,871,965 | $102,479,972 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $5,112,556 | $4,303,750 | $115,481,947 | 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.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to Wheeler Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (800) 352-3705
- Salt Lake City, UT
Applying to Wheeler Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (800) 352-3705
- Salt Lake City, UT