Reichert Foundation
The Reichert Foundation is a private foundation based in Lake Forest, Illinois. Its website says it was founded in 1987 by Jack F. and Corrine V. Reichert; its program guidelines say it was established in December 1986. The foundation principally supports charitable organizations serving disadvantaged people, including through food, clothing, shelter, disaster relief, and care for disabled, critically ill, or terminally ill children.
Reichert Foundation at a glance
In short: Reichert Foundation gave $774K across 47 grants in 2025 (avg $16K), mostly in Illinois. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $774,000
- +25.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 47
- +4.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $16,468
- +20.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $12,107,757
- -3.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (4 of 47, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (54% 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 Reichert Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Its program guidelines say grants are limited to organizations that have submitted an up-to-date federal 501(c)(3) tax designation letter.
- Contact
Mailing address: 825 S Waukegan Road A8 311, Lake Forest, IL 60045
Phone: (847) 675-9078
Website: https://thereichertfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Reichert Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was A Safe Place ($74K). Together the top 10 received $411K.
Grant Size Distribution
227 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 210 grants of 227 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website gives preference to organizations in Lake County, Illinois; its program guidelines describe a preference for organizations in the greater Lake County area. In 2025, 54% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 16% to Wisconsin, 11% to Florida, 8% to Colorado, and 3% to Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 47 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Reichert Foundation open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 47 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $31K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 89% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 35% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 109% 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 $213K (2020) to $774K (2025). In 2025 it made 47 grants totaling $774K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| A Safe Place Zion, IL | General Operating purposes | $74,000 |
| Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation Orlando, FL | General Operating Purposes | $70,000 |
| The Lambs Libertyville, IL | General Operations | $62,000 |
| Carroll University Waukesha, WI | Scholarships | $50,000 |
| Paws for Patrick Lake Forest, IL | General Operations | $30,000 |
| American Red Cross Chicago, IL | General Operations | $25,000 |
| habitat for Humanity Lake County IL Waukegan, IL | General Operations | $25,000 |
| University of Wisc Milwuakee Milwaukee, WI | Scholarships | $25,000 |
| Emily Brooks Foundation Pewaukee, WI | Scholarship | $25,000 |
| International Bowling Museum Arlington, TX | Jack Reichert Library | $25,000 |
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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 | $12,107,757 | $471,464 | $841,722 | $774,000 | 47 | $835,430 | $71,641 | $768,146 |
| 2024 | $12,478,015 | $1,353,938 | $742,518 | $617,250 | 45 | $648,583 | $334,585 | $724,589 |
| 2023 | $11,866,598 | $254,959 | $671,590 | $620,750 | 43 | $656,089 | — | $631,141 |
| 2022 | $12,283,261 | $5,154,240 | $718,896 | $571,500 | 42 | $662,041 | $190,483 | $559,942 |
| 2021 | $7,847,917 | $4,694,892 | $306,395 | $244,500 | 50 | $250,016 | $97,579 | $252,543 |
| 2020 | $3,459,419 | $118,248 | $259,784 | $212,500 | 48 | — | $62,470 | $199,826 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Reichert Foundation reported a distributable amount of $768K 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
The foundation’s stated purpose is helping disadvantaged people. Its program guidelines define disadvantaged people as those who are homeless, abused, physically or mentally challenged, or recovering from drug or alcohol addiction. The guidelines identify food, clothing, shelter, disaster relief, and care for disabled, critically ill, or terminally ill children as principal areas of support. They also state that the foundation does not make grants to individuals and exclude colleges and other educational facilities and the arts.
Its 2025 grants include organizations whose own missions address a range of needs. For example, The Lake County Haven says it empowers homeless women and their children to achieve permanent, independent living; The Harbour says it provides emergency shelter and transitional housing for homeless, runaway, abused, and neglected adolescents; and the Center for Enriched Living says it supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Paws for Patrick describes its work as connecting young people living with mental illness to emotional support animals.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 47 grants totaling $774,000. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $74,000, with a median of $10,000. Among the largest awards were $74,000 to A Safe Place for general operating purposes, $70,000 to Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation for general operating purposes, and $62,000 to The Lambs for general operations. Other notable awards included $50,000 to Carroll University for scholarships, $30,000 to Paws for Patrick for general operations, and $25,000 each to the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity Lake County IL for general operations.
The 2025 filing also reports $25,000 to the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee for scholarships and $25,000 to the Emily Brooks Foundation for a scholarship. These awards are among the grants reported even though the foundation’s program guidelines state that colleges and other educational facilities are excluded.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Susan Milanak as Executive Director and John Reichert, Drew Brooks, Terri Reichert, Jack Milanak, and Spencer Milanak as directors. The foundation’s website identifies Susan Milanak as President and Chairman of the Board as well as Executive Director.
Reichert Foundation is led by Susan Milanak, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; all 6 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Susan Milanak
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$10K (2020) → $35K (2025)
Drew Brooks
Director
On filings since 2020
$5K (2022) → $5K (2025)
John Reichert
Director
On filings since 2021
$5K (2022) → $5K (2025)
Jack Milanak
Director
On filings since 2022
$5K (2022) → $5K (2025)
Terri Reichert
Director
On filings since 2022
$5K (2022) → $5K (2025)
Spencer Milanak
Director
On filings since 2024
$5K (2024) → $53K (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Corrine Reichert (2020) — President
- Former: John Recierht (2020) — Director
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 $53K, to Spencer Milanak (Director). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Reichert Foundation
How much does Reichert Foundation give each year?
Reichert Foundation gave $774K across 47 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $617K across 45 grants.
What is Reichert Foundation's typical grant size?
Reichert Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $16,468, across 47 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Reichert Foundation that year got $31K on average.
Where does Reichert Foundation give grants?
Reichert Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 54% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Wisconsin (16%) and Florida (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (9 grants), Lake Forest, IL (6 grants), Waukegan, IL (3 grants) and Milwaukee, WI (3 grants).
Does Reichert Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 77% of Reichert Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (36 of 47) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Reichert Foundation's largest grantees?
Reichert Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include A Safe Place ($74,000), Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation ($70,000) and The Lambs ($62,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Reichert Foundation?
Reichert Foundation reported $12.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $835K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $768K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Reichert Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated purpose is helping disadvantaged people. Its program guidelines define disadvantaged people as those who are homeless, abused, physically or mentally challenged, or recovering from drug or alcohol addiction. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Reichert Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Reichert Foundation's EIN?
Reichert Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3487139. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Reichert 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Reichert Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Reichert Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/reichert-foundation-morg_781dce4973e14e258f32df55912232f1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363487139_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Reichert Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/reichert-foundation-morg_781dce4973e14e258f32df55912232f1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Reichert 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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