Burns Legacy Foundation
Burns Legacy Foundation is a private foundation based in St. Charles, Illinois. It gave $165,000 in grants to 17 organizations in 2025, including charitable and educational organizations.
Burns Legacy Foundation at a glance
In short: Burns Legacy Foundation gave $165K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), mostly in Illinois. 41% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $165,000
- -20.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +6.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,706
- -24.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $3,011,857
- +9.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 41% first-time grantees (7 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (59% 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 Burns Legacy Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 958, St Charles, IL 60174
Phone: (847) 961-6666
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Burns Legacy Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Rcosa ($20K). Together the top 10 received $131K.
Grant Size Distribution
68 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 67 grants of 68 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois (59%), Wisconsin (14%), New York (10%), California (9%), and Iowa (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Burns Legacy Foundation open to new grantees?
41%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 17 grantees (41%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $7K first-time, $11K repeat.
- 53% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 96% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $97K (2021) to $207K (2024). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $165K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rcosa Chicago, IL | Charitable | $20,000 |
| Waukegan to College Waukegan, IL | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Mike Rowe Works Foundation Santa Monica, CA | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Alexian Brothers Scholarship Fund Elk Grove, IL | Charitable/Educational | $15,000 |
| Misericordia Chicago, IL | Charitable | $14,000 |
| Literacy Volunteers Fox Valley St Charles, IL | Charitable | $12,000 |
| Imerman Angels Chicago, IL | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Sharing Center Trevor, WI | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Camp Courageous Monticello, IA | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hoffman Estates, IL | Charitable | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Burns Legacy Foundation?
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 | $3,011,857 | $481,683 | $198,428 | $165,000 | 17 | $165,000 | $456,163 | $172,328 |
| 2024 | $2,755,684 | $175,786 | $246,783 | $206,900 | 16 | $206,900 | $143,295 | $171,113 |
| 2023 | $2,826,681 | $124,521 | $175,252 | $136,500 | 13 | $136,500 | $96,722 | $160,304 |
| 2022 | $2,874,186 | $204,182 | $197,202 | $162,500 | 13 | $162,500 | $176,311 | $160,259 |
| 2021 | $2,859,332 | $177,089 | $133,012 | $97,000 | 9 | $97,000 | $147,691 | $171,359 |
| 2020 | $2,810,265 | $137,149 | $187,292 | $155,925 | 15 | — | $112,291 | $148,903 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Burns Legacy Foundation reported a distributable amount of $172K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in areas described by the grantees themselves: Imerman Angels says it connects cancer fighters, survivors, previvors, and caregivers with someone who has been there; the Sharing Center says it serves western Kenosha County residents through nutrition, housing, domestic-violence and trafficking, and family and children’s support programs. Brooklyn Public Library describes its mission as preserving and transmitting knowledge, history, and culture and providing free and open access to information.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 17 grants totaling $165,000. Grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $20,000, with a median of $10,000.
Among its largest 2025 grants were $20,000 to RCOSA; $15,000 each to Waukegan to College, Mike Rowe Works Foundation, and Alexian Brothers Scholarship Fund; and $14,000 to Misericordia. Other grants included $12,000 to Literacy Volunteers Fox Valley, $10,000 each to Imerman Angels, Sharing Center, Camp Courageous, Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health, and Foster Pride, and $7,000 to Brooklyn Public Library.
Other 2025 recipients listed include Kenosha Welcome Center, which received $5,000; CASA of the River Region, which received $2,500; and Culinary Care, which received $2,000. Kenosha Welcome Center describes its work as providing nutritious food and support for people in transition. CASA of the River Region says it supports court-appointed volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children. Culinary Care says it provides free restaurant-prepared meals to cancer patients and their families.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Patrick T Snyder as President & CEO; Jarret Freels as Vice President; John R Neal as Treasurer; and Shawna Burns Neal as Secretary. Directors listed are Gregory T Snyder, Melinda R Snyder, Bethany Short, Brent B Burns, Dan Short, and Noble Freels.
Burns Legacy Foundation is led by Patrick T Snyder, President & CEO since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 10 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Patrick T Snyder
President & CEO
Director → President & CEO, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Brent B Burns
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Gregory T Snyder
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Melinda R Snyder
Director
Secretary → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Bethany Short
Director
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Dan Short
Director
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Noble Freels
Director
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Shawna Burns Neal
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
John R Neal
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Jarret Freels
Vice President
President → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Jeremy L Burns (2020–2023) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Burns Legacy Foundation
How much does Burns Legacy Foundation give each year?
Burns Legacy Foundation gave $165K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $207K across 16 grants.
What is Burns Legacy Foundation's typical grant size?
Burns Legacy Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $9,706, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Burns Legacy Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does Burns Legacy Foundation give grants?
Burns Legacy Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 59% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Wisconsin (14%) and New York (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (4 grants).
Does Burns Legacy Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Burns Legacy Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (15 grants).
Who are Burns Legacy Foundation's largest grantees?
Burns Legacy Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Rcosa ($20,000), Waukegan to College ($15,000) and Mike Rowe Works Foundation ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Burns Legacy Foundation?
Burns Legacy Foundation reported $3.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $165K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $172K (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 Burns Legacy Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Burns Legacy 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 Burns Legacy Foundation's EIN?
Burns Legacy Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-2386882. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Burns Legacy 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 28, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Burns Legacy Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/burns-legacy-foundation-morg_d7848b68043c426cbd26fd42ba92ea32
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_262386882_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Burns Legacy Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/burns-legacy-foundation-morg_d7848b68043c426cbd26fd42ba92ea32},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Burns Legacy 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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