Cleveland Avenue Foundation
Cleveland Avenue Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in education and college access, as well as a church.
Cleveland Avenue Foundation at a glance
In short: Cleveland Avenue Foundation gave $266K across 6 grants in 2025 (avg $44K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $265,838
- +61.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 6
- -14.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $44,306
- +88.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,500
- Total assets
- $1,546,041
- -5.9% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Illinois (96% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Cleveland Avenue Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 222 N Canal Street, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 383-6700
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cleveland Avenue Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Apostolic Church of God ($196K). Together the top 6 received $266K.
Grant Size Distribution
52 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 49 grants of 52 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois and 4% to recipients in Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 6 itemized grants.
Cities
How Cleveland Avenue Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 168% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $165K (2024) to $6.5M (2021). In 2025 it made 6 grants totaling $266K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Apostolic Church of God Chicago, IL | General Support | $195,838 |
| Braven Inc Chicago, IL | General Support | $25,000 |
| Kids First Chicago Chicago, IL | General Support | $15,000 |
| City Year Inc Boston, MA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Onegoal Chicago, IL | General Support | $10,000 |
| Partnership for College Completion Chicago, IL | General Support | $10,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,546,041 | $78,779 | $307,667 | $265,838 | 6 | $271,353 | $46,302 | $161,322 |
| 2024 | $1,642,455 | $168,902 | $199,717 | $165,000 | 7 | $167,890 | $137,888 | $156,941 |
| 2023 | $1,673,270 | $81,848 | $2,769,692 | $2,720,959 | 9 | $2,724,459 | $55,144 | $206,406 |
| 2022 | $2,644,948 | $117,664 | $325,205 | $262,500 | 15 | $267,020 | $61,614 | $266,291 |
| 2021 | $2,872,362 | $5,741,175 | $6,606,610 | $6,505,650 | 15 | $319,522 | $62,498 | $350,133 |
| 2020 | $4,442,062 | $4,241,908 | $661,568 | $244,466 | 18 | — | $27,923 | $141,511 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cleveland Avenue Foundation reported a distributable amount of $161K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose missions address education and college access. Braven describes its mission as equipping promising college students with skills, networks, confidence, and experience to transition to strong economic opportunities. OneGoal says it provides underserved students with resources, support, and a network to earn a postsecondary degree. The Partnership for College Completion says it champions policies, practices, and systems to increase college completion and eliminate degree-completion disparities, particularly for Black and Latinx students in Illinois.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported six grants totaling $265,838. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $195,838, with a median grant of $12,500. The largest grants were $195,838 to Apostolic Church of God in Chicago for general support; $25,000 to Braven Inc in Chicago for general support; and $15,000 to Kids First Chicago for general support. It also gave $10,000 each to City Year Inc in Boston, OneGoal in Chicago, and the Partnership for College Completion in Chicago, all for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Elizabeth Thompson as president; Donald Thompson as director; Xavier Thompson as treasurer; Maya Thompson as secretary; and Joseph McCoy, Evette Williams, and Marguerite Griffin as directors.
Cleveland Avenue Foundation is led by Elizabeth Thompson, President since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Elizabeth Thompson
President
President → President & Trustee, 2022
President & Trustee → President, 2025
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Donald Thompson
Director
Trustee → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Evette Williams
Director
Board Member → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joseph McCoy
Director
Board Member → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marguerite Griffin
Director
Board Member → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maya Thompson
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Xavier Thompson
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/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 Cleveland Avenue Foundation
How much does Cleveland Avenue Foundation give each year?
Cleveland Avenue Foundation gave $266K across 6 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $165K across 7 grants.
What is Cleveland Avenue Foundation's typical grant size?
Cleveland Avenue Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $12,500, and its average grant was $44,306, across 6 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Cleveland Avenue Foundation give grants?
Cleveland Avenue Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (5 grants).
Does Cleveland Avenue Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Cleveland Avenue Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (6 of 6) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Cleveland Avenue Foundation's largest grantees?
Cleveland Avenue Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Apostolic Church of God ($195,838), Braven Inc ($25,000) and Kids First Chicago ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 89% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Cleveland Avenue Foundation?
Cleveland Avenue Foundation reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $271K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $161K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Cleveland Avenue Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose missions address education and college access. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cleveland Avenue Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Cleveland Avenue Foundation's EIN?
Cleveland Avenue Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-3851243. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Cleveland Avenue 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 3, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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