Nickum Foundation
Nickum Foundation is a private foundation based in Hinsdale, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including education, health, housing, and land-conservation organizations.
Nickum Foundation at a glance
In short: Nickum Foundation gave $181K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), mostly in Michigan. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $181,000
- +20.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +42.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $18,100
- -15.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $16,750
- Total assets
- $2,025,088
- -3.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (2 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (62% 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 Nickum Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 724 S Madison Street, Hinsdale, IL 60521
Phone: (630) 920-7038
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Nickum Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Housing Trust of Benzie ($30K). Together the top 10 received $181K.
Grant Size Distribution
46 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 45 grants of 46 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in Michigan (62%), Ohio (14%), Iowa (7%), Illinois (6%), and Florida (6%). The listed grants also included a recipient in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Nickum Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 10 grantees (20%) 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 $20K; repeat grants $18K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $17K repeat.
- 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 95% 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 (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 $150K (2020) to $181K (2025). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $181K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Housing Trust of Benzie Frankfort, MI | General Support | $30,000 |
| Denison University Granville, OH | General Support | $25,000 |
| Frankfort-Elberta Education Foundation Frankfort, MI | General Support | $25,000 |
| Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital Foundation Frankfort, MI | General Support | $25,000 |
| Cranbrook Schools Bloomfield, MI | General Support | $20,000 |
| University of Iowa Iowa City, IA | General Support | $13,500 |
| Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy Traverse City, MI | General Support | $12,500 |
| Northwestern University Evanston, IL | General Support | $10,000 |
| Rollins College Winter Park, FL | General Support | $10,000 |
| Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA | General Support | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Nickum Foundation?
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 | $2,025,088 | $130,442 | $207,761 | $181,000 | 10 | $182,295 | $107,706 | $190,934 |
| 2024 | $2,102,407 | $155,098 | $173,157 | $150,000 | 7 | $151,277 | $133,218 | $178,337 |
| 2023 | $2,119,463 | $87,632 | $187,556 | $165,000 | 8 | $166,265 | $66,341 | $156,102 |
| 2022 | $2,219,387 | $49,707 | $207,242 | $180,000 | 12 | $181,179 | $33,237 | $166,267 |
| 2021 | $2,376,922 | $274,032 | $187,096 | $165,000 | 9 | $166,146 | $253,406 | $186,982 |
| 2020 | $2,289,986 | $19,628 | $171,279 | $150,000 | 12 | — | $53,117 | $159,773 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Nickum Foundation reported a distributable amount of $191K 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 2025 grants included universities and colleges, a hospital foundation, a housing trust, an education foundation, and a land conservancy. The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy describes its mission as protecting significant natural, scenic, and farm lands and advancing land stewardship. Rollins College describes its mission as educating students for global citizenship and responsible leadership, while Northwestern University describes a commitment to teaching, research, and students’ personal and intellectual growth.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $181,000. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $30,000, with a median of $16,750. The largest listed grants were $30,000 to Housing Trust of Benzie; $25,000 each to Denison University, Frankfort-Elberta Education Foundation, and Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital Foundation; and $20,000 to Cranbrook Schools. Other listed grants included $13,500 to the University of Iowa, $12,500 to Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, and $10,000 each to Northwestern University, Rollins College, and Santa Clara University. All listed grants were for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Johanna N. McClear as president, Kevin R. McClear as vice president, Chris R. McClear as treasurer, and Richard J. McClear as secretary.
Nickum Foundation is led by Johanna N. McClear, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Johanna N. McClear
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris R. McClear
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kevin R. McClear
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard J. McClear
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Nickum Foundation
How much does Nickum Foundation give each year?
Nickum Foundation gave $181K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $150K across 7 grants.
What is Nickum Foundation's typical grant size?
Nickum Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $16,750, and its average grant was $18,100, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Nickum Foundation that year got $20K on average.
Where does Nickum Foundation give grants?
Nickum Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 62% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Ohio (14%) and Iowa (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Frankfort, MI (3 grants).
Does Nickum Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Nickum Foundation'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 Nickum Foundation's largest grantees?
Nickum Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Housing Trust of Benzie ($30,000), Denison University ($25,000) and Frankfort-Elberta Education Foundation ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Nickum Foundation?
Nickum Foundation reported $2.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $182K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $191K (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 Nickum Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included universities and colleges, a hospital foundation, a housing trust, an education foundation, and a land conservancy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Nickum Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Nickum Foundation's EIN?
Nickum Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-3141920. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Nickum Foundation 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Nickum Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/nickum-foundation-morg_789061ebec274aa4985851c9687cdd82
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_383141920_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Nickum Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/nickum-foundation-morg_789061ebec274aa4985851c9687cdd82},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Nickum 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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