Butler Family Foundation
Lake Forest, IL · EIN 36-6101775. Reported 273 grants totalling $5,586,480 to 141 organizations across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Butler Family Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $15,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $8,333 and $25,000; the smallest was $1,000 and the largest $165,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which the organization received money -- more than one means a real relationship rather than a one-off.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $327,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Assoc | Lake Forest, IL | $272,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Make a Wish Foundation of America | Phoenix, AZ | $205,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Jackson Laboratory | Bar Harbor, ME | $180,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | $170,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Dominican University | River Forest, IL | $160,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| The Church of the Holy Spirit | Lake Forest, IL | $150,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| American National Red Cross | Chicago, IL | $140,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Lake Forest Open Lands Association | Lake Forest, IL | $139,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Lake Forest Country Day School | Lake Forest, IL | $125,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Southwestern Heights High School | Kismet, KS | $120,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| University of Virginia School of Architecture | Charlottesville, VA | $110,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Ballet Arizona | Phoenix, AZ | $105,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Field Musuem of Natural History | Chicago, IL | $90,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Cancer Wellness Center | Northbrook, IL | $90,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Colgate University | Hamilton, NY | $85,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Inc - Metro Ny Region | Rye Brook, NY | $84,166 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Caney Creek Community Center - Alice Lloyd College | Pippa Passes, KY | $80,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Villanova University | Villanova, PA | $80,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Ravinia Festival Association | Highland Park, IL | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Chicago Community Foundation | Chicago, IL | $70,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Mothers Tr Foundation | Lake Forest, IL | $70,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Environmental Working Group | Washington, DC | $65,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Rhode Island Schoool of Design | Providence, RI | $65,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Phoenix Symphony Association | Phoenix, AZ | $62,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Champs Male Mentoring Program - Chirise | Chicago, IL | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Guide Dogs for the Blind Inc | San Rafael, CA | $60,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Lake Forest College | Lake Forest, IL | $60,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| St Stephens and St Agnes School Foundation | Alexandria, VA | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Project Hood Communities | Chicago, IL | $57,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals | New York, NY | $55,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence | Washington, DC | $55,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Rendezvous Arts | Chicago, IL | $55,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| The Posse Foundation Inc - Chicago | Chicago, IL | $55,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Culver Education Foundation | Culver, IN | $51,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Allies for Community Business Inc | Chicago, IL | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods | Riverwoods, IL | $50,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Inc | Rye Brook, NY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Phoenix Childrens Hospital Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Animal Sanctuary of the St Croix Valley | Stillwater, MN | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Big Shoulders Fund | Chicago, IL | $45,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Family Action Network | Evanston, IL | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Orchard School Foundation Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $45,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Trustees of Westminster School Inc | Simsbury, CT | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Phoenix Childrens Hospital | Phoenix, AZ | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| The Courageous Parents Network Inc | Newton, MA | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Union League Boys & Girls Club | Chicago, IL | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Womans Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital | Chicago, IL | $38,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Chicago Heightening Opportunity & Potential for Educational Success | Chicago, IL | $36,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| History Center of Lake Forest Lake Bluff | Lake Forest, IL | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| University of the Cumberlands Inc | Williamsburg, KY | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Urban Rivers Inc | Chicago, IL | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Christ Episcopal Church | Waukegan, IL | $34,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Stonington Historical Society | Stonington, CT | $32,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation | Chicago, IL | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Elawa Farm Foundation | Lake Forest, IL | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching | Chicago, IL | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Preservation Foundation of the Lake County Forest Preserves | Libertyville, IL | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Chicago Shakespeare Theater | Chicago, IL | $26,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Lake County Community Foundation | Grayslake, IL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| North Chicago Community Partners Nfp | Lake Bluff, IL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Chicago Community Trust | Chicago, IL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Vernon Township Food Pantry Inc | Buffalo Grove, IL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| St Giles Episcopal Church | Northbrook, IL | $24,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Chicago Horticultural Society - Chicago Botanic Garden | Glencoe, IL | $22,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Ability 360 Inc | Phoenix, AZ | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Alexian Brothers Health System | Elk Grove Village, IL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| American Brain Tumor Association | Chicago, IL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ann & Robert H Lurie Childrens Hosipital of Chicago Foundation | Chicago, IL | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Bishop Anderson Foundation | Chicago, IL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Bravo Waukegan | Lake Forest, IL | $20,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| College of the Ozarks | Point Lookout, MO | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Gorton Community Center | Lake Forest, IL | $20,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| John Austin Cheley Foundation | Denver, CO | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Macular Degeneration Research | Northampton, MA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Night Ministry | Chicago, IL | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Inc - Nyc Chapter | New York, NY | $17,950 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Arizona Science Center | Phoenix, AZ | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Arthritis Foundation Inc | Atlanta, GA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Chicago Childrens Theatre | Chicago, IL | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Chicago Symphony Orchestra | Chicago, IL | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Primo Center for Women & Children | Chicago, IL | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Revive Center for Housing and Healing | Chicago, IL | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Shedd Aquarium Society | Chicago, IL | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| St Marys Food Bank Alliance | Phoenix, AZ | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Salvation Army - Metropolitan Division | Chicago, IL | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Groton School | Groton, MA | $14,431 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Northwestern Memorial Healthcare-Northwestern Memorial Foundation | Chicago, IL | $12,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Reading Power Inc | Lake Bluff, IL | $11,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Arizona State University Foundation | Tempe, AZ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Berklee College of Music Inc | Boston, MA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Brooks School | North Andover, MA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Camp Mishawaka | Grand Rapids, MI | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Childrens Oncology Services Inc | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Christ Church of the Ascension | Paradise Valley, AZ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Forest Park Preservation Corporation | Lake Forest, IL | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Fourth Presbyterian Church | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Friends of Lake Forest Parks and Recreation | Lake Forest, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Frontier Nursing University Inc | Versailles, KY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Housing Opportunities & Maintenance for the Elderly Inc | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Institute for Ethnomedicine Inc | Jackson, WY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Lake Forest Garden Club | Lake Forest, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Inc | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Margarets Village | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Myositis Association | Columbia, MD | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Northern Illinois Food Bank | Geneva, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Role Model Movement Inc Nfp | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Special Olympics Illinois | Tinley Park, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Uniting Voices | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Waukegan to College Nfp | Waukegan, IL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| West End House Inc | Boston, MA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Young Masterminds Initiative | Brooklyn, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Arizona Arts Circle Ltd | Phoenix, AZ | $8,600 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Franklin University Switzerland Inc | New York, NY | $8,333 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| North Shore Senior Center | Northfield, IL | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ragdale Foundation | Lake Forest, IL | $6,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Lake Forest Foundation for Historic Preservation | Lake Forest, IL | $6,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Avenues to Independence | Park Ridge, IL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Bounce Childrens Foundation | Deerfield, IL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Chicago Hope Academy | Chicago, IL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Childrens Home & Aid Society of Illinois | Chicago, IL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Cradle Foundation | Evanston, IL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Culver Educational Foundation | Culver, IN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Illinois Library Association | Chicago, IL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| International Chamber Artists | Lake Bluff, IL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Journeycare Foundation Inc | Glenview, IL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Lake Forest Garden Club | Lake Forest, IL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Lake Forest High School Foundation | Lake Forest, IL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Inc | Alexandria, VA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Museum of Science and Industry | Chicago, IL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Navy Seal Foundation Inc | Virginia Beach, VA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Sandra Day Oconnor Institute | Phoenix, AZ | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Shriners Hospitals for Children - Chicago | Chicago, IL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| St Leonards Ministries | Chicago, IL | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Thresholds | Chicago, IL | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Stonington Village Improvement Association Inc | Stonington, CT | $3,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Neuro and Brain Community Foundation Inc | Mesa, AZ | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Openland | Chicago, IL | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Rush University Medical Center | Chicago, IL | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
68 of 141 (48%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 61%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is about typical. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Assoc
GENERAL CHARITABLE, RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL OR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSE OF THE DONEE ORGANIZATION - Dominican University
GENERAL CHARITABLE, RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL OR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSE OF THE DONEE ORGANIZATIONGENERAL CHARITABLE, RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL OR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSE OF THE DONEE ORGANIZATION
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 193 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 92 | $1,549,833 | $10,000 |
| 2022 | 61 | $1,358,600 | $15,000 |
| 2023 | 55 | $1,037,000 | $15,000 |
| 2024 | 65 | $1,641,047 | $15,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 60% of this one's giving went to organizations in Illinois. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $15,000. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Illinois.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Butler Family Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: 825 S Waukegan Rd Suite A8 Pmb 218, Lake Forest, IL, 60045. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 36-6101775 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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