MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation
The MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation is a public charity based in Chicago, Illinois. Formed in 1981, it supports the efforts and projects of other charitable organizations through donations and grants.
MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation gave $1.2M across 55 grants in 2024 (avg $21K), top state Illinois. 47% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,164,750
- +37.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 55
- +52.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $21,177
- -10.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $12,000
- Total assets
- $591,697
- -51.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 47% first-time grantees (26 of 55, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (29% 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 MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: 444 West Lake Street Suite 4000, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 984-2011
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Equal Justice Works ($108K). Together the top 10 received $628K.
Grant Size Distribution
186 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 170 grants of 186 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, recipients in Illinois received 29% of grant dollars, those in New York 28%, and those in Washington, DC, 22%. California received 8% and Florida 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 55 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
47%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 26 of 55 grantees (47%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $27K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $16K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $566K (2021) to $1.3M (2020). In 2024 it made 55 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Equal Justice Works Washington, DC | — | $108,000 |
| Ownership Works New York, NY | — | $100,000 |
| Nijc Chicago, IL | — | $92,500 |
| Chicago Bar Foundation Chicago, IL | — | $80,000 |
| Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund Inc New York, NY | — | $70,000 |
| Legal Aid Chicago Chicago, IL | — | $60,000 |
| Lawyers for the Creative Arts Chicago, IL | — | $32,500 |
| Human Rights First New York, NY | — | $32,000 |
| Immigration Equality Brooklyn, NY | — | $27,500 |
| American Health Law Association Washington, DC | — | $25,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $591,697 | $780,966 | $1,401,045 | $1,164,750 | 55 |
| 2023 | $1,211,776 | $1,009,719 | $1,073,563 | $849,083 | 36 |
| 2022 | $1,275,620 | $1,002,297 | $914,489 | $684,150 | 38 |
| 2021 | $1,187,812 | $900,000 | $751,679 | $566,335 | 35 |
| 2020 | $1,039,491 | $1,609,772 | $641,756 | $1,259,666 | 22 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation states that its mission is to support other charitable organizations through distributions of donations and grants. Its 2024 grants included organizations whose stated missions involve equal justice and public service, immigrant rights, access to civil legal aid, LGBTQ+ civil rights, human rights, and pro bono legal services for people in the creative arts. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not additional mission statements from the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 55 grants totaling $1,164,750. Grants ranged from $5,667 to $108,000, with a median grant of $12,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $108,000 to Equal Justice Works, $100,000 to Ownership Works, $92,500 to NIJC, $80,000 to the Chicago Bar Foundation, $70,000 to Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund, and $60,000 to Legal Aid Chicago. Equal Justice Works describes its mission as creating opportunities for lawyers to commit to public service and equal justice. NIJC describes its work as advancing immigrant rights through legal services, litigation, advocacy, and strategic communications. The Chicago Bar Foundation says it brings the legal community together to improve access to justice and make the legal system fairer and more effective. Legal Aid Chicago says it provides civil legal aid to people living in poverty and other vulnerable groups.
The foundation states in its filing that it checks the IRS classification of grant recipients. If a recipient is not a 501(c)(3) organization, it requires a letter from the recipient describing how the funds will be used for public benefit.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Ira Coleman as chairman, Linda Doyle as secretary/treasurer, and Elizabeth Lewis and John Yoshimura as directors.
MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation is led by Ira Coleman, Chairman on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ira Coleman
Chairman
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Lewis
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Yoshimura
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Linda Doyle
Secretary & Treasurer
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Todd Solomon (2020–2023) — Secretary & Treasurer
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.
Frequently asked questions about MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation
How much does MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation give each year?
MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation gave $1.2M across 55 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $849K across 36 grants.
What is MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $12,000, and its average grant was $21,177, across 55 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation that year got $15K on average.
Where does MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation give grants?
MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 29% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were New York (28%) and District of Columbia (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (13 grants), New York, NY (10 grants), Chicago, IL (9 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (4 grants).
Who are MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Equal Justice Works ($108,000), Ownership Works ($100,000) and Nijc ($92,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation?
MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation reported $592K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $781K.
What does MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation states that its mission is to support other charitable organizations through distributions of donations and grants. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation?
MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation's EIN?
MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3172396. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 31, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 27, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mc-dermott-will-and-emery-charitable-foundation-morg_b64d8c97d434435baf76eb9fb3d6ad0d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363172396_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mc-dermott-will-and-emery-charitable-foundation-morg_b64d8c97d434435baf76eb9fb3d6ad0d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 MC Dermott Will and Emery Charitable 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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