Sarli Family Foundation

The Sarli Family Foundation operates as a deliberately private, invitation-only family philanthropy. There is no public application portal, no published RFP cycle, and no formal grant guidelines — the foundation website (sarli.org) presents only a minimal one-line homepage. This is not an oversight: the foundation funds exclusively preselected charitable organizations, and all 65 tracked grants across multiple years carry the identical purpose description: "CHARITABLE." Understanding this upfront is the most strategically important fact about this funder.

The giving philosophy centers on sustained, relationship-based partnerships with a curated set of Kansas City-area nonprofits serving vulnerable children and youth. The evidence is striking: nearly every top grantee in the dataset received three consecutive annual grants at identical amounts — 17 of the 22 tracked grantees received exactly $75,000 per year. Children's Mercy Hospital is the sole exception at $200,000 annually. This is not a foundation that makes one-time project grants; it makes annual commitments to trusted, proven partners. Once an organization enters the portfolio, it stays.

The three-member board comprises Lisa Wehrle (the sole compensated director at $18,000/year, likely the operational lead), Melinda Wehrle (uncompensated director), and W. Rodger Marsh Jr. (CPA, Treasurer and IRS contact). The Wehrle name reflects the Sarli family legacy through which the foundation was established and funded. Marsh, as the listed contact and financial fiduciary, likely manages grantmaking review alongside the Wehrle directors.

For a first-time applicant, the realistic paths are: (1) cultivating authentic connections with existing grantees such as Jackson County CASA, Boys Hope Girls Hope, Operation Breakthrough, or Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care, who may provide credible introductions; (2) building visible presence in Kansas City child-welfare and pediatric health philanthropic circles where the Wehrle family is likely active; and (3) positioning your organization as a complement to — not a competitor of — the existing portfolio. There is no LOI, no online form, no open grant cycle. The path to funding is through demonstrated community credibility and the right introduction at the right moment, pursued over a 2–3 year relationship-building horizon.

The Sarli Family Foundation distributes approximately $1.73–1.83 million in grants annually from an investment portfolio of roughly $18.7–19.2 million in assets. The foundation's payout rate runs consistently at 8.9%–9.3% of total assets — nearly double the 5% minimum legally required of private foundations — signaling a genuine commitment to active, current-year philanthropy over endowment growth.

Grant size structure: The standard grant is $75,000 per year per grantee, the dominant pattern across the dataset. Of the 22 top grantees tracked, 17 received exactly $75,000 annually. Children's Mercy Hospital is the clear outlier at $200,000/year — the foundation's maximum. Happy Bottoms received $50,000/year, the observed minimum. The foundation's own typical_grant_size data confirms: median $75,000, average $79,762, range $50,000–$200,000 across 21 grants analyzed.

Annual giving trajectory: Grants paid have grown from $650,000 (2011) to $700,000 (2012), $800,000 (2013), $1.35M (2014), $1.505M (2015), $1.675M (2019–2020), $1.705M (2021), $1.725M (2022–2023), and $1.83M (2025 per recent 990-PF). The inflection point was 2013, when the foundation received $8.95 million in contributions (nearly doubling its asset base from $12.6M to $21.4M) and permanently stepped up annual giving from under $1M to well over $1.5M.

Geographic distribution: Of 65 tracked grants, 50 (77%) went to Missouri organizations and 15 (23%) to Kansas organizations. All grantees appear to operate within the Kansas City metropolitan area, consistent with the foundation's geographic focus on MO and KS.

Program area breakdown (estimated from $5.125M total tracked giving): Child welfare, foster care, and protection: ~$1.575M (31%), covering CASA, Foster Adopt Connect, KVC Behavioral Healthcare, Cornerstones of Care, Crittenton Children's Center, and Niles Home for Children. Healthcare (hospitals and hospice): ~$1.05M (20%), including Children's Mercy Hospital, St. Luke's Hospital Foundation, and Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care. Youth development and residential programs: ~$1.05M (21%), covering Boys Hope Girls Hope, Operation Breakthrough, Camps for Kids, Kids TLC, and New Horizon Ranch. Disability and special needs: ~$900K (18%), including Ability KC, Kansas City Autism Training Center, Children's Center for the Visually Impaired, and Burns Recovered Support Group. Other health and social services: ~$550K (11%), including Smiles Change Lives, Amethyst Place, and Happy Bottoms.

