Gantz Family Foundation

WINNETKA, IL EIN: 36-3484258

The Gantz Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Winnetka, Illinois, established in February 1987. It operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and functions as a grantmaking foundation supporting charitable causes across multiple sectors.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$395K

-45.5% YoY

Annual Giving

$356K

-54.1% YoY

Grant Count

-16.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$24K

-44.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gantz Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $30K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary funding focus areas include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services
Recreation and cycling
Community improvement initiatives

Grantmaking

The foundation made 31 grants in 2023, with typical award ranges between $1,000 and $250,000.

Grant Range

$37,700

Average Grant

$37,700

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Illinois, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, with a notable concentration in Illinois.

Grant Distribution by State

Illinois $7.6M (95%)

Virginia $250K (3%)

Maryland $41K (1%)

North Carolina $27K (0%)

Pennsylvania $13K (0%)

New York $9K (0%)

California $8K (0%)

District of Columbia $5K (0%)

+5 more states

States

California Connecticut District of Columbia Florida Illinois Massachusetts Maryland North Carolina New Jersey New York Ohio Pennsylvania Virginia

Cities

AlexandriaBala CynwydBaltimoreBarringtonBethesdaBrookfieldCambridgeChicagoEvanstonGlencoeKenilworthLake ForestNew PaltzNew YorkOakbrook TerracePacific PalisadesPalatinePaso RoblesPhiladelphiaPrinceton

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 2023:

Total Assets: $725,485
Total Revenue: $53,342
Total Expenses: $782,387
Total Liabilities: $0

Revenue Sources: Investment income and dividends comprised the foundation's primary revenue source at $53,342 in 2023, representing a 96.3% increase from the prior year's $27,170.

Historical Assets: Earlier filings indicate total assets of $395,338 and $1.5 million in different reporting periods, reflecting fluctuations in the foundation's investment portfolio.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$395,338	$725,485	$1,460,180
Revenue	$29,983	$53,342	$27,170
Expenses	$360,130	$782,387	$723,900
Qualifying Distributions	$358,130	$778,397	$719,360
Net Investment Income	$27,983	$50,944	$23,810
Distributable Amount	$30,288	$56,859	$90,723

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

110 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago ($107,500), The Field Museum of Natural History ($70,000), Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Inc ($50,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS & ITS CONSTITUENT CHAPTERS AND BRANCHES WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL CHARITABLE	$5,000
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF CHICAGO CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL CHARITABLE	$107,500
BRAIN RESEARCH FOUNDATION CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL CHARITABLE	$25,000
CHURCH OF THE HOLY COMFORTER KENILWORTH, IL	GENERAL CHARITABLE	$34,000
DYSTROPHIC EPIDERMOLYSIS BULLOSA RESEARCH ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL CHARITABLE	$2,000
HOLY FAMILY MINISTRIES CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL CHARITABLE	$25,000
KNOW THE GLOW PACIFIC PALISADES, CA	GENERAL CHARITABLE	$1,000
MARINE CORPS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION INC ALEXANDRIA, VA	GENERAL CHARITABLE	$50,000
MILLENIUM PARK FOUNDATION CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL CHARITABLE	$10,000
MUSIC INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO EVANSTON, IL	GENERAL CHARITABLE	$10,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Wilbur Gantz – President/Director
Linda Gantz – Vice President
Matthew Gantz – Director

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
WILBUR GANTZ	PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR	—	—
LINDA GANTZ	VICE PRESIDENT	—	—
MATTHEW GANTZ	DIRECTOR	—	—
LESLIE MCLAMORE	TREASURER/DIRECTOR	1	—
CAROLINE BURNS	DIRECTOR	1	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Gantz Family Foundation fund?

The foundation's primary funding focus areas include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Recreation and cycling • Community improvement initiatives

How do I apply for a grant from Gantz Family Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** The foundation made 31 grants in 2023, with typical award ranges between $1,000 and $250,000. **Recent Major Grants (2023):** • Northwestern University: $250,000 • Field Museum of Natural History: $212,000 • The Fund for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago: $110,000 **Grant Characteristics:** • Average grant size: $37,700 • Median grant size: $10,000 • Total giving in 2023: $356,000

Where does Gantz Family Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Illinois, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, with a notable concentration in Illinois.

What size grants does Gantz Family Foundation award?

In 2024, Gantz Family Foundation awarded 15 grants totaling $356K — an average of about $24K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Gantz Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Gantz Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $30K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.