Master Educational Assistance Foundation
Master Educational Assistance Foundation is a private foundation based in Oak Park, Illinois. Its stated charitable activities include scholarships and other assistance for inner-city youth, disabled persons, low-income seniors, and families of military members or first responders, as well as donations and other assistance to charitable organizations, schools, churches, veterans groups, military organizations, and police memorials.
Master Educational Assistance Foundation at a glance
In short: Master Educational Assistance Foundation gave $384K across 53 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Illinois. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $384,281
- +16.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 53
- -5.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,251
- +23.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,500
- Total assets
- $2,952,018
- -9.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (18 of 48, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (83% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Master Educational Assistance Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. The filing says to submit a letter, brochure, or similar material describing the person or organization seeking assistance. It lists no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: James F Zangrilli
Mailing address: 747 S Euclid Ave, Oak Park, IL 60304
Phone: (847) 431-5590
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Master Educational Assistance Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Liberty Forever Foundation ($48K). Together the top 10 received $228K.
Organizations only. It also paid 5 individual scholarships ($31,630), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
272 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 272 grants of 272 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 83% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 7% to Maryland, 5% to Michigan, and 1% each to Ohio and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 53 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Master Educational Assistance Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 18 of 48 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 48% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 54% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 128% 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 $250K (2022) to $384K (2025). In 2025 it made 53 grants totaling $384K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Liberty Forever Foundation Chicago, IL | Contributior | $48,000 |
| Christ the King College Prep Chicago, IL | Contributior | $37,585 |
| University of Illinois Urbana, IL | Scholarship | $28,298 |
| Frieda Inc Wheeling, IL | Contributior | $20,000 |
| 5 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $31,630 |
| Resilience Partners NFP Chicago, IL | Contributior | $18,000 |
| St Frances of Rome School Cicero, IL | Contributior | $17,500 |
| Pilsen Promise Project Chicago, IL | Contributior | $17,000 |
| University of Maryland Baltimore, MD | Scholarship | $16,381 |
| Chicago Police Marine Corps LG Chicago, IL | Contributior | $13,460 |
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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 | $2,952,018 | $173,620 | $474,249 | $384,281 | 53 | $474,249 | $173,620 | $369,083 |
| 2024 | $3,252,647 | $168,751 | $415,374 | $329,313 | 56 | $415,374 | $168,751 | $332,787 |
| 2023 | $3,499,270 | $185,681 | $402,843 | $320,566 | 60 | $399,443 | $185,681 | $299,108 |
| 2022 | $3,716,432 | $91,955 | $349,305 | $249,852 | 57 | $332,299 | $91,955 | $307,998 |
| 2021 | $3,973,782 | $239,506 | $358,034 | $272,007 | 46 | $341,028 | $239,506 | $317,070 |
| 2020 | $4,054,898 | $503,865 | $419,959 | $324,300 | 34 | — | $503,866 | $292,717 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Master Educational Assistance Foundation reported a distributable amount of $369K 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
The foundation’s filing describes its direct charitable activities as providing scholarships and other assistance to the groups listed above, and donations and financial or in-kind assistance to charitable organizations and other groups.
Its 2025 grantees illustrate a range of supported organizations. Resilience Partners NFP describes its mission as helping individuals and organizations develop technology, fiduciary responsibilities, and best practices, with a focus on community-based organizations and social enterprises serving underserved communities. Brotherhood for the Fallen says it supports families, police departments, and communities after an officer is killed by an offender. Opportunity Knocks describes its work supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities as they live, work, learn, and connect in their communities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 53 grants totaling $384,281. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $48,000, with a median of $3,500. The largest awards included $48,000 to Liberty Forever Foundation, $37,585 to Christ the an individual recipient, $28,298 to the University of Illinois, and $20,000 each to Frieda Inc and an individual recipient High School. The filing lists the University of Illinois award as a scholarship and the other four as contributions.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists James Francis Zangrilli as executive director and James Franklin Zangrilli as director.
Master Educational Assistance Foundation is led by James Franklin Zangrilli, Executive Director & Director on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James Franklin Zangrilli
Executive Director & Director
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
$35K (2020) → $52K (2025)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $52K, to James Franklin Zangrilli (Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Master Educational Assistance Foundation
How much does Master Educational Assistance Foundation give each year?
Master Educational Assistance Foundation gave $384K across 53 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $329K across 56 grants.
What is Master Educational Assistance Foundation's typical grant size?
Master Educational Assistance Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,500, and its average grant was $7,251, across 53 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Master Educational Assistance Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Master Educational Assistance Foundation give grants?
Master Educational Assistance Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Maryland (7%) and Michigan (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (22 grants) and River Forest, IL (2 grants).
Does Master Educational Assistance Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 53 grants with a stated purpose on Master Educational Assistance Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Contributior" (36 grants), "Scholarship" (14 grants) and "Contribuitor" (3 grants).
Who are Master Educational Assistance Foundation's largest grantees?
Master Educational Assistance Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Liberty Forever Foundation ($48,000), Christ the King College Prep ($37,585) and University of Illinois ($28,298), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 5 individual scholarships ($31,630), which are not listed by name. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Master Educational Assistance Foundation?
Master Educational Assistance Foundation reported $3.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $474K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $369K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Master Educational Assistance Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing describes its direct charitable activities as providing scholarships and other assistance to the groups listed above, and donations and financial or in-kind assistance to charitable organizations and other groups. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Master Educational Assistance Foundation?
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Master Educational Assistance Foundation's EIN?
Master Educational Assistance Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3542174. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 6, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Master Educational Assistance Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/master-educational-assistance-foundation-morg_72da2eef2500499d8a4faf1c171fb684
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363542174_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Master Educational Assistance Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/master-educational-assistance-foundation-morg_72da2eef2500499d8a4faf1c171fb684},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Master Educational Assistance Foundation'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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