Wight Foundation

The Wight Foundation is a Newark, New Jersey-based private operating foundation (EIN 22-2743349, IRS ruling date January 1987) whose sole programmatic mission is scholarships: it identifies academically talented 7th-grade students from the greater Newark area and provides college-preparatory boarding-school scholarships and wraparound support through graduation. Per wightfoundation.org, the foundation was launched in 1986 with an inaugural cohort of five scholars and today supports "100+ current scholars" placed across a network of "60+ boarding prep schools" in the Mid-Atlantic and New England. Unlike most foundations in the Granted database, Wight is not a general grantmaker - it does not fund nonprofit organizations or program grants. Instead, it directly sponsors individual students and provides a suite of support services (STEP preparation, college guidance, alumni association). This is a critical distinction: nonprofits should not apply to the Wight Foundation for organizational funding. Student applications are open to 7th-graders in the Newark area via the Inquiry Form on wightfoundation.org; 6th-graders may submit inquiry forms but are not yet eligible to apply. The mailing address is 550 Broad Street, Suite 717, Newark, NJ, phone 973-824-1195.

Because the Wight Foundation distributes scholarships directly to individual student beneficiaries (and pays tuition and support costs for scholars in residence), its 990-PF "grants paid" line captures student tuition/support outflows rather than traditional nonprofit grants. ProPublica 990-PF data show total functional expenses of $2.19M in 2023 against contributions-paid-per-books of $528,605 - meaning only a fraction of the outflow is classified as "contributions paid" and the bulk sits in program service expense (scholarship assistance, staff, STEP program costs). Total assets have grown steadily: $7.8M (2015), $11.1M (2019), $11.4M (2021), $12.0M (2022), $13.1M (2023); fair market value in 2023 was ~$15.1M. Revenue has been volatile with dependence on contributions: $4.65M in 2019, $3.33M in 2020, $0.44M in 2021, $2.28M in 2022, $3.29M in 2023. Net investment income in 2023 was $1.29M. The 2015 outlier "grants paid" of $1.71M likely reflects a larger multi-year cohort enrollment or one-time initiative. The pattern is clear: Wight operates more like a boarding-school scholarship program than a grantmaking foundation.

Wight's closest programmatic peers are Prep for Prep, A Better Chance, and Oliver Scholars - all of which place academically talented underserved students into college-preparatory or boarding schools. Wight is the Newark-specific peer in this cluster, smaller by assets but tightly focused geographically. It is not a peer of traditional Newark philanthropies (Victoria Foundation, Prudential Foundation, MCJ Amelior) that make organizational grants.

The foundation website is active as of April 2026 and is accepting inquiries for the 2025/2026 school year from current 7th-graders. Content pages reference "2025 Fall Digest," "2025 Summer Digest," "2025 Spring Digest," and "2025 Graduation Celebration," confirming regular scholar communications. No press releases or news items surfaced in research. Most recent ProPublica 990-PF: tax year 2023, with total assets of $13.1M, total revenue of $3.29M, and functional expenses of $2.19M. The foundation has an "Access Portal" link on its site (likely an applicant/scholar portal) but primary program information is publicly accessible. No change in program model is evident: still exclusively direct-scholarship, still Newark-area, still boarding-school focused.

Critical: The Wight Foundation does NOT fund nonprofit organizations. If you are searching the Granted database for an organizational grant, this foundation is not a match. It only provides direct scholarships to individual students. If you are a student (or advisor for a student): 1) The student must be a 7th-grader in the 2025/2026 school year from the greater Newark, NJ area. 2) Submit the Inquiry Form on wightfoundation.org first to receive a link to the Preliminary Application Portal. 3) 6th-graders may submit inquiry forms but are not eligible to apply until 7th grade. 4) If you are a nonprofit serving Newark youth - do not apply. Instead, look to Victoria Foundation, Prudential Foundation, Newark Trust for Education, or the Community Foundation of New Jersey for organizational grants. 5) If you are a boarding school interested in partnering with Wight, contact the foundation directly at 973-824-1195 or wightfoundation@wightfoundation.org to be considered for the network of 60+ partner schools.