The Wildcat Run Charitable Foundation concentrates its support on local Southwest Florida nonprofits that serve children, families and basic-needs populations. Grants are largely unrestricted 'general purpose' awards to schools, food/clothing programs, child advocacy and shelter organizations, signaling a preference for direct service charities that address poverty, hunger, safety and education. Funding favors community-rooted groups rather than national intermediaries, and grantees are typically frontline providers serving vulnerable youth and families.
Relatively concentrated local giving through one-time or annual general operating grants of modest-to-medium size; a few larger awards stand out but most grants are distributed across multiple frontline service providers rather than long multi-year endowments.
Wildcat Run Charitable Foundation Inc directs local general-purpose grants to Southwest Florida organizations serving children, families, and basic-needs populations. The largest recent award in the data was $42,500 to James Stephens Elementary in Fort Myers, followed by $39,000 to Evas Closet and Foundation, also in Fort Myers. Those awards sit within a pattern of direct support for schools, clothing and family-help charities, shelter providers, and child-focused advocacy groups. The foundation’s giving is community-based rather than broad or national: every recent grant listed goes to a Florida recipient, with Fort Myers, Estero, and Naples appearing repeatedly. Several awards are framed as unrestricted support, including grants to Wings of Shelter Intl, Valeries House, and Educational Pathways Academy. That mix suggests a preference for flexible operating help to local frontline nonprofits. Across the recent grants, the foundation supports both educational access and basic stability. It funds neighborhood elementary schools, meal programs, youth-development organizations, and services for children affected by trauma or housing insecurity. The result is a grantmaking profile centered on practical, place-based aid in the Wildcat Run and broader Southwest Florida service area.
Education is one of the clearest strands in the foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $42,500 to James Stephens Elementary for general purpose support and $13,000 to Educational Pathways Academy for general purpose support. Another $12,500 went to The Immokalee Foundation, also as a general-purpose award. Basic-needs support is another consistent area. The foundation awarded $39,000 to Evas Closet and Foundation for general purpose support, and $17,500 to Blessings in a Backpack Swfl for general purpose support. Both align with help for clothing, family needs, and child nutrition. The foundation also funds child safety and advocacy services. Grants of $20,000 to Wings of Shelter Intl and $15,000 to Valeries House were both listed as general purpose support, and an $8,000 grant went to Childrens Advocacy Center for general purpose support.
Typical grants cluster in the five-figure range, with p25 at $10,000, median at $13,000, and p75 at $18,750. The recent list shows repeated general-purpose awards rather than project-restricted gifts, which points to flexible operating support. The foundation appears to give through a community-grants program tied to its service area, and the available data shows no individual giving or program-related investments. The recent-grants set is concentrated in 2025, so recurring support across multiple years cannot be confirmed from the data provided.
$183K
$38K
$199K
$192K
Most grants fall between $10K and $19K, with a median of $13K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$13K
75th Percentile
$19K
JENNIFER YATTONI
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Notable grantees: James Stephens Elementary, Eva's Closet and Foundation, Blessings in a Backpack SWFL, The Immokalee Foundation, Valerie's House
Grantmaking is fully local in the available data: 100% of grants go to Florida recipients. Fort Myers appears most often, including awards to James Stephens Elementary, Evas Closet and Foundation, Blessings in a Backpack Swfl, Valeries House, Anas Friends Inc, and Childrens Advocacy Center. Estero appears through Wings of Shelter Intl, Educational Pathways Academy, and Believe N Books Inc. Naples also receives support through The Immokalee Foundation and Laces of Love Foundation. The program is described as serving Estero, Lee County, Collier County, and Southwest Florida.
The recent grants point to schools, meal programs, clothing and family-support groups, shelter organizations, and child advocacy services. Examples include James Stephens Elementary, Blessings in a Backpack Swfl, Evas Closet and Foundation, Wings of Shelter Intl, and Childrens Advocacy Center, all awarded general-purpose support.
Typical grants are in the five-figure range. The distribution shown is p25 at $10,000, median at $13,000, and p75 at $18,750. The recent list also includes larger awards such as $42,500 and $39,000.
The available grant data shows a Florida-only pattern. All 11 recent grants went to recipients in Florida, with Fort Myers, Estero, and Naples appearing multiple times. The program description also ties giving to Estero, Lee County, Collier County, and Southwest Florida.
The data includes a community grants program that accepts unsolicited applications. It is described as competitive and tied to the foundation’s local service area in Estero, Lee County, and Southwest Florida.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Wildcat Run Charitable Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Organizations serving the local community (primarily Estero/Lee County). Specific eligibility details are provided on the foundation's application/guidelines pages.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAMES STEPHENS ELEMENTARY | FORT MYERS, FL | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK SWFL | FORT MYERS, FL | $26,250 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| EVAS CLOSET AND FOUNDATION | FORT MYERS, FL | $20,500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BELIEVE N BOOKS INC | ESTERO, FL | $17,500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CHILDRENS ADVOCACY CENTER | FORT MYERS, FL | $17,012 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ANAS FRIENDS INC | FORT MYERS, FL | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| LACES OF LOVE FOUNDATION | NAPLES, FL | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| EDUCATIONAL PATHWAYS ACADEMY | ESTERO, FL | $13,850 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FLORIDA DROWNING PREVENTION | NAPLES, FL | $11,550 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| WINGS OF SHELTER INTL | ESTERO, FL | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| VALERIES HOUSE | FORT MYERS, FL | $5,882 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| JAMES STEPHENS ELEMENTARY | FORT MYERS, FL | $42,500 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| EVAS CLOSET AND FOUNDATION | FORT MYERS, FL | $39,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| WINGS OF SHELTER INTL | ESTERO, FL | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK SWFL | FORT MYERS, FL | $17,500 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| VALERIES HOUSE | FORT MYERS, FL | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| EDUCATIONAL PATHWAYS ACADEMY | ESTERO, FL | $13,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE IMMOKALEE FOUNDATION | NAPLES, FL | $12,500 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BELIEVE N BOOKS INC | ESTERO, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| LACES OF LOVE FOUNDATION | NAPLES, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ANAS FRIENDS INC | FORT MYERS, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CHILDRENS ADVOCACY CENTER | FORT MYERS, FL | $8,000 | 2025 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
EVAS CLOSET AND FOUNDATION
$20,500GENERAL PURPOSE
BELIEVE N BOOKS INC
$17,500GENERAL PURPOSE
ANAS FRIENDS INC
GENERAL PURPOSE
EDUCATIONAL PATHWAYS ACADEMY
$13,850GENERAL PURPOSE
FLORIDA DROWNING PREVENTION
$11,550GENERAL PURPOSE
WINGS OF SHELTER INTL
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
EVAS CLOSET AND FOUNDATION
$39,000GENERAL PURPOSE
WINGS OF SHELTER INTL
$20,000GENERAL PURPOSE
EDUCATIONAL PATHWAYS ACADEMY
$13,000GENERAL PURPOSE
BELIEVE N BOOKS INC
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
ANAS FRIENDS INC
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
