Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation
IRISH FELLOWSHIP EDUCATIONAL & is a public charity based in Western Springs, Illinois. Formed in 1979, it supports charitable, religious, educational, and literary purposes, including need-based aid for students of Irish heritage who are U.S. citizens residing in the Chicago metro area and grants that promote cultural awareness.
Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation at a glance
In short: Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation gave $269K across 43 grants in 2024 (avg $6K), mostly in Illinois. 9% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $268,500
- +4.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 43
- +7.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $6,244
- -2.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $6,000
- Total assets
- $352,215
- +48.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (2 of 23, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Jack Kane 4035 Lawn Ave, Western Springs, IL 60558
Phone: (708) 784-1514
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Depaul University ($13K). Together the top 10 received $71K.
Organizations only. It also paid 21 grants to individuals ($126,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
196 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 196 grants of 196 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization’s stated mission identifies students who are U.S. citizens residing in the Chicago metro area. All reported 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 43 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 23 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $9K first-time, $6K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $216K (2021) to $269K (2024). In 2024 it made 43 grants totaling $269K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Depaul University Chicago, IL | Cultural Grant | $12,500 |
| Young Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago Charities Chicago, IL | Cultural Grant | $10,000 |
| Benet Academy Lisle, IL | To Provide Need-Based Educational Assistance | $6,000 |
| Bishop McNamara Catholic Kankakee, IL | To Provide Need-Based Educational Assistance | $6,000 |
| 21 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $126,000 |
| Chesterton Academy of Holy Family Lisle, IL | To Provide Need-Based Educational Assistance | $6,000 |
| Christ the King Jesuit College Prep Chicago, IL | To Provide Need-Based Educational Assistance | $6,000 |
| Fenwick High School Oak Park, IL | To Provide Need-Based Educational Assistance | $6,000 |
| Depaul College Prep Chicago, IL | To Provide Need-Based Educational Assistance | $6,000 |
| Ic Catholic Prep Elmhurst, IL | To Provide Need-Based Educational Assistance | $6,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $352,215 | $423,582 | $308,648 | $268,500 | 43 | $82 |
| 2023 | $237,281 | $370,872 | $280,908 | $257,000 | 40 | $68 |
| 2022 | $147,317 | $167,347 | $290,328 | $244,000 | 40 | $64 |
| 2021 | $270,298 | $110,179 | $239,147 | $216,000 | 36 | $319 |
| 2020 | $399,266 | $129,713 | $247,170 | $222,000 | 37 | $342 |
| 2019 | $516,723 | $387,027 | $283,035 | $235,500 | 39 | $410 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization states that its mission is to provide scholarships, grants, or other aid to needy students of Irish heritage who are U.S. citizens residing in the Chicago metro area, and to promote cultural awareness.
Its 2024 grants included need-based educational assistance to high schools and cultural grants. Recipients included DePaul University, whose stated mission describes it as an innovative Catholic, Vincentian university committed to students’ integral human development, teaching, and academic excellence. Willows Academy describes its mission as helping parents form their daughters’ characters, and Misericordia Home describes its mission as supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through residential, training, and employment services. These are the grantees’ own descriptions; the filing does not specify the purposes of those two grants.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 43 grants totaling $268,500. Grants ranged from $6,000 to $12,500, with a median of $6,000. The filing describes annual board decisions on grant amounts and grant agreements that set out spending guidelines.
Among the largest listed awards were $12,500 to DePaul University and $10,000 to Young Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago Charities, both for cultural grants. The filing also lists $6,000 awards for need-based educational assistance to several high schools, including Benet Academy, an individual recipient High School, Carmel High School Mundelein, and an individual recipient Jesuit High School.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jack Hartman as president, Jack Kane as treasurer, and Liz Howard as secretary. Directors listed are Tom Allen, Maureen E. Connors, Margaret O’Ryan Lombardo, Lynn McKeany, Margaret Houlihan Smith, John Wrenn, and James F. Coyne.
Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation is led by Kathleen Taylor, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 1 of 11 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Kathleen Taylor
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$24K (2019) → $36K (2024)
Jack Hartman
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Wrenn
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lynn McKeany
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margaret Houlihan Smith
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margaret O'Ryan Lombardo
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maureen E. Connors
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tom Allen
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James F. Coyne
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jack Kane
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Liz Howard
Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Robert Flood (2023) — Director
- Former: Rose Doherty (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: John Griffin (2019–2020) — Chairman of the Board
- Former: Kevin Flood (2019–2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 $36K, to Kathleen Taylor (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation
How much does Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation give each year?
Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation gave $269K across 43 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $257K across 40 grants.
What is Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation's typical grant size?
Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $6,000, and its average grant was $6,244, across 43 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation that year got $9K on average.
Where does Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation give grants?
Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (10 grants) and Lisle, IL (2 grants).
Does Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 2% of Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 43) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "To Provide Need-Based Educational Assistance" (40 grants).
Who are Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation's largest grantees?
Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Depaul University ($12,500), Young Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago Charities ($10,000) and Benet Academy ($6,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. It also paid 21 grants to individuals ($126,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 11% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation?
Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation reported $352K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $424K.
What does Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation fund?
The organization states that its mission is to provide scholarships, grants, or other aid to needy students of Irish heritage who are U.S. citizens residing in the Chicago metro area, and to promote cultural awareness. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation?
Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation's EIN?
Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3166927. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 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 August 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 5, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/irish-fellowship-educational-and-cultural-foundation-morg_16a22768bcc647c398f3fb984fa77c53
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363166927_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Irish Fellowship Educational \& Cultural Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/irish-fellowship-educational-and-cultural-foundation-morg_16a22768bcc647c398f3fb984fa77c53},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation'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.
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