John a Cable Foundation
The John A Cable Foundation is a private foundation based in Evanston, Illinois. In 2025, it reported 29 grants totaling $92,300, with listed recipients including arts and cultural organizations, educational institutions, and organizations working in science, health, animal welfare, and conservation.
John a Cable Foundation at a glance
In short: John a Cable Foundation gave $92K across 29 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), top state Virginia. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $92,300
- +4.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 29
- +16.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,183
- -10.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $930,491
- -3.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (5 of 29, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (30% 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 John a Cable Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Its filing states that there is no specific application form, submissions must indicate 501(c)(3) status, and grants are for charitable and educational purposes to qualified organizations. The filing lists Philip E. Cable as the person to contact.
- Review Cycle
- No submission deadlines.
- Deadline
- No submission deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Mr Philip E Cable
Mailing address: PO Box 7040, Evanston, IL 60204
Phone: (513) 661-3100
Email: pc@jacablefdn.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who John a Cable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Timeline Theatre CO ($10K). Together the top 10 received $54K.
Grant Size Distribution
128 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 128 grants of 128 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia (30%), Illinois (29%), Ohio (22%), New York (10%), and Maryland (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
Cities
Is John a Cable Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 29 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 83% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 100% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $70K (2019) to $92K (2025). In 2025 it made 29 grants totaling $92K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline Theatre CO Chicago, IL | General Support | $10,000 |
| Richmond Ballet Inc Richmond, VA | General Support | $6,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Federation New York, NY | General Support | $5,400 |
| Chicago Council on Science and Chicago, IL | General Support | $5,000 |
| Kenyon College Gambier, OH | General Support | $5,000 |
| Gilmour Academy Inc Gates Mills, OH | General Support | $5,000 |
| The Adler Planetarium Chicago, IL | General Support | $5,000 |
| Richmond Symphony Richmond, VA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Kent State University Kent, OH | General Support | $4,000 |
| Oberlin Conservatory of Music Oberlin, OH | General Support | $3,500 |
Ready to take the next step with John a Cable Foundation?
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 | $930,491 | $70,941 | $105,529 | $92,300 | 29 | $93,822 | $61,156 | $93,474 |
| 2024 | $965,083 | $101,921 | $98,411 | $88,500 | 25 | $89,450 | $93,288 | $89,124 |
| 2023 | $961,556 | $47,213 | $97,245 | $88,500 | 24 | $89,445 | $39,105 | $80,064 |
| 2022 | $1,013,989 | $48,098 | $100,144 | $88,500 | 25 | $89,400 | $39,587 | $88,391 |
| 2021 | $1,058,938 | $104,763 | $83,008 | $73,500 | 25 | — | $96,748 | $88,460 |
| 2020 | $1,037,340 | $51,943 | $80,869 | $73,000 | 27 | — | $44,534 | $73,451 |
| 2019 | $1,071,070 | $38,932 | $77,519 | $70,000 | 28 | — | $32,672 | $71,046 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John a Cable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $93K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied purposes. For example, the Adler Planetarium says its mission is to connect people to the universe and each other; Virginia Opera says it promotes and produces performances to engage diverse audiences and professionals; and the Richmond Animal League says it provides care for homeless animals until adoption. The Nature Conservancy describes its mission as conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation awarded 29 grants totaling $92,300. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, with a median of $3,000. Among the largest were Timeline Theatre Co. ($10,000), Richmond Ballet Inc. ($6,000), Planned Parenthood Federation ($5,400), Chicago Council on Science and… ($5,000), Kenyon College ($5,000), Gilmour Academy Inc. ($5,000), and the Adler Planetarium ($5,000). The listed purposes for these grants were general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Philip E. Cable as president and secretary and Jennifer A. Cable as vice president.
John a Cable Foundation is led by Philip E. Cable, President & Secretary on every filing since 2019; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Philip E. Cable
President & Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer A. Cable
Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about John a Cable Foundation
How much does John a Cable Foundation give each year?
