Community Foundation of Grundy County
The Community Foundation of Grundy County is a public charity based in Morris, Illinois, serving Grundy County and the surrounding area. Originally established in 1999 as the Morris Community Foundation through a generous grant from the George H. Baum estate, the organization has grown significantly over its 25-year history. The foundation stewards donor-designed funds, awards grants to nonprofits, and convenes networks of stakeholders to address community needs.
Key facts about Community Foundation of Grundy County
- EIN
- 36-4299824
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,789,338
- Grants made (2025)
- 35
- Average grant
- $51,124
- Median grant
- $10,200
- Total assets
- $23,193,304
- Primary geography
- Illinois (88% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Community Foundation of Grundy County funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Community Foundation of Grundy County's 35 itemized 2025 grants were Illinois (88%) and Oregon (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Morris, IL (17 grants), Minooka, IL (3 grants) and Seneca, IL (3 grants). 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
How Community Foundation of Grundy County gives
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Community Foundation of Grundy County
- How to evaluate Community Foundation of Grundy County as a funder
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Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$23.2M
+5.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.8M
+140.6% YoY
Grant Count
35
+12.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$51K
+113.1% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Community Foundation of Grundy County seeks to provide vision for Grundy County in order to preserve and enhance quality of life by:
- Partnering with donors to receive and manage funds that will support the community for generations to come
- Partnering with local not-for-profit organizations to strengthen their abilities to serve citizens
- Using grantmaking to respond to identified needs and effect change
- Providing leadership to identify important needs, concerns, and opportunities
Primary funding focus areas include education, human services, poverty alleviation, and nonprofit capacity building. The foundation also supports STEM education, addiction and substance abuse prevention, and science education initiatives.
Grantmaking
The foundation has granted over $2 million cumulatively since its inception. Recent annual giving totals approximately $447,217. Typical grant awards range from $5,500 to $641,071.
Ready to take the next step with Community Foundation of Grundy County?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grundy County, Illinois, and the surrounding area.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 35 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $22,042,937 (as of year-end 2024)
Total Giving: $2,018,689 (most recent filing)
Total Revenue: $5.4 million
Total Expenses: $1.6 million
Asset Composition (2024):
- Investments: 88%
- Property, Plant, & Equipment (net): 10%
- Cash & Equivalents: 2%
The foundation has experienced significant growth, with assets increasing 34% from 2023 to 2024. Investments grew 39% year-over-year, reaching $19,350,315.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $23,193,304 | $22,042,937 | $16,449,586 |
| Revenue | $1,407,591 | $5,417,133 | $1,332,882 |
| Expenses | $2,540,285 | $1,584,753 | $1,372,849 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $612,119 | $491,513 | $430,666 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 18, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 23, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 17, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 21, 2026)
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
127 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include Morris Hospital Auxiliary & Foundation ($641,071), Grundy Eunoia Wellness Center ($269,945), Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute ($202,030).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| MORRIS HOSPITAL AUXILIARY & FOUNDATION Morris, IL | GENERAL WELL BEING OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY | $641,071 |
| GRUNDY EUNOIA WELLNESS CENTER Mazon, IL | GENERAL WELL BEING OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY | $269,945 |
| CHILDREN'S CANCER THERAPY DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE Beaverton, OR | GENERAL WELL BEING OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY | $202,030 |
| MORRIS AREA PUBLIC LIBRARY Morris, IL | GENERAL WELL BEING OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY | $116,151 |
| CITY OF MORRIS Morris, IL | GENERAL WELL BEING OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY | $110,500 |
| MORRIS HOSPITAL YMCA Morris, IL | GENERAL WELL BEING OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY | $77,625 |
| VILLAGE OF MINOOKA Minooka, IL | GENERAL WELL BEING OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY | $43,000 |
| IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH Morris, IL | GENERAL WELL BEING OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY | $35,000 |
| MINOOKA CHSD 111 Minooka, IL | GENERAL WELL BEING OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY | $28,000 |
| MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS FUND Shorewood, IL | GENERAL WELL BEING OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY | $22,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board of Trustees:
- Stephen Kezerle, President
- Rob Marsaglia, Vice President
- Craig Williamson, Secretary/Treasurer
- John Callahan
- Melanie Elias
- Patrick Halloran
- Jeff Hanley
- Chris Harty
- Sarah Hintze
- Shawn Hornsby
- Ben Sisk
Staff:
- Julianne Buck, Executive Director (CAP®)
- Devan Gagliardo, Program Director
- Jackie Sebastiani, Accounting Manager
Grants & Programs Committee:
- Ashley Speed
- Ann Marie Struck
- Patricia Neff
- Nancy Bjelland
Investments Committee:
- Jim King, Advisor and Partner at Corient
- Jay Fillman
- David Ferguson
- Cassie Ferrari
- Ralph Wolter
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Sisk | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Craig Williamson | Secretary/Treas | 2 | — |
| Chris Harty | Trustee | 1 | — |
| John Callahan | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jeff Hanley | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Melanie Elias | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Sarah Hintz | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Patrick Halloran | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Robert Marsaglia | Vice President | 2 | — |
| Shawn Hornsby | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Stephen Kezerle | President | 2 | — |
| Julianne Buck | Executive Dir. | 40 | $124,442 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation celebrated 25 years of operation in 2024. Recent initiatives and announcements include:
A new scholarship program to increase the number of mental health counselors (February 2026)
Young Philanthropy groups from around Grundy County gathering to award $20,000 in grants (May 2026)
Gardner-South Wilmington Student Assistance Fund supporting students (May 2026)
Youth essay contest to celebrate National Philanthropy Month (October 2025)
Expanded year-end giving tools and resources for donors (November 2025)
Educational content on estate planning and non-cash asset donations for establishing donor-designed funds
Contact Information
Address: 520 West Illinois Avenue, Morris, IL 60450
Phone: 815-941-0852
Email: devan@cfgrundycounty.com
Website: cfgrundycounty.com
EIN: 36-4299824
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Community Foundation of Grundy County fund?
The Community Foundation of Grundy County seeks to provide vision for Grundy County in order to preserve and enhance quality of life by: • Partnering with donors to receive and manage funds that will support the community for generations to come • Partnering with local not-for-profit organizations to strengthen their abilities to serve citizens • Using grantmaking to respond to identified needs and effect change • Providing leadership to identify important needs, concerns, and opportunities Pri…
How do I apply for a grant from Community Foundation of Grundy County?
The foundation has granted over $2 million cumulatively since its inception. Recent annual giving totals approximately $447,217. Typical grant awards range from $5,500 to $641,071. Active grant opportunities include: • CFGC Grants • Ecumenical Education Fund • Ecumenical Fund of Grundy County: Energy Efficiency Recent grantmaking activity includes awards to Young Philanthropy groups (totaling $20,000 in grants awarded in May 2026) and a Student Assistance Fund supporting Gardner-South Wilmingto…
Where does Community Foundation of Grundy County make grants?
Grundy County, Illinois, and the surrounding area.
What size grants does Community Foundation of Grundy County award?
In 2025, Community Foundation of Grundy County awarded 35 grants totaling $1.8M — an average of about $51K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Community Foundation of Grundy County's EIN?
Community Foundation of Grundy County's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4299824. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Community Foundation of Grundy County's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.