Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation
The Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation is a private foundation located in Homer Glen, Illinois. Its 2025 grants supported organizations including social-service providers, schools, and museums.
Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation at a glance
In short: Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation gave $1.4M across 52 grants in 2025 (avg $28K), mostly in Illinois. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,449,400
- +2.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 52
- -5.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $27,873
- +7.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $21,704,236
- +1.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (7 of 51, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (77% 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 Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s filing says applications should be submitted in writing to David Maier. It reports no restrictions on awards. The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: David Maier
Mailing address: 14801 Founders Crossing, Homer Glen, IL 60491
Phone: (312) 656-1583
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Ark ($141K). Together the top 10 received $842K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($25,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
232 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 189 grants of 232 (81%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 77% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois. Other recipient-state shares were Washington, 7%; Missouri, 7%; New York, 4%; and Colorado, 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 52 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 51 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $30K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 84% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+17%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 100% 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 $1.2M (2020) to $1.4M (2025). In 2025 it made 52 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Ark Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $141,000 |
| Shriners Hospitals for Children Chicago Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $105,000 |
| Adler Planetarium Chicago, IL | Far Horizons Program | $100,000 |
| Chicago Area Council BSA Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $100,000 |
| Museum of Flight Seattle, WA | Flight Zone - Youth Area | $100,000 |
| Arie Crown Hebrew Day School Skokie, IL | General Purpose | $100,000 |
| American Friends of Shalva New York, NY | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| Simon Wiesenthal Center Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum Denver, CO | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| One Love Global Wellness Foundation Orland Park, IL | General Purpose | $46,000 |
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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 | $21,704,236 | $2,183,269 | $1,844,731 | $1,449,400 | 52 | $1,449,400 | $1,924,568 | $1,449,161 |
| 2024 | $21,365,698 | $1,993,945 | $1,772,406 | $1,421,300 | 55 | $1,421,300 | $1,742,160 | $1,411,676 |
| 2023 | $21,144,159 | $1,242,748 | $1,596,902 | $1,261,180 | 49 | $1,261,180 | $1,002,933 | $1,261,875 |
| 2022 | $21,498,313 | $951,751 | $1,573,092 | $1,242,500 | 40 | $1,242,500 | $621,159 | $1,264,491 |
| 2021 | $22,207,155 | $3,197,464 | $1,791,343 | $1,336,050 | 36 | $1,336,050 | $2,738,266 | $1,359,818 |
| 2020 | $20,712,093 | $5,048,588 | $1,605,841 | $1,212,500 | 35 | — | $4,655,822 | $1,177,607 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.4M 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 show support for organizations working in varied areas. For example, The Ark says it helps Chicagoland Jews facing adversity navigate toward self-reliance, while CASA Lake County says it advocates for abused and neglected children in the juvenile court system. Meals on Wheels Chicago describes its work as providing nutritious meal programs for Chicago seniors and people with disabilities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 52 grants totaling $1,449,400. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $141,000, with a median of $15,000. Its largest listed grants included $141,000 to The Ark for general purposes, $105,000 to Shriners Hospitals for Children Chicago for general purposes, and $100,000 each to the Adler Planetarium for its Far Horizons Program, Chicago Area Council BSA for general purposes, and the Museum of Flight for its Flight Zone youth area.
Other listed 2025 grants included $40,000 to CASA Lake County and $35,000 to Meals on Wheels Chicago. CASA Lake County describes its work as advocating for abused and neglected children; Meals on Wheels Chicago says it provides nutritious meal programs for seniors and people with disabilities.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists David Maier as president, secretary, and treasurer; Abraham J Stern as chairman and director; and Steven Blonder and Roxanne Sullivan as directors.
Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation is led by David Maier, President, Secretary & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David Maier
President, Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$144K (2020) → $162K (2025)
Abraham J. Stern
Chairman & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roxanne Sullivan
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steven Blonder
Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $162K, to David Maier (President/Secretary/Treasu).
Frequently asked questions about Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation
How much does Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation give each year?
Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation gave $1.4M across 52 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.4M across 55 grants.
What is Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation's typical grant size?
Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $27,873, across 52 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation that year got $14K on average.
Where does Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation give grants?
Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 77% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Washington (7%) and Missouri (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (24 grants), St. Louis, MO (3 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Orland Park, IL (2 grants).
Does Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 81% of Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (42 of 52) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation's largest grantees?
Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Ark ($141,000), Shriners Hospitals for Children Chicago ($105,000) and Adler Planetarium ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($25,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation?
Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation reported $21.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in varied areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation?
The foundation’s filing says applications should be submitted in writing to David Maier. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation's EIN?
Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-4521801. 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 August 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 27, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 19, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/peggy-and-steve-fossett-foundation-morg_94593882a0774cb6b791d479284e99b0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_204521801_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/peggy-and-steve-fossett-foundation-morg_94593882a0774cb6b791d479284e99b0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Peggy and Steve Fossett 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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