Helen and Curtis Pinnell Foundation
The Helen and Curtis Pinnell Foundation is a private foundation based in Des Plaines, Illinois. The foundation maintains assets of $5,425,245 and distributes grants to organizations aligned with its funding priorities.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$5.4M
+8.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$550K
+45.9% YoY
Grant Count
62
+47.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$9K
-1.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Helen and Curtis Pinnell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $466K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's grant-making focuses on:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- Arts
- Creative Writing
- Historic Buildings
- Journalism
- Food Pantries
Grantmaking
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Des Plaines, Illinois and supports organizations in Illinois and beyond, including recipients in Chicago and Ohio.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,425,245 |
| Total Giving | $549,500 |
Data sourced from most recent IRS Form 990 filing (2024)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,425,245 | $4,989,557 | $4,698,980 |
| Revenue | $1,181,416 | $617,501 | $706,228 |
| Expenses | $627,380 | $435,976 | $470,366 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $549,500 | $376,500 | $370,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $934,124 | $479,568 | $519,872 |
| Distributable Amount | $465,829 | $381,708 | $359,584 |
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
224 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Lyric Opera of Chicago ($100,000), Handel Week Incorporated ($25,000), Greater Chicago Food Depository ($25,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Adler Planetarium Chicago, IL | General charitable purposes | $5,000 |
| Chicago Bible Society Chicago, IL | General charitable purposes | $500 |
| Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago, IL | General charitable purposes | $20,000 |
| Evangelical Child and Family Agency Wheaton, IL | General charitable purposes | $15,000 |
| Lyric Opera of Chicago Chicago, IL | General charitable purposes | $100,000 |
| Pacific Garden Mission Chicago, IL | General charitable purposes | $20,000 |
| Salvation Army Chicago, IL | General charitable purposes | $5,000 |
| Handel Week Incorporated Oak Park, IL | General charitable purposes | $25,000 |
| Opera Theatre of Saint Louis St Louis, MO | General charitable purposes | $8,000 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden BrdOfTrus St Louis, MO | General charitable purposes | $5,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emilysue Pinnell | President & Dir | 1 | — |
| Richard John Williams | Treasurer & Dir | 1 | — |
| Elizabeth A Littel | Assistant Treas | 2 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Pinnell family has made significant contributions to children's literacy initiatives, including a $7.5 million gift with an additional $2 million commitment to support children's literacy programs.
$7.5 million gift to support children\u2019s literacy - InspireFrequently Asked Questions
What does Helen and Curtis Pinnell Foundation fund?
The foundation's grant-making focuses on: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Arts • Creative Writing • Historic Buildings • Journalism • Food Pantries
How do I apply for a grant from Helen and Curtis Pinnell Foundation?
**Grant Amounts:** Typical awards range from $500 to $75,000. **Annual Giving:** The foundation distributed $549,500 in total giving according to its most recent IRS Form 990 filing from 2024. **Recent Grants:** The foundation has supported organizations including The Haymarket Opera Company NFP in Chicago.
Where does Helen and Curtis Pinnell Foundation make grants?
The foundation is based in Des Plaines, Illinois and supports organizations in Illinois and beyond, including recipients in Chicago and Ohio.
What size grants does Helen and Curtis Pinnell Foundation award?
In 2024, Helen and Curtis Pinnell Foundation awarded 62 grants totaling $550K — an average of about $9K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Helen and Curtis Pinnell Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Helen and Curtis Pinnell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $466K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Helen and Curtis Pinnell Foundation's EIN?
Helen and Curtis Pinnell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3621711. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Helen and Curtis Pinnell Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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