Cretors Family Foundation
Cretors Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Lake Bluff, Illinois. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in areas including environmental and garden education, health care, arts and culture, education, food access, and social services.
Cretors Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Cretors Family Foundation gave $490K across 31 grants in 2024 (avg $16K), mostly in Illinois. 29% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $490,000
- +59.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 31
- -6.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $15,806
- +69.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $6,439,935
- -3.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (9 of 31, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (72% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Cretors Family 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: 711 Park Place, Lake Bluff, IL 60044
Phone: (847) 922-7230
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cretors Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Chicago Botanic Garden ($50K). Together the top 10 received $305K.
Grant Size Distribution
150 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 141 grants of 150 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Illinois recipients received 72% of grant dollars, followed by recipients in New York (12%), California (4%), Florida (2%), and Oklahoma (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Cretors Family Foundation open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 31 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $17K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 65% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 80% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 96% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $250K (2020) to $578K (2022). In 2024 it made 31 grants totaling $490K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Botanic Garden Glencoe, IL | Environmental and Garden Education | $50,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | Provide Health Care Support Abroad | $50,000 |
| Ragdale Lake Forest, IL | To pursue cultural consciousness throughout our organization through substantive learning and transparent policies | $50,000 |
| Chicago Foundation for Women Chicago, IL | Providing Social Support for Women and Girls. | $35,000 |
| Learn Chicago, IL | Enhance Education | $25,000 |
| American Red Cross Chicago, IL | For Assisting Community Needs | $20,000 |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago, IL | To end hunger by connecting our neighbors with healthy food | $20,000 |
| Ravinia Festival Highland Park, IL | Providing Education and Community Engagement Through Classical Music | $20,000 |
| The Night Ministry Chicago, IL | To provide human connection, housing support, and health care to members of our community who are unhoused | $20,000 |
| Highland Park Community Foundation Highland Park, IL | Support Social Services and Educational Needs | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Cretors Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $6,439,935 | $329,808 | $575,452 | $490,000 | 31 | $498,981 | $235,336 | $521,040 |
| 2023 | $6,685,579 | $148,591 | $376,961 | $308,000 | 33 | $308,767 | $92,428 | $436,219 |
| 2022 | $6,913,921 | $3,298,543 | $682,529 | $578,000 | 32 | $591,425 | $539,881 | $389,772 |
| 2021 | $6,242,639 | $2,769,497 | $317,405 | $271,500 | 33 | $271,500 | $1,640,815 | $276,735 |
| 2020 | $4,755,677 | $568,544 | $305,924 | $250,000 | 21 | — | $545,930 | $58,183 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cretors Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $521K for 2024 — 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees included organizations serving women and girls, people experiencing homelessness or poverty, and communities seeking access to food or health care. For example, the Chicago Foundation for Women describes its work as addressing the needs of women and girls, while The Night Ministry says it provides human connection, housing support, and health care to people who are unhoused or experiencing poverty. The Greater Chicago Food Depository describes its mission as ending hunger.
Other 2024 grants supported environmental and garden education at the Chicago Botanic Garden, classical-music education and community engagement through Ravinia Festival, and education through LEARN.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 31 grants totaling $490,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $50,000, with a median of $10,000. Among the largest grants were $50,000 each to the Chicago Botanic Garden, Doctors Without Borders, and Ragdale; $35,000 to the Chicago Foundation for Women; and $25,000 to LEARN. The foundation also gave $20,000 each to the American Red Cross, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Ravinia Festival, and The Night Ministry.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Phyllis R Cretors as president and director; Laura E Jones as vice president; Anna Louise Bailey as vice president and secretary; and Claire E Weiler as vice president and treasurer.
Cretors Family Foundation is led by Phyllis R. Cretors, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Phyllis R. Cretors
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anna Louise Bailey
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Claire E. Weiler
Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura E. Jones
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Cretors Family Foundation
How much does Cretors Family Foundation give each year?
Cretors Family Foundation gave $490K across 31 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $308K across 33 grants.
What is Cretors Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Cretors Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $15,806, across 31 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cretors Family Foundation that year got $12K on average.
Where does Cretors Family Foundation give grants?
Cretors Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 72% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (14 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Highland Park, IL (2 grants).
Does Cretors Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 31 grants with a stated purpose on Cretors Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Cretors Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Cretors Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Chicago Botanic Garden ($50,000), Doctors Without Borders ($50,000) and Ragdale ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Cretors Family Foundation?
Cretors Family Foundation reported $6.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $499K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $521K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Cretors Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees included organizations serving women and girls, people experiencing homelessness or poverty, and communities seeking access to food or health care. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cretors Family 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 Cretors Family Foundation's EIN?
Cretors Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-4939829. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Cretors Family 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cretors Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cretors-family-foundation-morg_999542d942284e06ae3f483a1d23e948
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_474939829_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cretors Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cretors-family-foundation-morg_999542d942284e06ae3f483a1d23e948},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Cretors Family 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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