Edwardson Family Foundation
The Edwardson Family Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1990 in Illinois and currently based in Boca Grande, Florida. The foundation operates as a non-operating private foundation focused on strategic philanthropic investments in education, healthcare, and community development.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$3.6M
+105.0% YoY
Grant Count
46
-13.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$79K
+136.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation gives primarily for:
- Higher education
- Human services
- Health organizations
- Community development
- Social enterprise initiatives
Recent grant history shows that 37% of giving supports education, 23% supports social and human services, and 11% supports arts and culture.
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. It makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Applicants must contact the foundation directly to inquire about invitation-only opportunities. There are no application deadlines.
Grant Range
$25,000–$713,182
Average Grant
$75,000–$80,000
Review Cycle
.
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation has national reach with primary emphasis on:
- Illinois (64% of grants, particularly the Chicago area)
- Florida
- Indiana, Texas, Georgia, and New York also receive significant funding
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2024:
- Total assets: $74,965,929
- Total revenues: $23,851,810
- Total expenses: $4,210,338
- Total grants and contributions: $8,413,050
- Investment income and dividends: $2,378,694
Historical asset growth:
- 2011: $11 million
- 2023: $56.2 million
- 2024: $74.9 million
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| 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
246 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Principal Officer:
- John A. Edwardson (Trustee)
Donors:
- John A. Edwardson
- Catherine O. Edwardson (also known as Fran Edwardson)
John A. Edwardson holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University (1971) and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business (1972). He retired as chairman and CEO of CDW Corp. and previously held senior executive positions at Northwest Airlines, United Airlines, and Ameritech.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN A EDWARDSON | TRUSTEE | 5 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**2024 Purdue University Recognition:**
Purdue University's School of Industrial Engineering was named the Edwardson School of Industrial Engineering in recognition of $25 million in total philanthropic commitments from John Edwardson, his wife Fran Edwardson, and the foundation.
Purdue School of Industrial Engineering to be named for ...**2025 University of Chicago Booth Commitment:**
John and Fran Edwardson Commit $14 Million to Chicago Booth's Civic ScholarsJohn and Fran Edwardson committed $14 million to support the University of Chicago Booth School of Business's Civic Scholars Program.
John and Fran Edwardson Commit $14 Million to Chicago Booth's Civic ScholarsContact Information
Address: PO Box 1423 Boca Grande, FL 33921-1423
Phone: 847-366-2080
EIN: 36-3757845
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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