The Wendel Foundation concentrates its giving on a small number of sizable, mission-driven grants, with sustained support for medical research and scholarship programs. Major investments include a designated liver cancer research fund at the Mayo Clinic and repeat scholarship support both domestically (through Scholarship America) and internationally (scholarships for Kibera slum students). The foundation favors targeted, impactful gifts rather than many small grants.
Wendel Foundation C/o Deborah Farley Cortez shows a clear preference for a few large, targeted commitments rather than broad, small-scale giving. The largest recent grants include repeated $50,000 support for Mayo Clinic’s Priscilla L. Fiola and Jeffery P. Wendel Liver Cancer Research Fund, alongside multi-year scholarship funding administered through Scholarship America and Crossing Thresholds. That pattern points to a funder that backs defined programs over time, especially where the gift can be tied to a named fund or a specific student cohort. The foundation also supports institutional medical and educational work through gifts such as General Operating Support to The Nature Conservancy and support for the Frank P. Cammisa, Jr., MD Endowed Chair at Hospital for Special Surgery. Its recent activity includes both pledged giving and direct scholarship awards, with grants recurring across multiple years and across several recipient organizations. The mix of research, scholarships, and select institutional support suggests a focused grantmaker with stable priorities and a limited number of active relationships.
Medical research is a central theme in the foundation’s recent giving. In 2026, it gave $50,000 to Mayo Clinic for support for the Priscilla L. Fiola and Jeffery P. Wendel Liver Cancer Research Fund, following similar $50,000 grants in 2025 and 2024 for liver cancer research. Education access is another consistent area: Scholarship America received $67,500 in 2025 for The Wendel Foundation Scholarship Program - 2024 Scholarships, and another $37,500 in 2026 for the 2025 scholarship cycle. The foundation also backs scholarships for students from Kibera through Crossing Thresholds, with $25,000 grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for incoming 9th graders from the Kibera slum. In addition, it supported the Frank P. Cammisa, Jr., MD Endowed Chair at Hospital for Special Surgery through Spinecare Research Foundation.
The typical grant size is $20,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile, showing a cluster of mid-sized awards with some larger commitments. The pattern is repeat funding: Mayo Clinic, Scholarship America, Crossing Thresholds, and Spinecare Research Foundation all appear across multiple years. The foundation gives directly to organizations and also funds named, restricted purposes, including pledged support. It funds individuals as well as institutions, and the recent record shows no program-related investments.
$148K
$675K
$84K
$210K
Most grants fall between $20K and $50K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$50K
About 13% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Concentrated, repeat support: few large grants to a small set of recurring grantees, combining institutional medical research funding with programmatic scholarship investments (both international and U.S.-administered).
Notable grantees: Mayo Clinic, Crossing Thresholds Inc, Scholarship America Inc
Grants are regional in scope and land entirely in the United States in the recent sample. New York is the top state by grant count, with grants to Rochester, Port Chester, Garden City, and Deerfield appearing in the recipient list. Minnesota, the headquarters state, accounts for 18% of grants. Other recipient locations include Detroit, Arlington, and Rochester, showing a spread across several U.S. cities rather than one local cluster.
The recent record centers on liver cancer research at Mayo Clinic, scholarship support through Scholarship America, and scholarships for students from Kibera through Crossing Thresholds. It also includes support for a named endowed chair at Hospital for Special Surgery and educational programming support at Historic Deerfield.
It gives recurring support. Mayo Clinic appears with $50,000 grants in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, and Crossing Thresholds received $25,000 grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Scholarship America also received multiple grants across different years.
The grant-size distribution is concentrated in mid-sized awards: $20,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile. That matches a pattern of fewer, larger-purpose grants rather than many small awards.
New York is the top state by grant count, with recipient cities including Rochester, Port Chester, Garden City, and Deerfield. The recent grants listed are all to U.S. recipients, and Minnesota accounts for 18% of grants.
