Chester County Community Foundation Inc
Chester County Community Foundation is a public charity based in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1994, it connects donors with charitable causes and manages more than 430 charitable funds, including donor-advised, field-of-interest, nonprofit endowment, family, and scholarship funds.
Key facts about Chester County Community Foundation Inc
In short: Chester County Community Foundation Inc gave $5.2M across 170 grants in 2025 (avg $30K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 28% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 23-2773822
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $5,166,836
- Grants made (2025)
- 170
- Average grant
- $30,393
- Median grant
- $12,879
- New grantees (estimate)
- 28% first-time grantees (48 of 170, 2025)
- Total assets
- $136,202,115
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (74% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to apply
- The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- No deadline; grant decisions are made monthly.
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). 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 · View filing
Total Assets
$136.2M
+15.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$5.2M
+55.3% YoY
Grant Count
170
+21.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$30K
+27.9% YoY
Is Chester County Community Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
28%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 48 of 170 grantees (28%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $33K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $13K repeat.
- 49% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−4%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to “connect people who care with the causes that matter, so their philanthropy makes a difference now and forever.”
Its 2025 grants included awards designated for human services, arts and culture, health, and education and library purposes. The grantees describe a range of work: Community Volunteers in Medicine says it provides free, high-quality health care to uninsured working people with low incomes; Wharton Esherick Museum describes its work as preserving and engaging the public with the Esherick campus, art collection, and archive; and Chester County Food Bank says it works to ensure equitable access to nutritious and familiar food for low-income county residents at risk of hunger and malnutrition.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 170 grants totaling $5,166,836. Grant amounts ranged from $5,173 to $1,012,650, with a median of $12,879.
Review Cycle
No deadline; grant decisions are made monthly.
Open Grants
19 open opportunities from Chester County Community Foundation Inc
Bruce E. Hepke Memorial Scholarship Grant
Chester County Community Foundation Inc
Amount
US $1,500
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Chester County Estate Planning Council Scholarship Grant
Chester County Community Foundation Inc
Amount
US $500 - US $1,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
East End Neighborhood Association Scholarship Fund Grant
Chester County Community Foundation Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to take the next step with Chester County Community Foundation Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that it makes grants to charities in Chester County and across the United States. In 2025, 74% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania and 20% to recipients in Ohio; 1% each went to recipients in New York, Kentucky, and Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 170 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.1M (2019) to $7.2M (2021). In 2025 it made 170 grants totaling $5.2M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was American Endowment Foundation ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $2.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
793 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 672 grants of 793 (85%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Endowment Foundation Hudson, OH | Human Services | $1,012,650 |
| Arts Holding Hands & Hearts Kennett Square, PA | Arts & Culture | $168,995 |
| Community Volunteers in Medicine West Chester, PA | Health | $155,848 |
| Wharton Esherick Museum Paoli, PA | Arts & Culture | $151,455 |
| Chester County Hospital Foundation West Chester, PA | Health | $105,579 |
| Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown, PA | Education & Library | $100,000 |
| North Wales Area Library North Wales, PA | Education & Library | $100,000 |
| Wissahickon Valley Public Library Blue Bell, PA | Education & Library | $100,000 |
| Fund for Women and Girls West Chester, PA | Education & Library | $89,514 |
| Chester County Food Bank Exton, PA | Human Services | $86,380 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $136,202,115 | $21,125,233 | $8,863,509 | $5,166,836 |
| 2024 | $118,449,078 | $14,532,199 | $6,843,480 | $3,326,548 |
| 2023 | $103,228,321 | $20,699,529 | $8,621,620 | $5,108,148 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $136,202,115 | $118,449,078 | $103,228,321 |
| Revenue | $21,125,233 | $14,532,199 | $20,699,529 |
| Expenses | $8,863,509 | $6,843,480 | $8,621,620 |
| Net Investment Income | $7,921,448 | $4,458,829 | $1,657,373 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 4, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS December 15, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 25, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 26, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 18, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 2, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Karen Simmons as president and CEO, Bob Ferguson as executive vice president of business affairs, and Zebulun Davenport as board chair. Other listed board officers include Erik Gudmundson, chair elect; Winifred Moran Sebastian, immediate past chair; Emily Temple Abels and Les Bear, board vice chairs; Stephanie Pahides Kalogredis, board vice chair and committee chair; Rob Necarsulmer, corporate secretary/treasurer and committee chair; and Mark McCarron, committee chair.
Chester County Community Foundation Inc is led by Karen Simmons, President & CEO on every filing since 2019; 2 of 21 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Karen Simmons
President & CEO
On filings since 2019
55 hrs/week
$160K (2019) → $219K (2025)
Stephanie Pahides Kalogredis Esq.
Board Vice Chair & Committee Chair
Committee Member → Committee Chair, 2023
Committee Chair → Board Vice Chair & Committee Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Zebulun Davenport EdD
Board Chair
Committee Member → Board Vice Chair, 2023
Board Vice Chair → Board Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
1.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Zwann Milne Esq.
