Carnahan Family Foundation
Carnahan Family Foundation is a private foundation, based in Chicago, IL. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $844K in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 7 grants totaling $29K. Net investment income was $57K.
Carnahan Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Carnahan Family Foundation gave $29K across 7 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $29,000
- -51.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 7
- -46.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,143
- -10.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $844,126
- +7.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Illinois (98% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Carnahan Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 7 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Altus Academy ($18K). Together the top 7 received $29K.
Grant Size Distribution
62 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 61 grants of 62 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 7 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Carnahan Family Foundation gives
- Giving fell 43% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 61% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $29K (2025) to $195K (2020). In 2025 it made 7 grants totaling $29K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Altus Academy Chicago, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $18,000 |
| Marillac St Vincent Chicago, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $5,000 |
| Classical Music Chicago Chicago, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $2,500 |
| Alliance for the Great Lake Chicago, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $1,000 |
| Misericordia Chicago, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $1,000 |
| St Anthony's Church Cicero, IL | General Charitable Purposes | $1,000 |
| Harbor Arts Sawyer, MI | General Charitable Purposes | $500 |
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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 | $844,126 | $85,846 | $30,007 | $29,000 | 7 | $29,000 | $57,470 | $47,910 |
| 2024 | $788,287 | $92,874 | $68,696 | $59,950 | 13 | $59,950 | $49,313 | $43,536 |
| 2023 | $764,109 | $26,788 | $39,323 | $38,630 | 8 | $38,630 | $15,726 | $38,308 |
| 2022 | $776,644 | $11,937 | $56,130 | $50,525 | 11 | $50,525 | $130,430 | $37,542 |
| 2021 | $820,837 | $206,062 | $123,593 | $119,636 | 23 | $119,636 | $31,680 | $41,718 |
| 2020 | $738,368 | $135,465 | $198,684 | $195,000 | 23 | — | $23,935 | $35,726 |
| 2019 | $803,497 | $301,013 | $137,439 | $129,050 | 21 | — | $199,511 | $34,589 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Carnahan Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $48K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Carnahan Family Foundation is led by Ellen Carnahan, President, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ellen Carnahan
President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Marianne Woodward
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Paul M. Sheridan
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2019
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.
Frequently asked questions about Carnahan Family Foundation
How much does Carnahan Family Foundation give each year?
Carnahan Family Foundation gave $29K across 7 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $60K across 13 grants.
What is Carnahan Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Carnahan Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $4,143, across 7 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Carnahan Family Foundation give grants?
Carnahan Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (5 grants).
Does Carnahan Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Carnahan Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (7 of 7) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Carnahan Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Carnahan Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Altus Academy ($18,000), Marillac St Vincent ($5,000) and Classical Music Chicago ($2,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 88% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Carnahan Family Foundation?
Carnahan Family Foundation reported $844K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $29K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $48K (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 is Carnahan Family Foundation's EIN?
Carnahan Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-4146362. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 22, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 29, 2021)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Carnahan Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Carnahan Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/carnahan-family-foundation-morg_74d9addcec3a48618971ebf736c0bc0f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_264146362_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Carnahan Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/carnahan-family-foundation-morg_74d9addcec3a48618971ebf736c0bc0f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Carnahan 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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