Russell and Betty Shirk Foundation

BLOOMINGTON, IL EIN: 23-7022709

Education Higher education Health Diseases and conditions Human services

The Russell and Betty Shirk Foundation is a private, non-operating foundation based in Bloomington, Illinois. Established in 1969, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with tax-exempt status. The foundation makes grants to organizations aligned with its funding priorities.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$18.3M

-4.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.1M

+14.6% YoY

Grant Count

+5.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$54K

+9.1% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Russell and Betty Shirk Foundation reported a distributable amount of $906K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's grantmaking focuses on:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services

Grantmaking

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in:

Illinois
Pennsylvania
Massachusetts

Grant Distribution by State

Illinois $4.2M (98%)

Colorado $65K (2%)

Massachusetts $16K (0%)

Pennsylvania $5K (0%)

States

Colorado Illinois Massachusetts Pennsylvania

Cities

BasaltBloomingtonBostonChampaignChicagoChicagpDecaturEvanstonMercersburgNormalPeoriaSpringfieldWinnetka

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Revenue (2023):

Total assets: $19,225,459
Total revenues: $686,655
Total expenses: $1,095,958
Investment income and dividends: $226,893
Net rental income: $9,083

Assets & Revenue (2024):

Total assets: $18,342,335
Total giving: $1,127,440

Staffing:

The foundation operates with 0 employees

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$18,342,335	$19,225,459	$19,634,762
Revenue	$357,348	$686,655	$404,683
Expenses	$1,240,472	$1,095,958	$1,039,999
Qualifying Distributions	$1,162,383	$1,016,798	$969,293
Net Investment Income	$510,113	$597,495	$419,749
Distributable Amount	$906,371	$949,199	$928,429

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

98 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include B-N YMCA Charitable Foundation ($767,102), Illinois Wesleyan University ($257,000), The Arts Campus at Willits ($15,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
Beyond the Books Educational Foundation Bloomington, IL	Program Expense	$10,000
B-N YMCA Charitable Foundation Bloomington, IL	YMCA Building	$767,102
Books and Breakfast Evanston, IL	Program Expense	$7,500
David Davis Mansion Foundation Bloomington, IL	Program Expense	$4,000
Illinois Art Station Normal, IL	Program Expense	$5,000
Illinois Prairie Community Foundation Bloomington, IL	Program Expense	$1,338
Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL	Shirk Center Endowment	$257,000
ISU Foundation Normal, IL	Program Expense	$10,000
Lifelong Access Normal, IL	Program Expense	$2,500
McLean County Historical Society Bloomington, IL	Program Expense	$1,500

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation's trustees include:

James A Shirk
Linda S Shirk
Cynthia L Shirk

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
James A Shirk	President/Director	2	—
Linda S Shirk	Treasurer/Director	1	—
Cynthia L Shirk	Director	0.5	—
Lia Valerio Shirk	Director	0.5	—

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Education Higher education Health Diseases and conditions Human services

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Russell and Betty Shirk Foundation fund?

The foundation's grantmaking focuses on: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services

How do I apply for a grant from Russell and Betty Shirk Foundation?

**Grant Activity & Amounts:** • Total giving in 2023: $1,095,958 • Total giving in 2024: $1,127,440 • Typical award range: $500–$768,738 • The foundation made 20 grants in 2023 **Recent Grants (2023):** • Illinois Wesleyan University: $206,000 (Shirk Center Endowment) • Illinois Art Station: $10,000 (Program Expense) • Books and Breakfast: $10,000 (Program Expense) • David Davis Mansion Foundation: $3,500 (Program Expense)

Where does Russell and Betty Shirk Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • Illinois • Pennsylvania • Massachusetts

What size grants does Russell and Betty Shirk Foundation award?

In 2024, Russell and Betty Shirk Foundation awarded 21 grants totaling $1.1M — an average of about $54K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Russell and Betty Shirk Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Russell and Betty Shirk Foundation reported a distributable amount of $906K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Russell and Betty Shirk Foundation's EIN?

Russell and Betty Shirk Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7022709. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.