Ancona Family Foundation
Ancona Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Lake Forest, Illinois. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable, educational, health, and community organizations, including recipients in New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Connecticut.
Key facts about Ancona Family Foundation
In short: Ancona Family Foundation gave $52K across 29 grants in 2024 (avg $2K), top state New York. 34% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- EIN
- 46-1606217
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990 filing, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $52,000
- Grants made (2024)
- 29
- Average grant
- $1,793
- Median grant
- $750
- New grantees (estimate)
- 34% first-time grantees (10 of 29, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (39% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990 filing, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 filing · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$52K
+33.1% YoY
Grant Count
29
+52.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2K
-12.8% YoY
Is Ancona Family Foundation open to new grantees?
34%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 29 grantees (34%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $792; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $375 first-time, $1K repeat.
- 52% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+9%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s own filing does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants include support for a range of organizations. For example, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute says it educates leaders for technologically based careers, while York College Foundation says it supports educational opportunities, studies, and research at York College. Other grantees describe work in historic preservation, public library service, food access, and Nantucket history and culture. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a mission statement for the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $52,000 through 29 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $20 to $15,000, with a median of $750. Its largest grants were $15,000 to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; $5,200 to Amherst Fund; $5,000 each to the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Nantucket Cottage Hospital, and York College Foundation; and $4,000 to the London School of Economics.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 39% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 35% to Massachusetts, 14% to Illinois, 3% to Connecticut, and 8% to recipients whose state is listed as unknown. The grants included recipients in Troy and Jamaica, New York; Amherst and Nantucket, Massachusetts; and Chicago and Geneva, Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 29 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $38K (2022) to $52K (2024). In 2024 it made 29 grants totaling $52K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($15K). Together the top 10 received $45K.
Grant Size Distribution
97 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 97 grants of 97 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY | Grant to Public Charity | $15,000 |
| Amherst Fund Amherst, MA | Grant to Public Charity | $5,200 |
| Univ of Chicago Booth School of Bus Chicago, IL | Grant to Public University | $5,000 |
| Nantucket Cottage Hospital Nantucket, MA | General Operating Purposes. | $5,000 |
| York College Foundation Jamaica, NY | Grant to Public University | $5,000 |
| London School of Economics | Grant to Public Charity | $4,000 |
| Greenwich Academy Greenwich, CT | Grant to Educational Institution | $1,650 |
| Nantucket Preservation Trust Nantucket, MA | Grant to Public Charity | $1,500 |
| Nantucket Atheneum Nantucket, MA | Grant to Public Charity | $1,200 |
| Northern Illinois Food Bank Geneva, IL | Grant to Public Charity | $1,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $52,000 | 29 |
| 2023 | $39,065 | 19 |
| 2022 | $38,125 | 18 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Edgar Ancona, Nora Ancona, and John Ancona as directors.
Ancona Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Edgar Ancona
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Ancona
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nora Ancona
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 199 North Green Bay Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045
Phone: (847) 564-6287
Frequently asked questions about Ancona Family Foundation
How much does Ancona Family Foundation give each year?
Ancona Family Foundation gave $52K across 29 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. In 2023 it gave $39K across 19 grants.
What is Ancona Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Ancona Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $750, and its average grant was $1,793, across 29 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ancona Family Foundation that year got $792 on average.
Where does Ancona Family Foundation give grants?
Ancona Family Foundation's top state is New York, with 39% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. The next largest states were Massachusetts (35%) and Illinois (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nantucket, MA (9 grants), Chicago, IL (4 grants), Lake Forest, IL (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Ancona Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 10% of Ancona Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 29) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Recurring purposes include "Grant to Public Charity" (21 grants).
Who are Ancona Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Ancona Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($15,000), Amherst Fund ($5,200) and Univ of Chicago Booth School of Bus ($5,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
What does Ancona Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own filing does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants include support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ancona Family Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ancona Family Foundation's EIN?
Ancona Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1606217. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Ancona Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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