John a Cable Foundation gave $92K across 29 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $89K across 25 grants.
What is John a Cable Foundation's typical grant size?
John a Cable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $3,183, across 29 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from John a Cable Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does John a Cable Foundation give grants?
John a Cable Foundation's top state is Virginia, with 30% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Illinois (29%) and Ohio (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (7 grants), Richmond, VA (6 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does John a Cable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of John a Cable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (29 of 29) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are John a Cable Foundation's largest grantees?
John a Cable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Timeline Theatre CO ($10,000), Richmond Ballet Inc ($6,000) and Planned Parenthood Federation ($5,400), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is John a Cable Foundation?
John a Cable Foundation reported $930K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $94K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $93K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does John a Cable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from John a Cable Foundation?
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is John a Cable Foundation's EIN?
John a Cable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-1532416. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 10, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 26, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 26, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 1, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 26, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in John a Cable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in Illinois
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
Saint Louis, MO
The Enterprise Holdings Foundation supports charitable and educational nonprofits in communities where Enterprise Mobility operates, focusing on health, education, arts, and disaster relief; applicants must be actively supported by an Enterprise Mobility team member, spouse, or domestic partner. Giving varies widely: it reported 9,499 grants in 2024, but its 2025 filing showed one grant of $101.4 million, so that amount is not a typical award. Applications are accepted at any time through eligible Enterprise-affiliated applicants; the Foundation does not limit giving to preselected organizations.
Assets
$594.3M
Grants
1
Total Given
$101.4M
The Chicago Community Trust
Chicago, IL
The Chicago Community Trust funds eligible nonprofits working to narrow the wealth gap and meet urgent needs, with priorities including economic mobility, education, jobs, homeownership, and community development in metropolitan Chicago and Cook County. Its 2025 grants had a median of $26,500, though amounts varied widely; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$7.1B
Grants
4,316
Total Given
$1.2B
The Allstate Foundation
Northbrook, IL
The Allstate Foundation funds youth empowerment, efforts to prevent and address relationship abuse, nonprofit leadership, and related economic opportunity and equity work. Its 2024 grants ranged from $250 to $2 million, with a median of $1,000, and awards must support work in the United States. It accepts proposals from organizations beyond a preselected list; proposals are reviewed as received.
Assets
$89.3M
Grants
2,010
Total Given
$38.0M
Elks National Foundation Inc
Chicago, IL
The Elks National Foundation funds scholarships, youth programs, veterans’ services, and charitable projects through Elks Lodges and state associations across the United States. Its 2026 grants had a median size of $10,000, though awards varied widely; the profile describes application routes for specific Lodge and scholarship programs but does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$954.1M
Grants
1,536
Total Given
$36.5M
John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation
Chicago, IL
The MacArthur Foundation funds work advancing a more just, verdant, and peaceful world, including climate solutions, criminal justice, journalism, technology, and Chicago. In 2024, its grants had a median of $160,000, though awards ranged widely; it generally does not accept unsolicited requests, with possible exceptions for specific open calls or proposals that meet program guidelines.
Assets
$9.3B
Grants
1,086
Total Given
$356.1M
Arie and Ida Crown Memorial
Chicago, IL
Arie and Ida Crown Memorial supports education, the environment, health and human services, gun violence prevention, homelessness prevention, and Jewish community and Israel initiatives, with a strong focus on Chicago and giving across the U.S. and internationally. In 2024, its grants ranged from $500 to $3 million, with a median of $55,000. It uses an invitation-only process and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.4B
Grants
897
Total Given
$115.2M
More similar funders
More Funders in Illinois
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). John a Cable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/john-a-cable-foundation-morg_f96233d951024be7848f5cf89a18fa60
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_341532416_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{John a Cable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/john-a-cable-foundation-morg_f96233d951024be7848f5cf89a18fa60},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 John a Cable 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.
John a Cable Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?