Legacy Foundation Inc
Legacy Foundation Inc is a community foundation based in Merrillville, Indiana, serving Lake County. Established in 1992 and tax-exempt since December 1997, the organization functions as Lake County's community foundation, operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$123.8M
+47.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.8M
+24.2% YoY
Grant Count
83
+5.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$45K
+18.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Legacy Foundation seeks and accepts endowments from public and private sources to distribute grants for community-enhancing projects and other charitable purposes. The organization describes itself as "the enduring cornerstone organization that helps donors and partners fulfill their collective dreams" and aims to build "a culture of philanthropy across generations that will positively transform Lake County."
The foundation provides operational support to charitable organizations and awards college scholarships to individuals to assist with post-secondary education costs.
Grantmaking
The foundation is highly active in grantmaking:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $84,051,402
- Total Revenues: $4,887,322
- Total Expenses: $6,109,239
- Staff: 11 employees
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $123,834,639 | $84,051,402 | $75,398,108 |
| Revenue | $43,070,819 | $4,887,322 | $980,728 |
| Expenses | $7,969,647 | $6,109,239 | $5,598,888 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $6,101,424 | $1,119,266 | $-1,943,061 |
| 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
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
44 open opportunities from Legacy Foundation Inc
Anderson Foundation Scholarship Grant
LEGACY FOUNDATION INC
Amount
US $10,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Barbara Miller Meeker Art Scholarship Grant
LEGACY FOUNDATION INC
Amount
Up to US $500
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Bill and Sue Modrak Scholarship Grant
LEGACY FOUNDATION INC
Amount
More than US $1,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Food Bank of Northwest Indiana ($177,000), Dunes Learning Center ($163,221), Ivy Tech East Chicago ($150,084).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| BALL STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION MUNCIE, IN | INSTRUCTION SUPPORT | $100,000 |
| CALUMET COLLEGE OF ST JOSEPH WHITING, IN | STUDENT HOUSING | $118,353 |
| CHICAGOLAND IMMIGRANT WELCOME HAMMOND, IN | BUILDING INITIATIVE | $10,000 |
| COATES INC MERRILLVILLE, IN | FAFSA FAST TRACK | $10,858 |
| COMMUNITY HELP NETWORK INC CROWN POINT, IN | BUDDY BAG | $7,500 |
| COMMUNITY INCLUSION PROGRAM HIGHLAND, IN | INTERNSHIPS | $14,770 |
| CRISIS CENTER GARY, IN | SUPPORT ORGS MISSION | $74,333 |
| DELTA INSTITUTE CHICAGO, IL | PLANTING CONSORTIUM | $10,000 |
| DIOCESE OF GARY MERRILLVILLE, IN | NEEDY CHILDREN | $12,276 |
| DUNES LEARNING CENTER CHESTERTON, IN | FELLOWSHIPS AND SUPP | $163,221 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation maintains a Fund Advisor Portal and Scholarship Login system for grantees and donors. The organization employs 11 staff members as of 2023.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN FREYEK | CHAIR | 1 | — |
| SEAN EGAN | VICE-CHAIR | 1 | — |
| MATT DOYLE | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| SHERRI ZILLER | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| CAREY YUKICH | IMMEDIATE PA | 1 | — |
| JAMES DUNNE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ALFREDO ESTRADA | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KARIMA HASAN BEY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ROD GAYDA | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LISA GOODNIGHT | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GREGORY GORDON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| STEPHEN KAVOIS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GLORIA MORRIS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PAM OTT | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| VERLIE SUGGS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ELLEN SZARLETA | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PHIL TAILLON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CHELSEA WHITTINGTON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DAVID WRIGHT | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RICHARD YOUNG | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KELLY ANOE | PRESIDENT | 40 | $141,233 |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Legacy Foundation Inc fund?
The Legacy Foundation seeks and accepts endowments from public and private sources to distribute grants for community-enhancing projects and other charitable purposes. The organization describes itself as "the enduring cornerstone organization that helps donors and partners fulfill their collective dreams" and aims to build "a culture of philanthropy across generations that will positively transform Lake County." The foundation provides operational support to charitable organizations and awards…
How do I apply for a grant from Legacy Foundation Inc?
**Grant Activity:** The foundation is highly active in grantmaking: • 2024: $5,377,632 in total grants and scholarships • 2023: $3,495,080 in total grants and scholarships **Recent Grant Recipients (2023):** • Indiana University Foundation: $688,000 (Program Support) • TradeWinds Services: $111,100 (Further Organization's Mission) • Crisis Center: $71,406 (Further Organization's Mission) The foundation awarded 65 grants in 2023, with additional grants totaling $1,905,054 beyond those listed abo…
What size grants does Legacy Foundation Inc award?
In 2024, Legacy Foundation Inc awarded 83 grants totaling $3.8M — an average of about $45K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Legacy Foundation Inc's EIN?
Legacy Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-1872803. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Legacy Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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