Illinois Children's Healthcare
Illinois Children’s Healthcare is a private foundation based in Oak Brook, Illinois. It works through grantee partners to improve children’s access to ongoing health care, with a primary focus on oral and mental health.
Key facts about Illinois Children's Healthcare
In short: Illinois Children's Healthcare gave $6.1M across 42 grants in 2024 (avg $146K), mostly in Illinois. 29% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 03-0503425
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $6,147,051
- Grants made (2024)
- 42
- Average grant
- $146,358
- Median grant
- $125,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (12 of 41, 2024)
- Total assets
- $150,973,913
- Primary geography
- Illinois (94% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$151.0M
+6.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$6.1M
-30.5% YoY
Grant Count
42
-49.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$146K
+37.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Illinois Children's Healthcare reported a distributable amount of $6.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Illinois Children's Healthcare open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 12 of 41 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $28K; repeat grants $200K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $125K repeat.
- 66% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 47% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 130% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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
The foundation’s mission is to cultivate, support, and promote initiatives that improve the health and wellness of children in Illinois. Its grantmaking focuses primarily on children’s oral health and mental health, and it also monitors emerging health issues that its board may select as future focus areas. Its stated approach emphasizes prevention, collaboration, integrated care, and addressing health-care disparities.
Its grantees include behavioral health providers, medical centers, foundations, health departments, and community organizations. For example, Chestnut Health Systems describes its mission as improving quality of life through service; Rush University Medical Center says it works to improve health through patient care, education, research, and community partnerships; and Rosecrance Foundation says it raises charitable funding to strengthen programs and expand access to care for uninsured people, people with Medicaid, and at-risk populations. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 42 grants totaling $6,147,051. Grant amounts ranged from $6,000 to $439,406, with a median of $125,000. Among the largest awards were $439,406 to Methodist Medical Center Illinois for a youth mental health initiative in the Greater Peoria area; $437,500 to Chestnut Health Systems for St. Clair County systems-of-care coordination; $433,928 to Rush University Medical Center for a children’s mental health project on Chicago’s West Side; and $408,285 to Rosecrance Foundation for a youth mental health system of care. Other 2024 grants included $305,958 to OSF Healthcare Foundation for oral health and $300,000 each to Centerstone of Illinois, Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley, Heritage Behavioral Health Center, and Primo Center for Women and Children.
The foundation awards grants primarily through specific, often multi-year strategic initiatives and announces opportunities through requests for proposals. It says it may provide evaluation assistance and share best practices with grantees. Its filing says applicants should review open RFPs, submit a letter of inquiry or proposal according to the relevant RFP timeline, include all required materials, and apply electronically. Eligible applicants under the filing’s stated restrictions are qualifying 501(c)(3) public charities, with certain exclusions, or governmental entities; proposed activities must serve Illinois children. The funding-inquiries page also lists categories it does not fund, including budget shortfalls, general operating support for existing programs, endowments, capital campaigns for medical facilities, and general medical research. It says it is unable to fulfill funding requests over $10,000; this inquiry guidance is distinct from the foundation’s RFP grant opportunities. The filing says giving is not restricted to preselected organizations.
Two opportunities listed as currently open are the Strengthening the Bilingual Mental Health Workforce Initiative, offering two-year grants of up to $100,000 to nonprofit organizations with the specified capacity to provide bilingual clinical supervision, and Youth Workforce Development 2.0, offering grants of up to $20,000 for eligible nonprofit organizations in the foundation’s Southwest Central and Northern Illinois funding regions. The “Bright Minds, Bright Smiles” RFP specified proposals due May 8, 2026; that deadline has passed.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Illinois Children's Healthcare
ILCHF Funding Inquiries Grant
Illinois Children's Healthcare
Amount
Up to US $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Strengthening the Bilingual Mental Health Workforce Initiative
Illinois Children's Healthcare
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Youth Workforce Development 2.0 Initiative
Illinois Children's Healthcare
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Ready to take the next step with Illinois Children's Healthcare?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says its grants touch all 102 Illinois counties. In 2024, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois; 2% each went to recipients in Iowa, Missouri, and Indiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 42 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $6.1M (2024) to $12.0M (2022). In 2024 it made 42 grants totaling $6.1M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Bridgeway Inc ($442K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $3.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
421 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 175 grants of 421 (42%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Methodist Medical Center Illinois Peoria, IL | Greater Peoria Area Youth Mental Health Initiative | $439,406 |
| Chestnut Health Systems Inc Bloomington, IL | St. Clair County Systems of Care Coordination | $437,500 |
| Rush University Medical Center Chicago, IL | BRIDGES: Using BRIDGES to Address Intergenerational Trauma, Close the Clinic-Community Gap and Improve Children's Mental Health on Chicago's West Side | $433,928 |
| Rosecrance Foundation Rockford, IL | Coming Together for Healthy Children - Building a Youth Mental Health System of Care | $408,285 |
| OSF Healthcare Foundation Peoria, IL | OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center - Oral Health | $305,958 |
