Clarks Fork Foundation
Clarks Fork Foundation is a private foundation based in Lake Forest, Illinois. In 2025, it reported 68 grants totaling $240,050 to charitable organizations, including recipients in Illinois, Montana, Wyoming, and other states.
Clarks Fork Foundation at a glance
In short: Clarks Fork Foundation gave $240K across 68 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), top state Illinois. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $240,050
- +0.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 68
- -8.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,530
- +8.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $3,041,861
- -1.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (10 of 68, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (49% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Clarks Fork 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: 270 E Westminster Ste 300, Lake Forest, IL 60045
Phone: (847) 234-1123
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Clarks Fork Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Monmouth College ($30K). Together the top 10 received $130K.
Grant Size Distribution
324 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 324 grants of 324 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Illinois recipients received 49% of grant dollars, Montana recipients 28%, Wyoming recipients 6%, Texas recipients 4%, and Virginia recipients 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 68 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Clarks Fork Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 68 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 79% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+13%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 119% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $168K (2019) to $240K (2025). In 2025 it made 68 grants totaling $240K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Monmouth College Monmouth, IL | General Operations | $30,000 |
| Bridger Care Billings, MT | General Operations | $20,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Chicago, IL | General Operations | $17,000 |
| Lake County Community Foundation Waukegan, IL | General Operations | $13,000 |
| Gallatin Valley Land Trust Bozeman, MT | General Operations | $10,000 |
| Henderson County Food Pantry Athens, TX | General Operations | $10,000 |
| Cooke City-Silvergate Fire & Emergency Cooke City, MT | General Operations | $8,000 |
| First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest Lake Forest, IL | General Operations | $8,000 |
| Buffalo Bill Historical Center Cody, WY | General Operations | $7,800 |
| Friends of Montana PBS Bozeman, MT | General Operations | $6,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Clarks Fork 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 | $3,041,861 | $224,146 | $279,225 | $240,050 | 68 | $245,920 | $192,970 | $207,215 |
| 2024 | $3,096,940 | $183,582 | $277,685 | $239,917 | 74 | $246,272 | $152,169 | $196,782 |
| 2023 | $3,191,043 | $148,118 | $259,030 | $225,000 | 60 | $231,070 | $120,158 | $178,891 |
| 2022 | $3,301,955 | $67,244 | $255,148 | $212,775 | 56 | $220,340 | $36,239 | $185,724 |
| 2021 | $3,489,859 | $399,531 | $273,001 | $237,175 | 66 | $242,633 | $369,163 | $222,422 |
| 2020 | $3,363,329 | $97,179 | $247,308 | $210,817 | 70 | — | $67,873 | $177,413 |
| 2019 | $3,513,458 | $271,473 | $213,315 | $168,167 | 45 | — | $131,099 | $175,413 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Clarks Fork Foundation reported a distributable amount of $207K 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 foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants went to organizations working in areas such as education, land conservation, public media, sexual and reproductive health, and community services. These are examples of grantee activities, not stated foundation priorities.
For example, Monmouth College describes its work as providing a residential liberal arts education that helps students pursue careers and contribute to their communities. Gallatin Valley Land Trust says it conserves farms, ranches, rivers, and wildlife habitat and creates trails in Montana. Friends of Montana PBS says it supports Montana PBS through advocacy, community engagement, and fundraising. Pathfinder International describes its work as expanding access to sexual and reproductive health services.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 68 grants totaling $240,050. Grant amounts ranged from $200 to $30,000, with a median of $2,000.
Its largest reported grants included $30,000 to Monmouth College, $20,000 to Bridger Care, $17,000 to Planned Parenthood in Chicago, and $13,000 to Lake County Community Foundation. Other recipients included Gallatin Valley Land Trust ($10,000), Henderson County Food Pantry ($10,000), and Cooke City-Silvergate Fire & Emergency ($8,000). The stated purpose for these listed grants was general operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists:
- Heather Hart Goldstein — Director & President
- Augustin S Hart III — Director & Treasurer
- Kathryn H Lansing — Director & Secretary
Clarks Fork Foundation is led by Heather Hart Goldstein, Director & President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Heather Hart Goldstein
Director & President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Augustin S. Hart III
Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathryn H. Lansing
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
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 Clarks Fork Foundation
How much does Clarks Fork Foundation give each year?
Clarks Fork Foundation gave $240K across 68 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $240K across 74 grants.
What is Clarks Fork Foundation's typical grant size?
Clarks Fork Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $3,530, across 68 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Clarks Fork Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Clarks Fork Foundation give grants?
Clarks Fork Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Montana (28%) and Wyoming (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lake Forest, IL (13 grants), Bozeman, MT (8 grants), Chicago, IL (7 grants) and Billings, MT (3 grants).
Does Clarks Fork Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Clarks Fork Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (68 of 68) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Clarks Fork Foundation's largest grantees?
Clarks Fork Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Monmouth College ($30,000), Bridger Care ($20,000) and Planned Parenthood ($17,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Clarks Fork Foundation?
Clarks Fork Foundation reported $3.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $246K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $207K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Clarks Fork Foundation fund?
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants went to organizations working in areas such as education, land conservation, public media, sexual and reproductive health, and community services. These are examples of grantee activities, not stated foundation priorities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Clarks Fork 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 Clarks Fork Foundation's EIN?
Clarks Fork Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3674219. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Clarks Fork Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, 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-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 2019 (received by the IRS September 9, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 28, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 25, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 29, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 26, 2025)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Clarks Fork Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/clarks-fork-foundation-morg_9454c6052b614bdfa38a820945a8ed7b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363674219_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Clarks Fork Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/clarks-fork-foundation-morg_9454c6052b614bdfa38a820945a8ed7b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Clarks Fork 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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