Sheffield Foundation
Sheffield Foundation is a private foundation based in Lake Bluff, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, with the largest listed awards generally designated for general operations.
Sheffield Foundation at a glance
In short: Sheffield Foundation gave $82K across 40 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Illinois. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $82,400
- +26.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 40
- +11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,060
- +14.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $1,038,247
- +13.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (3 of 40, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (74% 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 Sheffield 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: 707 Moffett Road, Lake Bluff, IL 60044
Phone: (847) 735-0771
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sheffield Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Elawa Farm Foundation ($11K). Together the top 10 received $62K.
Grant Size Distribution
170 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 170 grants of 170 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 74% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois and 14% to recipients in Massachusetts. The filing also reports shares for Tennessee (3%), Virginia (1%), and New Jersey (1%). The listed recipients include organizations in Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, and Chicago, Illinois, as well as Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 40 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Sheffield Foundation open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 40 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $267; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $250 first-time, $1K repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 29% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 114% 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 $57K (2020) to $82K (2025). In 2025 it made 40 grants totaling $82K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Elawa Farm Foundation Lake Forest, IL | General operations | $11,100 |
| St Paul's Church Nantucket, MA | General Operations | $10,000 |
| The Church of the Holy Spirit Lake Forest, IL | General Operations | $10,000 |
| Gorton Community Center Lake Forest, IL | General operations | $7,000 |
| Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | General operations | $6,000 |
| Shedd Aquarium Chicago, IL | General operations | $5,000 |
| World Wildlife Fund Chicago, IL | General Operations | $5,000 |
| Lake Forest Open Lands Association Lake Forest, IL | General operations | $3,000 |
| The Chi Psi Educational Trust Nashville, TN | General Operations | $2,500 |
| University of Chicago Booth School Chicago, IL | General Operations | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Sheffield Foundation?
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 | $1,038,247 | $215,278 | $90,483 | $82,400 | 40 | $82,400 | $205,785 | $72,382 |
| 2024 | $913,452 | $118,143 | $74,289 | $65,050 | 36 | $65,050 | $106,416 | $68,159 |
| 2023 | $869,598 | $68,432 | $79,562 | $74,900 | 35 | $74,900 | $62,329 | $61,806 |
| 2022 | $880,728 | $37,332 | $70,646 | $63,990 | 30 | $63,990 | $26,303 | $64,343 |
| 2021 | $914,042 | $121,169 | $78,885 | $72,175 | 29 | $72,175 | $114,459 | $68,100 |
| 2020 | $871,758 | $34,390 | $62,530 | $56,765 | 25 | — | $28,655 | $56,241 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sheffield Foundation reported a distributable amount of $72K 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 show support for organizations working in areas including community services, arts and culture, education, environmental conservation, and wildlife.
Grantees describe their own work in varied ways. Elawa Farm Foundation says it raises and manages funds for the restoration and operation of the Elawa Farm site. Gorton Community Center says it operates a community center for charitable, educational, and cultural purposes and the general welfare of residents of all ages. Lake Forest Open Lands Association describes preserving and maintaining local natural landscapes. Bernie’s Book Bank says it supplies children with free, high-quality books to build home libraries.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 40 grants totaling $82,400. Awards ranged from $200 to $11,100, with a median of $1,000. Among the largest were $11,100 to Elawa Farm Foundation, $10,000 each to St Paul’s Church and The Church of the Holy Spirit, $7,000 to Gorton Community Center, and $6,000 to the Art Institute of Chicago. Other listed awards included $5,000 each to Shedd Aquarium and World Wildlife Fund.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Thomas C Sheffield III as President; Lucinda M Sheffield as Treasurer & Secretary; and David AF Sweet, Charles Sheffield, and Henry Sheffield as Directors.
Sheffield Foundation is led by Thomas C Sheffield III, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Thomas C Sheffield III
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charles Sheffield
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David AF Sweet
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Henry Sheffield
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lucinda M Sheffield
Treasurer & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
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 Sheffield Foundation
How much does Sheffield Foundation give each year?
Sheffield Foundation gave $82K across 40 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $65K across 36 grants.
What is Sheffield Foundation's typical grant size?
Sheffield Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $2,060, across 40 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sheffield Foundation that year got $267 on average.
Where does Sheffield Foundation give grants?
Sheffield Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 74% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (9 grants), Lake Forest, IL (7 grants), Lake Bluff, IL (4 grants) and Nantucket, MA (2 grants).
Does Sheffield Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Sheffield Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (40 of 40) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Sheffield Foundation's largest grantees?
Sheffield Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Elawa Farm Foundation ($11,100), St Paul's Church ($10,000) and The Church of the Holy Spirit ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sheffield Foundation?
Sheffield Foundation reported $1.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $82K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $72K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sheffield Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including community services, arts and culture, education, environmental conservation, and wildlife. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sheffield 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 Sheffield Foundation's EIN?
Sheffield Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-4124633. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Sheffield 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 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sheffield Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sheffield-foundation-morg_0ff148edeccc40519e7361fcd1a217dd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_264124633_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sheffield Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sheffield-foundation-morg_0ff148edeccc40519e7361fcd1a217dd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Sheffield 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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