Gantz Family Foundation
The Gantz Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Winnetka, Illinois. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations including youth-serving, educational, cultural, religious, health, and humanitarian organizations.
Key facts about Gantz Family Foundation
In short: Gantz Family Foundation gave $403K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $34K), mostly in Illinois. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 36-3484258
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $402,500
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- Average grant
- $33,542
- Median grant
- $15,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (2 of 12, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (90% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 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 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$403K
+13.1% YoY
Grant Count
12
-20.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$34K
+41.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gantz Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $14K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Gantz Family Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 12 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $38K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $21K repeat.
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 44% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants, all reported with the purpose “general charitable,” went to organizations working in a range of areas. For example, Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago says its mission is to help young people reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Holy Family Ministries describes its work as providing opportunities for children and adults from underserved Chicago neighborhoods to excel academically, grow spiritually, and become effective leaders. The Music Institute of Chicago says it promotes lifelong engagement with music through teaching, performance, and service activities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 12 grants totaling $402,500. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $115,000, with a median of $15,000. Its largest grants were $115,000 to Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago, $100,500 to the Field Museum of Natural History, $50,000 to Holy Family Ministries, and $35,000 to Window to the World Communications Inc.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 90% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois. The remaining grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, DC (4%), Maryland (4%), and North Carolina (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $356K (2024) to $3.8M (2021). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $403K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago ($115K). Together the top 10 received $388K.
Grant Size Distribution
91 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 71 grants of 91 (78%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago Chicago, IL | General Charitable | $115,000 |
| The Field Museum of Natural History Chicago, IL | General Charitable | $100,500 |
| Holy Family Ministries Chicago, IL | General Charitable | $50,000 |
| Window to the World Communications Inc Chicago, IL | General Charitable | $35,000 |
| Church of the Holy Comforter Kenilworth, IL | General Charitable | $27,000 |
| American National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches Washington, DC | General Charitable | $15,000 |
| Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Bethesada, MD | General Charitable | $15,000 |
| Happ Foundation Highland, IL | General Charitable | $10,000 |
| Brain Reseach Foundation Chicago, IL | General Charitable | $10,000 |
| Music Institute of Chicago Evanston, IL | General Charitable | $10,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $402,500 | 12 |
| 2024 | $356,000 | 15 |
| 2023 | $776,000 | 18 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | $395,338 | $725,485 |
| Revenue | $11,332 | $29,983 | $53,342 |
| Expenses | $406,670 | $360,130 | $782,387 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $404,670 | $358,130 | $778,397 |
| Net Investment Income | $9,332 | $27,983 | $50,944 |
| Distributable Amount | $14,434 | $30,288 | $56,859 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS September 2, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 31, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 18, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 1, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 23, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Wilbur Gantz as president/director; Linda Gantz as vice president; Matthew Gantz as director; Leslie McLamore as treasurer/director; and Caroline Burns as director.
Gantz Family Foundation is led by Wilbur Gantz, President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Wilbur Gantz
President & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Caroline Burns
Director
Treasurer & Director → Director, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leslie McLamore
Treasurer & Director
Director → Treasurer & Director, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Gantz
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Linda Gantz
Vice President
On filings since 2019
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 72 Indian Hill Rd, Winnetka, IL 60093
Phone: (847) 562-1818
Frequently asked questions about Gantz Family Foundation
How much does Gantz Family Foundation give each year?
Gantz Family Foundation gave $403K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $356K across 15 grants.
What is Gantz Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Gantz Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $33,542, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Gantz Family Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does Gantz Family Foundation give grants?
Gantz Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (5 grants) and Evanston, IL (2 grants).
Does Gantz Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Gantz Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Gantz Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Gantz Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago ($115,000), The Field Museum of Natural History ($100,500) and Holy Family Ministries ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 66% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
What does Gantz Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants, all reported with the purpose “general charitable,” went to organizations working in a range of areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gantz Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is Gantz Family Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, Gantz Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $14K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Gantz Family Foundation's EIN?
Gantz Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3484258. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Gantz Family 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.
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