Butler Family Foundation
Butler Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Lake Forest, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants for the general charitable, religious, educational, or scientific purposes of recipient organizations.
Butler Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Butler Family Foundation gave $1.8M across 63 grants in 2025 (avg $29K), top state Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,832,008
- +11.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 63
- -3.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $29,079
- +15.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $17,876,825
- +2.4% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Illinois (42% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Butler Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Send a letter requesting a contribution; no standard application form is required. The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- The foundation states that there are no submission deadlines.
- Deadline
- The foundation states that there are no submission deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Karen B Connell
Mailing address: 825 S Waukegan Rd Suite A8 Pmb 218, Lake Forest, IL 60045
Phone: (917) 601-9652
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Butler Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Inc - Metro NY Region Now Blood Care United ($452K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
336 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 300 grants of 336 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 42% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 29% to New York, 9% to Maine, 7% to Arizona, and 5% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 63 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Butler Family Foundation gives
- 70% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 35% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 107% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $1.0M (2023) to $1.8M (2025). In 2025 it made 63 grants totaling $1.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Inc - Metro NY Region Now Blood Care United Rye Brook, NY | General charitable, religious, educational or scientific purpose of the donee organization | $451,650 |
| Ravinia Festival Association Highland Park, IL | General charitable, religious, educational or scientific purpose of the donee organization | $160,000 |
| Jackson Laboratory Bar Harbor, ME | General charitable, religious, educational or scientific purpose of the donee organization | $158,333 |
| The Church of the Holy Spirit Lake Forest, IL | General charitable, religious, educational or scientific purpose of the donee organization | $156,500 |
| Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | General charitable, religious, educational or scientific purpose of the donee organization | $116,000 |
| Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Assoc Lake Forest, IL | General charitable, religious, educational or scientific purpose of the donee organization | $54,025 |
| Brooks School North Andover, MA | General charitable, religious, educational or scientific purpose of the donee organization | $38,000 |
| Colgate University Hamilton, NY | General charitable, religious, educational or scientific purpose of the donee organization | $30,000 |
| Make a Wish Foundation of America Phoenix, AZ | General charitable, religious, educational or scientific purpose of the donee organization | $30,000 |
| Southwestern Heights High School Kismet, KS | General charitable, religious, educational or scientific purpose of the donee organization | $30,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Butler Family 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 | $17,876,825 | $2,492,690 | $2,069,166 | $1,832,008 | 63 | $1,864,575 | $2,327,099 | $1,748,315 |
| 2024 | $17,453,301 | $2,878,494 | $1,871,412 | $1,641,047 | 65 | $1,682,360 | $2,721,442 | $1,663,540 |
| 2023 | $16,446,219 | $1,575,244 | $1,237,821 | $1,037,000 | 55 | $1,078,270 | $1,438,391 | $1,459,481 |
| 2022 | $16,108,796 | $2,377,381 | $1,573,540 | $1,358,600 | 61 | $1,403,141 | $2,241,483 | $1,427,302 |
| 2021 | $15,304,955 | $4,191,786 | $1,846,105 | $1,549,833 | 92 | $1,615,289 | $4,046,484 | $1,537,345 |
| 2020 | $12,959,274 | $4,244,079 | $1,796,313 | $1,588,533 | 1 | — | $4,136,281 | $1,209,768 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Butler Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.7M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No formal mission statement is provided. The foundation’s grants include organizations with varied missions. Ravinia Festival Association describes its work as enriching lives through music, including performances, education, professional training, and community engagement. Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association says it supports the development and well-being of people with physical or visual impairments through inclusive recreation, fitness, and competitive sports. Brooks School describes itself as a college preparatory school, while Make-A-Wish Foundation of America says it creates wishes for children with critical illnesses.
Other 2025 recipients include Groton School, whose stated mission emphasizes character, scholarship, leadership, and service; Villanova University, which describes itself as a Catholic Augustinian community of higher education; The Way of the Rain, which uses performance to raise awareness of the environment; and Phoenix Symphony Association, which provides musical experiences for its community.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 63 grants totaling $1,832,008. Grants ranged from $3,000 to $451,650, with a median of $10,000. The largest grants included $451,650 to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Inc. – Metro NY Region Now Blood Care United, $160,000 to Ravinia Festival Association, $158,333 to Jackson Laboratory, $156,500 to The Church of the Holy Spirit, and $116,000 to the Art Institute of Chicago.
The foundation’s filing states that there are no standard application forms and that a letter requesting a contribution is sufficient. It lists Karen B Connell as the contact for requests. Organizations must meet the IRC Section 170(c) eligibility restriction.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Karen B Connell, Elizabeth B Pruett, and Kay S Butler as trustees.
Butler Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Karen B. Connell
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$23K (2020) → $0 (2025)
Elizabeth B. Pruett
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Kay S. Butler
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Lynne G. Butler Adams (2020–2021) — Trustee
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.
Compensation Overview
No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.
Frequently asked questions about Butler Family Foundation
How much does Butler Family Foundation give each year?
Butler Family Foundation gave $1.8M across 63 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.6M across 65 grants.
What is Butler Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Butler Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $29,079, across 63 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Butler Family Foundation give grants?
Butler Family Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 42% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (29%) and Maine (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (11 grants), Lake Forest, IL (9 grants), Phoenix, AZ (8 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Butler Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Butler Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (63 of 63) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Butler Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Butler Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Inc - Metro NY Region Now Blood Care United ($451,650), Ravinia Festival Association ($160,000) and Jackson Laboratory ($158,333), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Butler Family Foundation?
Butler Family Foundation reported $17.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Butler Family Foundation fund?
No formal mission statement is provided. The foundation’s grants include organizations with varied missions. Ravinia Festival Association describes its work as enriching lives through music, including performances, education, professional training, and community engagement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Butler Family Foundation?
Send a letter requesting a contribution; no standard application form is required. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
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 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 19, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 10, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 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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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Butler Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/butler-family-foundation-morg_f4af7e448c754864bf70f9bf7c8058ac
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366101775_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Butler Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/butler-family-foundation-morg_f4af7e448c754864bf70f9bf7c8058ac},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Butler Family 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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