Illinois Humanities Council Inc
Illinois Humanities Council Inc, based in Chicago, Illinois, is a public charity that supports public humanities through grants, free public programs, and educational opportunities across Illinois. Its stated purpose is to foster a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of individuals’ and communities’ lives.
Illinois Humanities Council Inc at a glance
In short: Illinois Humanities Council Inc gave $500K across 51 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), mostly in Illinois. 47% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $500,238
- +1.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 51
- +13.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,809
- -10.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $6,346,876
- +14.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 47% first-time grantees (24 of 51, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Illinois Humanities Council Inc
- How to Apply
-
The organization provides an online grant portal and grant-seeker tools. Eligibility and application steps vary by program. For example, general operating applicants must be Illinois-based humanities organizations, be nonprofit tax-exempt entities in good standing or have a fiscal sponsor, and meet the program’s budget limit. Project grant applicants may include individuals located and working in Illinois and eligible organizations based in Illinois with experience in their communities. The website describes a letter-of-intent process for project grants, with selected applicants invited to submit a full proposal.
- Review Cycle
- The listed 2025 General Operating Grants deadline was August 15, 2025. The listed 2026 Project Grants deadline was February 13, 2026, and the listed 2026 Envisioning Justice deadlines were June 12, 2026. These dates have passed.
- Deadline
- The listed 2025 General Operating Grants deadline was August 15, 2025.
- Contact
Mailing address: 125 South Clark Street 650, Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: (312) 422-5580
Website: https://ilhumanities.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from Illinois Humanities Council Inc
Collaborative Project Grants
Illinois Humanities Council Inc
Amount
Up to US $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
IH Action Grants
Illinois Humanities Council Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
IH: Activate History Micro-Grants Program
Illinois Humanities Council Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Illinois Humanities Council Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Legacy Training Inc ($26K). Together the top 10 received $166K.
Grant Size Distribution
257 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 257 grants of 257 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization describes its work as statewide and says it provides humanities experiences throughout Illinois. In filing year 2025, all reported grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 51 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Illinois Humanities Council Inc open to new grantees?
47%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 24 of 51 grantees (47%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 29% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+10%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $140K (2019) to $731K (2021). In 2025 it made 51 grants totaling $500K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy Training Inc Marion, IL | Envisioning Justice & Foreground Rural Initiatives Grant | $26,000 |
| Durand Charm NFP Durand, IL | Foreground Rural Initiatives | $25,300 |
| The Community Archive Belleville, IL | Envisioning Justice & Foreground Rural Initiatives Grant | $20,250 |
| Walls Turned Sideways NFP Chicago, IL | Envisioning Justice Grant | $20,000 |
| Millikin Univeristy Decatur, IL | Envisioning Justice Grant | $18,000 |
| The Realitea Project Inc Toledo, IL | General Operating & Foreground Rural Initiatives Grant | $15,300 |
| Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community Chicago, IL | Project Grant | $10,250 |
| Mendota Museum and Historical Society Mendota, IL | Project Grant | $10,250 |
| American Indian Center Chicago, IL | Project Grant | $10,100 |
| First Nations Film and Video Festival Inc Skokie, IL | Project Grant | $10,100 |
Ready to take the next step with Illinois Humanities Council Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $6,346,876 | $5,843,080 | $4,898,255 | $500,238 | 51 | $77,770 |
| 2024 | $5,539,032 | $5,639,982 | $4,985,993 | $492,600 | 45 | $65,526 |
| 2023 | $4,943,921 | $4,165,542 | $4,154,768 | $285,850 | 30 | $39,047 |
| 2022 | $4,489,432 | $6,335,999 | $3,937,026 | $453,600 | 51 | $5,168 |
| 2021 | $2,155,468 | $4,480,636 | $4,652,054 | $731,050 | 80 | $2,053 |
| 2020 | $2,292,870 | $4,123,045 | $3,339,989 | $431,200 | 45 | $3,553 |
| 2019 | $1,157,091 | $2,426,403 | $3,886,893 | $140,000 | 13 | $6,656 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is “fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities.” Its website describes public humanities as programs that bring people together for curiosity, questioning, dialogue, and learning with one another.
Its grant programs support public humanities projects and organizations, including work in local history, digital humanities, audience engagement, and efforts to build or diversify audiences. The organization also offers project grants related to justice and mass incarceration, collaborative project grants, and general operating support for humanities-based organizations.
Examples of 2025 grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported. The Mendota Museum & Historical Society says it preserves local history and operates three museums. The American Indian Center says it promotes fellowship among American Indians in metropolitan Chicago and understanding between American Indians and non-American Indians. The Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community says it empowers Chinese American communities in greater Chicago through civic education, issue advocacy, communication with policymakers, and community mobilization.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the organization reported 51 grants totaling $500,238. Grants ranged from $5,300 to $26,000, with a median of $10,000. Among the largest were $26,000 to Legacy Training Inc. for Envisioning Justice and Foreground Rural Initiatives, $25,300 to Durand Charm NFP for Foreground Rural Initiatives, and $20,250 to The Community Archive for Envisioning Justice and Foreground Rural Initiatives. Other listed awards included $20,000 to Walls Turned Sideways NFP for an Envisioning Justice grant and $18,000 to Millikin University for an Envisioning Justice grant.