The peer foundations below were identified by the grant database matching algorithm using similar asset size (~$18.7M) and NTEE classification (Philanthropy & Grantmaking, code T22). Annual giving for peers is estimated at the standard 5% private foundation minimum distribution requirement, as individual 990 data for peers was not analyzed. Sarli's actual giving is shown from verified filings.

Sarli's most distinctive characteristic among its asset-size peers is its payout rate: distributing 9%+ of assets annually places it among the most active philanthropic deployers in its size tier. Its deep geographic concentration in a single metro area (Kansas City) and exclusive focus on children and youth services makes it highly specialized. Organizations operating outside the Kansas City metro or outside the children/youth services domain have essentially no realistic path to this funder, regardless of mission quality or capacity.

No press releases, news articles, or public announcements from the Sarli Family Foundation were identified in web research for 2025–2026. The foundation maintains an extremely low public profile consistent with its closed, preselected operating model — its website (sarli.org) displays only a one-line homepage with no programmatic or contact information.

The most recent publicly available IRS data comes from the Form 990-PF filed May 4, 2026 for fiscal year 2025, as tracked by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. This filing confirms total net assets of approximately $18.67 million — a slight decline from $18.78 million in FY2024, likely reflecting market conditions — alongside $1.83 million in charitable disbursements, the highest annual giving total in the foundation's recorded history. Revenue is generated entirely from investment income (dividends, interest, and asset sales); no outside contributions have been received since 2013.

Leadership has remained stable across all available 990-PF filings: Lisa Wehrle (compensated, $18,000/year), Melinda Wehrle, and W. Rodger Marsh Jr. (CPA/Treasurer) constitute the full board. No director additions, resignations, or compensation changes are noted in available records. A public Facebook acknowledgment from Jackson County MO CASA specifically names the foundation and its "capable management team," indicating a warm and ongoing relationship with core grantees. The foundation's grantmaking portfolio has been virtually unchanged year-over-year, with consistent organizations receiving consistent annual amounts. There is no evidence of strategic pivot, new priority area, or leadership transition as of mid-2026.

The most critical piece of application advice for the Sarli Family Foundation is: there is no application process. The foundation makes contributions exclusively to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited proposals, letters of intent, or expressions of interest. Attempting to submit a grant through a conventional application pathway — emailing a proposal, mailing an LOI, or calling the office to inquire — will not succeed and may damage your organization's standing with the foundation. All tips below reflect the actual pathway to funding.

Build the relationship before any ask. The Wehrle family directors and W. Rodger Marsh Jr. (CPA/Treasurer) make all grantmaking decisions for a lean, family-run operation. Your organization's credibility and name must reach them through trusted mutual contacts before any grant conversation is possible. The most viable introduction vectors are existing grantees: Jackson County CASA, Boys Hope Girls Hope, Cornerstones of Care, Operation Breakthrough, KVC Behavioral Healthcare, or similar organizations whose leadership may have access to the foundation's directors.

Demonstrate deep, specific thematic alignment. Every funded organization serves children and youth in the Kansas City metro through direct service programs. The foundation has never visibly funded advocacy, research, capacity-building grants, or national organizations. Your program must serve a clearly defined vulnerable population of children — medical needs, foster care, developmental disabilities, autism, youth residential support, or pediatric healthcare are the clearest fits. Align your organizational language to these specific areas.

Geography is an absolute filter. All grantees operate within the Kansas City, Missouri or Kansas metropolitan area. An organization based outside this region has no realistic path to funding regardless of program quality or mission alignment.

Target the right grant range. The floor is $50,000 and the ceiling is $200,000, with $75,000 as the strong median. A first relationship, if established, would likely begin at $50,000–$75,000. Do not anchor expectations above this range for an initial grant.

Play a long game. The foundation's grantee portfolio turns over slowly. Plan a 2–3 year relationship-building horizon before expecting a funding conversation, and maintain consistent visibility through your introduction contacts during that period.