Sharon Denning Charitable Trust
Sharon Denning Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Lombard, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in housing, support for children with cancer, family services, scholarships, and aerospace research and education.
Sharon Denning Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Sharon Denning Charitable Trust gave $23K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Illinois. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $23,352
- +21.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +8.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,796
- +12.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $478,700
- +7.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (3 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (57% 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 Sharon Denning Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The trust makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1 S 481 Fairview Avenue, Lombard, IL 60148
Phone: (630) 881-7605
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sharon Denning Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Habitat for Humanity ($3K). Together the top 10 received $20K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($2,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
58 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 58 grants of 58 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 57% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 13% each to recipients in Georgia and Virginia, and 9% each to recipients in Michigan and Ohio.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Sharon Denning Charitable Trust 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 $1K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 33% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 89% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $16K (2021) to $23K (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $23K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Habitat for Humanity Americus, GA | Donation | $3,000 |
| Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Orland Park, IL | Patient Support | $2,500 |
| Mercy Home Chicago, IL | Support for Young Families | $2,200 |
| After 26 Project Cadillac, MI | Donation | $2,000 |
| Kolbe House Chicago, IL | Support Families | $2,000 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $2,000 |
| ACLU Chicago Chicago, IL | Donation | $2,000 |
| Ohio Aerospace Institute Cleveland, OH | Donation | $2,000 |
| Zelda's Kitchen Witches Palos Heights, IL | Donation | $1,600 |
| W Fairfax Christian Ministries Chantilly, VA | Donation | $1,500 |
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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 | $478,700 | $15,771 | $28,213 | $23,352 | 13 | $23,352 | $11,308 | — |
| 2024 | $446,868 | $8,387 | $23,540 | $19,200 | 12 | $19,200 | $9,683 | $21,650 |
| 2023 | $446,244 | $1,808 | $27,047 | $22,923 | 11 | $22,923 | $7,587 | $21,127 |
| 2022 | $471,483 | $13,103 | $21,815 | $17,588 | 11 | $17,588 | $9,837 | $22,541 |
| 2021 | $496,530 | $57,851 | $20,479 | $15,900 | 11 | $15,900 | $9,345 | $24,147 |
| 2020 | $489,355 | $14,034 | $20,193 | $16,100 | 11 | — | $6,931 | $23,488 |
| 2019 | $468,384 | $15,811 | $29,223 | $17,600 | 10 | — | — | $22,514 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Habitat for Humanity—North Central Georgia describes itself as a Christian housing ministry that partners with sponsors and volunteers to build homes with low-income families. Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest says it provides toys, gifts, and gift cards to help comfort and distract children and teens diagnosed with cancer. Ohio Aerospace Institute describes its work as advancing aerospace-related scientific and engineering knowledge through research, education, training, and collaboration.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust gave $23,352 through 13 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $52 to $3,000, with a median grant of $2,000.
Among its largest reported grants were $3,000 to Habitat for Humanity, $2,500 to Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest, $2,200 to Mercy Home, and $2,000 each to After 26 Project, Kolbe House, an individual recipient, ACLU Chicago, and Ohio Aerospace Institute.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Shawn Denning as trustee.
Sharon Denning Charitable Trust is led by Shawn Denning, Trustee on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Shawn Denning
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Sharon Denning Charitable Trust
How much does Sharon Denning Charitable Trust give each year?
Sharon Denning Charitable Trust gave $23K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $19K across 12 grants.
What is Sharon Denning Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Sharon Denning Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $1,796, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sharon Denning Charitable Trust that year got $1K on average.
Where does Sharon Denning Charitable Trust give grants?
Sharon Denning Charitable Trust gives mostly in Illinois: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Georgia (13%) and Virginia (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (4 grants) and Chantilly, VA (2 grants).
Does Sharon Denning Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Sharon Denning Charitable Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Donation" (9 grants).
Who are Sharon Denning Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Sharon Denning Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Habitat for Humanity ($3,000), Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest ($2,500) and Mercy Home ($2,200), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($2,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sharon Denning Charitable Trust?
Sharon Denning Charitable Trust reported $479K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $16K.
What does Sharon Denning Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Habitat for Humanity—North Central Georgia describes itself as a Christian housing ministry that partners with sponsors and volunteers to build homes with low-income families. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sharon Denning Charitable Trust?
The trust 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 Sharon Denning Charitable Trust's EIN?
Sharon Denning Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-1509118. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Sharon Denning Charitable Trust 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 27, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Figures come from Sharon Denning Charitable Trust'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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