John and Margaret Sagan Foundation
The John and Margaret Sagan Foundation is a private foundation based in Evanston, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports 48 grants totaling $156,000, supporting organizations that include universities, cultural organizations, and charitable initiatives.
John and Margaret Sagan Foundation at a glance
In short: John and Margaret Sagan Foundation gave $156K across 48 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), top state Illinois. 35% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $156,000
- -0.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 48
- +14.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,250
- -12.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,750
- Total assets
- $1,633,211
- +25.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (17 of 48, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (36% 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 and Margaret Sagan Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1314 Forest Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201-4708
Phone: (312) 701-7123
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who John and Margaret Sagan Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Stanford University ($28K). Together the top 10 received $101K.
Grant Size Distribution
191 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 191 grants of 191 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 36% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 22% to California, 12% to Wisconsin, and 6% each to Virginia and Wyoming. The remaining grant dollars went to recipients in other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 48 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is John and Margaret Sagan Foundation open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 17 of 48 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 58% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+12%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 86% 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 $106K (2020) to $157K (2024). In 2025 it made 48 grants totaling $156K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | General Purpose Grant | $28,000 |
| Friends of the Grenadines Initiative Evanston, IL | General Purpose Grant | $15,000 |
| University of Wisconsin Law School Madison, WI | General Purpose Grant | $10,000 |
| World Pediatric Project Richmond, VA | General Purpose Grant | $10,000 |
| Lawrence University Appleton, WI | General Purpose Grant | $9,000 |
| Grand Teton Music Festival Jackson, WY | General Purpose Grant | $7,000 |
| Millsaps College Jackson, MS | General Purpose Grant | $7,000 |
| First United Methodist Church Evanston, IL | General Purpose Grant | $5,000 |
| Moran Center for Youth Advocacy Evanston, IL | General Purpose Grant | $5,000 |
| Ploughshares Fund San Francisco, CA | General Purpose Grant | $5,000 |
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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 | $1,633,211 | $517,425 | $181,770 | $156,000 | 48 | $158,558 | $494,033 | $183,554 |
| 2024 | $1,298,936 | $61,397 | $176,515 | $156,500 | 42 | $157,831 | $82,211 | $168,296 |
| 2023 | $1,415,241 | $60,980 | $163,663 | $140,000 | 35 | $143,370 | $68,352 | $142,136 |
| 2022 | $1,519,295 | $137,739 | $160,860 | $139,000 | 29 | $141,070 | $118,350 | $145,397 |
| 2021 | $1,543,315 | $142,045 | $151,036 | $128,750 | 37 | $130,720 | $122,711 | $152,170 |
| 2020 | $1,553,828 | $169,282 | $123,172 | $105,951 | 37 | — | $152,903 | $121,346 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John and Margaret Sagan Foundation reported a distributable amount of $184K 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 show support for a range of organizations. For example, Friends of the Grenadines Initiative describes its mission as providing medical and educational assistance to the Grenadines. Grand Teton Music Festival says it presents musical experiences, primarily classical, for resident and seasonal communities. Ploughshares Fund describes its mission as reducing and eventually eliminating the threat of nuclear weapons.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 48 grants totaling $156,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $28,000, with a median of $1,750. Among the largest grants were $28,000 to Stanford University, $15,000 to Friends of the Grenadines Initiative, $10,000 each to the University of Wisconsin Law School and World Pediatric Project, and $9,000 to Lawrence University. The listed purposes for these grants were “general purpose grant.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John R Sagan as president, secretary, and treasurer; Scott D Sagan as vice president; and Linda Sagan Harrier as vice president.
John and Margaret Sagan Foundation is led by John R. Sagan, President, Secretary & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John R. Sagan
President, Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Linda Sagan Harrier
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Scott D. Sagan
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
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 John and Margaret Sagan Foundation
How much does John and Margaret Sagan Foundation give each year?
John and Margaret Sagan Foundation gave $156K across 48 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $157K across 42 grants.
What is John and Margaret Sagan Foundation's typical grant size?
John and Margaret Sagan Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,750, and its average grant was $3,250, across 48 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from John and Margaret Sagan Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does John and Margaret Sagan Foundation give grants?
John and Margaret Sagan Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (22%) and Wisconsin (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Evanston, IL (12 grants), Chicago, IL (11 grants), Lawrence, KS (3 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does John and Margaret Sagan Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of John and Margaret Sagan Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (48 of 48) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are John and Margaret Sagan Foundation's largest grantees?
John and Margaret Sagan Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Stanford University ($28,000), Friends of the Grenadines Initiative ($15,000) and University of Wisconsin Law School ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is John and Margaret Sagan Foundation?
John and Margaret Sagan Foundation reported $1.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $159K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $184K (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 John and Margaret Sagan Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Friends of the Grenadines Initiative describes its mission as providing medical and educational assistance to the Grenadines. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from John and Margaret Sagan Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 John and Margaret Sagan Foundation's EIN?
John and Margaret Sagan Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-2638868. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does John and Margaret Sagan 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 April 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 24, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 27, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 19, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 29, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work John and Margaret Sagan Foundation funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in John and Margaret Sagan Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). John and Margaret Sagan Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/john-and-margaret-sagan-foundation-morg_3813f313f85c491e9cf235eb91b7a277
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_382638868_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{John and Margaret Sagan Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/john-and-margaret-sagan-foundation-morg_3813f313f85c491e9cf235eb91b7a277},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 and Margaret Sagan 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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