Epaphroditus Foundation
Epaphroditus Foundation is a private foundation based in Elgin, Illinois. Its 2026 filing reports 27 grants totaling $464,000, including support for organizations involved in Christian activities, youth programs, community services, and international projects.
Epaphroditus Foundation at a glance
In short: Epaphroditus Foundation gave $464K across 27 grants in 2026 (avg $17K), top state Illinois. 26% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $464,000
- -9.6% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 27
- +17.4% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $17,185
- -23.0% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $17,000
- Total assets
- $10,619,316
- +55.4% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (7 of 27, 2026)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (46% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Epaphroditus 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: 860 Tollgate Road, Elgin, IL 60123
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Epaphroditus Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Team ($80K). Together the top 10 received $259K.
Grant Size Distribution
134 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 129 grants of 134 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2026, 46% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 12% to Wisconsin, 9% to Michigan, 6% to Florida, and 5% to Minnesota. The listed grants also include support for an organization identified in Bangladesh and projects serving communities outside the United States.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Epaphroditus Foundation open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 7 of 27 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $17K repeat.
- 74% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2023 to 2026 (+7%). Method
- In 2026 it paid out 114% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2026). 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 2021 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $435K (2023) to $513K (2025). In 2026 it made 27 grants totaling $464K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Team Wheaton, IL | Karanda Mission Hospital | $80,000 |
| By the Hand Club for Kids Chicago, IL | To Support the Organizations Civic Activities. | $24,500 |
| Hope Academy Minneapolis, MN | Day Sponsorship Program | $22,000 |
| Global Christian Forum Foundation Kentwood, MI | Mission for Christian Unity | $21,600 |
| Convenant Harbor Bible Camp LAKE Geneva, WI | Support Intern Program | $19,500 |
| Covenant Point Bible Camp Iron River, MI | To Support the Organization's Religious Activities. | $19,500 |
| Safe Families Chicago, IL | To Support Organization's Mission | $19,500 |
| Bangladesh Youth First Concerns | Rehab for Narcotic Drug Attiction | $17,500 |
| Lake Geneva Youth Camp Lake Geneva, WI | Conference Point Building Fund | $17,500 |
| Honey Rock Three Lakes, WI | Chapel Project | $17,500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $10,619,316 | $4,574,740 | $532,612 | $464,000 | 27 | $513,314 | $4,557,673 | $452,172 |
| 2025 | $6,835,010 | $598,516 | $551,625 | $513,000 | 23 | $532,388 | $590,291 | $465,750 |
| 2024 | $6,788,119 | $731,336 | $482,755 | $455,000 | 26 | $466,581 | $714,545 | $407,271 |
| 2023 | $6,281,714 | $501,286 | $474,926 | $435,000 | 29 | $454,546 | $495,113 | $396,723 |
| 2022 | $6,255,354 | $710,255 | $486,834 | $457,500 | 29 | $475,494 | $701,215 | $415,541 |
| 2021 | $6,041,398 | $389,705 | $485,131 | $462,000 | 29 | — | $379,317 | $372,508 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Epaphroditus Foundation reported a distributable amount of $452K for 2026 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2026 grants show support for a range of organizations and projects. For example, By The Hand Club For Kids describes itself as a faith-based after-school program that supports children’s minds, bodies, and souls. HOPE ACADEMY describes its work as operating a K–12 school in urban Minneapolis that provides a classical Christian education. Global Christian Forum Foundation describes its aim as creating space for people from a broad range of Christian churches and interchurch organizations to gather and address common challenges.
Other 2026 recipients include organizations whose stated work involves serving children and families, providing community opportunities, establishing libraries for Palestinian children and families, and supporting development workers and small-scale farmers internationally. The filing also lists grants for a hospital mission, a camp intern program, a chapel project, a school project in Senegal, and substance-use rehabilitation.
Grantmaking
In 2026, the foundation reported 27 grants totaling $464,000. Grants ranged from $400 to $80,000, with a median of $17,000. The largest was $80,000 to TEAM for Karanda Mission Hospital. Other large grants included $24,500 to By The Hand Club For Kids, $22,000 to HOPE ACADEMY, and $21,600 to Global Christian Forum Foundation.
Additional 2026 grants included $17,000 to The Santiago Partnership, which describes its work as collaborating with a local church in Ecuador to serve at-risk children, families, and underprivileged communities; $15,000 each to Outreach Community Ministries, Breakthrough Urban Ministries, and Seraj Library Project; and $5,000 to ECHO Inc, which describes providing training, resources, networking, and seeds to development workers in more than 170 countries.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Ronald Michaelson as President & CEO; Lynn Worster as Secretary; Gary Gundersen as Treasurer; and Joan Johnson, Jeff Johnson, Wes Granberg-Michaelson, JK Granberg-Michaelson, Jeanne Lunden, Gayle Dougherty, and David Heid lauf as directors.
Epaphroditus Foundation is led by Ronald Michaelson, President & CEO on every filing since 2021; none of the 10 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Ronald Michaelson
President & CEO
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Heidlauf
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gayle Dougherty
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeanne Lunden
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joan Johnson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wes Granberg-Michaelson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Johnson
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
JK Granberg-Michaelson
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gary Gundersen
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lynn Worster
Secretary
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Carl Gundersen (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Valerie Heidlauf (2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "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 Epaphroditus Foundation
How much does Epaphroditus Foundation give each year?
Epaphroditus Foundation gave $464K across 27 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $513K across 23 grants.
What is Epaphroditus Foundation's typical grant size?
Epaphroditus Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $17,000, and its average grant was $17,185, across 27 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Epaphroditus Foundation that year got $9K on average.
Where does Epaphroditus Foundation give grants?
Epaphroditus Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 46% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Wisconsin (12%) and Michigan (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (5 grants), Wheaton, IL (2 grants) and Lake Geneva, WI (2 grants).
Does Epaphroditus Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 4% of Epaphroditus Foundation's 2026 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 27) were for general or operating support, per its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Epaphroditus Foundation's largest grantees?
Epaphroditus Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include Team ($80,000), By the Hand Club for Kids ($24,500) and Hope Academy ($22,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Epaphroditus Foundation?
Epaphroditus Foundation reported $10.6M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $513K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $452K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Epaphroditus Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2026 grants show support for a range of organizations and projects. For example, By The Hand Club For Kids describes itself as a faith-based after-school program that supports children’s minds, bodies, and souls. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Epaphroditus 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 Epaphroditus Foundation's EIN?
Epaphroditus Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6072198. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.
Does Epaphroditus 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS June 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Epaphroditus Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/epaphroditus-foundation-morg_33ba5049dff34c9a9ba393adb904eccd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366072198_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Epaphroditus Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/epaphroditus-foundation-morg_33ba5049dff34c9a9ba393adb904eccd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Epaphroditus 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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