Castaways Foundation
Castaways Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In 2025, it made 77 grants totaling $180,000 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in areas such as poverty, food security, health, animal welfare, immigrant rights, and higher education, as reflected in the grantees’ stated missions and the purposes listed for grants.
Castaways Foundation at a glance
In short: Castaways Foundation gave $180K across 77 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Colorado. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $180,000
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 77
- -3.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,338
- +3.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $2,592,696
- -1.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (16 of 75, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (50% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Castaways 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: 414 N Orleans St 301, Chicago, IL 60654-4466
Phone: (312) 226-6400
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Castaways Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Children International ($20K). Together the top 10 received $88K.
Grant Size Distribution
423 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 423 grants of 423 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Colorado accounted for 50% of grant dollars, Illinois 20%, Missouri 11%, Louisiana 8%, and Maryland 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 77 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Castaways Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 16 of 75 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−18%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 91% 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 $160K (2020) to $220K (2022). In 2025 it made 77 grants totaling $180K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Children International Kansas City, MO | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Denver Police Brotherhood Youth Boxing Team Denver, CO | Unrestricted | $12,000 |
| Callies Backyard Foundation Aspen, CO | Unrestricted | $7,500 |
| Tulane University New Orleans, LA | Mildred and Herman Crown Memorial Scholarship | $7,500 |
| Tulane University New Orleans, LA | Ida & Abraham Rogovin Memorial Scholarship Fund | $7,500 |
| Feeding Colorado Denver, CO | Unrestricted | $6,000 |
| Immigrant Freedom Fund Denver, CO | Unrestricted | $6,000 |
| Shedd Aquarium Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $6,000 |
| Canine Therapy Corps Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| National Jewish Health Denver, CO | Dr. Jinny Tavee's Research | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Castaways 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 | $2,592,696 | $192,648 | $222,290 | $180,000 | 77 | $186,758 | $157,116 | $204,532 |
| 2024 | $2,622,338 | $440,314 | $215,207 | $180,000 | 80 | $215,207 | $340,434 | $179,051 |
| 2023 | $2,397,222 | $186,558 | $213,093 | $184,000 | 81 | $213,093 | $186,558 | $166,413 |
| 2022 | $2,423,757 | $56,061 | $254,903 | $220,000 | 99 | $221,038 | $22,196 | $184,923 |
| 2021 | $2,622,032 | $197,872 | $223,178 | $180,000 | 86 | $185,205 | $159,899 | $225,460 |
| 2020 | $2,647,219 | $284,381 | $192,672 | $160,000 | 84 | — | $258,279 | $182,078 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Castaways Foundation reported a distributable amount of $205K 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 include unrestricted support and scholarship, research, and vocational rehabilitation grants. The grantees describe their own work in varied terms: Children International says it works to end poverty by investing in children and youth; Feeding Colorado says it works to improve food security in Colorado; and Canine Therapy Corps says it uses the human-animal bond to support physical and psychological health and well-being. National Jewish Health describes its work as providing patient care, conducting research, and educating healthcare professionals. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 77 grants totaling $180,000. Awards ranged from $250 to $20,000, with a median of $1,000. Among the largest grants were $20,000 to Children International; $12,000 to Denver Police Brotherhood Youth Boxing Team; $7,500 to Callies Backyard Foundation; and two $7,500 grants to Tulane University for memorial scholarships. Other notable grants included $6,000 each to Feeding Colorado, Immigrant Freedom Fund, and Shedd Aquarium, and $5,000 each to Canine Therapy Corps, National Jewish Health, Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, and the University of Denver.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Donna Lynn Crown (president and director), Bradley D. Crown (vice president and director), Bruce A. Crown (treasurer and director), and Laurie J. Crown (secretary and director).
Castaways Foundation is led by Donna Lynn Crown, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Donna Lynn Crown
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bradley D. Crown
V.p. & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bruce A. Crown
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laurie J. Crown
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Castaways Foundation
How much does Castaways Foundation give each year?
Castaways Foundation gave $180K across 77 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $180K across 80 grants.
What is Castaways Foundation's typical grant size?
Castaways Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $2,338, across 77 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Castaways Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Castaways Foundation give grants?
Castaways Foundation gives mostly in Colorado: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Illinois (20%) and Missouri (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Aspen, CO (13 grants), Denver, CO (12 grants), Chicago, IL (9 grants) and Co Springs, CO (6 grants).
Does Castaways Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 66% of Castaways Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (51 of 77) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Castaways Foundation's largest grantees?
Castaways Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Children International ($20,000), Tulane University ($15,000 across 2 grants) and Denver Police Brotherhood Youth Boxing Team ($12,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Castaways Foundation?
Castaways Foundation reported $2.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $187K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $205K (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 Castaways Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include unrestricted support and scholarship, research, and vocational rehabilitation grants. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Castaways 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 Castaways Foundation's EIN?
Castaways Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3738769. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Castaways Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 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 2021 (received by the IRS May 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 7, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 6, 2021)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Castaways Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/castaways-foundation-morg_1c941681ab6743cf8036be9b1565b442
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363738769_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Castaways Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/castaways-foundation-morg_1c941681ab6743cf8036be9b1565b442},
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 Castaways 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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