Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation
The Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation is a private foundation based in Lake Bluff, Illinois. In its 2025 filing, it reported giving $108,250 through 24 grants to charitable organizations.
Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation at a glance
In short: Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation gave $108K across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Illinois. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $108,250
- +4.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- +20.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,510
- -13.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,003,858
- +45.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (8 of 24, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (61% 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 Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 709 Mountain Avenue, Lake Bluff, IL 60044-2104
Phone: (847) 234-4584
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was American Indian College Fund ($15K). Together the top 10 received $76K.
Grant Size Distribution
93 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 92 grants of 93 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Lake Bluff, Illinois. In 2025, 61% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 14% to Colorado, 12% to Washington, DC, 5% to Virginia, and 4% to New Mexico.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 24 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 46% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 21% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 235% 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 $65K (2023) to $174K (2020). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $108K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian College Fund Denver, CO | Charitable | $15,000 |
| St James Lake Forest, IL | Charitable | $10,750 |
| United Negro College Fund Washington, DC | Charitable | $10,500 |
| Lake Bluff Open Lands Assoc Lake Bluff, IL | Charitable | $8,000 |
| Salvation Army Chicago, IL | Charitable | $6,000 |
| Bowen High School Chicago, IL | Charitable | $6,000 |
| Cool Food Pantries of Lake County Lake Bluff, IL | Charitable | $5,000 |
| NAMI Chicago Chicagoi, IL | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Pads Waukegan, IL | Charitable | $5,000 |
| WFMT Chicago, IL | Charitable | $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 | $1,003,858 | $81,150 | $115,348 | $108,250 | 24 | $108,250 | $25,933 | $46,099 |
| 2024 | $689,328 | $91,265 | $109,965 | $104,100 | 20 | $104,100 | $8,598 | — |
| 2023 | $708,028 | $73,868 | $69,868 | $64,540 | 12 | $64,540 | $15,105 | $34,660 |
| 2022 | $945,214 | $19,146 | $94,622 | $89,500 | 10 | $89,500 | $18,055 | $49,550 |
| 2021 | $2,368,694 | $2,586,703 | $167,346 | $162,000 | 27 | $162,000 | $13,833 | $148,973 |
| 2020 | $900,167 | $258,393 | $178,497 | $174,275 | 45 | — | $8,393 | $40,259 |
| 2019 | $728,607 | $9,814 | $89,054 | $86,200 | 31 | — | $7,648 | $37,695 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation reported a distributable amount of $46K 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 missions. The American Indian College Fund says it invests in Native students and tribal college education; UNCF says it works to support under-represented students through college and strengthen its member institutions; and NAMI Chicago says it educates, advocates, and offers support to people on their mental health journeys.
Other 2025 grantees included organizations working in areas such as community services, open lands, broadcasting, and national parks. The National Park Foundation describes its role as generating private support and building partnerships to protect, preserve, and restore America’s national parks and their resources.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 24 grants totaling $108,250. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $15,000, with a median grant of $5,000.
The largest reported grants included $15,000 to the American Indian College Fund; $10,750 to St James; $10,500 to United Negro College Fund; $8,000 to Lake Bluff Open Lands Association; and $6,000 each to the Salvation Army and Bowen High School. Other grants included $5,000 each to Cool Food Pantries of Lake County, NAMI Chicago, PADS, WFMT, WTTW, and the Feminist Majority Foundation. The National Park Foundation received $2,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Karen R Crotty, John T Crotty, Valerie L Crotty, Pamela Crotty Preschlack, and Jennifer Crotty Murawski as trustees.
Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation's 2025 filing lists 5 officers; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jennifer Crotty Murawski
Trustee
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John T. Crotty
Trustee
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karen R. Crotty
Trustee
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pamela Crotty Preschlack
Trustee
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Valerie L. Crotty
Trustee
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/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 Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation
How much does Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation give each year?
Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation gave $108K across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $104K across 20 grants.
What is Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation's typical grant size?
Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $4,510, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation give grants?
Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Colorado (14%) and District of Columbia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (6 grants), Lake Bluff, IL (3 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and Lake Forest, IL (2 grants).
Does Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 24 grants with a stated purpose on Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (24 grants).
Who are Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation's largest grantees?
Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include American Indian College Fund ($15,000), St James ($10,750) and United Negro College Fund ($10,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation?
Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation reported $1.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $108K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $46K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation's EIN?
Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4196968. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Karen R & John T Crotty 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 28, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation funds
Crime & Legal Related Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Karen R & John T Crotty Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/karen-r-and-john-t-crotty-foundation-morg_781eaa9438544e1ebdf432387ec44843
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364196968_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Karen R \& John T Crotty Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/karen-r-and-john-t-crotty-foundation-morg_781eaa9438544e1ebdf432387ec44843},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Karen R & John T Crotty 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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