Legacy Foundation Inc
Legacy Foundation Inc is a public charity based in Merrillville, Indiana, and the community foundation serving Lake County. It seeks and accepts endowments from public and private sources and distributes grants for community-enhancing projects and other charitable purposes.
Legacy Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Legacy Foundation Inc gave $3.8M across 83 grants in 2024 (avg $45K), mostly in Indiana. 29% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,774,322
- +24.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 83
- +5.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $45,474
- +18.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,261
- Total assets
- $123,834,639
- +47.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (24 of 83, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Indiana (94% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Legacy Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
For Thriving Hobart Seniors, applicants must meet the program’s eligibility requirements and submit an application for the grant cycle. For Love Where You Live, the described process began with a proposal followed by a full application for selected applicants; the published proposal deadline has passed.
- Review Cycle
- Love Where You Live proposals were due June 7, 2026, at 5 p.m. CDT; this is a past deadline.
- Deadline
- Love Where You Live proposals were due June 7, 2026, at 5 p.m.
- Contact
Mailing address: 370 E 84Th Dr Ste 100, Merrillville, IN 46410-6643
Phone: (219) 736-1880
Website: https://legacyfdn.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
44 open opportunities from Legacy Foundation Inc
Anderson Foundation Scholarship Grant
Legacy Foundation Inc
Amount
US $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Barbara Miller Meeker Art Scholarship Grant
Legacy Foundation Inc
Amount
Up to US $500
Deadline
Deadline not published
Bill and Sue Modrak Scholarship Grant
Legacy Foundation Inc
Amount
More than US $1,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Legacy Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Town of Merrillville ($787K). Together the top 10 received $2.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
373 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 307 grants of 373 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation identifies itself as the community foundation serving Lake County, Indiana. Its 2024 grant dollars were concentrated in Indiana, which accounted for 94%; other recipient-state shares were New Mexico 2%, and Florida, Illinois, and Idaho 1% each. The Love Where You Live program specifies that eligible projects must be located in Lake County.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 83 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Legacy Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 24 of 83 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $33K; repeat grants $51K. How we count
Medians: $11K first-time, $17K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $789K (2019) to $3.8M (2024). In 2024 it made 83 grants totaling $3.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Town of Merrillville Merrillville, IN | Community Center Sup | $787,320 |
| Tradewinds Services Inc Merrillville, IN | Pantry & Sensory RM | $217,504 |
| Food Bank of Northwest Indiana Merrillville, IN | Expansion & Org Sup. | $177,000 |
| Dunes Learning Center Chesterton, IN | Fellowships and Supp | $163,221 |
| Ivy Tech East Chicago East Chicago, IN | Ec Campus Renovation | $150,084 |
| Valparaiso University - Office of Institutional Advancement Valparaiso, IN | Engineering/Science | $150,000 |
| Calumet College of St Joseph Whiting, IN | Student Housing | $118,353 |
| Lakeshore Public Media NWI Public Broadcasting Merrillville, IN | Equip., Prog, & Supp | $112,179 |
| Ball State University Foundation Muncie, IN | Instruction Support | $100,000 |
| The Methodist Hospitals Foundation Inc Gary, IN | Star Recovery Center | $100,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Legacy Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $123,834,639 | $43,070,819 | $7,969,647 | $3,774,322 | 83 | $6,101,424 |
| 2023 | $84,051,402 | $4,887,322 | $6,109,239 | $3,039,599 | 79 | $1,119,266 |
| 2022 | $75,398,108 | $980,728 | $5,598,888 | $2,437,971 | 80 | $-1,943,061 |
| 2021 | $89,947,975 | $23,418,316 | $5,769,114 | $2,462,266 | 65 | $19,900,571 |
| 2020 | $82,702,603 | $16,103,447 | $6,741,036 | $1,975,498 | 66 | $2,430,255 |
| 2019 | $67,598,357 | $8,080,055 | $4,277,525 | $788,655 | 57 | $3,230,934 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to seek and accept endowments from public and private sources and distribute grants for community-enhancing projects and other charitable purposes. Its filing says its support includes operational assistance to charitable organizations, including equipment, supplies, programming, and services, as well as scholarships to help individuals with post-secondary education costs.
The 2024 grants included support for a community center, a food bank expansion, environmental education, college facilities and instruction, public media, and a hospital recovery center. Grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported: TradeWinds Services says it supports people with special needs; the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana says it provides food to charitable organizations and people in need in Northwest Indiana; and the Indiana Dunes Environmental Learning organization describes its work as promoting environmental education and stewardship of natural resources.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 83 grants totaling $3,774,322. Grant amounts ranged from $5,236 to $787,320, with a median of $15,261. Its filing separately reported that total grants and scholarships in 2024 were $5,377,632.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $787,320 to the Town of Merrillville for community center support; $217,504 to TradeWinds Services for a pantry and sensory room; $177,000 to the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana for expansion and organizational support; and $163,221 to Dunes Learning Center for fellowships and support. Other large awards included $150,084 to Ivy Tech East Chicago for campus renovation, $150,000 to Valparaiso University for engineering and science, and $118,353 to Calumet College of St. Joseph for student housing.
