Flora School District Academic Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Flora, IL EIN: 37-1192911

Flora School District Academic Foundation is a private foundation based in Flora, Illinois. It supports educational programs and projects connected with Flora Community School District #35, as well as scholarship recipients.

Flora School District Academic Foundation at a glance

In short: Flora School District Academic Foundation gave $54K across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), mostly in Illinois. 89% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$54,026
-27.6% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
38
-9.5% vs 2024
Average grant
$1,422
-19.9% vs 2024
Median grant
$1,000
Total assets
$1,188,343
+0.9% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
89% first-time grantees (32 of 36, 2025)
Primary geography
Illinois (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

How to apply to Flora School District Academic Foundation

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. It makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. The form and materials required vary, and some award limitations depend on the scholarship involved.

Review Cycle
Varies.
Deadline
Varies.
Contact

Application contact: Herb Henson Jr
Mailing address: PO Box 98, Flora, IL 62839
Phone: (618) 662-8000

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Flora School District Academic Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Flora Community School: $17KFlora Community School$17KElla Borcherding: $3KElla Borcherding$3KSamantha Mosbarger: $2K across 2 grantsSamantha Mosbarger$2K · 2 grantsJebee Tucker: $2KJebee Tucker$2KEmma Simms: $2KEmma Simms$2KArabella Kuhlig: $2KArabella Kuhlig$2KSkylar Freeman: $2KSkylar Freeman$2KMadyson Slover: $2K across 2 grantsMadyson Slover$2K · 2 grantsAve Billingsley: $2KAve Billingsley$2KMadalyn Edwards: $1KMadalyn Edwards$1K

The largest 2025 recipient was Flora Community School ($17K). Together the top 10 received $35K.

Grant Size Distribution

182 grants across all recorded years

182<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 182 grants of 182 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

All grant dollars in 2025 went to recipients in Illinois. The foundation’s stated charitable activity names Flora Community School District #35 in Flora, Illinois.

Grant Distribution by State

1state

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.

States

Cities

Flora

Is Flora School District Academic Foundation open to new grantees?

89%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 32 of 36 grantees (89%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $5K. How we count

Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.

  • 8% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−7%). Method
  • In 2025 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 (2020–2025). 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

$0$20K$40K$60K$80K35 grants2020 33 grants2021 33 grants2022 36 grants2023 42 grants2024 38 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $47K (2023) to $75K (2024). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $54K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Flora Community School Flora, ILStudent Field TripsClassroom suppliesEducational Projects$17,492
Ella Borcherding Flora, ILSchool Expense$2,526
Jebee Tucker Flora, ILSchool Expense$2,000
Emma Simms Flora, ILSchool Expense$2,000
Samantha Mosbarger Flora, ILSchool Expense$2,000
Arabella Kuhlig Flora, ILSchool Expense$2,000
Skylar Freeman Flora, ILSchool Expense$2,000
Ave Billingsley Flora, ILSchool Expense$1,500
Madyson Slover Flora, ILSchool Expense$1,344
Madalyn Edwards Flora, ILSchool Expense$1,250
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$1,188,343$91,898$80,843$54,02638$54,026$37,963$56,261
2024$1,177,288$87,877$111,273$74,57642$74,576$38,555$52,328
2023$1,200,684$95,259$79,687$47,43636$47,436$41,452$52,551
2022$1,066,292$72,144$69,710$58,21033$58,210$26,746$55,158
2021$1,063,858$64,622$62,933$56,13033—$28,427$54,668
2020$1,061,877$93,853$76,380$51,12735—$29,580$53,338

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Flora School District Academic Foundation reported a distributable amount of $56K 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 stated charitable activity is enhancing school-related educational programs and projects for Flora Community School District #35, in addition to supporting scholarship recipients. Its 2025 grants included support for Flora Community School for student field trips, classroom supplies, and educational projects, as well as grants identified as school expenses.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation gave $54,026 through 38 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $200 to $17,492, with a median of $1,000. Its largest listed grant was $17,492 to Flora Community School in Flora, Illinois, for student field trips, classroom supplies, and educational projects. Other listed grants included $2,526 to Ella Borcherding and $2,000 each to Jebee Tucker, Emma Simms, Samantha Mosbarger, Arabella Kuhlig, and Skylar Freeman, all for school expenses.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing are Derek Bailey, President; Mark Smith, Vice-President; Courtney Hatcher, Secretary; Herb Henson Jr, Treasurer; and directors Jennie Harrell, Josh Brinkley, Jennifer Hettiger, Marybeth Lancaster, Jessica Muskopf, and Josh Woods.

Flora School District Academic Foundation is led by Derek Bailey, President since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 18 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Derek Bailey

    President

    Vice President → President, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Bill Atwood

    Director

    President → Director, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jennie Harrell

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jennifer Hettiger

    Director

    Secretary → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Marybeth Lancaster

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Maureen Tolliver

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Rick Porter

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Susan Schroeder

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Susan Wagley

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Tina Pieplow

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jessica Muskopf

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Josh Brinkley

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Josh Woods

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Landon Carter

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Vicky Buckley

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Herb Henson Jr.

    Treasurer

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Courtney Hatcher

    Secretary

    Director → Secretary, 2025

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mark Smith

    Vice President

    Director → Vice President, 2025

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (5)
  • Former: Carla Nicholson (2020–2024) — Director
  • Former: Vickie Buckley (2020–2024) — Secretary
  • Former: Calvin Wilson (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: Crystal Luttrell (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: Roger Cook (2020–2022) — Director

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Flora School District Academic Foundation

How much does Flora School District Academic Foundation give each year?

Flora School District Academic Foundation gave $54K across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $75K across 42 grants.

What is Flora School District Academic Foundation's typical grant size?

Flora School District Academic Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,422, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Flora School District Academic Foundation that year got $1K on average.

Where does Flora School District Academic Foundation give grants?

Flora School District Academic Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Flora, IL (38 grants).

Does Flora School District Academic Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 38 grants with a stated purpose on Flora School District Academic Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "School Expense" (37 grants).

Who are Flora School District Academic Foundation's largest grantees?

Flora School District Academic Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Flora Community School ($17,492), Ella Borcherding ($2,526) and Samantha Mosbarger ($2,400 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Flora School District Academic Foundation?

Flora School District Academic Foundation reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $54K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $56K (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 Flora School District Academic Foundation fund?

The foundation’s stated charitable activity is enhancing school-related educational programs and projects for Flora Community School District #35, in addition to supporting scholarship recipients. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Flora School District Academic Foundation?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Flora School District Academic Foundation's EIN?

Flora School District Academic Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 37-1192911. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does Flora School District Academic Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

Data update history

(6)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 24, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 1, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 15, 2025)
  6. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 29, 2026)

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Figures come from Flora School District Academic 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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