Charleston Area Charitable Foundation logo

Charleston Area Charitable Foundation

Grantmaker Charleston, IL EIN: 37-1172293 Website

The Charleston Area Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Charleston, Illinois. It identifies and funds projects and programs of charitable organizations and governmental bodies that benefit people and the environment and support economic development and social welfare in the Charleston area.

Key facts about Charleston Area Charitable Foundation

In short: Charleston Area Charitable Foundation gave $185K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $17K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990 filing.

EIN
37-1172293
Latest 990 filing
Form 990 filing, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$184,576
Grants made (2025)
11
Average grant
$16,780
Median grant
$10,600
Primary geography
Illinois (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
How to apply
Submit a written request explaining the use and purpose of the funds. Full details ↓
Deadline
Applications must be submitted by the 16th of the month before the meeting: January 16 for the February meeting, April…

Data from IRS Form 990 filing, 2025; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990 filing · View filing

Total Assets

—

Annual Giving

$185K

-67.1% YoY

Grant Count

11

-26.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$17K

-55.2% YoY

How Charleston Area Charitable Foundation gives

  • Giving fell 90% from 2022 to 2025. Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation says it supports projects and programs benefiting the citizens, environment, economic development, and social welfare of the Charleston area. Its grants include support for local government, arts, education, community celebrations, sports and recreation, and social services.

Among its 2025 grantees, the Lincoln Log Cabin Foundation says its mission is to support and promote activities of and for the Lincoln Log Cabin Historical Site. United Way of Coles County says it brings together community-accepted health, welfare, and recreational agency campaigns in a united appeal.

Grantmaking

The foundation considers applications at board meetings in February, May, August, and November. Its website lists recent projects including the Linder Sports Complex, Lake Charleston Trail Project, renovations at Charleston High School, Lincoln Log Cabin Foundation summer programs, and improvements to local sports fields and parks.

Review Cycle

Applications must be submitted by the 16th of the month before the meeting: January 16 for the February meeting, April 16 for May, July 16 for August, and October 16 for November.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation describes its work as serving the Charleston area. All grant dollars reported for filing year 2025 went to recipients in Illinois. Its stated application restrictions specify tax-exempt organizations in Charleston or Coles County, Illinois.

Grant Distribution by State

1state

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.

States

Cities

CharlestonLernaMattoon

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$500K$1M$1.5M$2M13 grants2021 13 grants2022 16 grants2023 15 grants2024 11 grants2025

From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $185K (2025) to $2.0M (2023). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $185K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 9 recipients in 2025

City of Charleston: $84K across 3 grantsCity of Charleston$84K · 3 grantsLincoln Log Cabin Foundation: $36KLincoln Log Cabin Foundation$36KImmanuel Lutheran: $20KImmanuel Lutheran$20KUnited Way of Coles County: $15KUnited Way of Coles County$15KHedwig Haus of Hospitality NFP: $11KHedwig Haus of Hospitality NFP$11KEIU Symphony Orchestra: $10KEIU Symphony Orchestra$10KColes County Arts Council: $5KColes County Arts Council$5KStanding Stone Comm Center NFP: $3KStanding Stone Comm Center NFP$3KTheatre in the Park Charleston NFP: $976Theatre in the Park CharlestonNFP$976

The largest 2025 recipient was City of Charleston ($84K across 3 grants). Together the top 9 received $185K.

Grant Size Distribution

68 grants across all recorded years

54<$50K3$50–100K4$100–250K3$250–500K3$500K–1M1$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 54 grants of 68 (79%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
City of Charleston Charleston, ILLinder Sports Complex Development$50,000
Lincoln Log Cabin Foundation Lerna, ILFall/Summer Program$36,000
City of Charleston Charleston, ILRed White & Blue Days Community Celebration$30,000
Immanuel Lutheran Charleston, ILGym Equipment$20,000
United Way of Coles County Mattoon, ILAnnual Funding$15,000
Hedwig Haus of Hospitality NFP Charleston, ILImprove 227 Jackson and Purchase 308 Monroe$10,600
EIU Symphony Orchestra Charleston, ILCommunity Entertainment - EIU Orchestras$10,000
Coles County Arts Council Charleston, ILCommunity Art Projects$5,000
City of Charleston Charleston, ILFlower Beautification Project$4,000
Standing Stone Comm Center NFP Charleston, ILBack to School Program$3,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Grantmaking totals by filing year:

Filing year Grant total Number of grants
2025 $184,576 11
2024 $561,697 15
2023 $1,994,849 16

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Michael J. Metzger as president; John Inyart as vice president; Jennifer L. Sipes as secretary; Kelly P. Miller as treasurer; Richard J. Williams as assistant treasurer; and Mark Bluhm, Derek Hennig, Paul Tomshack, and Christopher Swing as directors. The foundation describes its directors as an all-volunteer group.

Charleston Area Charitable Foundation is led by Michael J. Metzger, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 9 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Michael J. Metzger

    President

    On filings since 2021

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Christopher Swing

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mark Bluhm

    Director

    Secretary → Director, 2022

    On filings since 2021

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Derek Hennig

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Paul Tomshack

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jennifer L. Sipes

    Secretary

    Assistant Treasurer → Secretary, 2022

    On filings since 2021

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • John Inyart

    Vice President

    On filings since 2021

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kelly P. Miller

    Treasurer

    Director → Treasurer, 2022

    On filings since 2021

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Richard J. Williams

    Assistant Treasurer

    Treasurer → Assistant Treasurer, 2022

    On filings since 2021

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (2)
  • Former: Carol Adams (2021) — Director
  • Former: Jeff Horn (2021) — Director

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Contact

Application contact: Charleston Area Charitable Foundati
Mailing address: 6029 Park Drive Suite A, Charleston, IL 61920
Phone: (217) 345-2128
Email: info@charlestonfoundation.org
Website: https://charlestonfoundation.org

Frequently asked questions about Charleston Area Charitable Foundation

How much does Charleston Area Charitable Foundation give each year?

Charleston Area Charitable Foundation gave $185K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing. In 2024 it gave $562K across 15 grants.

What is Charleston Area Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?

Charleston Area Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,600, and its average grant was $16,780, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing.

Where does Charleston Area Charitable Foundation give grants?

Charleston Area Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Charleston, IL (9 grants).

Does Charleston Area Charitable Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Charleston Area Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 filing were described as general or operating support.

Who are Charleston Area Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?

Charleston Area Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include City of Charleston ($84,000 across 3 grants), Lincoln Log Cabin Foundation ($36,000) and Immanuel Lutheran ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing. Together they received 76% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

What does Charleston Area Charitable Foundation fund?

The foundation says it supports projects and programs benefiting the citizens, environment, economic development, and social welfare of the Charleston area. Its grants include support for local government, arts, education, community celebrations, sports and recreation, and social services. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Charleston Area Charitable Foundation?

Submit a written request explaining the use and purpose of the funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Charleston Area Charitable Foundation's EIN?

Charleston Area Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 37-1172293. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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