Knight Impact Partners
KNIGHT IMPACT PARTNERS is a private foundation based in Lake Forest, Illinois. Its 2024 grants supported organizations including Chicago-area health, housing, education, and employment organizations, as well as One Acre Fund.
Key facts about Knight Impact Partners
In short: Knight Impact Partners gave $5.1M across 32 grants in 2024 (avg $159K), mostly in Illinois. 56% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 27-6566394
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $5,072,149
- Grants made (2024)
- 32
- Average grant
- $158,505
- Median grant
- $50,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 56% first-time grantees (18 of 32, 2024)
- Total assets
- $23,953,618
- Primary geography
- Illinois (97% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$24.0M
-11.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$5.1M
+735.6% YoY
Grant Count
32
+146.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$159K
+239.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Knight Impact Partners reported a distributable amount of $1.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Knight Impact Partners open to new grantees?
56%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 18 of 32 grantees (56%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $193K; repeat grants $114K. How we count
Medians: $150K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 28% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 242% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 284% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement is provided. The 2024 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, Inner-City Muslim Action Network describes its mission as fostering health, wellness, and healing in the inner city through social change, arts, and a holistic health center. City Colleges of Chicago Foundation says it raises charitable contributions to help community college students reach academic and career goals. La Casa Norte describes its work as providing services, resources, and housing to people facing homelessness. One Acre Fund says it works with rural self-help groups to help farm families address hunger and poverty.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 32 grants totaling $5,072,149. Grant amounts ranged from $1,500 to $1,000,000, with a median of $50,000.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois and 2% to recipients in Massachusetts. The reported shares for Michigan and New York were 0% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $607K (2023) to $5.1M (2024). In 2024 it made 32 grants totaling $5.1M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Inner-City Muslim Action Network ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $4.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
101 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 61 grants of 101 (60%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Inner-City Muslim Action Network Chicago, IL | General Support | $1,000,000 |
| One Acre Fund Highland Park, IL | General Support | $750,000 |
| Northshore Hospitals Foundation Evanston, IL | General Support | $560,499 |
| City Colleges of Chicago Foundation Chicago, IL | General Support | $500,000 |
| La CASA Norte Chicago, IL | Hope for Homes Day & Non-Congregate Shelter Project | $325,000 |
| Northwestern University Evanston, IL | Knight Scholars Fund | $250,000 |
| Maafa Redemption Project Inc Chicago, IL | General Support | $200,000 |
| One Million Degrees Chicago, IL | General Support | $200,000 |
| The Cara Program Chicago, IL | General Support | $200,000 |
| Connections for the Homeless Evanston, IL | General Support | $150,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $23,953,618 | $2,227,674 | $5,287,083 | $5,072,149 |
| 2023 | $27,013,027 | $13,446,174 | $785,546 | $607,000 |
| 2022 | $14,398,173 | $5,069,270 | $2,017,225 | $1,854,406 |
The 2024 filing reports 32 grants; the 2023 filing reports 13, and the 2022 filing reports 18.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $23,953,618 | $27,013,027 | $14,398,173 |
| Revenue | $2,227,674 | $13,446,174 | $5,069,270 |
| Expenses | $5,287,083 | $785,546 | $2,017,225 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $5,072,149 | $607,000 | $1,854,406 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,011,220 | $1,556,160 | $220,434 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,786,782 | $1,162,281 | $925,944 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Rebecca W. Knight and Lester B. Knight as trustees, Sol A. Flores as CEO, and Christopher T. Childs as CFO.
Knight Impact Partners is led by Sol A. Flores, CEO on the 2024 filing; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Sol A. Flores
CEO
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lester B. Knight
Trustee
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca W. Knight
Trustee
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christopher T. Childs
CFO
New on the 2024 filing
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 272 E Deerpath Rd 236, Lake Forest, IL 60045
Phone: (847) 283-7810
Website: https://knightfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about Knight Impact Partners
How much does Knight Impact Partners give each year?
Knight Impact Partners gave $5.1M across 32 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $607K across 13 grants.
What is Knight Impact Partners's typical grant size?
Knight Impact Partners's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $158,505, across 32 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Knight Impact Partners that year got $193K on average.
Where does Knight Impact Partners give grants?
Knight Impact Partners gives mostly in Illinois: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (20 grants) and Evanston, IL (5 grants).
Does Knight Impact Partners give general operating support?
Yes: 81% of Knight Impact Partners's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 32) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Knight Impact Partners's largest grantees?
Knight Impact Partners's largest 2024 grantees include Inner-City Muslim Action Network ($1,000,000), One Acre Fund ($750,000) and Northshore Hospitals Foundation ($560,499), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Knight Impact Partners?
Knight Impact Partners reported $24.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Knight Impact Partners fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2024 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, Inner-City Muslim Action Network describes its mission as fostering health, wellness, and healing in the inner city through social change, arts, and a holistic health center. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Knight Impact Partners?
The foundation 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 Knight Impact Partners's EIN?
Knight Impact Partners's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-6566394. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Knight Impact Partners accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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