The foundation’s program information includes grants for organizations as well as scholarships for individuals. The Thriving Hobart Seniors grant supports organizations serving seniors in Hobart, Indiana, in areas including housing, health care, economic security, education, employment, transportation, companionship, and recreation. Its listed eligibility rules allow one application per qualified, tax-exempt organization per cycle; certain schools, religious organizations, civic organizations, and local government units may qualify for exceptions. The program listing says the foundation does not typically fund annual appeals, endowment funds, membership contributions, fundraising events, existing obligations, loans, or debt retirement. The Building the Future Vocational Scholarship is for Lake County residents pursuing a certificate or vocational or trade-school degree with the intent to gain local employment; it is a scholarship for individuals, not a grant program for outside organizations.
The Love Where You Live program describes a two-part process: organizations first submit a proposal, and selected applicants are invited to submit a full application. Its stated proposal deadline was June 7, 2026, which is a past cycle.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists John Freyek as chair, Sean Egan as vice-chair, Matt Doyle as treasurer, Sherri Ziller as secretary, Carey Yukich as immediate past chair, and James Dunne, Alfredo Estrada, Karima Hasan Bey, Rod Gayda, and Lisa Goodnight as directors. The foundation’s 2024 annual report identifies Kelly Anoe as president and CEO.
Legacy Foundation Inc is led by Kelly Anoe, President on every filing since 2022; 1 of 21 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Kelly Anoe
President
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$112K (2022) → $141K (2024)
John Freyek
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ellen Szarleta
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gregory Gordon
Director
Chair → Immediate Pa, 2022
Immediate Pa → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Dunne
Director
Treasurer → Director, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Karima Hasan Bey
Director
Director → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Phil Taillon
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephen Kavois
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Verlie Suggs
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard Young
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alfredo Estrada
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chelsea Whittington
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gloria Morris
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Goodnight
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Pam Ott
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Wright
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rod Gayda
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carey Yukich
Immediate Pa
Vice Chair → Chair, 2022
Chair → Immediate Pa, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sean Egan
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matt Doyle
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sherri Ziller
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (22)
- Former: Carolyn Saxton (2019–2022) — Former President
- Former: Chris Salatas (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Dana Rifai (2019–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Kenneth Wilk (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Martie Rivas-Ramos (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Michael Griffin (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Richard Leverett (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Robert Johnson (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Shannon Noder (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Thomas Keon (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Heather Garay (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Sophia Stratton (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Crystal L. Johnson (2021) — Director
- Former: Debra R. Bolanos (2021) — Director
- Former: Michael Dobosz (2021) — Director
- Former: Danette Garza (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Carrie Yukich (2019) — Director
- Former: Dave Austgen (2019) — Director
- Former: Mickey Lopez (2019) — Director
- Former: R. Louie Gonzalez (2019) — Director
- Former: Shar Miller (2019) — Director
- Former: Tom Newman (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $141K, to Kelly Anoe (President).
Frequently asked questions about Legacy Foundation Inc
How much does Legacy Foundation Inc give each year?
Legacy Foundation Inc gave $3.8M across 83 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $3.0M across 79 grants.
What is Legacy Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Legacy Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $15,261, and its average grant was $45,474, across 83 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Legacy Foundation Inc that year got $33K on average.
Where does Legacy Foundation Inc give grants?
Legacy Foundation Inc gives mostly in Indiana: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Gary, IN (12 grants), Merrillville, IN (9 grants), Hammond, IN (9 grants) and Hobart, IN (8 grants).
Does Legacy Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 83 grants with a stated purpose on Legacy Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support Orgs Mission" (28 grants).
Who are Legacy Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Legacy Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Town of Merrillville ($787,320), Tradewinds Services Inc ($217,504) and Food Bank of Northwest Indiana ($177,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Legacy Foundation Inc?
Legacy Foundation Inc reported $123.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $43.1M.
What does Legacy Foundation Inc fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to seek and accept endowments from public and private sources and distribute grants for community-enhancing projects and other charitable purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Legacy Foundation Inc?
For Thriving Hobart Seniors, applicants must meet the program’s eligibility requirements and submit an application for the grant cycle. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
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.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 27, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 18, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 8, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 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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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Legacy Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 9, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/legacy-foundation-inc-morg_d728d3283f844963b7322229ea94039f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_351872803_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Legacy Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/legacy-foundation-inc-morg_d728d3283f844963b7322229ea94039f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-09. 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 Legacy Foundation Inc'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.
Legacy Foundation Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?