Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation
FLORENCE B & CORNELIA A PALMER is a private foundation based in Elgin, Illinois. Its 2024 filing lists restrictions on awards for performing and visual arts in the Elgin area.
Key facts about Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation
In short: Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation gave $98K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), mostly in Illinois. 27% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 36-4171713
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $97,500
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- Average grant
- $8,864
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (3 of 11, 2024)
- Total assets
- $961,878
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The filing names John Steffen, Co-Trustee, as the contact and says a written requirements document is available on request. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The filing lists April 1 and September 1, unless special board approval.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$962K
-13.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$98K
+17.5% YoY
Grant Count
11
+22.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$9K
-3.9% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation reported a distributable amount of $56K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 11 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $12K repeat.
- 64% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 138% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 468% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement is provided. The 2024 filing identifies performing and visual arts in the Elgin area as award restrictions. Its 2024 grants also included poetry scholarships and program sponsorships.
U-46 Educational Foundation, which received $1,500 in 2024, describes its mission as providing support for scholarships and project sponsorships throughout the district.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded $97,500 through 11 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $1,500 to $16,000, with a median grant of $10,000. Its largest grants included $16,000 each to Elgin Symphony Orchestra and Side Street Studio; $14,000 to Children’s Theatre Company of Elgin; $13,500 to Elgin Master Choral; and $11,000 to Chamber Music on the Fox. The listed purposes included development grants, poetry scholarships, and program sponsorship grants.
Review Cycle
The filing lists April 1 and September 1, unless special board approval. These dates are past cycles as of September 29, 2026.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars in 2024 went to recipients in Illinois. The listed 2024 recipients were in Elgin, Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $41K (2021) to $134K (2022). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $98K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Elgin Symphony Orchestra ($16K). Together the top 10 received $96K.
Grant Size Distribution
50 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 50 grants of 50 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Elgin Symphony Orchestra Elgin, IL | Development Grant | $16,000 |
| Side Street Studio Elgin, IL | Dev Grant | $16,000 |
| Children's Theatre Company of Elgin Elgin, IL | Dev Grant | $14,000 |
| Elgin Master Choral Elgin, IL | Dev Grant | $13,500 |
| Chamber Music on the Fox Elgin, IL | Dev Grant | $11,000 |
| Elgin Youth Symphony Elgin, IL | Dev Grant | $10,000 |
| ECC Foundation Elgin, IL | Poetry Scholarships | $6,000 |
| Multicultural Education Group Elgin, IL | Dev Grant | $5,000 |
| Studio 10 NFP Elgin, IL | Program Sponsor Grant | $3,000 |
| U46 Educational Foundation Elgin, IL | Program Sponsor Grant | $1,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grants awarded | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $97,500 | 11 |
| 2023 | $83,000 | 9 |
| 2022 | $134,218 | 13 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $961,878 | $1,111,284 | $1,303,656 |
| Revenue | $134,929 | $54,106 | $96,435 |
| Expenses | $283,535 | $221,478 | $287,227 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $262,438 | $199,848 | $256,883 |
| Net Investment Income | $29,398 | $17,431 | $13,191 |
| Distributable Amount | $56,106 | $61,345 | $75,524 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 28, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Frederick J Steffen and Robert Steffen as co-trustees, and Donald Hopp as co-trustee.
Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; all 3 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Donald Hopp
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$10K (2020) → $25K (2024)
Frederick J. Steffen
Co-Trustee A
On filings since 2020
25 hrs/week
$95K (2020) → $125K (2024)
Robert Steffen
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$25K (2020) → $25K (2024)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $125K, to Frederick J Steffen (Co-Trustee a). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Application contact: John Steffen Co-Trustee
Mailing address: 17 Douglas Ave, Elgin, IL 60120
Phone: (847) 741-0503
Frequently asked questions about Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation
How much does Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation give each year?
Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation gave $98K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $83K across 9 grants.
What is Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation's typical grant size?
Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $8,864, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation give grants?
Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Elgin, IL (11 grants).
Does Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Dev Grant" (6 grants) and "Program Sponsor Grant" (3 grants).
Who are Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation's largest grantees?
Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Elgin Symphony Orchestra ($16,000), Side Street Studio ($16,000) and Children's Theatre Company of Elgin ($14,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation?
Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation reported $962K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $262K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $56K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2024 filing identifies performing and visual arts in the Elgin area as award restrictions. Its 2024 grants also included poetry scholarships and program sponsorships. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation?
The filing names John Steffen, Co-Trustee, as the contact and says a written requirements document is available on request. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation's EIN?
Florence B & Cornelia a Palmer Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4171713. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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