Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable
Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable is a private foundation based in Northbrook, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations working in areas including reproductive rights, education, land and wilderness conservation, and environmental protection.
Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable at a glance
In short: Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable gave $581K across 90 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), top state New York. 26% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $581,000
- +12.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 90
- +20.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,456
- -6.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,500
- Total assets
- $6,950,968
- +21.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (23 of 90, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (16% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 707 Skokie Blvd Ste 600, Northbrook, IL 60062
Phone: (847) 400-0099
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Center for Reproductive Rights ($45K). Together the top 10 received $232K.
Grant Size Distribution
374 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 372 grants of 374 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed across recipients in multiple states. The largest reported shares went to New York (16%), Illinois (15%), Wisconsin (13%), Washington, D.C. (9%), and Washington (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 90 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 23 of 90 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 71% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $357K (2020) to $581K (2025). In 2025 it made 90 grants totaling $581K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Center for Reproductive Rights New York, NY | Unrestricted | $45,000 |
| Depaul University Chicago, IL | $5,000 UNRESTRICTED;$25,000 Scholarships | $30,000 |
| Wilderness Watch Missoula, MT | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Northwoods Alliance Conover, WI | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Land O'Lakes Arts Land Olakes, WI | Unrestricted | $22,000 |
| Trout Unlimited Woolly Bugger, WV | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| National Resources Defense Council New York, NY | Unrestricted | $19,000 |
| National Abortion Federation Washington, DC | Unrestricted | $16,000 |
| ACLU Foundation Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Brennan Center for Justice New York, NY | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $6,950,968 | $5,530,541 | $730,981 | $581,000 | 90 | $581,000 | $1,314,816 | $558,825 |
| 2024 | $5,727,637 | $334,161 | $632,709 | $515,500 | 75 | $515,500 | $135,106 | $463,113 |
| 2023 | $6,026,185 | $134,030 | $550,782 | $436,140 | 68 | $436,140 | $19,489 | $415,897 |
| 2022 | $6,442,937 | $262,545 | $686,813 | $567,500 | 80 | $567,500 | $69,272 | $439,602 |
| 2021 | $6,867,205 | $805,284 | $570,902 | $427,000 | 61 | $427,000 | $593,606 | $552,125 |
| 2020 | $6,632,823 | $962,567 | $461,143 | $356,500 | 62 | — | $429,482 | $428,515 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable reported a distributable amount of $559K for 2025 — 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for organizations whose stated work spans several fields. Northwoods Alliance describes its mission as protecting land for public, recreational, and ecological value; Wilderness Watch says it works to protect wilderness and wild rivers. DePaul University describes itself as an innovative Catholic, Vincentian university focused on students’ human development and academic excellence. The National Abortion Federation says it supports abortion providers in delivering patient-centered, evidence-based care.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 90 grants totaling $581,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $45,000, with a median of $3,500.
Among the largest reported grants were $45,000 to the Center for Reproductive Rights, $30,000 to DePaul University—including $25,000 for scholarships—and $25,000 each to Wilderness Watch and Northwoods Alliance. Other notable awards included $22,000 to Land O’Lakes Arts, $20,000 to Trout Unlimited, and $19,000 to the National Resources Defense Council.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Charles B. Sethness as president and director; Mary R. Sethness as vice president and director; Norman A. Ryan as treasurer and director; and Randall Romei as secretary and director.
Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable is led by Charles B. Sethness, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Charles B. Sethness
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary R. Sethness
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Norman A. Ryan
Treasurer & Director
Vice President & Director → Treasurer & Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Randall Romei
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: John A. Shea (2020) — Tresurer & Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable
How much does Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable give each year?
Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable gave $581K across 90 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $516K across 75 grants.
What is Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable's typical grant size?
Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable's median grant in 2025 was $3,500, and its average grant was $6,456, across 90 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable that year got $4K on average.
Where does Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable give grants?
Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable's top state is New York, with 16% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Illinois (15%) and Wisconsin (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (12 grants), Chicago, IL (11 grants), Washington, DC (9 grants) and New York, NY (8 grants).
Does Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable give general operating support?
Yes: 91% of Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (82 of 90) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable's largest grantees?
Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable's largest 2025 grantees include Center for Reproductive Rights ($45,000), Depaul University ($30,000) and Wilderness Watch ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 17% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable?
Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable reported $7.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $581K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $559K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for organizations whose stated work spans several fields. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable?
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 Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable's EIN?
Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 90-0103956. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable 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.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 28, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mary-and-charles-sethness-charitable-morg_c7379500c9c6427ba78125798c29ee8b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_900103956_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mary-and-charles-sethness-charitable-morg_c7379500c9c6427ba78125798c29ee8b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Mary and Charles Sethness Charitable'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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