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.

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.