Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn
The Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. It reported 12 grants totaling $271,100 in filing year 2025.
Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn at a glance
In short: Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn gave $271K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $23K), mostly in Illinois. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $271,100
- +10.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- +50.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $22,592
- -26.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,403,156
- +6.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (3 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (94% 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 Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 191 N Wacker Dr Ste 1500, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 236-6166
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fenwick High School ($206K). Together the top 10 received $270K.
Grant Size Distribution
69 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 59 grants of 69 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
For 2025, the foundation reported that 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 6% to Wisconsin, and less than 1% to Indiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 12 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $27K. How we count
Medians: $11K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 42% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 55% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 278% 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 $246K (2024) to $604K (2023). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $271K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fenwick High School Oak Park, IL | General Charitable | $206,000 |
| Lake Geneva Country Club Foundation Lake Geneva, WI | General Charitablegeneral Charitable | $15,000 |
| Catholic Charities Chicago, IL | General Charitable | $15,000 |
| Pilot Light Chicago, IL | General Charitable | $11,100 |
| Providence St Mel School Chicago, IL | General Charitable | $10,500 |
| Recipe for Change Winnetka, IL | General Charitable | $5,000 |
| Oak Park Country Club Foundation River Grove, IL | General Charitable | $5,000 |
| St Luke Development Foundation East Chicago, IN | General Charitable | $1,000 |
| Walworth County Special Olympics Madison, WI | General Charitable | $1,000 |
| Our Place Wilmette, IL | General Charitablegeneral Charitable | $500 |
Ready to take the next step with Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn?
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 | $1,403,156 | $368,112 | $286,698 | $271,100 | 12 | $271,100 | $352,514 | $97,536 |
| 2024 | $1,321,742 | $240,491 | $260,453 | $246,150 | 8 | $250,165 | $230,203 | $104,548 |
| 2023 | $1,341,704 | $207,941 | $616,869 | $604,110 | 10 | $604,110 | $195,182 | $110,332 |
| 2022 | $1,750,632 | $94,978 | $615,666 | $599,250 | 19 | $599,250 | $78,562 | $139,533 |
| 2021 | $2,271,366 | $291,128 | $518,892 | $504,000 | 20 | $504,000 | $276,236 | $169,819 |
| 2020 | $2,440,794 | $98,524 | $541,336 | $518,950 | 19 | — | $76,138 | $172,246 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn reported a distributable amount of $98K 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 included support for organizations working in education, scholarships, food education, and services for people in the jail and prison system.
The grantees describe their work in their own terms: Pilot Light partners with Pre-K–12 teachers to support experiential food education; Providence St. Mel School provides college-preparatory education to students from preschool through grade 12, primarily on Chicago’s West Side; and Recipe for Change provides detainees with mentoring and guidance through culinary, fine arts, and life-skills training. The Lake Geneva Country Club Foundation says it provides scholarships and other educational support, while the Oak Park Country Club Foundation says it provides scholarships and financial support to high school and college students with financial needs.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $271,100. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $206,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest grants included $206,000 to Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois; $15,000 each to Lake Geneva Country Club Foundation in Wisconsin and Catholic Charities in Chicago; and $11,100 to Pilot Light in Chicago. Other grants included $10,500 to Providence St. Mel School, $5,000 each to Recipe for Change and Oak Park Country Club Foundation, and $1,000 to St. Luke Development Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Robert J Cooney Jr as Director - Part and Loretta W Cooney as Director - Part.
Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Loretta W. Cooney
Director - Part
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robert J. Cooney Jr.
Director - Part
On filings since 2020
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.
Frequently asked questions about Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn
How much does Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn give each year?
Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn gave $271K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $246K across 8 grants.
What is Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn's typical grant size?
Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $22,592, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn that year got $9K on average.
Where does Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn give grants?
Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn gives mostly in Illinois: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Wisconsin (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (3 grants).
Does Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn's largest grantees?
Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn's largest 2025 grantees include Fenwick High School ($206,000), Lake Geneva Country Club Foundation ($15,000) and Catholic Charities ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 87% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn?
Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $271K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $98K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations working in education, scholarships, food education, and services for people in the jail and prison system. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; 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 Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn's EIN?
Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4408645. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 18, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 30, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 29, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/robert-j-and-loretta-w-cooney-family-fdtn-morg_675954d4aeaf4f9196b04075fee08231
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364408645_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Robert J \& Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/robert-j-and-loretta-w-cooney-family-fdtn-morg_675954d4aeaf4f9196b04075fee08231},
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 Robert J & Loretta W Cooney Family Fdtn'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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