North Shore Exchange NFP
North Shore Exchange NFP is a public charity based in Glencoe, Illinois. It operates a donation and consignment resale shop to raise funds for charitable purposes and makes grants to organizations serving people experiencing poverty.
North Shore Exchange NFP at a glance
In short: North Shore Exchange NFP gave $600K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $43K), mostly in Illinois. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $600,000
- +9.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +7.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $42,857
- +1.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $35,000
- Total assets
- $3,371,339
- +18.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (2 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to North Shore Exchange NFP
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
North Shore Exchange accepts unsolicited requests through an online application process. Its website describes a two-step review: the Philanthropy Committee reviews applications and notifies organizations selected to continue; those selected then submit financial statements. The stated eligibility criteria include 501(c)(3) status, at least three years in operation, and total revenue above $600,000 but below $15 million, except for food banks and pantries. Faith-based organizations, charter schools, and political advocacy requests are excluded. Organizations must primarily serve the Chicagoland area, and after receiving grants for three years, must take a year off before applying again.
- Review Cycle
- The listed 2026 cycle deadline was January 16, 2026, and is past. The schedule listed applicant notifications for March 11, 2026, a financial-statement deadline of April 3, 2026, funding notifications in late summer 2026, and grant distribution and an award reception in fall 2026.
- Deadline
- The listed 2026 cycle deadline was January 16, 2026, and is past.
- Contact
Mailing address: 372 Hazel Ave, Glencoe, IL 60022
Phone: (847) 835-0026
Website: https://northshoreexchange.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who North Shore Exchange NFP funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Care for Real ($100K). Together the top 10 received $490K.
Grant Size Distribution
69 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 52 grants of 69 (75%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
North Shore Exchange describes its grantmaking as focused on Chicagoland. All grant dollars reported in the 2025 filing went to recipients in Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is North Shore Exchange NFP open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 14 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $68K; repeat grants $39K. How we count
Medians: $68K first-time, $35K repeat.
- 64% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+9%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $510K (2023) to $600K (2025). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $600K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Care for Real Chicago, IL | $100,000 | |
| Journeysthe Road Home Palatine, IL | $100,000 | |
| Fenix Family Health Center Highwood, IL | $45,000 | |
| La CASA Norte Chicago, IL | $35,000 | |
| Wings Program Inc Palatine, IL | $35,000 | |
| Margaret's Village Chicago, IL | $35,000 | |
| The Harbour Inc Park Ridge, IL | $35,000 | |
| Children's Advocacy Center Springfield, IL | $35,000 | |
| Fill a Heart 4 Kids Lake Forest, IL | $35,000 | |
| Inspiration Corporation Chicago, IL | $35,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,371,339 | $6,972,373 | $6,530,059 | $600,000 | 14 | — |
| 2024 | $2,850,249 | $5,268,641 | $5,077,310 | $550,400 | 13 | — |
| 2023 | $2,370,562 | $4,596,625 | $4,486,451 | $510,000 | 13 | — |
| 2022 | $1,959,858 | $4,150,868 | $4,083,569 | $550,000 | 15 | $-11,146 |
| 2021 | $1,099,098 | $3,300,533 | $3,123,139 | $585,000 | 14 | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
North Shore Exchange’s stated vision is to help alleviate the trauma of poverty in Chicagoland. Its website describes support for organizations providing human services and education to children and families living below the poverty line, and identifies essential-service areas including abuse, disabilities, domestic violence, education, services for older adults, healthcare, homelessness, hunger, legal rights, mental health, and social services.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of services among its grantees. Care for Real says it helps vulnerable neighbors overcome food insecurity and provides food, clothing, pet food, referrals, and other services. Fenix Family Health Center says it provides low- or no-cost medical care to low-income and uninsured people. La Casa Norte says it provides services, resources, and housing to people facing homelessness; WINGS Program says it provides housing, services, education, and advocacy to end domestic violence; and North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic says it provides free legal services in domestic violence, housing, and immigration.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, North Shore Exchange reported 14 grants totaling $600,000. The grants ranged from $10,000 to $100,000, with a median of $35,000. Its website describes $30,000 as a typical grant size and says that transformative grants of up to $100,000 have been made.
Among the largest reported 2025 grants were $100,000 each to Care for Real and Journeys | The Road Home; $45,000 to Fenix Family Health Center; and $35,000 each to La Casa Norte, WINGS Program, Margaret’s Village, The Harbour, Children’s Advocacy Center, Fill A Heart 4 Kids, Inspiration Corporation, Nourishing Hope, and North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic. The filing lists the grant purposes as “See Schedule O.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Wendy Serrino as founder; Wendy Kritt as chair; Sherri Hlavacek as treasurer; Nicole Hayek as secretary; and Martha Kirtley, Mark Michaels, Ashley Prasad, Emily Burger, Aimee Nolan, and Marilyn Lissner as directors. The website identifies Wendy Serrino as president and CEO and lists Nicole Hayek as director of philanthropy.
North Shore Exchange NFP is led by Wendy Kritt, Chair since 2025 (on filings since 2023); none of the 13 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Wendy Kritt
Chair
Director → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2023
15 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Michaels
Director
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Martha Kirtley
Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan Sholl
Director
Vice President → Director, 2025
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ashley Prasad
Director
Director → Secretary, 2023
Secretary → Director, 2025
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emily Burger
Director
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marilyn Lissner
Director
On filings since 2024
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Aimee Nolan
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jenny Hamilton
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maxine Winer
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nicole Hayek
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2021
60 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Serrino
Founder
President → Founder, 2025
On filings since 2021
50 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sherri Hlavacek
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
15 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Beth Douglass (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Isabelle Goossen (2021–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Sheilah Burnham (2021) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 North Shore Exchange NFP
How much does North Shore Exchange NFP give each year?
North Shore Exchange NFP gave $600K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $550K across 13 grants.
What is North Shore Exchange NFP's typical grant size?
North Shore Exchange NFP's median grant in 2025 was $35,000, and its average grant was $42,857, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from North Shore Exchange NFP that year got $68K on average.
Where does North Shore Exchange NFP give grants?
North Shore Exchange NFP gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (5 grants) and Palatine, IL (2 grants).
Does North Shore Exchange NFP give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on North Shore Exchange NFP's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "See Schedule O" (14 grants).
Who are North Shore Exchange NFP's largest grantees?
North Shore Exchange NFP's largest 2025 grantees include Care for Real ($100,000), Journeysthe Road Home ($100,000) and Fenix Family Health Center ($45,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is North Shore Exchange NFP?
North Shore Exchange NFP reported $3.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $7.0M.
What does North Shore Exchange NFP fund?
North Shore Exchange’s stated vision is to help alleviate the trauma of poverty in Chicagoland. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from North Shore Exchange NFP?
North Shore Exchange accepts unsolicited requests through an online application process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is North Shore Exchange NFP's EIN?
North Shore Exchange NFP's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-0869560. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does North Shore Exchange NFP accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 16, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 23, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 7, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Live grants for the work North Shore Exchange NFP funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in North Shore Exchange NFP's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). North Shore Exchange NFP funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/north-shore-exchange-nfp-morg_894e5fa3eb214c99867f01b3369a5a46
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_460869560_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{North Shore Exchange NFP funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/north-shore-exchange-nfp-morg_894e5fa3eb214c99867f01b3369a5a46},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 North Shore Exchange NFP'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.
North Shore Exchange NFP down — hundreds of funders to go?