The organization’s website describes general operating grants of up to $10,000 for eligible humanities-based organizations with annual budgets of $250,000 or less. Its project grants offer up to $4,000 to individuals and organizations for innovative public humanities programming. The website also describes Envisioning Justice grants for individuals of up to $5,000 and for organizations and collectives of up to $10,000.
Deadline: The listed 2025 General Operating Grants deadline was August 15, 2025. The listed 2026 Project Grants deadline was February 13, 2026, and the listed 2026 Envisioning Justice deadlines were June 12, 2026. These dates have passed.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Rikeesha Phelon as chair, Laurence Sophian as treasurer, Bridget Hayman as secretary, and Susan Manning as vice chair. Directors listed are Myriam Del Angel, Antoinette Burton, JC Aevaliotis, Jennifer M. Brier, Erica Hubbard, and Heather Norman.
Illinois Humanities Council Inc is led by Gabrielle Lyon, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 5 of 24 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gabrielle Lyon
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
35 hrs/week
$160K (2020) → $205K (2025)
Rikeesha Phelon
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
Vice Chair → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Vicki Garza
Director of Finance
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$19K (2023) → $137K (2025)
Morven Elizabeth Higgins
Director of Development & Communications
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$123K (2024) → $130K (2025)
Jane Beachy
Director of Public Engagement
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$117K (2025)
Robert Desmond White
Director of Programs
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$114K (2025)
Susan Manning
Vice Chair & Director
Director → Vice Chair & Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alton B. Harris
Life Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Epstein
Life Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Antoinette Burton
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julio Paz
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tawa Mitchell
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Erica Hubbard
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Heather Norman
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lou Sandoval
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Myriam Del Angel
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nakea West
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brian C. Johnson
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jc Aevaliotis
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer M. Brier
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Denzler
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rajeev Kinra
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bridget Hayman
Secretary
Director → Interim Secretary, 2023
Interim Secretary → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laurence Sophian
Treasurer
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (37)
- Former: Jai L. Winston (2019–2024) — Chair
- Former: J. Paul Hunter (2021–2024) — Life Director
- Former: Aaron Diaz Bianco (2024) — Director
- Former: Sylvia Ewing (2024) — Director
- Former: Jennifer Wirtz (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: John S. Bracken (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Juana Guzman (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Lowell Jaffe (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Susan Eleuterio (2019–2023) — Chair
- Former: Teresa L. Cordova (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Verett A. Mims (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: William M. Patterson (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Debra Yepa-Pappan (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Mea Konopasek (2021–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Larry Sophian (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Mae P. Hong (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Joyce D. Higgins (2021–2022) — Secretary
- Former: David Woolwine (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Stacy Streur (2021) — Director
- Former: Dale T. Chapman (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: David M. Kaplan (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Deana Haggag (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Ho Brownback (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Jane A. Hays (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Jonathan Holloway (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Maria L. Finitzo (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Virginia C. Gerst (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Gail H. Shiel-Mahoney (2020) — Director
- Former: Alan Lowe (2019) — Director
- Former: Angel Ysaguirre (2019) — Former Executive Director
- Former: Elise Mackevich Salchli (2019) — Director, Fiscal & Officer
- Former: Gail H. Shiel - Mahoney (2019) — Director
- Former: Gregory N. Petrowich (2019) — Director
- Former: Joel F. Henning (2019) — Director
- Former: John P. Ramirez (2019) — Director
- Former: Joshua D. Rogers (2019) — Director
- Former: Robert P. Scales (2019) — 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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $205K, to Gabrielle Lyon (Executive Director). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Illinois Humanities Council Inc
How much does Illinois Humanities Council Inc give each year?
Illinois Humanities Council Inc gave $500K across 51 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $493K across 45 grants.
What is Illinois Humanities Council Inc's typical grant size?
Illinois Humanities Council Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $9,809, across 51 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Illinois Humanities Council Inc that year got $9K on average.
Where does Illinois Humanities Council Inc give grants?
Illinois Humanities Council Inc gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (20 grants) and Decatur, IL (2 grants).
Does Illinois Humanities Council Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 25% of Illinois Humanities Council Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 51) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Foreground Rural Initiatives Grant" (14 grants), "Envisioning Justice Grant" (13 grants) and "Project Grant" (7 grants).
Who are Illinois Humanities Council Inc's largest grantees?
Illinois Humanities Council Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Legacy Training Inc ($26,000), Durand Charm NFP ($25,300) and The Community Archive ($20,250), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 14% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Illinois Humanities Council Inc?
Illinois Humanities Council Inc reported $6.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.8M.
What does Illinois Humanities Council Inc fund?
The organization’s stated mission is “fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities.” Its website describes public humanities as programs that bring people together for curiosity, questioning, dialogue, and learning with one another. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Illinois Humanities Council Inc?
The organization provides an online grant portal and grant-seeker tools. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Illinois Humanities Council Inc's EIN?
Illinois Humanities Council Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 37-0971586. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS September 11, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 21, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 18, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 7, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 16, 2026)
Live grants for the work Illinois Humanities Council Inc funds
Arts, Culture & Humanities Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Illinois Humanities Council Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Illinois Humanities Council Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/illinois-humanities-council-inc-morg_2e464b980d7f4dae980fc3e3a209db6f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_370971586_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Illinois Humanities Council Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/illinois-humanities-council-inc-morg_2e464b980d7f4dae980fc3e3a209db6f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Illinois Humanities Council Inc'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.
Illinois Humanities Council Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?