Quality Connection

Public charity · Grantmaker Merrillville, IN EIN: 35-1849150

QUALITY CONNECTION is a public charity based in Merrillville, Indiana. Formed in 1992, it describes its purpose as a labor-management cooperative and supports the establishment and operation of joint labor-management activities.

Key facts about Quality Connection

In short: Quality Connection gave $139K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), mostly in Indiana. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

EIN
35-1849150
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$138,700
Grants made (2025)
10
Average grant
$13,870
Median grant
$10,250
New grantees (estimate)
20% first-time grantees (2 of 10, 2025)
Total assets
$1,541,382
Primary geography
Indiana (89% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing

Total Assets

$1.5M

-3.2% YoY

Annual Giving

$139K

-20.9% YoY

Grant Count

10

-9.1% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$14K

-13.0% YoY

Is Quality Connection open to new grantees?

20%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 2 of 10 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $15K. How we count

Medians: $8K first-time, $13K repeat.

  • 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 35% from 2022 to 2025. Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

QUALITY CONNECTION’s 2025 filing describes its program as encouraging and supporting the establishment and operation of joint labor-management activities. Its listed 2025 grants were reported as charitable donations.

The grantees’ own descriptions show the range of organizations supported. Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana says it prepares and delivers nutritious meals to promote health, wellness, and independence. Tradewinds Services says it supports people with special needs. Mental Health America of Lake County says it works to strengthen how families function through educational and empowering programs. Pirates Inc says it collects and distributes amounts to charitable organizations. Franciscan Health Foundation says it raises, invests, and disburses contributions to support Franciscan Alliance programs and services.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, QUALITY CONNECTION reported 10 grants totaling $138,700. Grants ranged from $5,200 to $25,000, with a median grant of $10,250. The filing says the governing body carefully reviews donation and grant requests before approval and disbursement, approves only reputable organizations that satisfy its due diligence, and does not subsequently monitor how funds are used.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 89% of grant dollars went to recipients in Indiana and 11% to recipients in Illinois.

Grant Distribution by State

2states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.

Cities

HammondMishawakaChicagoMerrillvilleCrown PointHobartMunster

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$50K$100K$150K$200K5 grants2020 3 grants2021 6 grants2022 5 grants2023 11 grants2024 10 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $70K (2021) to $175K (2024). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $139K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Franciscan Health Foundation: $25KFranciscan Health Foundation$25KChallenger Learning Center of NW IN: $25KChallenger Learning Center ofNW IN$25KLake County Convention & Visitors Bureau: $25KLake County Convention &Visitors Bureau$25KAmerican Heart Association: $15KAmerican Heart Association$15KHessville Commerce and Community Creative: $11KHessville Commerce andCommunity Creative$11KTradewinds Services Inc: $10KTradewinds Services Inc$10KMeals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana: $10KMeals on Wheels of NorthwestIndiana$10KMental Health America of Lake County Inc: $8KMental Health America of LakeCounty Inc$8KCity of Hammond: $6KCity of Hammond$6KPirates Inc: $5KPirates Inc$5K

The largest 2025 recipient was Franciscan Health Foundation ($25K). Together the top 10 received $139K.

Grant Size Distribution

35 grants across all recorded years

35<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 35 grants of 35 (100%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Franciscan Health Foundation Mishawaka, INCharitable Donations$25,000
Challenger Learning Center of NW IN Hammond, INCharitable Donations$25,000
Lake County Convention & Visitors Bureau Hammond, INCharitable Donations$25,000
American Heart Association Chicago, ILCharitable Donations$15,000
Hessville Commerce and Community Creative Hammond, INCharitable Donations$10,500
Tradewinds Services Inc Merrillville, INCharitable Donations$10,000
Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana Merrillville, INCharitable Donations$10,000
Mental Health America of Lake County Inc Hammond, INCharitable Donations$7,500
City of Hammond Hammond, INCharitable Donations$5,500
Pirates Inc Munster, INCharitable Donations$5,200

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Amounts are for the stated filing years.

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2025 $1,541,382 $489,827 $540,262 $138,700 (10 grants)
2024 $1,591,793 $534,648 $569,132 $175,311 (11 grants)
2023 $1,626,459 $479,027 $368,678 $84,000 (5 grants)
Revenue
Expenses
Net Investment Income
$0$200K$400K$600K$800K2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$1,541,382$1,591,793$1,626,459
Revenue$489,827$534,648$479,027
Expenses$540,262$569,132$368,678
Net Investment Income$55,071$59,988$33,552

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 1, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 7, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 26, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 13, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 10, 2025)
  6. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 3, 2026)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists these directors: Roman Bronson, Dody Russell, Tom Donovan, Donald Bullock, Lyndie Walton, and Felipe Hernandez.

Quality Connection's 2025 filing lists 6 officers; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Dody Russell

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Roman Bronson

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Tom Donovan

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Donald Bullock

    Director

    Director - New → Director, 2024

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Felipe Hernandez

    Director

    Director - New → Director, 2024

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Lyndie Walton

    Director

    Director - New → Director, 2024

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (4)
  • Former: Curt Lesnick (2020–2023) — Director - Past
  • Former: Tom Corsiglia (2020–2023) — Director - Past
  • Former: Joree Richards (2021–2023) — Director - Past
  • Former: Ryan Reithel (2020–2021) — Director - Past

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.

Contact

Mailing address: 7200 Mississippi St 200, Merrillville, IN 46410
Phone: (219) 844-6386

Frequently asked questions about Quality Connection

How much does Quality Connection give each year?

Quality Connection gave $139K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $175K across 11 grants.

What is Quality Connection's typical grant size?

Quality Connection's median grant in 2025 was $10,250, and its average grant was $13,870, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Quality Connection that year got $8K on average.

Where does Quality Connection give grants?

Quality Connection gives mostly in Indiana: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Illinois (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Hammond, IN (5 grants) and Merrillville, IN (2 grants).

Does Quality Connection give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Quality Connection's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Donations" (10 grants).

Who are Quality Connection's largest grantees?

Quality Connection's largest 2025 grantees include Franciscan Health Foundation ($25,000), Challenger Learning Center of NW IN ($25,000) and Lake County Convention & Visitors Bureau ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Quality Connection?

Quality Connection reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $490K.

What does Quality Connection fund?

QUALITY CONNECTION’s 2025 filing describes its program as encouraging and supporting the establishment and operation of joint labor-management activities. Its listed 2025 grants were reported as charitable donations. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Quality Connection?

Quality Connection has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.

What is Quality Connection's EIN?

Quality Connection's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-1849150. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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