Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation
Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation is a private foundation based in Jacksonville, Illinois. Its reported grants include support for library programs and scholarships, literacy organizations, and charitable and community organizations.
Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation at a glance
In short: Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation gave $200K across 40 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Illinois. 28% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $199,520
- -1.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 40
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,988
- -1.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,610
- Total assets
- $4,741,284
- +14.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 28% first-time grantees (11 of 40, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (51% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1880 W Morton Ave, Jacksonville, IL 62650
Phone: (217) 245-5191
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Prairieland United Way ($25K). Together the top 10 received $124K.
Grant Size Distribution
200 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 199 grants of 200 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Illinois recipients received 51% of grant dollars, followed by Tennessee at 9%, Texas at 8%, Washington, DC at 7%, and Pennsylvania at 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 40 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation open to new grantees?
28%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 40 grantees (28%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 63% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−13%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 92% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $200K (2025) to $230K (2022). In 2025 it made 40 grants totaling $200K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Prairieland United Way Jacksonville, IL | Charitable Donation | $25,000 |
| Dollywood Foundation Sevierville, TN | Imagination Library Donation | $18,000 |
| Texas Library Assocation Austin, TX | Bluebonnet Program Support | $15,000 |
| Aasl Chicago, IL | Travel Grants | $12,500 |
| Reading is Fundamental Washington, DC | Charitable Donation | $11,000 |
| Ala Chicago, IL | Library Champion and United for Libraries | $9,000 |
| Moravian University Bethlehem, PA | Scholarship for Smantha Meskilll | $8,500 |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO | Scholarship for Lexi Lane | $8,500 |
| Illinois State University Normal, IL | Scholarship for Liam Lane | $8,500 |
| San Jose University San Jose, CA | ALA Scholarship for Amber Katherine OBrien | $8,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,741,284 | $888,181 | $298,561 | $199,520 | 40 | $199,520 | $810,503 | $217,116 |
| 2024 | $4,151,664 | $1,500,877 | $236,091 | $201,600 | 40 | $201,850 | $1,471,719 | $199,785 |
| 2023 | $2,886,813 | $172,314 | $245,784 | $224,000 | 43 | $220,750 | $149,233 | $207,370 |
| 2022 | $2,960,282 | $142,988 | $251,122 | $229,550 | 43 | $229,800 | $121,416 | $215,227 |
| 2021 | $3,068,440 | $280,273 | $247,322 | $222,250 | 34 | $222,500 | $100,815 | $229,928 |
| 2020 | $3,035,489 | $223,914 | $228,046 | $203,543 | 38 | — | $203,177 | $214,859 |
| 2019 | $3,039,621 | $154,970 | $231,609 | $210,150 | 44 | — | $132,740 | $211,408 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation reported a distributable amount of $217K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available grant records do not state the foundation’s mission. Its 2025 grants show support for library-related programs, literacy, scholarships, and local charitable and community organizations. For example, Reading Is Fundamental describes its work as addressing the U.S. literacy crisis by inspiring children’s joy of reading; Prairieland United Way says it provides financial assistance to charitable organizations for surrounding communities. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 40 grants totaling $199,520 in 2025. Grants ranged from $150 to $25,000, with a median of $2,610. Notable grants included $25,000 to Prairieland United Way for a charitable donation; $18,000 to the Dollywood Foundation for an Imagination Library donation; $15,000 to the Texas Library Association for Bluebonnet Program Support; $12,500 to AASL for travel grants; and $11,000 to Reading Is Fundamental for a charitable donation. Other listed awards included grants for library programs and scholarships.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Robert L. Sibert, Karen A. Sibert, and Lori Smith as successor co-trustees.
Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
CNB Bank & Trust NA
Trustee
On filings since 2019
6 hrs/week
$19K (2019) → $76K (2025)
Karen A Sibert
Successor Co-Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Lori Smith
Successor Co-Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Robert L Sibert
Successor Co-Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $76K, to CNB Bank & Trust NA (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation
How much does Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation give each year?
Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation gave $200K across 40 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $202K across 40 grants.
What is Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation's typical grant size?
Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,610, and its average grant was $4,988, across 40 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation give grants?
Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Tennessee (9%) and Texas (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Jacksonville, IL (18 grants), Chicago, IL (3 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and Springfield, IL (3 grants).
Does Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 40 grants with a stated purpose on Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Donation" (24 grants).
Who are Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation's largest grantees?
Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Prairieland United Way ($25,000), Dollywood Foundation ($18,000) and Texas Library Assocation ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation?
Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation reported $4.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $200K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $217K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation fund?
The available grant records do not state the foundation’s mission. Its 2025 grants show support for library-related programs, literacy, scholarships, and local charitable and community organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation's EIN?
Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 37-6227827. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 6, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 10, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 1, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 6, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bound-to-stay-bound-books-foundation-morg_3850f97fa76048eabbe42964de48e8a3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_376227827_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bound-to-stay-bound-books-foundation-morg_3850f97fa76048eabbe42964de48e8a3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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