Circle of Service Foundation
Circle of Service Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1997, it supports organizations working in community services, education, Jewish community, and medical research. Its grantmaking is concentrated in Cook and Lake Counties, Illinois, although it also awards grants to organizations elsewhere.
Circle of Service Foundation at a glance
In short: Circle of Service Foundation gave $37.0M across 637 grants in 2024 (avg $58K), mostly in Illinois. 20% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $37,027,088
- -4.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 637
- +4.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $58,127
- -8.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $591,975,965
- +4.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (110 of 544, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (67% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Circle of Service Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts unsolicited pre-applications for community services and Jewish community requests in Cook or Lake County, Illinois. It does not accept unsolicited pre-applications for education, medical research, or Jewish community requests for organizations without programming in Cook or Lake County. Applicants begin through the online process, which routes them to a pre-application or application. The foundation states that applicants should be public charities under section 501(c)(3), have received at least $75,000 in private revenue in the prior fiscal year, and have the capacity to fulfill a challenge grant, among other criteria. Its filing directs applicants to its website for application materials and restrictions.
- Review Cycle
- Details on the website.
- Deadline
- Details on the website.
- Contact
Application contact: Christine Plautz
Mailing address: 30 S Wacker Drive Suite 2500, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 897-1100
Website: https://www.cosfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Circle of Service Foundation
Who Circle of Service Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago ($1.7M). Together the top 10 received $8.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
2,866 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 1,984 grants of 2,866 (69%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that community services and Jewish community requests should be for organizations or programs in Cook County or Lake County, Illinois. Its filing says nearly all grantmaking stays in those counties. In 2024, 67% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois; other leading recipient states were New York (15%), the District of Columbia (4%), Massachusetts (4%), and California (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 637 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Circle of Service Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 110 of 544 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $21K; repeat grants $80K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $33K repeat.
- 71% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+13%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 142% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $32.8M (2021) to $38.7M (2023). In 2024 it made 637 grants totaling $37.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | Medical Research | $1,735,857 |
| Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago Peoria, IL | Jewish Community | $1,264,883 |
| Sinai Health System Chicago, IL | Community Services | $776,292 |
| Jewish Funders Network New York, NY | Jewish Community | $685,000 |
| American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Inc New York, NY | Jewish Community | $652,500 |
| University of Chicago Chicago, IL | Education | $629,000 |
| Chicago Community Foundation Chicago, IL | Violence Reduction | $600,000 |
| Metropolitan Family Services Chicago, IL | Violence Reduction | $600,000 |
| Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago Chicago, IL | Jewish Community | $500,000 |
| Gastro-Intestinal Research Foundation Inc Highland Park, IL | Medical Research | $469,216 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $591,975,965 | $35,546,858 | $40,704,046 | $37,027,088 | 637 | $40,497,668 | $53,899,108 | $28,452,486 |
| 2023 | $565,709,610 | $45,496,219 | $44,465,030 | $38,657,147 | 611 | $41,622,199 | $51,664,257 | $26,467,536 |
| 2022 | $539,006,294 | $24,124,367 | $35,317,839 | $34,950,181 | 547 | $37,398,309 | $10,058,521 | $29,162,728 |
| 2021 | $697,372,085 | $55,153,209 | $40,163,579 | $32,779,864 | 566 | $35,273,760 | $68,027,213 | $31,263,326 |
| 2020 | $600,837,758 | $33,849,206 | $38,642,597 | $33,361,084 | 505 | — | $39,455,918 | $25,876,486 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Circle of Service Foundation reported a distributable amount of $28.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s grantmaking covers four areas: community services, education, Jewish community, and medical research. Its website describes its education focus as supporting organizations that optimize opportunities for low-income youth to live engaged and productive lives.
Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago describes its work as providing clinical care, translational research, scientific discovery, and education. Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago says it assists people in need, supports Israel and Jewish communities worldwide, and advances Jewish learning. Sinai Health System describes its mission as improving the health of the individuals and communities it serves. The University of Chicago describes its mission as communicating and creating knowledge and fostering a community of scholars and students.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 637 grants totaling $37,027,088. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $1,735,857, with a median of $25,000. The foundation says grants generally include a challenge component and may support either specific programs or general operating costs.
Among its largest 2024 awards were $1,735,857 to Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago for medical research; $1,264,883 to Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago for Jewish community; $776,292 to Sinai Health System for community services; $685,000 to Jewish Funders Network for Jewish community; and $629,000 to the University of Chicago for education. It also awarded $600,000 each to Chicago Community Foundation and Metropolitan Family Services for violence reduction.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Michael P. Krasny as chairman of the board; Adam J. Levine as president, secretary, treasurer, and “DIRE”; and Kimberly Miller Rubenfeld as executive vice president. It also lists Gary Kash, Michelle Collins, Alan Patzik, Rabbi Steven Stark Lowenstein, Daniel Jacobs, Lianne Jacobs, and Ron Sonenthal as directors.
Circle of Service Foundation is led by Adam J. Levine, President, Secretary, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 10 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Adam J. Levine
President, Secretary, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael P. Krasny
Chairman of the Board
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alan Patzik
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Daniel Jacobs
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gary Kash
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lianne Jacobs
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Collins
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rabbi Steven Stark Lowenstein
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ron Sonenthal
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kimberly Miller Rubenfeld
Executive Vice President
Vice President → Executive Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$188K (2020) → $293K (2024)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Janet Winter (2020–2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $293K, to Kimberly Miller Rubenfeld (Executive Vice President).
Frequently asked questions about Circle of Service Foundation
How much does Circle of Service Foundation give each year?
Circle of Service Foundation gave $37.0M across 637 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $38.7M across 611 grants.
What is Circle of Service Foundation's typical grant size?
Circle of Service Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $58,127, across 637 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Circle of Service Foundation that year got $21K on average.
Where does Circle of Service Foundation give grants?
Circle of Service Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (315 grants), New York, NY (65 grants), Evanston, IL (17 grants) and Washington, DC (16 grants).
Does Circle of Service Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 637 grants with a stated purpose on Circle of Service Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Match/Discretionary" (204 grants), "Community Services" (181 grants) and "Jewish Community" (99 grants).
Who are Circle of Service Foundation's largest grantees?
Circle of Service Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago ($1,735,857), Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago ($1,294,883 across 2 grants) and University of Chicago ($966,143 across 4 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 11% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Circle of Service Foundation?
Circle of Service Foundation reported $592.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $40.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $28.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Circle of Service Foundation fund?
The foundation’s grantmaking covers four areas: community services, education, Jewish community, and medical research. Its website describes its education focus as supporting organizations that optimize opportunities for low-income youth to live engaged and productive lives. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Circle of Service Foundation?
The foundation accepts unsolicited pre-applications for community services and Jewish community requests in Cook or Lake County, Illinois. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Circle of Service Foundation's EIN?
Circle of Service Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4185939. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Circle of Service Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Circle of Service Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/circle-of-service-foundation-morg_be6450a6eca045a5b794e3e1b2906cb0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364185939_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Circle of Service Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/circle-of-service-foundation-morg_be6450a6eca045a5b794e3e1b2906cb0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-08. 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 Circle of Service 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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