Irish Woods Foundation
Irish Woods Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. It supports charitable organizations through grants; in 2025, it reported 54 grants totaling $955,000.
Irish Woods Foundation at a glance
In short: Irish Woods Foundation gave $955K across 54 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), mostly in Illinois. 6% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $955,000
- +12.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 54
- +25.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $17,685
- -10.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $14,031,770
- +26.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 6% first-time grantees (3 of 54, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (57% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Irish Woods Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Mjms 190 S Lasalle St 1700, Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: (312) 346-4101
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Irish Woods Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was La Lumiere School ($200K). Together the top 10 received $680K.
Grant Size Distribution
256 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 236 grants of 256 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 57% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 24% to Indiana, 14% to Maryland, 2% to Ohio, and 1% to California. The listed grants also included a $10,000 grant to the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation in Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 54 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Irish Woods Foundation open to new grantees?
6%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 54 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $18K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 78% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 29% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 96% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $743K (2022) to $955K (2025). In 2025 it made 54 grants totaling $955K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| La Lumiere School La Porte, IN | To Support the Mission of the Charitable Organization. | $200,000 |
| Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Bethesda, MD | To Support the Mission of the Charitable Organization. | $130,000 |
| Chicago Jesuit Academy Chicago, IL | To Support the Mission of the Charitable Organization. | $75,000 |
| Block Club Chicago Chicago, IL | To Support the Mission of the Charitable Organization. | $50,000 |
| Lurie Children's Hospital Chicago, IL | To Support the Mission of the Charitable Organization. | $50,000 |
| Misercordia Foundation Chicago, IL | To Support the Mission of the Charitable Organization. | $40,000 |
| Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago Chicago, IL | To Support the Mission of the Charitable Organization. | $40,000 |
| St Benedict School Annual Fund Chicago, IL | To Support the Mission of the Charitable Organization. | $35,000 |
| After School Matters Chicago, IL | To Support the Mission of the Charitable Organization. | $30,000 |
| St Ignatius College Prep Chicago, IL | To Support the Mission of the Charitable Organization. | $30,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $14,031,770 | $5,269,156 | $1,094,976 | $955,000 | 54 | $955,000 | $632,175 | $997,319 |
| 2024 | $11,105,632 | $1,336,805 | $964,665 | $852,000 | 43 | $844,500 | $1,229,969 | $875,152 |
| 2023 | $10,719,957 | $1,009,476 | $871,060 | $773,200 | 44 | $773,200 | $915,746 | $769,043 |
| 2022 | $10,592,580 | $261,784 | $842,945 | $742,675 | 53 | $742,675 | $297,119 | $777,193 |
| 2021 | $11,162,223 | $488,563 | $930,621 | $835,000 | 62 | $835,000 | $397,224 | $826,444 |
| 2020 | $11,613,313 | $-278,843 | $840,269 | $746,500 | 69 | — | $307,014 | $715,998 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Irish Woods Foundation reported a distributable amount of $997K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No separate mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations whose missions describe work in education, health, housing, youth development, hunger relief, and services for people with disabilities. For example, La Lumiere School says it operates a co-educational high school, and Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago says it improves homes and neighborhoods for elderly, disabled, and low-income residents.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 54 grants totaling $955,000. Individual grants ranged from $1,000 to $200,000, with a median of $5,000. Among its largest grants were $200,000 to La Lumiere School, $130,000 to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, $75,000 to Chicago Jesuit Academy, and $50,000 each to Block Club Chicago and Lurie Children’s Hospital. The stated purpose for each of these grants was to support the recipient organization’s mission.
Other 2025 grants included $40,000 to Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago and $30,000 to After School Matters. After School Matters describes its mission as providing Chicago public high school teens opportunities to develop talents and skills through hands-on programs.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Brian R. Walsh as president and director, Margaret H. Walsh as vice president and director, and Daniel P. Walsh as secretary, treasurer, and director.
Irish Woods Foundation is led by Brian R. Walsh, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Brian R. Walsh
President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Daniel P. Walsh
Secretary, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Margaret H. Walsh
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Irish Woods Foundation
How much does Irish Woods Foundation give each year?
Irish Woods Foundation gave $955K across 54 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $852K across 43 grants.
What is Irish Woods Foundation's typical grant size?
Irish Woods Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $17,685, across 54 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Irish Woods Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Irish Woods Foundation give grants?
Irish Woods Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Indiana (24%) and Maryland (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (31 grants), Oak Park, IL (5 grants), La Porte, IN (2 grants) and River Forest, IL (2 grants).
Does Irish Woods Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 54 grants with a stated purpose on Irish Woods Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Support the Mission of the Charitable Organization." (54 grants).
Who are Irish Woods Foundation's largest grantees?
Irish Woods Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include La Lumiere School ($200,000), Cystic Fibrosis Foundation ($130,000) and Chicago Jesuit Academy ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Irish Woods Foundation?
Irish Woods Foundation reported $14.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $955K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $997K (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 Irish Woods Foundation fund?
No separate mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations whose missions describe work in education, health, housing, youth development, hunger relief, and services for people with disabilities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Irish Woods Foundation?
The foundation 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 Irish Woods Foundation's EIN?
Irish Woods Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-2618552. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Irish Woods 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.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 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 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Irish Woods Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Irish Woods Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/irish-woods-foundation-morg_a8dbe6c2d8df4a61a1c8d53ad7aa6d11
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_472618552_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Irish Woods Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/irish-woods-foundation-morg_a8dbe6c2d8df4a61a1c8d53ad7aa6d11},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Woods 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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