Red Bird Hollow Foundation
Red Bird Hollow Foundation is a private foundation based in Lake Forest, Illinois. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations in the Chicago area and elsewhere, including environmental conservation, music, education, and public policy organizations.
Red Bird Hollow Foundation at a glance
In short: Red Bird Hollow Foundation gave $360K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), mostly in Illinois. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $359,781
- -17.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- +7.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,849
- -23.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,510,116
- -12.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (6 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (70% 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 Red Bird Hollow 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 for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1340 North Waukegan Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045
Phone: (312) 207-1040
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Red Bird Hollow Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Northwestern Memorial Foundation ($100K). Together the top 10 received $303K.
Grant Size Distribution
229 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 207 grants of 229 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars by recipient state were reported as 70% to Illinois, 10% to Washington, DC, 7% to Maine, 7% to Florida, and 3% to Minnesota.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Red Bird Hollow Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 28 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 43% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 76% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 192% 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 $360K (2025) to $1.7M (2023). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $360K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Memorial Foundation Chicago, IL | Charitable | $100,000 |
| Lake Forest Open Lands Association Lake Forest, IL | Charitable | $51,281 |
| Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chicago, IL | Charitable | $30,000 |
| Cato Institute Washington DC, DC | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Mes Fund Alfred, ME | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Church of the Holy Spirit Lake Forest, IL | Charitable | $20,000 |
| Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL | Charitable | $20,000 |
| Open the Books The Villages, FL | Charitable | $12,000 |
| American Council of Trustees and Alumni Washington DC, DC | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Montessori Center of Minnesota St. Paul, MN | Charitable | $10,000 |
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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 | $1,510,116 | $147,789 | $370,690 | $359,781 | 28 | $359,781 | $136,915 | $187,519 |
| 2024 | $1,733,017 | $39,474 | $438,831 | $434,764 | 26 | $434,764 | $30,467 | $170,296 |
| 2023 | $2,132,374 | $32,400 | $1,756,569 | $1,710,120 | 52 | $1,710,120 | — | $197,002 |
| 2022 | $3,856,543 | $2,824,118 | $1,487,073 | $1,481,235 | 66 | $1,481,235 | $2,803,437 | $232,006 |
| 2021 | $2,519,498 | $200,062 | $1,151,783 | $1,146,480 | 57 | — | $142,439 | $189,462 |
| 2020 | $3,471,219 | $62,711 | $1,807,321 | $1,690,360 | 55 | — | $56,133 | $246,385 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Red Bird Hollow Foundation reported a distributable amount of $188K 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 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, Lake Forest Open Lands Association says it preserves and restores local native landscapes and habitats; the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association describes its mission as enriching, inspiring, and transforming lives through music, community engagement, and education. The MES Fund says it provides financial aid to qualified Montessori teacher trainees, while Lake Forest College provides post-secondary education leading to a bachelor’s degree.
Other 2025 recipients include organizations whose stated missions concern liberty and public policy (Cato Institute), higher education (American Council of Trustees and Alumni), and teaching in underserved communities (Teach for America).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 28 grants totaling $359,781. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $100,000, with a median grant of $5,000. Notable grants included $100,000 to Northwestern Memorial Foundation, $51,281 to Lake Forest Open Lands Association, $30,000 to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, $25,000 each to Cato Institute and MES Fund, and $20,000 each to Church of the Holy Spirit and Lake Forest College.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Paula Polk Lillard as president, Paula Preschlack as vice president/treasurer, Helen Jessen as secretary, and Margaret Kelley as vice president.
Red Bird Hollow Foundation is led by Paula Polk Lillard, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Paula Polk Lillard
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Helen Jessen
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margaret Kelley
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paula Preschlack
Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: John Lillard (2020–2023) — Chairman
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.
Frequently asked questions about Red Bird Hollow Foundation
How much does Red Bird Hollow Foundation give each year?
Red Bird Hollow Foundation gave $360K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $435K across 26 grants.
What is Red Bird Hollow Foundation's typical grant size?
Red Bird Hollow Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $12,849, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Red Bird Hollow Foundation that year got $19K on average.
Where does Red Bird Hollow Foundation give grants?
Red Bird Hollow Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (10%) and Maine (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lake Forest, IL (6 grants), Boca Grande, FL (6 grants), Chicago, IL (4 grants) and Washington DC, DC (3 grants).
Does Red Bird Hollow Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 28 grants with a stated purpose on Red Bird Hollow Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (28 grants).
Who are Red Bird Hollow Foundation's largest grantees?
Red Bird Hollow Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Northwestern Memorial Foundation ($100,000), Lake Forest Open Lands Association ($51,281) and Chicago Symphony Orchestra ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Red Bird Hollow Foundation?
Red Bird Hollow Foundation reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $360K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $188K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Red Bird Hollow Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Red Bird Hollow Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Red Bird Hollow Foundation's EIN?
Red Bird Hollow Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3747664. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Red Bird Hollow Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, 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-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 26, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 28, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 23, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work Red Bird Hollow Foundation funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Red Bird Hollow Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Red Bird Hollow Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/red-bird-hollow-foundation-morg_193a32d612a84f9380f756ac758645a5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363747664_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Red Bird Hollow Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/red-bird-hollow-foundation-morg_193a32d612a84f9380f756ac758645a5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Red Bird Hollow 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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