Mark Morton Memorial Fund
The Mark Morton Memorial Fund is a Form 990-PF private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. It makes grants to Illinois public charities and also reports direct charitable benefit payments for certain people formerly employed by Morton International, Inc., Morton Salt Co., or their wholly owned subsidiaries before July 1, 1971.
Mark Morton Memorial Fund at a glance
In short: Mark Morton Memorial Fund gave $724K across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $60K), mostly in Illinois. 70% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $723,626
- +31.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $60,302
- +31.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $69,000
- Total assets
- $13,498,924
- +4.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 70% first-time grantees (7 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Mark Morton Memorial Fund
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists Sarah Severson as the contact and requests a grant application and related financial data. It states that the fund does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and that awards are restricted to Illinois public charities.
- Contact
Application contact: Sarah Severson
Mailing address: C/O Arentfox Schiff Llp 233 S, Wacker Dr Suite 7100, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 258-5588
Website: https://morton.edu
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mark Morton Memorial Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Onward Neighborhood House ($102K). Together the top 10 received $624K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($99,961), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
82 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 46 grants of 82 (56%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars itemized for 2024 went to recipients in Illinois. The filing limits awards to Illinois public charities.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Mark Morton Memorial Fund open to new grantees?
70%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 10 grantees (70%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $57K; repeat grants $76K. How we count
Medians: $65K first-time, $100K repeat.
- 10% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−14%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 106% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $551K (2023) to $942K (2022). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $724K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Onward Neighborhood House Chicago, IL | Charitable | $102,000 |
| Wayside Cross Ministries Aurora, IL | Charitable | $100,000 |
| 2 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $99,961 |
| Avenues to Independence Park Ridge, IL | Charitable | $75,000 |
| Maywood Fine Arts Association Maywood, IL | Charitable | $75,000 |
| Circle Urban Ministries Chicago, IL | Charitable | $73,000 |
| Chicago Youth Programs Chicago, IL | Charitable | $65,000 |
| Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago Chicago, IL | Charitable | $53,665 |
| Outreach Community Ministries Carol Stream, IL | Charitable | $35,000 |
| Kids Above All Chicago, IL | Charitable | $25,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $13,498,924 | $1,583,869 | $965,039 | $723,626 | 12 | $880,368 | $1,519,177 | $828,599 |
| 2023 | $12,881,231 | $1,273,354 | $806,251 | $551,347 | 12 | $723,890 | $1,210,609 | $771,632 |
| 2022 | $12,404,799 | $-107,069 | $1,136,905 | $942,163 | 19 | $1,090,293 | $271,953 | $820,156 |
| 2021 | $13,672,750 | $1,353,034 | $1,049,536 | $845,196 | 16 | $982,462 | $1,308,944 | $905,130 |
| 2020 | $13,388,084 | $782,110 | $1,098,951 | $885,544 | 23 | — | $725,372 | $789,596 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mark Morton Memorial Fund reported a distributable amount of $829K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No overall mission statement is provided. The fund’s 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas including community services, youth programs, arts and fitness education, support for people with disabilities, and home and neighborhood improvements. These are the grantees’ activities, not stated focus areas of the fund.
For example, Onward Neighborhood House says it provides educational, economic, and support services to improve lives and uplift communities. Avenues to Independence says it supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through personalized support, advocacy, and community engagement. Maywood Fine Arts Association says it provides affordable arts and fitness education to children and families. Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago says it improves homes and neighborhoods for elderly, disabled, and low-income residents.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the fund reported 12 grants totaling $723,626. Grants ranged from $19,683 to $102,000, with a median of $69,000. The largest grants included $102,000 to Onward Neighborhood House, $100,000 to Wayside Cross Ministries, $80,278 to a recipient listed as “an individual recipient” for aged, blind, and disabled support, and $75,000 each to Avenues to Independence and Maywood Fine Arts Association.
The fund’s filing also describes direct benefit payments for hospital, medical, and surgical care, and for assistance to aged, blind, or disabled former employees meeting the stated employment-date criteria. These payments are distinct from grants to outside organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Sarah K. Severson as president; Molly Galo, Mary Kate Daly, and John Venhuizen as directors/vice presidents.
Mark Morton Memorial Fund is led by Sarah K. Severson, President on every filing since 2020; all 4 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Sarah K. Severson
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$30K (2020) → $30K (2024)
John Venhuizen
Director & Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$12K (2020) → $12K (2024)
Mary Kate Daly
Director & Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$12K (2020) → $12K (2024)
Molly Galo
Director & Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$12K (2020) → $12K (2024)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $30K, to Sarah K Severson (President). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Mark Morton Memorial Fund
How much does Mark Morton Memorial Fund give each year?
Mark Morton Memorial Fund gave $724K across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $551K across 12 grants.
What is Mark Morton Memorial Fund's typical grant size?
Mark Morton Memorial Fund's median grant in 2024 was $69,000, and its average grant was $60,302, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mark Morton Memorial Fund that year got $57K on average.
Where does Mark Morton Memorial Fund give grants?
Mark Morton Memorial Fund gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (5 grants).
Does Mark Morton Memorial Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on Mark Morton Memorial Fund's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (10 grants).
Who are Mark Morton Memorial Fund's largest grantees?
Mark Morton Memorial Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Onward Neighborhood House ($102,000), Wayside Cross Ministries ($100,000) and Avenues to Independence ($75,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($99,961), which are not listed by name. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Mark Morton Memorial Fund?
Mark Morton Memorial Fund reported $13.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $880K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $829K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Mark Morton Memorial Fund fund?
No overall mission statement is provided. The fund’s 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas including community services, youth programs, arts and fitness education, support for people with disabilities, and home and neighborhood improvements. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mark Morton Memorial Fund?
The filing lists Sarah Severson as the contact and requests a grant application and related financial data. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Mark Morton Memorial Fund's EIN?
Mark Morton Memorial Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7181380. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mark Morton Memorial Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mark-morton-memorial-fund-morg_644f1e06bad4461aa6cade1015f86737
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237181380_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mark Morton Memorial Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mark-morton-memorial-fund-morg_644f1e06bad4461aa6cade1015f86737},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-05. 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 Mark Morton Memorial Fund'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.
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