Masonic Foundation of Wilmette
Masonic Foundation of Wilmette is a private foundation based in Glencoe, Illinois. In its 2025 filing, it reported giving $66,154 through 10 grants to charitable organizations.
Key facts about Masonic Foundation of Wilmette
In short: Masonic Foundation of Wilmette gave $66K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 36-1970628
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $66,154
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- Average grant
- $6,615
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $1,413,949
- Primary geography
- Illinois (98% 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 for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. 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
$1.4M
-0.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$66K
-0.5% YoY
Grant Count
10
+42.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$7K
-30.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Masonic Foundation of Wilmette reported a distributable amount of $73K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Masonic Foundation of Wilmette gives
- 30% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−17%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 99% 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 (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing describes its contributions as charitable. Its 2025 grants included support for Masonic organizations and other charitable organizations. Illinois Masonic Outreach Services describes its mission as providing assistance and charity to needy Master Masons and their families, widows, and other proper objects of Masonic charity. Disabled Patriot Fund describes its mission as providing financial relief to local U.S. military families adversely affected by the “War on Terror.” These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a mission statement for the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $66,154. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $49,999, with a median of $1,500. The largest grant was $49,999 to Wilmette Evanston Lodge 524 in Winnetka, Illinois. Other grants included $3,155 to Illinois Masonic Outreach Services, $3,000 to Illinois Masonic Foundation for the Pre… and $3,000 to Illinois DeMolay. The foundation also gave $2,000 to Disabled Patriot Fund and $1,000 each to five other listed organizations.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois and 2% to recipients in New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $9K (2020) to $80K (2022). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $66K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Wilmett Evanston Lodge 524 ($50K). Together the top 10 received $66K.
Grant Size Distribution
38 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 37 grants of 38 (97%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wilmett Evanston Lodge 524 Winnetka, IL | Charitable - in Support of General C | $49,999 |
| Illinois Masonic Outreach Services Springfield, IL | Charitable - in Suppirt of General | $3,155 |
| Illinois Masonic Found for the Pre Springfield, IL | Charitable-General Support | $3,000 |
| Illinois Demolay New Lenox, IL | Charitable-General Support | $3,000 |
| Disabled Patriot Fund Inc Tinley Park, IL | Charitable-General Support | $2,000 |
| Pro Se Family Foundation Union, NJ | Charitable- General Support | $1,000 |
| Friendship Assembly 100 Glenview, IL | Charitble-General Support | $1,000 |
| Society of King Solomon Springfield, IL | Charitable-General Support | $1,000 |
| Royal Arch Masons of ILLINOIS(EVANS Morton Grove, IL | Charitable-General Support | $1,000 |
| 124 Augustus N Gage Council Glenview, IL | Charitable-General Support | $1,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,413,949 | $77,653 | $80,866 | $66,154 |
| 2024 | $1,418,074 | $77,776 | $78,767 | $66,465 |
| 2023 | $1,419,603 | -$18,553 | $89,220 | $73,377 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,413,949 | $1,418,074 | $1,419,603 |
| Revenue | $77,653 | $77,776 | $-18,553 |
| Expenses | $80,866 | $78,767 | $89,220 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $71,890 | $71,521 | $76,957 |
| Net Investment Income | $68,165 | $79,321 | $32,164 |
| Distributable Amount | $72,650 | $71,210 | $70,045 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 4, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Gary Hardesty as president, Bill Conron as vice president, David Kurtz as secretary, and Robert Blackwell as treasurer.
Masonic Foundation of Wilmette is led by Gary Hardesty, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gary Hardesty
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robert Blackwell
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Bill Conron
Vice President
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
David Kurtz
Secretary
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Lee Bradley (2020) — Secretary
- Former: Stuart Berger (2020) — Vice President
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 102 Green Bay Rd C/O Wm Conron, Glencoe, IL 60022
Phone: (847) 686-1982
Frequently asked questions about Masonic Foundation of Wilmette
How much does Masonic Foundation of Wilmette give each year?
Masonic Foundation of Wilmette gave $66K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $66K across 7 grants.
What is Masonic Foundation of Wilmette's typical grant size?
Masonic Foundation of Wilmette's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $6,615, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Masonic Foundation of Wilmette give grants?
Masonic Foundation of Wilmette gives mostly in Illinois: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Springfield, IL (3 grants) and Glenview, IL (2 grants).
Does Masonic Foundation of Wilmette give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Masonic Foundation of Wilmette's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Masonic Foundation of Wilmette's largest grantees?
Masonic Foundation of Wilmette's largest 2025 grantees include Wilmett Evanston Lodge 524 ($49,999), Illinois Masonic Outreach Services ($3,155) and Illinois Masonic Found for the Pre ($3,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 85% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Masonic Foundation of Wilmette?
Masonic Foundation of Wilmette reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $72K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $73K (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 Masonic Foundation of Wilmette fund?
The foundation’s filing describes its contributions as charitable. Its 2025 grants included support for Masonic organizations and other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Masonic Foundation of Wilmette?
The foundation states that it 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 Masonic Foundation of Wilmette's EIN?
Masonic Foundation of Wilmette's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-1970628. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Masonic Foundation of Wilmette accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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