Hamilton County Telephone Foundation
Hamilton County Telephone Foundation is a private foundation based in Dahlgren, Illinois. Formed in 2006 by the Hamilton County Telephone Co-op Board of Directors, it makes community donations and provides scholarships and other opportunities.
Hamilton County Telephone Foundation at a glance
In short: Hamilton County Telephone Foundation gave $45K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $45,050
- +5.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- -6.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,218
- +13.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,375
- Total assets
- $897,837
- +2.4% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Hamilton County Telephone Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing says to contact the Board of Directors with a letter stating the reason for the grant and how it will be used. It lists no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Board Of Directors
Mailing address: PO Box 40, Dahlgren, IL 62828
Phone: (800) 447-8725
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Hamilton County Telephone Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Hamilton Memorial Hospital ($25K). Together the top 6 received $34K.
Organizations only. It also paid 8 individual scholarships ($10,750), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
97 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 97 grants of 97 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars in 2025 went to recipients in Illinois. The listed 2025 grantees include organizations and scholarship recipients in Illinois communities such as McLeansboro, Dahlgren, Ina, and Oakbrook Terrace.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Hamilton County Telephone Foundation gives
- Giving grew 25% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 102% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $36K (2022) to $64K (2019). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $45K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Memorial Hospital McLeansboro, IL | General Support | $25,000 |
| 8 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $10,750 |
| Lutheran Child & Family Serv Oakbrook Terrace, IL | General Support | $2,000 |
| Hamilton County Ministrial Alliance McLeansboro, IL | General Support | $2,000 |
| Hamilton County Senior Citizens Centre McElansboro, IL | General Support | $2,000 |
| Ham County Extension & 4H Found McLeansboro, IL | General Support | $1,800 |
| Hamilton County House of Hope McLeansboro, IL | General Support | $1,500 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $897,837 | $67,311 | $47,189 | $45,050 | 14 | $45,205 | $32,100 | $44,324 |
| 2024 | $877,204 | $41,350 | $44,305 | $42,550 | 15 | $42,695 | $33,334 | $43,530 |
| 2023 | $880,148 | $42,848 | $51,020 | $46,421 | 24 | $46,556 | $17,798 | $43,262 |
| 2022 | $888,320 | $32,697 | $37,144 | $36,005 | 17 | $36,117 | $1,666 | $44,124 |
| 2021 | $898,056 | $31,375 | $46,037 | $45,850 | 27 | $45,886 | $14,553 | $44,711 |
| 2020 | $907,418 | $21,929 | $44,493 | $43,545 | 17 | — | $9,802 | $45,527 |
| 2019 | $929,982 | $37,071 | $64,841 | $63,923 | 22 | — | $14,561 | $46,400 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Hamilton County Telephone Foundation reported a distributable amount of $44K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website describes its purpose as investing back into the community through donations, scholarships, and other opportunities. Its 2025 grants included general support and scholarships.
Among its grantees, Rend Lake College Foundation received $2,000 in 2025. The grantee describes its mission as stimulating private support for Rend Lake College and using assets for needs identified by the college.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 14 grants totaling $45,050. Grant amounts ranged from $1,250 to $25,000, with a median of $1,375. The largest award was $25,000 to Hamilton Memorial Hospital for general support. Other notable awards included $2,000 each to Rend Lake College Foundation for a scholarship, Lutheran Child & Family Serv for general support, Hamilton County Ministerial Alliance for general support, and Hamilton County Senior Citizens Centre for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Justin Woodrow, Robert Abbott, Chris Sink (director/president), Rob Kiefer (director/treasurer), Lemuel Gage (director/vice president), Alan Monroe (director/secretary), and Steven Douglass as directors.
Hamilton County Telephone Foundation is led by Chris Sink, Director & President on every filing since 2019; none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Chris Sink
Director & President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alan Monroe
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Justin Woodrow
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lemuel Gage
Director & Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rob Kiefer
Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Abbott
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steven Douglass
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Kevin Pyle (2019–2023) — Director
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.
Frequently asked questions about Hamilton County Telephone Foundation
How much does Hamilton County Telephone Foundation give each year?
Hamilton County Telephone Foundation gave $45K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $43K across 15 grants.
What is Hamilton County Telephone Foundation's typical grant size?
Hamilton County Telephone Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,375, and its average grant was $3,218, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Hamilton County Telephone Foundation give grants?
Hamilton County Telephone Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were McLeansboro, IL (4 grants).
Does Hamilton County Telephone Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 43% of Hamilton County Telephone Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (6 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (8 grants).
Who are Hamilton County Telephone Foundation's largest grantees?
Hamilton County Telephone Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Hamilton Memorial Hospital ($25,000), Lutheran Child & Family Serv ($2,000) and Hamilton County Ministrial Alliance ($2,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 8 individual scholarships ($10,750), which are not listed by name. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Hamilton County Telephone Foundation?
Hamilton County Telephone Foundation reported $898K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $45K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $44K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Hamilton County Telephone Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website describes its purpose as investing back into the community through donations, scholarships, and other opportunities. Its 2025 grants included general support and scholarships. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Hamilton County Telephone Foundation?
The 2025 filing says to contact the Board of Directors with a letter stating the reason for the grant and how it will be used. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Hamilton County Telephone Foundation's EIN?
Hamilton County Telephone Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-4635655. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 23, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Hamilton County Telephone Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Figures come from Hamilton County Telephone Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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