Yes. The foundation funds individuals, and its scholarship activity shows that clearly through scholarship programs administered by Scholarship America and Crossing Thresholds. The recent grants also include direct scholarship funding for specific student cohorts, including incoming 9th graders from Kibera.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | ARLINGTON, VA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MAYO CLINIC | ROCHESTER, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT FOR THE PRISCILLA L. FIOLA AND JEFFERY P. WENDEL LIVER CANCER RESEARCH FUND |
| SCHOLARSHIP AMERICA INC | DETROIT, MI | $37,500 | 2026 | THE WENDEL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM - 2025 SCHOLARSHIPS |
| SPINECARE RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC | GARDEN CITY, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT FOR THE FRANK P. CAMMISA, JR., MD ENDOWED CHAIR AT HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY |
| SCHOLARSHIP AMERICA INC | DETROIT, MI | $67,500 | 2025 | THE WENDEL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM - 2024 SCHOLARSHIPS |
| MAYO CLINIC | ROCHESTER, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF LIVER CANCER RESEARCH - PRISCILLA L. FIOLA AND JEFFERY P. WENDEL LIVER CANCER RESEARCH FUND |
| CROSSING THRESHOLDS INC | PORT CHESTER, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING FOR THE INCOMING 9TH GRADE CLASS, 20-25 STUDENTS, FROM THE KIBERA SLUM |
| SPINECARE RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC | GARDEN CITY, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | THE FRANK P. CAMMISA, JR., MD ENDOWED CHAIR AT HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY |
| HISTORIC DEERFIELD | DEERFIELD, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING SUPPORT |
| MAYO CLINIC | ROCHESTER, MN | $50,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF LIVER CANCER RESEARCH - PRISCILLA L. FIOLA AND JEFFREY P. WENDEL LIVER CANCER RESEARCH FUND |
| CROSSING THRESHOLDS INC | PORT CHESTER, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING FOR THE INCOMING 9TH GRADE CLASS, 20-25 STUDENTS, FROM THE KIBERA SLUM |
| SCHOLARSHIP AMERICA INC | DETROIT, MI | $20,000 | 2024 | THE WENDEL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM - 2023 SCHOLARSHIPS |
| SPINECARE RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC | GARDEN CITY, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | THE FRANK P. CAMMISA, JR., MD ENDOWED CHARE AT HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY |
| MAYO CLINIC | ROCHESTER, MN | $50,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT OF LIVER CANCER RESEARCH - PRISCILLA L. FIOLA AND JEFFREY P. WENDEL LIVER CANCER RESEARCH FUND (PLEDGE 2 OF 5) |
| CROSSING THRESHOLDS INC | PORT CHESTER, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING FOR THE INCOMING 9TH GRADE CLASS, 20-25 STUDENTS, FROM THE KIBERA SLUM |
SUPPORT FOR THE PRISCILLA L. FIOLA AND JEFFERY P. WENDEL LIVER CANCER RESEARCH FUND
SCHOLARSHIP AMERICA INC
$37,500THE WENDEL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM - 2025 SCHOLARSHIPS
SPINECARE RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC
$10,000SUPPORT FOR THE FRANK P. CAMMISA, JR., MD ENDOWED CHAIR AT HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY
SCHOLARSHIP AMERICA INC
$67,500THE WENDEL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM - 2024 SCHOLARSHIPS
SUPPORT OF LIVER CANCER RESEARCH - PRISCILLA L. FIOLA AND JEFFERY P. WENDEL LIVER CANCER RESEARCH FUND
SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING FOR THE INCOMING 9TH GRADE CLASS, 20-25 STUDENTS, FROM THE KIBERA SLUM
SPINECARE RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC
$10,000THE FRANK P. CAMMISA, JR., MD ENDOWED CHAIR AT HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY
HISTORIC DEERFIELD
$10,000EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING SUPPORT
MAYO CLINIC
$50,000SUPPORT OF LIVER CANCER RESEARCH - PRISCILLA L. FIOLA AND JEFFREY P. WENDEL LIVER CANCER RESEARCH FUND
SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING FOR THE INCOMING 9TH GRADE CLASS, 20-25 STUDENTS, FROM THE KIBERA SLUM
SCHOLARSHIP AMERICA INC
$20,000THE WENDEL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM - 2023 SCHOLARSHIPS
SPINECARE RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC
$20,000THE FRANK P. CAMMISA, JR., MD ENDOWED CHARE AT HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY
MAYO CLINIC
$50,000SUPPORT OF LIVER CANCER RESEARCH - PRISCILLA L. FIOLA AND JEFFREY P. WENDEL LIVER CANCER RESEARCH FUND (PLEDGE 2 OF 5)
SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING FOR THE INCOMING 9TH GRADE CLASS, 20-25 STUDENTS, FROM THE KIBERA SLUM