Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc

Private foundation · Grantmaker Lake Forest, IL EIN: 36-3980208

LAKE FOREST KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS is a Form 990-PF (a private foundation) based in Lake Forest, Illinois. Its reported 2025 grants included scholarships to universities and charitable gifts to schools, churches, and other organizations.

Key facts about Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc

In short: Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc gave $39K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Illinois. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
36-3980208
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$39,000
Grants made (2025)
13
Average grant
$3,000
Median grant
$2,000
New grantees (estimate)
38% first-time grantees (5 of 13, 2025; small sample)
Total assets
$697,134
Primary geography
Illinois (56% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Full details ↓
Deadline
March 1.

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 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 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$697K

-4.5% YoY

Annual Giving

$39K

-2.5% YoY

Grant Count

13

+44.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$3K

-32.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc reported a distributable amount of $42K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc open to new grantees?

38%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 5 of 13 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $3K. How we count

Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.

  • 38% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−6%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 93% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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.

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 show support for scholarships and charitable gifts. Among the grantees, Xavier University describes itself as a Jesuit Catholic university that educates students intellectually, morally, and spiritually; Marquette University describes its mission as a Catholic, Jesuit commitment to learning, faith, and service. The Institute on Religious Life says it promotes vocations to religious life and supports religious communities, while Aid for Women says it operates pregnancy help centers, medical clinics, and residential programs. Maryville Academy describes its work as protecting children and strengthening families, rooted in Catholic social teaching.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation awarded 13 grants totaling $39,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $5,000, with a median grant of $2,000. It awarded 9 grants totaling $40,000 in 2024 and 15 grants totaling $43,000 in 2023.

Among its 2025 grants, the foundation awarded $5,000 each to Marquette University for a scholarship, Most Blessed Trinity Academy and School of St. Mary for charitable gifts, Boston College for a scholarship, and Xavier University for a scholarship. Other listed grants included $2,500 to Chesterton Academy of the Sacred Heart; $2,000 each to the Institute on Religious Life, Aid for Women, The Phoenix Rising, and St. Patrick’s Church; $1,500 to Maryville Academy; and $1,000 to James Church Libertyville.

Review Cycle

March 1. The filing does not specify a year for this deadline; the application instructions are from the 2024 filing, so that cycle is past.

How to Apply

The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Its 2024 filing lists a scholarship fund application. Applicants must be U.S. citizens applying to a full-time undergraduate program leading to a bachelor’s degree at a Catholic college or university in the United States. The applicant or a family member must be a parishioner of a Catholic church in Lake County, Illinois.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 56% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 13% each to recipients in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and Ohio, and 5% to recipients in Tennessee.

Grant Distribution by State

10states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.

Cities

Lake ForestChicagoDes PlainesFayettevilleFarmingtonLibertyvilleMundeleinNotre DameSt. LouisWaukeganZionBridgeviewMilwaukeeOmahaPeoriaRoselleChestnut HillCincinnatiEvergreen ParkHouston

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$20K$40K$60K17 grants2021 18 grants2022 15 grants2023 9 grants2024 13 grants2025

From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $36K (2021) to $43K (2023). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $39K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Marquette University: $5KMarquette University$5KMost Blessed Trinity Academy: $5KMost Blessed Trinity Academy$5KSchool of St Mary: $5KSchool of St Mary$5KBoston College: $5KBoston College$5KXavier University: $5KXavier University$5KChesterton Academy of the Sacred Heart: $3KChesterton Academy of theSacred Heart$3KInstitute on Religious Life: $2KInstitute on Religious Life$2KAid for Women: $2KAid for Women$2KThe Phoenix Rising: $2KThe Phoenix Rising$2KSt Patrick's Church: $2KSt Patrick's Church$2K

The largest 2025 recipient was Marquette University ($5K). Together the top 10 received $36K.

Grant Size Distribution

72 grants across all recorded years

72<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 72 grants of 72 (100%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Marquette University Milwaukee, WIScholarship$5,000
Most Blessed Trinity Academy Waukegan, ILCharitable Gift$5,000
School of St Mary Lake Forest, ILCharitable Gift$5,000
Boston College Chestnut Hill, MAScholarship$5,000
Xavier University Cincinnati, OHScholarship$5,000
Chesterton Academy of the Sacred Heart Peoria, ILCharitable Gift$2,500
Institute on Religious Life Libertyville, ILCharitable Gift$2,000
Aid for Women Chicago, ILCharitable Gift$2,000
The Phoenix Rising Fayetteville, TNCharitable Gift$2,000
St Patrick's Church Lake Forest, ILCharitable Gift$2,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Total grants Number of grants
2025 $39,000 13
2024 $40,000 9
2023 $43,000 15
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$20K$40K$60K$80K2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$697,134$729,640$743,530
Revenue$22,964$36,342$29,517
Expenses$55,470$50,232$53,083
Qualifying Distributions$39,000$40,000$43,000
Net Investment Income$18,156$31,297$24,321
Distributable Amount$41,900$39,464$38,356

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 10, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 4, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
  6. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists John Mastro as president; Andrew Lotts as treasurer; Michael Reidy as secretary; and Jeff Kowal, Joe Egan, and James P. Graziano as directors.

Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc is led by John Mastro, President on every filing since 2023; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • John Mastro

    President

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jeff Kowal

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Joe Egan

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • James P. Graziano

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Andrew Lotts

    Treasurer

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Michael Reidy

    Secretary

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (4)
  • Former: Bob Wenderski (2021–2023) — Director
  • Former: Bob Boutin (2021–2022) — Former Secretary
  • Former: Jeremy Dee (2021–2022) — Former President
  • Former: Steven Potsic (2021–2022) — 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.

Contact

Application contact: Lake Forest Knights Of Columbus Cha
Mailing address: PO Box 507, Lake Forest, IL 60045
Phone: (847) 234-5000

Frequently asked questions about Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc

How much does Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc give each year?

Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc gave $39K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $40K across 9 grants.

What is Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc's typical grant size?

Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $3,000, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc that year got $3K on average.

Where does Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc give grants?

Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc gives mostly in Illinois: 56% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Wisconsin (13%) and Massachusetts (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lake Forest, IL (4 grants).

Does Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Gift" (10 grants) and "Scholarship" (3 grants).

Who are Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc's largest grantees?

Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Marquette University ($5,000), Most Blessed Trinity Academy ($5,000) and School of St Mary ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc?

Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc reported $697K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $39K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $42K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.

What does Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for scholarships and charitable gifts. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc?

The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc's EIN?

Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3980208. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.

Does Lake Forest Knights of Columbus Charities Inc 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.

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