| Centerstone of Illinois Inc W Frankfort, IL | Building Compassionate Communities | $300,000 |
| Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley Kankakee, IL | CMHI 2.0 Implementation - Project SUN - A Strong & Unified Network | $300,000 |
| Heritage Behavioral Health Center Decatur, IL | CMHI Implementation Grant - Community Together | $300,000 |
| Kane County Health Department Aurora, IL | CMHI 2.0 Implementation - Kane County System of Care Project | $300,000 |
| Primo Center for Women and Children Chicago, IL | Kids Connected | $300,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $150,973,913 | $56,993,273 | $7,936,732 | $6,147,051 | 42 |
| 2023 | $141,891,372 | $5,784,327 | $9,231,609 | $8,842,721 | 83 |
| 2022 | $130,396,780 | $6,556,335 | $12,572,503 | $11,988,411 | 92 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $150,973,913 | $141,891,372 | $130,396,780 |
| Revenue | $56,993,273 | $5,784,327 | $6,556,335 |
| Expenses | $7,936,732 | $9,231,609 | $12,572,503 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $8,218,232 | $10,885,851 | $13,570,756 |
| Net Investment Income | $56,684,241 | $5,458,990 | $6,254,772 |
| Distributable Amount | $6,336,731 | $6,136,539 | $6,572,071 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Juan Carlos Avila as chair and director; Regina Crider as vice chair and director; Rudy Valdez DM as treasurer and director; Icy Cade-Bell MD as secretary and director; and Heather Higgins Alderman as president and CEO. Other directors listed are Philip S Cali, Kim Cassel, Carl R Flowers PhD, Peter Flynn PhD, and Veronica Guadalupe Fonseca.
Illinois Children's Healthcare is led by Heather Higgins Alderman, President & CEO since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 20 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Heather Higgins Alderman
President & CEO
President → President & CEO, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$280K (2020) → $325K (2024)
Juan Carlos Avila
Chair & Director
Treasurer & Director → Vice Chair & Director, 2022
Vice Chair & Director → Chair & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Icy Cade-Bell MD
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Parker
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Myrtis Sullivan MD
Director
Director → Chair & Director, 2022
Chair & Director → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nicholas Panomitros DDS
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter Flynn PhD
Director
Chair & Director → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Philip S Cali
Director
Director → Treasurer & Director, 2022
Treasurer & Director → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Regina Crider
Vice Chair & Director
Director → Vice Chair & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rudy Valdez DM
Treasurer & Director
Director → Treasurer & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ruth B Rosenthal MD
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kay Giles
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ruby Mendenhall
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Veronica Guadalupe Fonseca
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carl R Flowers PhD
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kim Cassel
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stacie Kuhlman
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
C William Pollard
Board Member Emeritus
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Ryan
Board Member Emeritus
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Peter E Doris MD
Board Member Emeritus
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (12)
- Former: George O'Neill Jr. (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Terry F Hatch MD (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: David Ernesto Munar (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Marcio da Fonseca DDS (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: John Walkup MD (2022) — Director
- Former: Angela Cantillon (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: J Kay Giles (2020–2021) — Vice Chair & Director
- Former: Jennifer Cartland PhD (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Kay L Saving MD (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Barbara H Fiese PhD (2020) — Director
- Former: Billie Wright Adams MD (2020) — Director
- Former: Floyd D Perkins (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $325K, to Heather Higgins Alderman (President & CEO).
Contact
Mailing address: 1200 Jorie Blvd Suite 301, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Phone: (630) 571-2555
Frequently asked questions about Illinois Children's Healthcare
How much does Illinois Children's Healthcare give each year?
Illinois Children's Healthcare gave $6.1M across 42 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $8.8M across 83 grants.
What is Illinois Children's Healthcare's typical grant size?
Illinois Children's Healthcare's median grant in 2024 was $125,000, and its average grant was $146,358, across 42 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Illinois Children's Healthcare that year got $28K on average.
Where does Illinois Children's Healthcare give grants?
Illinois Children's Healthcare gives mostly in Illinois: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (16 grants), Peoria, IL (3 grants), Urbana, IL (3 grants) and Galesburg, IL (2 grants).
Does Illinois Children's Healthcare give general operating support?
Occasionally: 2% of Illinois Children's Healthcare's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 42) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Illinois Children's Healthcare's largest grantees?
Illinois Children's Healthcare's largest 2024 grantees include Bridgeway Inc ($441,666 across 2 grants), Methodist Medical Center Illinois ($439,406) and Chestnut Health Systems Inc ($437,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 21% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Illinois Children's Healthcare?
Illinois Children's Healthcare reported $151.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $8.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $6.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Illinois Children's Healthcare fund?
The foundation’s mission is to cultivate, support, and promote initiatives that improve the health and wellness of children in Illinois. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Illinois Children's Healthcare?
Illinois Children's Healthcare has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Illinois Children's Healthcare's EIN?
Illinois Children's Healthcare's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 03-0503425. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Here's the math on researching Illinois Children's Healthcare by hand.
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