Holson Family Foundation
The Holson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Glenview, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including arts and cultural institutions, a health-focused organization, and organizations serving other needs.
Key facts about Holson Family Foundation
In short: Holson Family Foundation gave $71K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Illinois. 54% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 36-4332846
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $70,500
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- Average grant
- $5,423
- Median grant
- $5,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 54% first-time grantees (7 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $582,341
- Primary geography
- Illinois (79% 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 October 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
$582K
+4.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$71K
+11.9% YoY
Grant Count
13
+8.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$5K
+3.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Holson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $69K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Holson Family Foundation open to new grantees?
54%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 13 grantees (54%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 46% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 22% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 102% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations, health-related work, and other charitable organizations. For example, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association says its mission is to enrich, inspire, and transform lives through music, community engagement, and education. The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation says it works to accelerate research, empower its community, and transform care for people with pulmonary fibrosis. TAKE THE LEAD says it provides support and care for qualified participants in the sport of dogs who face a life-threatening illness.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $70,500. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $10,000, with a median grant of $5,000. Among the listed grants, the largest was $10,000 to Ragsdale. Other notable grants included $7,500 each to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Northwestern Memorial Foundation, and TAKE THE LEAD; and $5,000 each to Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Dance Works Chicago, First Tee Time of Greater Chicago, and the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. The filing lists the grants as general support.
How to Apply
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with Holson Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were reported as 79% to recipients in Illinois, 14% in New York, 4% in Georgia, and 4% in New Mexico.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $48K (2020) to $71K (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $71K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Ragsdale ($10K). Together the top 10 received $63K.
Grant Size Distribution
60 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 60 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ragsdale Lake Forest, IL | General Support | $10,000 |
| Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago, IL | General Support | $7,500 |
| Lyric Opera of Chicago Chicago, IL | General Support | $7,500 |
| Northwestern Memorial Foundation Chicago, IL | General Support | $7,500 |
| Take the Lead Watertown, NY | General Support | $7,500 |
| Chicago Shakespeare Theater Chicago, IL | General Support | $5,000 |
| Dance Works Chicago Chicago, IL | General Support | $5,000 |
| First Tee Time of Greater Chicago Glenview, IL | General Support | $5,000 |
| Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Chicago, IL | General Support | $5,000 |
| Christ Church of Lake Forest Lake Forest, IL | General Support | $3,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $582,341 | $106,238 | $79,913 | $70,500 |
| 2024 | $556,016 | $129,461 | $72,319 | $63,000 |
| 2023 | $498,846 | $56,645 | $60,862 | $53,000 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $582,341 | $556,016 | $498,846 |
| Revenue | $106,238 | $129,461 | $56,645 |
| Expenses | $79,913 | $72,319 | $60,862 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $70,525 | $63,000 | $53,375 |
| Net Investment Income | $97,083 | $16,755 | $14,885 |
| Distributable Amount | $68,985 | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 17, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 25, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists RS Holson III as president; James Holson and Peter Holson as vice-presidents; and Hillary Holson Zimmerman as vice president.
Holson Family Foundation is led by Rs Holson III, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Rs Holson III
President
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hillary Holson Zimmerman
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Holson
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter Holson
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Joyce D. Holson (2020) — Treasurer
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 1275 Milwaukee Avenue, Glenview, IL 60025
Phone: (800) 338-7452
Frequently asked questions about Holson Family Foundation
How much does Holson Family Foundation give each year?
Holson Family Foundation gave $71K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $63K across 12 grants.
What is Holson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Holson Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $5,423, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Holson Family Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Holson Family Foundation give grants?
Holson Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (6 grants) and Lake Forest, IL (2 grants).
Does Holson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Holson Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Holson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Holson Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Ragsdale ($10,000), Chicago Symphony Orchestra ($7,500) and Lyric Opera of Chicago ($7,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Holson Family Foundation?
Holson Family Foundation reported $582K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $71K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $69K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Holson Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations, health-related work, and other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Holson 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 Holson Family Foundation's EIN?
Holson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4332846. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Holson Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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