Patterson Family Foundation
The Patterson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In filing year 2025, it reported 19 grants totaling $271,937, supporting organizations working in areas including land conservation, food access, youth development, social services, and journalism.
Patterson Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Patterson Family Foundation gave $272K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), top state Wisconsin. 16% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $271,937
- +10.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- -9.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $14,312
- +22.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,200
- Total assets
- $3,752,597
- +7.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (3 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (43% 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 Patterson Family Foundation
- 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1966 W Evergreen, Chicago, IL 60622
Phone: (312) 735-5932
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Patterson Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Driftless Area Land Conservancy ($75K). Together the top 10 received $246K.
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 77 grants of 80 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In filing year 2025, 43% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin and 41% to recipients in Illinois. Other reported shares were New York, 9%; Maryland, 4%; and Washington, 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Patterson Family Foundation open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 19 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $17K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 84% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 186% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 106% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $58K (2019) to $272K (2025). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $272K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Driftless Area Land Conservancy Dodgeville, WI | Protection of farms, forests, savannas, prairies, waters and wetlands | $75,000 |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago, IL | Support to Reduce Food Insecurity | $50,000 |
| The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin Madison, WI | Support to Protect Wisconsin's Lands | $40,000 |
| Environmental Law and Policy Center Chicago, IL | Support Midwest Driftless Area | $25,000 |
| Rainforest Foundation US Brooklyn, NY | Support indigenous communities protect their forests and their cultures | $15,000 |
| Old Growth Forest Network Easton, MD | Support for the Protection of Old-Growth Native Forests | $10,000 |
| Chicago Lights Chicago, IL | Support for Youth Development and Adult Social Services | $10,000 |
| Propublica New York, NY | Support Workers Rights, Healthcare, Climate Change, Social Justice | $10,000 |
| Economy Policy Institute Washington, WA | Support for economic research and analysis of economic impact of policies and proposals. | $5,500 |
| Beat the Streets Kinnelon, NJ | Support Youth Programs | $5,200 |
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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 | $3,752,597 | $70,097 | $276,127 | $271,937 | 19 | $274,032 | $68,002 | $257,338 |
| 2024 | $3,505,569 | $47,655 | $249,952 | $246,102 | 21 | $248,027 | $45,730 | $234,904 |
| 2023 | $1,436,422 | $2,040,214 | $153,772 | $149,922 | 15 | $151,847 | $23,234 | $179,210 |
| 2022 | $827,921 | $13,637 | $98,500 | $95,000 | 12 | $96,750 | $11,887 | $74,464 |
| 2021 | $351,970 | $10,999 | $81,500 | $79,500 | 13 | — | $9,999 | $82,193 |
| 2020 | $393,771 | $11,293 | $73,699 | $71,814 | 14 | — | $10,351 | $66,503 |
| 2019 | $523,438 | $12,320 | $59,345 | $57,550 | 9 | — | $11,423 | $57,462 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Patterson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $257K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations addressing land protection, food insecurity, youth programs, domestic violence, and other purposes stated in grant descriptions.
Among the organizations it supported, Driftless Area Land Conservancy describes its mission as protecting and restoring southwest Wisconsin’s natural and agricultural landscape and connecting people to the land and each other. The Greater Chicago Food Depository says its mission is to end hunger, working with community-based organizations and individuals. Chicago Lights says it builds brighter futures for Chicago’s youth and adults through supportive relationships and programs. Sarah’s Inn describes its mission as improving the lives of people affected by domestic violence and breaking the cycle of violence.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 19 grants totaling $271,937. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $75,000, with a median of $5,200.
Largest grants included $75,000 to Driftless Area Land Conservancy for protection of farms, forests, savannas, prairies, waters, and wetlands; $50,000 to the Greater Chicago Food Depository to reduce food insecurity; $40,000 to the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin to protect Wisconsin’s lands; and $25,000 to the Environmental Law and Policy Center to support the Midwest Driftless Area. Other notable grants were $15,000 to Rainforest Foundation US to support Indigenous communities protecting their forests and cultures, and $10,000 each to Old Growth Forest Network, Chicago Lights, and ProPublica.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Darla Patterson as president, John Patterson as vice president, Emily Patterson as secretary, Sam Patterson as treasurer, and Tom Patterson as director of charitable action.
Patterson Family Foundation is led by Darla Patterson, President since 2024 (on filings since 2019); none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Darla Patterson
President
Trustee → President, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tom Patterson
Director of Charitable Action
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John C. Patterson
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emily Patterson
Secretary
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sam Patterson
Treasurer
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: William Patterson (2019–2023) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Patterson Family Foundation
How much does Patterson Family Foundation give each year?
Patterson Family Foundation gave $272K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $246K across 21 grants.
What is Patterson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Patterson Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,200, and its average grant was $14,312, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Patterson Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Patterson Family Foundation give grants?
Patterson Family Foundation's top state is Wisconsin, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Illinois (41%) and New York (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (6 grants) and Oak Park, IL (3 grants).
Does Patterson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on Patterson Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Patterson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Patterson Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Driftless Area Land Conservancy ($75,000), Greater Chicago Food Depository ($50,000) and The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin ($40,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Patterson Family Foundation?
Patterson Family Foundation reported $3.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $274K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $257K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Patterson Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations addressing land protection, food insecurity, youth programs, domestic violence, and other purposes stated in grant descriptions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Patterson Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Patterson Family Foundation's EIN?
Patterson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-2624221. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Patterson Family 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 19, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 26, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 28, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Live grants for the work Patterson Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Patterson Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/patterson-family-foundation-morg_69e738b2c54c4ab793720d9c7167843d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_472624221_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Patterson Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/patterson-family-foundation-morg_69e738b2c54c4ab793720d9c7167843d},
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 Patterson Family 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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