Committee Chair
Committee Member → Committee Chair, 2025
On filings since 2022
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark McCarron
Committee Chair
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rob Necarsulmer
Corp Secretary, Treasurer & Committee Chair
On filings since 2023
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bob Ferguson
Executive Vice President & Business Affairs
Executive Vice Pesident & Business Affairs → Executive Vice President & Business Affairs, 2021
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$91K (2020) → $128K (2025)
Cindy Sineath Ray CPA
Committee Member
On filings since 2019
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Winifred Moran Sebastian Esq.
Immediate Past Chair
Corp Secretary, Treasurer & Committee Chair → Board Chair, 2023
Board Chair → Immediate Past Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Vermeil
Committee Member
On filings since 2020
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Donna Urian CPA
Committee Member
On filings since 2020
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Erik Gudmundson
Chair Elect
Committee Member → Committee Chair, 2022
Committee Chair → Chair Elect, 2025
On filings since 2020
1.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Denise Antonelli Esq.
Committee Member
On filings since 2021
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emily Temple Abels Esq.
Board Vice Chair
Committee Member → Board Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2022
1.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Allegretto Esq.
Committee Member
Committee Member → Committee Member Til, 2024
Committee Member Til → Committee Member, 2025
On filings since 2022
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Les Bear
Board Vice Chair
Committee Member → Board Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nicholas Hoffman CPA
Committee Member
On filings since 2022
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bronwyn Martin PhD
Committee Member
On filings since 2023
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Natalie Ortega Moran EdD
Committee Member
On filings since 2023
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Deb Bookman
Committee Member
On filings since 2024
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richelle Foreman Gunter
Committee Member
On filings since 2024
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (23)
- Former: John F. McKenna Esq. (2019–2024) — Committee Member Til
- Former: Michael A. Dehaven CPA (2019–2024) — Immediate Past Chair Til
- Former: Phillip C. Wagner CFA (2019–2024) — Committee Member Til
- Former: Kathy Wileczek CPA (2020–2024) — Committee Member
- Former: Matthew Holliday (2020–2024) — Committee Member Til
- Former: Mary Holleran (2021–2024) — Committee Member Til
- Former: Jacqueline Moytl Esq. (2022–2024) — Committee Member Til
- Former: Ginny Kricun (2024) — Committee Member
- Former: Donald E. Lynn Esq. (2019–2022) — Committee Member
- Former: Kathy Dean-Bradley CPA (2019–2022) — Board Vice Chair
- Former: Margaret Freeman (2019–2022) — Committee Member
- Former: Michael R. Horak CFA (2019–2022) — Board Vice Chair & Committee Chair
- Former: Natalie Ortega Moran Ehd (2022) — Committee Member
- Former: Anthony Morris Esq. (2019–2021) — Imm Past Chair
- Former: Joanne Peskoff Bear Esq. (2019–2021) — Committee Chair
- Former: James E. McErlane Esq. (2019–2020) — Committee Member
- Former: Kevin Holleran Esq. (2019–2020) — Committee Member
- Former: Robert E. Rigg Cic Cpcu Clu (2019–2020) — Imm Past Chair
- Former: Carol A. Clark (2019) — Committee Member
- Former: John H. Diederich CFA (2019) — Committee Member
- Former: Michael B. Karwic CFP (2019) — Committee Member
- Former: Pamela Leland PhD (2019) — Committee Member
- Former: Patrick C. South CFA (2019) — Committee Member
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $219K, to Karen Simmons (President/CEO). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 28 West Market Street, West Chester, PA 19382
Phone: (610) 696-8211
Website: https://chescocf.org
Frequently asked questions about Chester County Community Foundation Inc
How much does Chester County Community Foundation Inc give each year?
Chester County Community Foundation Inc gave $5.2M across 170 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $3.3M across 140 grants.
What is Chester County Community Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Chester County Community Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $12,879, and its average grant was $30,393, across 170 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Chester County Community Foundation Inc that year got $23K on average.
Where does Chester County Community Foundation Inc give grants?
Chester County Community Foundation Inc gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 74% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Ohio (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were West Chester, PA (34 grants), Kennett Square, PA (16 grants), Philadelphia, PA (10 grants) and Phoenixville, PA (9 grants).
Does Chester County Community Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 170 grants with a stated purpose on Chester County Community Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Human Services" (83 grants), "Arts & Culture" (24 grants) and "Environment & Animals" (22 grants).
Who are Chester County Community Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Chester County Community Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include American Endowment Foundation ($1,012,650), Arts Holding Hands & Hearts ($168,995) and Community Volunteers in Medicine ($155,848), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Chester County Community Foundation Inc?
Chester County Community Foundation Inc reported $136.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $21.1M.
What does Chester County Community Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s mission is to “connect people who care with the causes that matter, so their philanthropy makes a difference now and forever.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Chester County Community Foundation Inc?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Chester County Community Foundation Inc's EIN?
Chester County Community Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-2773822. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Chester County Community Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Chester County Community Foundation Inc by hand.
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