Julius W Hegeler II Foundation
The Julius W Hegeler II Foundation is a private foundation based in Danville, Illinois. It reported 15 grants totaling $3,342,675 in 2025; all reported grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois.
Julius W Hegeler II Foundation at a glance
In short: Julius W Hegeler II Foundation gave $3.3M across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $223K), mostly in Illinois. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,342,675
- +36.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- +7.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $222,845
- +27.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $56,468,898
- +1.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (4 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% 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 Julius W Hegeler II Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing says applicants should contact Lois Wise and complete an application form describing in detail the proposed use of funds. The application must include proof of the grantee’s 501(c)(3) status and show that the requested use supports a nonprofit charitable purpose. The filing also asks applicants to include other financial information to demonstrate need. Awards are restricted to 501(c)(3) organizations. The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- None listed in the 2024 filing.
- Deadline
- None listed in the 2024 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Lois Wise
Mailing address: 1714 N Logan Ave, Danville, IL 61832
Phone: (217) 442-1521
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Julius W Hegeler II Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was East Central Illinois Athletic Association ($2.4M). Together the top 10 received $3.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
72 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 44 grants of 72 (61%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Illinois. Listed recipients included organizations in Danville and Decatur.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Julius W Hegeler II Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 15 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $28K; repeat grants $294K. How we count
Medians: $28K first-time, $45K repeat.
- 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+17%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 124% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.4M (2023) to $3.3M (2025). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $3.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| East Central Illinois Athletic Association Danville, IL | Support for Light Project | $2,400,200 |
| David S Palmer Arena Danville, IL | Support for Local Arena | $304,200 |
| OSF Healthcare Foundation Danville, IL | Support Local Hospital | $255,000 |
| Danville Area Community College Foundation Danville, IL | Support Educational Programs | $87,574 |
| Danville Foundation for Industrial Growth Danville, IL | Support for Local Community Development | $52,800 |
| United Way of Danville Danville, IL | Support for Local Community Development | $50,000 |
| Balloons Over Vermilion Danville, IL | Support of Community Event | $45,000 |
| Ambucs Danville, IL | Support for Local Community Development | $30,000 |
| Millikin University Decatur, IL | Landscaping Project | $30,000 |
| Danville Soccer Association Danville, IL | Support for Local Community Development | $25,000 |
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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 | $56,468,898 | $4,798,312 | $4,152,661 | $3,342,675 | 15 | $3,884,597 | $4,604,987 | $3,126,247 |
| 2024 | $55,930,349 | $3,760,149 | $3,166,530 | $2,448,543 | 14 | $2,910,805 | $3,580,225 | $2,936,751 |
| 2023 | $55,801,468 | $-83,490 | $2,083,304 | $1,363,110 | 11 | $1,821,688 | $1,338,611 | $2,798,321 |
| 2022 | $57,977,961 | $7,071,278 | $3,758,343 | $2,867,138 | 19 | $3,324,297 | $4,015,854 | $3,027,497 |
| 2021 | $54,660,175 | $43,782,575 | $2,854,043 | $2,129,972 | 13 | — | $9,216,347 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Julius W Hegeler II Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.1M 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
The foundation’s filings do not state its mission or identify formal focus areas. Its 2025 grants included support for a lighting project, a local arena, a hospital, educational programs, community development, and a community event.
Among its grantees, OSF Healthcare Foundation says its mission is to raise contributions in support of activities and projects of OSF HealthCare System. Millikin University describes its mission as delivering excellence in education and preparing students for professional success, democratic citizenship, and a meaningful personal life. Danville Public School Foundation says it provides funds to promote enhanced educational opportunities for Danville public school students.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 15 grants totaling $3,342,675. Grant amounts ranged from $4,901 to $2,400,200, with a median of $30,000. The largest awards listed were $2,400,200 to East Central Illinois Athletic Association for a lighting project; $304,200 to David S Palmer Arena for local arena support; $255,000 to OSF Healthcare Foundation for local hospital support; and $87,574 to Danville Area Community College Foundation for educational programs. Other listed recipients included Danville Foundation for Industrial Growth ($52,800), United Way of Danville ($50,000), and Balloons Over Vermilion ($45,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Philip Muehl as president/director, Mary Norenberg as secretary, Lois Wise as executive director, and Gilbert Saikley as director.
Julius W Hegeler II Foundation is led by Lois Wise, Executive Director since 2024 (on filings since 2021); all 4 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lois Wise
Executive Director
Secretary, Treasurer & Director → Executive Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
30 hrs/week
$81K (2021) → $97K (2025)
Philip Muehl
President & Director
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
$3K (2021) → $14K (2025)
Gilbert Saikley
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$3K (2021) → $11K (2025)
Mary Norenberg
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$4K (2021) → $11K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Alix S. Hegeler (2021–2022) — Vice President & Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $97K, to Lois Wise (Executive Director). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Julius W Hegeler II Foundation
How much does Julius W Hegeler II Foundation give each year?
Julius W Hegeler II Foundation gave $3.3M across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.4M across 14 grants.
What is Julius W Hegeler II Foundation's typical grant size?
Julius W Hegeler II Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $30,000, and its average grant was $222,845, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Julius W Hegeler II Foundation that year got $28K on average.
Where does Julius W Hegeler II Foundation give grants?
Julius W Hegeler II Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Danville, IL (14 grants).
Does Julius W Hegeler II Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Julius W Hegeler II Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support for Local Community Development" (7 grants).
Who are Julius W Hegeler II Foundation's largest grantees?
Julius W Hegeler II Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include East Central Illinois Athletic Association ($2,400,200), David S Palmer Arena ($304,200) and OSF Healthcare Foundation ($255,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 89% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Julius W Hegeler II Foundation?
Julius W Hegeler II Foundation reported $56.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Julius W Hegeler II Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filings do not state its mission or identify formal focus areas. Its 2025 grants included support for a lighting project, a local arena, a hospital, educational programs, community development, and a community event. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Julius W Hegeler II Foundation?
The 2024 filing says applicants should contact Lois Wise and complete an application form describing in detail the proposed use of funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Julius W Hegeler II Foundation's EIN?
Julius W Hegeler II Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 37-1302455. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Julius W Hegeler II Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/julius-w-hegeler-ii-foundation-morg_cc93ef363771480bb773885b9f26c2e2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_371302455_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Julius W Hegeler II Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/julius-w-hegeler-ii-foundation-morg_cc93ef363771480bb773885b9f26c2e2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Julius W Hegeler II 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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