Ft Cares Foundation logo

Ft Cares Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Wheaton, IL EIN: 45-4006107 Website

To provide monetary relief and other assistance to individuals and families who have healthcare, shelter, nutrition, education, and other similar needs, and to provide grants to other exempt organizations that provide assistance for such families and individuals.

Key facts about Ft Cares Foundation

In short: Ft Cares Foundation gave $791K across 48 grants in 2025 (avg $16K), mostly in Illinois. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

EIN
45-4006107
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$791,402
Grants made (2025)
48
Average grant
$16,488
Median grant
$12,250
New grantees (estimate)
17% first-time grantees (8 of 48, 2025)
Total assets
$126,244
Primary geography
Illinois (76% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)

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

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing

Total Assets

$126K

+18.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$791K

+7.5% YoY

Grant Count

48

+11.6% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$16K

-3.7% YoY

Is Ft Cares Foundation open to new grantees?

17%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 8 of 48 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $18K. How we count

Medians: $8K first-time, $13K repeat.

  • 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 32% from 2022 to 2025. Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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.

About Ft Cares Foundation

Based on IRS filings

Ft Cares Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on Human Services, based in Wheaton, IL. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $126K in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 48 grants totaling $791K.

Focus Areas

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

16states

Share of all 48 itemized 2025 grant dollars.

Cities

WheatonAustinChicagoGenevaNapervilleSt CharlesWest ChicagoNew YorkKnoxvilleLos AngelesCarol StreamLombardNew CanaanSpringfieldStamfordTautonWashingtonElmhurstGlen EllynLisle

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$200K$400K$600K$800K28 grants202031 grants202145 grants202246 grants202343 grants202448 grants2025

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

By the Hand Club for Kids: $78KBy the Hand Club for Kids$78KCASA Kane County: $56KCASA Kane County$56KCal's All-Star Angel Foundation: $38KCal's All-Star AngelFoundation$38KRonald McDonald House CTX: $36KRonald McDonald House CTX$36KPeople's Resource Center: $35KPeople's Resource Center$35KThe Outreach House: $33KThe Outreach House$33KNorthern Illinois Food Bank: $29KNorthern Illinois Food Bank$29KMilton Township Food Pantry: $28KMilton Township Food Pantry$28KSpecial Spaces: $26KSpecial Spaces$26KOpportunity International: $25KOpportunity International$25K

Grant Size Distribution

213 grants across all recorded years

206<$50K7$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
BY THE HAND CLUB FOR KIDS Chicago, ILGENERAL OPERATIONS$77,702
CASA KANE COUNTY Geneva, ILPROG DEV/GEN'L OPS$55,858
CAL'S ALL-STAR ANGEL FOUNDATION St Charles, ILGEN OP/INDIV IN NEED$38,371
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CTX Austin, TXGEN'L OPS/PROG DEV$35,730
PEOPLE'S RESOURCE CENTER Wheaton, ILINDIVIDUALS IN NEED$34,506
THE OUTREACH HOUSE Lombard, ILINDIVIDUALS IN NEED$33,200
NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOOD BANK Geneva, ILGENERAL OPERATIONS$28,552
MILTON TOWNSHIP FOOD PANTRY Wheaton, ILINDIVIDUALS IN NEED$28,058
SPECIAL SPACES Knoxville, TNINDIV IN NEED/GEN OP$25,680
OPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL Chicago, ILGEN'L OPS/PROG DEV$25,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$500K$1M$1.5M202020212022202320242025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$126,244$106,373$124,630
Revenue$986,721$872,650$823,132
Expenses$971,412$892,806$817,310
Qualifying Distributions———
Net Investment Income———
Distributable Amount———

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 26, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 22, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 31, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 21, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 28, 2025)
  6. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 28, 2026)

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Ft Cares Foundation is led by Lisa Weier, President since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 10 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Lisa Weier

    President

    Development → President, 2022

    On filings since 2020

    4 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Andrew Roggensack

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jane Doyle

    Director

    President → Director, 2022

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kristi Maher

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • W. Scott Jardine

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Amy Lum

    Counsel

    On filings since 2020

    4 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Christina Knierim

    Vp-Tax & Com

    Vice President → Vp-Tax & Com, 2023

    On filings since 2020

    4 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Deborah Delgiudice

    Treasurer

    On filings since 2020

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Deb Scherbring

    Vp-Ops & Development

    On filings since 2023

    2.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ronda Saeli-Chiappe

    Secretary

    New on the 2025 filing

    2.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Patricia Costello (2020–2024) — Secretary

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 Ft Cares Foundation

How much does Ft Cares Foundation give each year?

Ft Cares Foundation gave $791K across 48 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $736K across 43 grants.

What is Ft Cares Foundation's typical grant size?

Ft Cares Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $12,250, and its average grant was $16,488, across 48 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ft Cares Foundation that year got $9K on average.

Where does Ft Cares Foundation give grants?

Ft Cares Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 76% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Texas (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Wheaton, IL (6 grants), Austin, TX (6 grants), Chicago, IL (5 grants) and Geneva, IL (5 grants).

Does Ft Cares Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 40% of Ft Cares Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 48) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Individuals in Need" (13 grants), "Gen Ops/Prog Dev" (4 grants) and "Prog Dev/Gen'l Ops" (3 grants).

Who are Ft Cares Foundation's largest grantees?

Ft Cares Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include By the Hand Club for Kids ($77,702), CASA Kane County ($55,858) and Cal's All-Star Angel Foundation ($38,371), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Ft Cares Foundation?

Ft Cares Foundation reported $126K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $987K.

What is Ft Cares Foundation?

Ft Cares Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on Human Services, based in Wheaton, IL. It holds $126K in total assets as of 2025.

What is Ft Cares Foundation's EIN?

Ft Cares Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-4006107. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.

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