Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund
The Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund is a private foundation based in Pekin, Illinois. Its reported programs support public understanding of the U.S. Congress through research, archival, and educational activities, including congressional research grants to scholars and public education programs.
Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund at a glance
In short: Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund gave $54K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $53,970
- -2.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- -9.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,397
- +7.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,267
- Total assets
- $7,767,733
- +2.7% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Illinois (54% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund
- Review Cycle
- None stated in the 2024 filing.
- Deadline
- None stated in the 2024 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Tiffany White
Mailing address: The Dirksen Congressional Center, 2815 Broadway, Pekin, IL 61554
Phone: (309) 347-7113
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 5 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Bradley University ($11K). Together the top 5 received $37K.
Organizations only. It also paid 5 grants to individuals ($16,508), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
47 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 47 grants of 47 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that 54% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 18% to New York, 8% to Florida, 7% to Ohio, and 6% to Maryland.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund gives
- Giving grew 112% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 127% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $25K (2022) to $59K (2019). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $54K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bradley University Peoria, IL | Lahood Scholars | $10,500 |
| Wonderfilm LLC New York, NY | Congressional Research Grant | $9,947 |
| The Ohio State University Foundation Chicago, IL | Congressional Research Grant | $8,000 |
| PCHS Closeup Pekin, IL | PCHS Closeup | $5,050 |
| 5 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $16,508 |
| University of KY Research Foundation Cleveland, OH | Congressional Research Grant | $3,965 |
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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 | $7,767,733 | $587,232 | $618,781 | $53,970 | 10 | $413,351 | $324,985 | $324,624 |
| 2024 | $7,566,555 | $458,122 | $580,191 | $55,051 | 11 | $407,565 | $300,285 | $312,296 |
| 2023 | $6,921,722 | $362,264 | $506,397 | $51,103 | 10 | $370,727 | $206,329 | $305,870 |
| 2022 | $6,777,780 | $259,323 | $462,089 | $25,428 | 6 | $397,195 | $172,248 | $347,169 |
| 2021 | $8,302,329 | $838,087 | $407,547 | $32,900 | 10 | — | $755,279 | $346,865 |
| 2020 | $7,190,601 | $245,255 | $340,529 | $54,421 | 17 | — | $194,291 | $305,640 |
| 2019 | $7,205,175 | $430,272 | $355,453 | $58,579 | 19 | — | $372,725 | $308,528 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund reported a distributable amount of $325K 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 Center’s stated aim is to improve civic engagement by promoting a better understanding of Congress and its leaders through archival, research, and educational programs. The funder’s 2024 filing describes congressional research grants for scholars in history, political science, and public policy, as well as archival services, public programs, and general education activities.
In 2025, the funder reported grants for congressional research, the LaHood Scholars program, PCHS Closeup, and Michel LaHood scholarships. One recipient, Bradley University, describes its own mission as empowering students for personal and professional success through professional preparation, liberal arts and sciences, and co-curricular experiences, alongside generating, applying, and interpreting knowledge.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the funder awarded 10 grants totaling $53,970. Awards ranged from $2,863 to $10,500, with a median of $4,267. The largest grants included $10,500 to Bradley University for LaHood Scholars; $9,947 to Wonderfilm LLC for a congressional research grant; and $8,000 to The Ohio State University Foundation for a congressional research grant. Other listed awards included $5,050 to PCHS Closeup and several congressional research and Michel LaHood scholarship grants.
The 2024 filing states that applications are submitted through an online form sent by email to the program director. Materials include a project title and abstract, applicant contact information and curriculum vitae, a project description covering goals, research methods, and contribution to the field, a budget, and— for graduate students—a letter of reference. Applicants must be U.S. citizens residing in the United States. Graduate students must be enrolled in a PhD program and have passed qualifying exams; projects must relate to the study of the U.S. Congress.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Tiffany White as executive director; Dakota Horn as president; Greg Cassidy as vice president and treasurer; and Emily Lambe as secretary. Directors listed are Will Ball, Matt Coates, Leonard Ealey, Gary Gillis, and Linc Hobson.
Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund is led by Tiffany White, Executive Director since 2020 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 18 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Tiffany White
Executive Director
Director → Executive Director, 2020
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$5K (2019) → $111K (2025)
Dakota Horn
President
Director → Vice President, 2022
Vice President → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carol Merna
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Debbie Simon
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Don Shafer
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stacy Peterson
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gary Gillis
Treasurer & Director
Director → Treasurer, 2023
Treasurer → Treasurer & Director, 2025
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Vicki Tilton
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Will Ball
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Beth Jensen
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leonard Ealey
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matt Coates
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mike O. Grady
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric Lind
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Linc Hobson
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Inman
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Greg S. Cassidy
Vice President
Vice President → Director, 2022
Director → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emily Lambe
Secretary
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (16)
- Former: Shaun Newell (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Lincoln C. Hobson (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: John Unland (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Ray Lahood (2024) — Director
- Former: Brad Stotler (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Denny Kief (2019–2022) — President
- Former: James Wolf (2019–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Janet M. Lange (2019–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Scott Kriegsman (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: John Redlingshafer (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Greg Cook (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Leslie Weyhrich (2019–2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Timmothy Schwartz (2019–2020) — President
- Former: Frank H. Mackaman (2019) — Executive Director
- Former: Kay Sutton (2019) — Secretary
- Former: Kimberly Remmert (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $111K, to Tiffany White (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund
How much does Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund give each year?
Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund gave $54K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $55K across 11 grants.
What is Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund's typical grant size?
Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund's median grant in 2025 was $4,267, and its average grant was $5,397, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund give grants?
Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund gives mostly in Illinois: 54% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (18%) and Florida (8%).
Does Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Congressional Research Grant" (5 grants) and "Michel Lahood Scholarships" (3 grants).
Who are Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund's largest grantees?
Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Bradley University ($10,500), Wonderfilm LLC ($9,947) and The Ohio State University Foundation ($8,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 5 grants to individuals ($16,508), which are not listed by name. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund?
Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund reported $7.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $413K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $325K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund fund?
The Center’s stated aim is to improve civic engagement by promoting a better understanding of Congress and its leaders through archival, research, and educational programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund?
Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund's EIN?
Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6132816. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 5, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 25, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 24, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 2, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/everett-mckinley-dirksen-endowment-fund-morg_1fe757b584ca4b81b8ac108810a88d92
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366132816_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/everett-mckinley-dirksen-endowment-fund-morg_1fe757b584ca4b81b8ac108810a88d92},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Everett McKinley Dirksen Endowment Fund'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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