Herbert C Wenske Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Wilmette, IL EIN: 36-6055643

The Herbert C Wenske Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmette, Illinois. In its 2025 filing, it reported 16 grants totaling $121,500, with listed recipients including charitable, health, cultural, and legal-service organizations.

Key facts about Herbert C Wenske Foundation

In short: Herbert C Wenske Foundation gave $122K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Illinois. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
36-6055643
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$121,500
Grants made (2025)
16
Average grant
$7,594
Median grant
$5,000
New grantees (estimate)
25% first-time grantees (4 of 16, 2025)
Total assets
$2,984,750
Primary geography
Illinois (94% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. 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

$3.0M

+9.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$122K

+9.5% YoY

Grant Count

16

+45.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$8K

-24.7% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Herbert C Wenske Foundation reported a distributable amount of $293K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is Herbert C Wenske Foundation open to new grantees?

25%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 4 of 16 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $9K. How we count

Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.

  • 38% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 27% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 71% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose stated missions cover breast-health testing, children’s hospital philanthropy, and free legal services. For example, A Silver Lining Foundation says its mission is to provide cost-free breast-health testing through community, advocacy, and healthcare partnerships. North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic says it provides free legal services in domestic violence, housing, and immigration to low-income, at-risk community members.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $121,500 through 16 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $25,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The listed grants were unrestricted.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 4% to recipients in Washington, DC, and 2% to recipients in Iowa.

Grant Distribution by State

11states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.

Cities

ChicagoNorthbrookSkokieHighland ParkLibertyvilleWashingtonGlencoeHartsdaleWest BloomfieldBostonNew YorkBeverly HillsBolder JunctionBooneCatalinaDeerfieldEvanstonLincolnwoodLombardOak Park

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$50K$100K$150K23 grants2020 8 grants2021 18 grants2022 14 grants2023 11 grants2024 16 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $56K (2021) to $139K (2023). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $122K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Jewish United Fund: $25KJewish United Fund$25KLes Turner ALS Foundation: $20KLes Turner ALS Foundation$20KNorth Shore Congregation Israel: $15KNorth Shore CongregationIsrael$15KA Safe Place: $10KA Safe Place$10KJewish National Fund: $10KJewish National Fund$10KA Silver Lining Foundation: $5KA Silver Lining Foundation$5KAnn & Robert H Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago Foundation: $5KAnn & Robert H Lurie ChildrensHospital of Chicago Foundation$5KElyssa's Mission: $5KElyssa's Mission$5KIllinois Holocaust Museum: $5KIllinois Holocaust Museum$5KNorth Suburban Legal Aid Clinic: $5KNorth Suburban Legal AidClinic$5K

The largest 2025 recipient was Jewish United Fund ($25K). Together the top 10 received $105K.

Grant Size Distribution

67 grants across all recorded years

67<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 67 grants of 67 (100%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Jewish United Fund Chicago, ILUnrestricted$25,000
Les Turner ALS Foundation Skokie, ILUnrestricted$20,000
North Shore Congregation Israel Glencoe, ILUnrestricted$15,000
A Safe Place Zion, ILUnrestricted$10,000
Jewish National Fund Northbrook, ILUnrestricted$10,000
A Silver Lining Foundation Chicago, ILUnrestricted$5,000
Ann & Robert H Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago Foundation Chicago, ILUnrestricted$5,000
Elyssa's Mission Northbrook, ILUnrestricted$5,000
Illinois Holocaust Museum Skokie, ILUnrestricted$5,000
North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic Highland Park, ILUnrestricted$5,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2025 $2,984,750 $563,932 $295,778 $121,500
2024 $2,716,596 $316,007 $245,032 $111,000
2023 $2,645,621 $279,752 $268,097 $138,500
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$200K$400K$600K$800K2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$2,984,750$2,716,596$2,645,621
Revenue$563,932$316,007$279,752
Expenses$295,778$245,032$268,097
Qualifying Distributions$207,536$177,278$209,599
Net Investment Income$479,690$251,253$221,254
Distributable Amount$292,805$273,997$241,694

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 11, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 25, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 18, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 20, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 25, 2025)
  6. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 23, 2026)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Loren R. Stone as president, secretary-treasurer, and sole director.

Herbert C Wenske Foundation is led by Loren R. Stone President, Secretary Treasurer & Sole Director on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Loren R. Stone President

    Secretary Treasurer & Sole Director

    On filings since 2020

    4 hrs/week

    $56K (2020) → $100K (2025)

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

Loren R Stone President — Secretary Treasurer & Sole Director: $100KLoren R Stone PresidentSecretary Treasurer & Sole…$100K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $100K, to Loren R Stone President (Secretary Treasurer & Sole Director).

Contact

Mailing address: 3201 Old Glenview Road 250, Wilmette, IL 60091
Phone: (312) 634-3400

Frequently asked questions about Herbert C Wenske Foundation

How much does Herbert C Wenske Foundation give each year?

Herbert C Wenske Foundation gave $122K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $111K across 11 grants.

What is Herbert C Wenske Foundation's typical grant size?

Herbert C Wenske Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,594, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Herbert C Wenske Foundation that year got $4K on average.

Where does Herbert C Wenske Foundation give grants?

Herbert C Wenske Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (6 grants), Skokie, IL (2 grants) and Northbrook, IL (2 grants).

Does Herbert C Wenske Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Herbert C Wenske Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Herbert C Wenske Foundation's largest grantees?

Herbert C Wenske Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Jewish United Fund ($25,000), Les Turner ALS Foundation ($20,000) and North Shore Congregation Israel ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Herbert C Wenske Foundation?

Herbert C Wenske Foundation reported $3.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $208K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $293K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.

What does Herbert C Wenske Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose stated missions cover breast-health testing, children’s hospital philanthropy, and free legal services. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Herbert C Wenske Foundation?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Herbert C Wenske Foundation's EIN?

Herbert C Wenske Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6055643. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does Herbert C Wenske 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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