Butler Family Foundation
The Butler Family Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Lake Forest, Illinois. Established in 1956, it operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with tax-exempt status. The foundation focuses on supporting charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes through grants to nonprofit organizations.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$1.6M
+58.2% YoY
Grant Count
65
+18.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$25K
+33.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation has not publicly provided a formal mission statement. However, based on grantmaking activity, the foundation supports organizations in the following areas:
- Education
- Philanthropy and Voluntarism
- Human Services
- Arts and Culture
- Sports and Recreation
Grantmaking
The foundation made 51 grants in 2024. Grant descriptions indicate support for the general charitable, religious, educational, or scientific purposes of recipient organizations.
Grant Range
Range:** $1,000 to $165,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in:
- Illinois
- Arizona
- Indiana
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2024:
- Total Assets: $17,453,301
- Total Revenues: $2,878,494
- Total Expenses: $1,871,412
- Total Liabilities: $0
As of December 2023:
- Total Assets: $16.4 Million
- Total Revenues: $1.58 Million
- Total Expenses: $1.24 Million
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
201 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Assoc ($165,000), Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Inc - Metro Ny Region ($84,166), Art Institute of Chicago ($66,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER PHOENIX, AZ | GENERAL CHARITABLE, RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL OR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSE OF THE DONEE ORGANIZATION | $10,000 |
| BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC INC BOSTON, MA | GENERAL CHARITABLE, RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL OR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSE OF THE DONEE ORGANIZATION | $10,000 |
| BROOKS SCHOOL NORTH ANDOVER, MA | GENERAL CHARITABLE, RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL OR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSE OF THE DONEE ORGANIZATION | $10,000 |
| CANCER WELLNESS CENTER NORTHBROOK, IL | GENERAL CHARITABLE, RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL OR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSE OF THE DONEE ORGANIZATION | $15,000 |
| CHRIST CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION PARADISE VALLEY, AZ | GENERAL CHARITABLE, RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL OR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSE OF THE DONEE ORGANIZATION | $10,000 |
| CULVER EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION CULVER, IN | GENERAL CHARITABLE, RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL OR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSE OF THE DONEE ORGANIZATION | $5,000 |
| ABILITY 360 INC PHOENIX, AZ | GENERAL CHARITABLE, RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL OR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSE OF THE DONEE ORGANIZATION | $5,000 |
| DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY RIVER FOREST, IL | GENERAL CHARITABLE, RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL OR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSE OF THE DONEE ORGANIZATIONGENERAL CHARITABLE, RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL OR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSE OF THE DONEE ORGANIZATION | $50,000 |
| AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS CHICAGO, IL | GENERAL CHARITABLE, RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL OR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSE OF THE DONEE ORGANIZATION | $25,000 |
| AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL CHARITABLE, RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL OR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSE OF THE DONEE ORGANIZATION | $20,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KAREN B CONNELL | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ELIZABETH B PRUETT | TRUSTEE | — | — |
| KAY S BUTLER | TRUSTEE | — | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Butler Family Foundation fund?
The foundation has not publicly provided a formal mission statement. However, based on grantmaking activity, the foundation supports organizations in the following areas: • Education • Philanthropy and Voluntarism • Human Services • Arts and Culture • Sports and Recreation
How do I apply for a grant from Butler Family Foundation?
**Grant Size Range:** $1,000 to $165,000 **Recent Grant Activity (2024):** • Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association: $165,000 • Art Institute of Chicago: $66,000 • Ravinia Festival Association: $65,000 • Additional 48 grants totaling $1,223,931 **Total Giving (2024):** $1,641,047 The foundation made 51 grants in 2024. Grant descriptions indicate support for the general charitable, religious, educational, or scientific purposes of recipient organizations.
Where does Butler Family Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • Illinois • Arizona • Indiana
What size grants does Butler Family Foundation award?
In 2024, Butler Family Foundation awarded 65 grants totaling $1.6M — an average of about $25K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Butler Family Foundation's EIN?
Butler Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6101775. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Butler Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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