Kenneth & Harle Montgomery Foundation

CHICAGO, IL EIN: 36-3871012

The Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Foundation is a private foundation established in 1993 and based in Chicago, Illinois. The foundation was created by Kenneth F. Montgomery, a Chicago lawyer, and his wife Harle Montgomery to support educational projects and philanthropic initiatives nationwide.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

—

Annual Giving

$798K

-10.3% YoY

Grant Count

-10.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$32K

+0.5% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Primary funding areas include:

Education
Science and STEM education
Philanthropy and grantmaking
Human services
Social justice and social welfare

Grantmaking

The foundation made 32 grants in 2023, with typical award amounts ranging from $500 to $175,000.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on California, Texas, and Illinois, though it funds educational projects nationwide.

Grant Distribution by State

California $2.2M (48%)

Illinois $1.3M (28%)

Wisconsin $420K (9%)

Louisiana $200K (4%)

Michigan $115K (2%)

Texas $97K (2%)

New York $85K (2%)

Ohio $85K (2%)

+3 more states

States

Arizona California District of Columbia Illinois Louisiana Massachusetts Michigan New York Ohio Texas Wisconsin

Cities

BOSTONCHICAGOCINCINNATIDALLASDUARTEGLENVIEWGOLFGREENWOOD LAKEHARBERTIRVINELA JOLLALAKE GENEVALEVELLANDLOS ANGELESNEW ORLEANSNEW YORKPASADENAPOSTSAN DIEGOSANTA ANA

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 31, 2023:

Total Assets: $12,015,411
Total Revenues: $1,208,125
Total Expenses: $1,003,617
Number of Employees: 0

As of 2024:

Total Assets: $12,548,900
Total Giving: $797,604

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

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

150 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Yerkes Future Foundation Inc ($175,000), African Grove Institute for the Arts ($100,000), John G Shedd Aquarium ($100,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
AFRICAN GROVE INSTITUTE FOR THE ARTS PASADENA, CA	SOCIAL WELFARE	$100,000
CAPROCK CULTURAL ASSOCIATION POST, TX	EDUCATIONAL	$2,500
CITY OF HOPE DUARTE, CA	SOCIAL WELFARE	$40,000
EVANS SCHOLARS FOUNDATION GLENVIEW, IL	EDUCATIONAL	$42,000
FATHER JOE'S VILLAGES SAN DIEGO, CA	SOCIAL WELFARE	$8,000
GARZA COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM POST, TX	EDUCATIONAL	$4,500
ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY CHICAGO, IL	EDUCATIONAL	$10,000
JOHN G SHEDD AQUARIUM CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL	$100,000
LAKE GENEVA FOOD PANTRY LAKE GENEVA, WI	GENERAL	$5,000
LEVELLAND WALLACE THEATER LEVELLAND, TX	GENERAL	$3,750

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Bryant G. Garth – Trustee (nephew of Harle Montgomery)
Cynthia Kobel – Trustee and Executive Director
Walter W. Bell – Treasurer and Vice President

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
BRYANT G GARTH	DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT	—	—
WALTER W BELL	DIRECTOR/EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT	—	—
ANDREW W GARTH	DIRECTOR/VICE PRESIDENT	—	—
LINDA L LANDRETH	DIRECTOR/TREASURER	—	—
BRENT L BARRINGER	DIRECTOR/SECRETARY	—	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation continues to support Southwestern Law School's Montgomery Scholars Program, which fosters cutting-edge legal scholarship. The foundation maintains active grantmaking across education, social welfare, and arts organizations, with recent grants supporting medical causes, community resource centers, and cultural institutions.

2021/22 Kenneth & Harle Montgomery Foundation Scholars

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Kenneth & Harle Montgomery Foundation fund?

The foundation's grantmaking focuses on education, philanthropy, voluntarism, and human services. The foundation emphasizes the power of education as a means for people to help themselves, with particular interest in supporting educational projects across multiple disciplines including law and social sciences. Primary funding areas include: • Education • Science and STEM education • Philanthropy and grantmaking • Human services • Social justice and social welfare

How do I apply for a grant from Kenneth & Harle Montgomery Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** The foundation made 32 grants in 2023, with typical award amounts ranging from $500 to $175,000. **Recent Grants (2023):** • Spirit of Charity Foundation: $150,000 (Medical) • People's Resource Center (PRC): $132,500 (Social Welfare) • African Grove Institute for the Arts: $100,000 (Social Welfare) • Southwestern Law School: Grant recipient (amount not specified) Total grants distributed in 2023 exceeded $987,500 across all awards. **Notable Programs:** The foundation sponso…

Where does Kenneth & Harle Montgomery Foundation make grants?

The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on California, Texas, and Illinois, though it funds educational projects nationwide.

What size grants does Kenneth & Harle Montgomery Foundation award?

In 2024, Kenneth & Harle Montgomery Foundation awarded 25 grants totaling $798K — an average of about $32K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

What is Kenneth & Harle Montgomery Foundation's EIN?

Kenneth & Harle Montgomery Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3871012. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.