Glerum Family Foundation
The Glerum Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Winnetka, Illinois. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations, including a university, cultural organizations, health organizations, and a food bank.
Key facts about Glerum Family Foundation
In short: Glerum Family Foundation gave $413K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $21K), mostly in Ohio. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 47-2069978
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $413,133
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- Average grant
- $20,657
- Median grant
- $5,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (4 of 20, 2025)
- Total assets
- $4,690,503
- Primary geography
- Ohio (53% 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
$4.7M
+10.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$413K
-35.7% YoY
Grant Count
20
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$21K
-35.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Glerum Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $255K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Glerum Family Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 20 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $25K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 162% of 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 show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Ravinia Festival Association describes its mission as presenting performances by leading artists across classical music and other genres. The American Heart Association says its mission is to promote longer, healthier lives, while the Greater Chicago Food Depository says its mission is to end hunger.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 20 grants totaling $413,133 in 2025, compared with 20 grants totaling $642,250 in 2024 and 17 grants totaling $342,167 in 2023. In 2025, grants ranged from $650 to $158,483, with a median of $5,000.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 53% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio and 40% to recipients in Illinois. The remaining grant dollars went to recipients in Florida (3%), Texas (2%), and Massachusetts (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $316K (2021) to $729K (2020). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $413K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Denison University Campaign ($158K). Together the top 10 received $378K.
Grant Size Distribution
90 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 82 grants of 90 (91%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Denison University Campaign Granville, OH | Fund Operations of the Organization | $158,483 |
| Denison Annual Fund Granville, OH | Fund Operations of the Organization | $60,000 |
| Glessner House Chicago, IL | Fund Operations of the Organization | $30,000 |
| Griffin Museum of Science Chicago, IL | Fund Operations of the Organization | $30,000 |
| Ravinia Festival Association Chicago, IL | Fund Operations of the Organization | $30,000 |
| Civic Counseling Aliance Chicago, IL | Fund Operations of the Organization | $25,000 |
| Northwestern Memorial Foundation Chicago, IL | Fund Operations of the Organization | $25,000 |
| American Heart Association Dallas, TX | Fund Operations of the Organization | $10,000 |
| 626 Landmark Foundation Chicago, IL | Fund Operations of the Organization | $5,000 |
| Antiquarian Society Kenilworth, IL | Fund Operations of the Organization | $5,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $413,133 | 20 |
| 2024 | $642,250 | 20 |
| 2023 | $342,167 | 17 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,690,503 | $4,252,925 | $3,967,551 |
| Revenue | $3,106,515 | $430,523 | $286,198 |
| Expenses | $443,328 | $681,899 | $376,354 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $413,133 | $642,250 | $342,167 |
| Net Investment Income | $684,221 | $390,874 | $257,429 |
| Distributable Amount | $255,492 | $214,897 | $200,307 |
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 May 18, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 11, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mary E Glerum as president and director; James T Glerum as secretary, treasurer, and director; and John R Glerum and Elizabeth A Glerum as vice presidents and directors.
Glerum Family Foundation is led by Mary E. Glerum, President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Mary E. Glerum
President & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth A. Glerum
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James T. Glerum
Secretary, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John R. Glerum
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
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: 25 Indian Hill Road, Winnetka, IL 60093-3940
Phone: (847) 323-4738
Frequently asked questions about Glerum Family Foundation
How much does Glerum Family Foundation give each year?
Glerum Family Foundation gave $413K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $642K across 20 grants.
What is Glerum Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Glerum Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $20,657, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Glerum Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Glerum Family Foundation give grants?
Glerum Family Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Illinois (40%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (9 grants), Boca Grande, FL (5 grants) and Granville, OH (2 grants).
Does Glerum Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on Glerum Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Fund Operations of the Organization" (20 grants).
Who are Glerum Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Glerum Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Denison University Campaign ($158,483), Denison Annual Fund ($60,000) and Glessner House ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Glerum Family Foundation?
Glerum Family Foundation reported $4.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $413K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $255K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Glerum Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Ravinia Festival Association describes its mission as presenting performances by leading artists across classical music and other genres. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Glerum 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 ↑
What is Glerum Family Foundation's EIN?
Glerum Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-2069978. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Glerum 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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