Community Foundation of Northern IL
The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL) is a public charity and community foundation headquartered in Rockford, Illinois. Founded in 1953 as the Rockford Community Trust, CFNIL serves as a regional leader in philanthropy, managing endowments and distributing grants and scholarships to support charitable activities across Northern Illinois.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$156.3M
+12.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$8.6M
+136.8% YoY
Grant Count
248
+105.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$35K
+15.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To inspire endowment and promote philanthropy for the current and future needs of the people of Northern Illinois.
Vision: A healthy, sustainable Northern Illinois supported by partnerships fostered by CFNIL.
CFNIL's grantmaking focuses on six primary areas:
- Arts & Humanities
- Education
- Health
- Human Services
- Sustainable Communities
- Youth & Families
Grantmaking
CFNIL has distributed more than $80 million in grants since its founding. The organization manages 558 individual funds established for charitable purposes and operates multiple grant programs:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
CFNIL serves four counties in Northern Illinois:
- Boone County
- Ogle County
- Stephenson County
- Winnebago County
The organization also funds charitable activities in Wisconsin and Iowa.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $138.7–$156.3 million (as of 2023)
Annual Revenue: $16.9–$17 million (2023)
Annual Expenses: $9.5 million (2023)
Total Liabilities: $20.1 million (2023)
Annual Grantmaking: Over $4 million invested annually into the communities of Northern Illinois through grants and scholarships. Recent annual distributions include $1.63 million and $1.73 million in community grants.
Endowment Structure: Over 95% of CFNIL's assets are permanently endowed, designed to serve the region in perpetuity.
Donor-Advised Funds: CFNIL operates a donor-advised fund through which donors can direct the distribution or investment of funds.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $156,335,923 | $138,751,045 | $121,014,685 |
| Revenue | $14,828,770 | $16,953,663 | $10,431,365 |
| Expenses | $5,545,853 | $9,523,993 | $9,843,347 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $5,067,876 | $5,106,935 | $3,364,662 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
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 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
17 open opportunities from Community Foundation of Northern IL
Alpha Delta Kappa Xi Education Scholarship Grant
Community Foundation of Northern IL
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Amanda Reed Memorial Scholarship Grant
Community Foundation of Northern IL
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Amber Huber Memorial Scholarship Grant
Community Foundation of Northern IL
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Schmeling | Chair | 2 | — |
| Karen Schiller | Vice Chair | 2 | — |
| Kathy Kwiat-Hess | Imm. Past Chair | 2 | — |
| Dayton Smith III | Treasurer | 2 | — |
| Edward Clift | Asst Treasurer | 2 | — |
| Joseph Cruz | Board Member | 2 | — |
| Jim Derry | Board Member | 2 | — |
| Derek Dreier | Board Member | 2 | — |
| Mike Gann | Board Member | 2 | — |
| Sherry Gaumond | Board Member | 2 | — |
| Bryan Heidemann | Board Member | 2 | — |
| Antionette Hobson | Board Member | 2 | — |
| Beth Howard | Board Member | 2 | — |
| John Kehoe | Board Member | 2 | — |
| Becky Kendall | Board Member | 2 | — |
| Dinesh Pandya | Board Member | 2 | — |
| M Beth Thacker | Board Member | 2 | — |
| Dan Ross | President/Secretary | 40 | $180,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**2025:** CFNIL awarded $1.63 million in grants to shape Northern Illinois communities
Ogle County organizations land Community Foundation of Northern Illinois\**2024:** $1.73 million awarded to local nonprofits via the Community Grants Program
Announcing the 2023 - 2024 CFNIL Community Grants Program ...Organizations across the four-county service area, including Ogle County, have received recent grant awards
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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