John & Susan Dewan Foundation
The John & Susan Dewan Foundation is a private family foundation established in January 2000 in Chicago, Illinois, following the sale of STATS, Inc., a sports information company founded by John and Susan Dewan in the 1980s. The foundation is dedicated to providing hope and a future to those in poverty by supporting U.S.-based charitable organizations that empower people to help themselves.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$326K
+12.1% YoY
Grant Count
47
-6.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$7K
+19.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to provide hope and a future to those in poverty by supporting organizations that help people to help themselves, with particular emphasis on programs within Chicago and USA-based organizations aiding those in poverty overseas.
Primary funding areas include:
- Education (approximately 59% of giving)
- Social & Human Services (approximately 28% of giving)
- Religion (approximately 4% of giving)
- International Aid
- Poverty alleviation
Recent strategic initiatives include supporting solar energy transitions for nonprofits and capacity-building programs for organizations with limited budgets.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
s:** $1,000 to $117,500, with median grant amounts around $2,700–$3,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily serves the Chicago area and internationally. Geographic distribution of grants:
- 77% of grants remain in Illinois
- Additional significant funding to California, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Louisiana
- International focus on Central America and developing countries, with emphasis on assisting women of color
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Financial Data (2024):
- Total Assets: $973,964
- Total Giving: $325,600
- Total Revenue: $505,903
- Total Expenses: $445,656
- Number of Employees: 0
Historical Data (2023):
- Total Assets: $869,035
- Total Giving: $299,830
- Total Revenue: $634,439
- Total Expenses: $413,865
- Giving Rate: 34.1%
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
246 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from John & Susan Dewan Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- John Dewan – President/Treasurer
- Susan Dewan – VP/Director
- Maria Lefkow Sorenson – Executive Director (as of 2024, with compensation of $78,120–$80,806)
- Thomas Teeling – Director/Executive Director/Secretary
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN DEWAN | PRESIDENT/TREASURER | 20 | — |
| SUSAN DEWAN | VP/DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| THOMAS TEELING | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| Maria Lefkow Sorenson | Executive Director | 20 | $78,120 |
Contact Information
Address: 1501 N. Oakley Boulevard, #214, Chicago, IL 60622
Phone: 773-631-5218 (or 773-209-6759)
Email: info@dewanfoundation.org
Website: dewanfoundation.org
EIN: 36-4339823
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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