Fairchild Foundation
Fairchild Foundation is a private foundation based in Lake Forest, Illinois. It makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and supports organizations working in areas that include education and social welfare.
Fairchild Foundation at a glance
In short: Fairchild Foundation gave $16K across 36 grants in 2025 (avg $447.806), top state Illinois. 3% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $16,121
- +6.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 36
- +5.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $448
- +0.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $300
- Total assets
- $207,942
- -5.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 3% first-time grantees (1 of 36, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (43% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Fairchild Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 860 Pembridge Drive, Lake Forest, IL 60045
Phone: (847) 295-0464
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Fairchild Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Amherst College Alumni Fund ($2K). Together the top 10 received $9K.
Grant Size Distribution
168 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 168 grants of 168 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Illinois recipients received 43% of grant dollars, followed by recipients in New York (14%), Massachusetts (11%), Virginia (8%), and the District of Columbia (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 36 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Fairchild Foundation open to new grantees?
3%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 36 grantees (3%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $200; repeat grants $455. How we count
Medians: $200 first-time, $300 repeat.
- 92% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 28% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $12K (2019) to $16K (2025). In 2025 it made 36 grants totaling $16K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Amherst College Alumni Fund Amherst, MA | Educational | $1,821 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | Social Welfare | $1,500 |
| Mercy Home for Boys & Girls Chicago, IL | Social Welfare | $1,500 |
| Salvation Army Chicago, IL | Social Welfare | $1,500 |
| Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | Educational | $550 |
| Cato Institute Washington, DC | Social Welfare | $500 |
| Ed Choice Indianapolis, IN | Educational | $500 |
| Fisher House Foundation Rockville, MD | Social Welfare | $500 |
| National Military Family Assocation Alexandria, VA | Social Welfare | $500 |
| St Judes Childrens Hospital Memphis, TN | Social Welfare | $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 | $207,942 | $8,891 | $20,268 | $16,121 | 36 | $16,121 | $6,849 | $15,527 |
| 2024 | $219,319 | $26,186 | $18,831 | $15,171 | 34 | $15,171 | $24,128 | $13,996 |
| 2023 | $211,964 | $21,359 | $13,501 | $12,671 | 32 | $12,671 | $3,436 | $10,775 |
| 2022 | $204,106 | $56,346 | $16,944 | $12,571 | 33 | $12,571 | $54,459 | $10,835 |
| 2021 | $164,704 | $14,166 | $16,158 | $12,771 | 33 | $12,771 | $12,271 | $11,681 |
| 2020 | $166,696 | $4,061 | $15,670 | $11,821 | 32 | — | $1,959 | $10,816 |
| 2019 | $178,305 | $-13,109 | $15,948 | $11,666 | 37 | — | $116 | $11,180 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Fairchild Foundation reported a distributable amount of $16K 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 own mission is not stated. Its grants include educational and social-welfare purposes. Among organizations it supported in 2024, the Greater Chicago Food Depository describes its mission as ending hunger, and the Brain Research Foundation says it supports neuroscience research related to brain function and brain-related disorders. Habitat for Humanity describes its work as bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 36 grants totaling $16,121. Grants ranged from $100 to $1,821, with a median of $300. The largest grants included $1,821 to the Amherst College Alumni Fund for educational purposes and $1,500 each to Doctors Without Borders, Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, and the Salvation Army for social-welfare purposes. Other grants included $550 to the Art Institute of Chicago and $500 each to Cato Institute and EdChoice.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Paul W Fairchild Jr and Rebecca M Fairchild as trustees.
Fairchild Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Paul W. Fairchild Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca M. Fairchild
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Fairchild Foundation
How much does Fairchild Foundation give each year?
Fairchild Foundation gave $16K across 36 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $15K across 34 grants.
What is Fairchild Foundation's typical grant size?
Fairchild Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $300, and its average grant was $448, across 36 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Fairchild Foundation that year got $200 on average.
Where does Fairchild Foundation give grants?
Fairchild Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (14%) and Massachusetts (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (9 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and Lake Forest, IL (3 grants).
Does Fairchild Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 36 grants with a stated purpose on Fairchild Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Social Welfare" (26 grants) and "Educational" (8 grants).
Who are Fairchild Foundation's largest grantees?
Fairchild Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Amherst College Alumni Fund ($1,821), Doctors Without Borders ($1,500) and Mercy Home for Boys & Girls ($1,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Fairchild Foundation?
Fairchild Foundation reported $208K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $16K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $16K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Fairchild Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated. Its grants include educational and social-welfare purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Fairchild Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Fairchild Foundation's EIN?
Fairchild Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-7164488. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Fairchild 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 26, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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