Polk Family Charitable Fund
The Polk Family Charitable Fund is a private foundation established in 1984 and based in Palatine, Illinois. The organization operates as a family foundation with a focus on philanthropic grantmaking across the United States and Canada.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.7M
-0.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$235K
-0.1% YoY
Grant Count
68
-6.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$3K
+7.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation gives primarily for higher education and human services. The organization does not specify particular subject areas of focus beyond these primary areas, indicating a potentially broad philanthropic mission within these categories.
Grantmaking
The Polk Family Charitable Fund is an active grantmaker with the following characteristics:
Grant Range
approximately $14,000
Average Grant
approximately $14,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports diverse communities across the United States and Canada, with funding activity documented in multiple states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington. Major cities receiving support include New York, Chicago, and Toronto, as well as smaller communities.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (as of August 2023):
- Total assets: $1,759,412
- Total revenues: $127,788
- Total expenses: $256,733
- Investment income and dividends: $109,751
- Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $18,037
Staffing:
- Number of employees: 0
Tax Status:
- 501(c)(3) organization
- EIN: 36-3332896
- Tax-exempt since January 1985
- IRS filing requirement: Form 990-PF
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,742,861 | $1,759,412 | $1,884,357 |
| Revenue | $231,986 | $127,788 | $346,683 |
| Expenses | $248,757 | $256,733 | $249,820 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $239,774 | $239,645 | $240,475 |
| Net Investment Income | $223,016 | $101,639 | $337,759 |
| Distributable Amount | $174,245 | $167,289 | $170,534 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The fund is managed by a board of directors and key personnel, including:
- Bruce R. Bachmann
- Edward M. Polk
- Ellen P. Multack
These individuals serve without compensation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRUCE R BACHMANN | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| EDWARD M POLK | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| LINDA E CUTLER | PRESIDENT | — | — |
| SANDRA P GUTHMAN | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| HOWARD J POLK | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| JEFFRY A LEWIS | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| JEFFREY A POLK | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| BARBARA P MILSTEIN | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| DR TRAVIS M POLK LT MC USN USN | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| ELLEN P MULTACK | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| E RICHARD POLK | DIRECTOR | — | — |
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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