Crain-Maling Foundation
Crain-Maling Foundation is a private foundation based in Lake Forest, Illinois. Its 2024 filing reports 110 grants totaling $1,428,900 to charitable organizations. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 134 grants totaling $1.2 million.
Crain-Maling Foundation at a glance
In short: Crain-Maling Foundation gave $1.2M across 134 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Illinois. 30% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,224,500
- -14.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 134
- +21.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,138
- -29.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $32,656,448
- -0.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (40 of 134, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (56% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Crain-Maling Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 951 Mt Vernon Avenue, Lake Forest, IL 60045
Phone: (847) 917-0855
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Crain-Maling Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jewish Educational Media ($100K). Together the top 10 received $477K.
Grant Size Distribution
505 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 469 grants of 505 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were distributed primarily to recipients in Illinois and New York, each accounting for 40%. Indiana received 9%, Ohio 4%, and Wisconsin 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 134 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Crain-Maling Foundation open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 40 of 134 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 66% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−16%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 114% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.2M (2025) to $1.5M (2023). In 2025 it made 134 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Educational Media Brooklyn, NY | Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $100,000 |
| WTTW Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $75,000 |
| Caring for Friends Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $50,000 |
| City of Hope Cancer Center Zion, IL | Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $50,000 |
| Gastrointestinal Research Foundation Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $50,000 |
| The Jewish Pocet Skokie, IL | Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $35,000 |
| Clarion Project Inc Beachwood, OH | Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $30,000 |
| Neimus Moshe Staten Island, NY | Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $30,000 |
| Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago, IL | Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $29,500 |
| The Cove School Northbrook, IL | Exempt Purpose of the Organization | $27,500 |
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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 | $32,656,448 | $2,740,183 | $2,577,873 | $1,224,500 | 134 | $2,198,222 | $1,475,906 | $1,922,392 |
| 2024 | $32,679,324 | $2,399,864 | $2,864,599 | $1,428,900 | 110 | $2,422,022 | $1,870,546 | $1,891,392 |
| 2023 | $33,176,772 | $-3,628,283 | $2,802,488 | $1,497,900 | 100 | $2,390,852 | $1,511,260 | $1,923,001 |
| 2022 | $39,589,700 | $1,421,476 | $2,693,600 | $1,456,500 | 75 | $2,202,690 | $1,476,030 | $2,196,333 |
| 2021 | $40,668,738 | $2,552,444 | $2,537,194 | $1,235,579 | 86 | — | $1,995,504 | $2,296,670 |
| 2020 | $40,673,835 | $-1,718,809 | $2,614,721 | $1,357,810 | 109 | — | $2,164,404 | $2,251,532 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Crain-Maling Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.9M 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
The foundation’s 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Jewish Educational Media, which received $165,000, says it preserves and curates educational and historical video, audio, and photography and shares archival materials through educational programming. Bais Chana Women International, which received $77,000, describes its work as providing Jewish education, guidance, and support to Jewish women.
Other examples include the University of Chicago, which received $50,000 and describes its mission as communicating and creating knowledge and fostering a community of scholars and students; the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, which received $29,500 and says it enriches, inspires, and transforms lives through music, community engagement, and education; and the Cove School, which received $28,000 and describes itself as a day school serving children with learning disabilities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 110 grants totaling $1,428,900. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $165,000, with a median grant of $5,000. Among the largest were $165,000 to Jewish Educational Media, $130,000 to Merkos L Inyonei Chinuch Lubavitch of Indiana, $77,000 to Bais Chana Women International, $55,000 to Clarion Project, and $53,000 to NCSY. The foundation also gave $50,000 each to the Gastrointestinal Research Foundation, the Binyamin Fund, and the University of Chicago. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 134 grants totaling $1.2 million.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Michael S Maling as Chairperson, CEO and Director; Elise Williams as Co-President, Treasurer and Director; and Marissa Iancu as Co-President, Secretary and Director.
Crain-Maling Foundation is led by Michael S. Maling, Chairperson, CEO & Director on every filing since 2020; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael S. Maling
Chairperson, CEO & Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$280K (2020) → $410K (2025)
Marissa Iancu
Co-President, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$62K (2020) → $133K (2025)
Elise Williams
Co-President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$76K (2021) → $133K (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Beatrice G. Crain (2020–2021) — Director -
- Former: Elise A. Maling (2020) — Co-President, Treasurer & Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $410K, to Michael S Maling (Chairperson, CEO & Director). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Crain-Maling Foundation
How much does Crain-Maling Foundation give each year?
Crain-Maling Foundation gave $1.2M across 134 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.4M across 110 grants.
What is Crain-Maling Foundation's typical grant size?
Crain-Maling Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $9,138, across 134 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Crain-Maling Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Crain-Maling Foundation give grants?
Crain-Maling Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 56% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (32%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (26 grants), Brooklyn, NY (25 grants), Skokie, IL (11 grants) and New York, NY (9 grants).
Who are Crain-Maling Foundation's largest grantees?
Crain-Maling Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Jewish Educational Media ($100,000), WTTW ($75,000) and Caring for Friends ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Crain-Maling Foundation?
Crain-Maling Foundation reported $32.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.9M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Crain-Maling Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. Jewish Educational Media, which received $165,000, says it preserves and curates educational and historical video, audio, and photography and shares archival materials through educational programming. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Crain-Maling Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Crain-Maling Foundation's EIN?
Crain-Maling Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-4310219. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Crain-Maling Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 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 September 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Crain-Maling Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Crain-Maling Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in Illinois
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More similar funders
More Funders in Illinois
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Crain-Maling Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/crain-maling-foundation-morg_746b953eb3d94d978118105b2fbcbf2c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_204310219_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Crain-Maling Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/crain-maling-foundation-morg_746b953eb3d94d978118105b2fbcbf2c},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-03. 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 Crain-Maling 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.
Crain-Maling Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?