Simons Family Foundation
Simons Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Glenview, Illinois. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in human services, education, youth services, and religious or ministry-related activities.
Simons Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Simons Family Foundation gave $174K across 37 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Illinois. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $174,140
- +7.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 37
- -19.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,706
- +33.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,000
- Total assets
- $1,509,276
- +0.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (10 of 37, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (83% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Simons Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1819 Ridgewood Ln E, Glenview, IL 60025
Phone: (847) 757-7261
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Simons Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Archdiocese of Chicago Gen-to-Gen ($20K). Together the top 10 received $94K.
Grant Size Distribution
274 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 274 grants of 274 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 83% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 9% to Minnesota, 5% to Maryland, and 1% each to Oregon and Louisiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Simons Family Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 37 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $250 first-time, $8K repeat.
- 68% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 25% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 110% 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 $52K (2020) to $174K (2025). In 2025 it made 37 grants totaling $174K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Archdiocese of Chicago Gen-to-Gen Chicago, IL | Religious | $20,000 |
| Kolbe House Chicago, IL | Human Services | $10,000 |
| Avenues of Independence Park Ridge, IL | Human Services | $8,000 |
| Cristo Rey St Martin College Prep Waukegan, IL | Education | $8,000 |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago, IL | Human Services | $8,000 |
| Horizons for Youth Chicago, IL | Youth Social Services | $8,000 |
| Ignation Volunteer Corps Baltimore, MD | Ministries | $8,000 |
| La CASA Norte Chicago, IL | Human Services | $8,000 |
| Mercy Home for Boys & Girls Chicago, IL | Human Services | $8,000 |
| Morningstar Mission Ministries Joliet, IL | General Operations | $8,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Simons Family 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 | $1,509,276 | $205,006 | $204,198 | $174,140 | 37 | $175,627 | $185,596 | $159,242 |
| 2024 | $1,497,868 | $730,783 | $190,665 | $162,440 | 46 | $164,855 | $706,425 | $149,171 |
| 2023 | $957,750 | $80,958 | $167,307 | $142,840 | 39 | $144,815 | $58,721 | $137,923 |
| 2022 | $1,044,914 | $142,849 | $167,507 | $139,850 | 67 | $139,861 | $21,512 | $131,449 |
| 2021 | $1,069,572 | $198,671 | $154,411 | $132,870 | 85 | $132,893 | $177,153 | $123,874 |
| 2020 | $1,025,312 | $560,956 | $58,835 | $51,810 | 51 | — | $19,071 | $54,160 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Simons Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $159K 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 is provided. The foundation’s listed 2025 grants include support for human services, education, youth social services, ministries, religious activities, and general operations. The grantees describe a range of work: La Casa Norte says it provides services, resources, and housing to people facing homelessness; the Greater Chicago Food Depository says its mission is to end hunger; and Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep says it educates young people of limited economic means through college-preparatory education and work-study experience.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 37 grants totaling $174,140. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $20,000, with a median of $8,000. The largest listed grant was $20,000 to the Archdiocese of Chicago Gen-to-Gen for religious purposes. Other listed grants included $10,000 to Kolbe House for human services and $8,000 each to Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep for education, the Greater Chicago Food Depository for human services, La Casa Norte for human services, Horizons for Youth for youth social services, and One Million Degrees for education. The foundation also gave $8,000 to Star Legacy Foundation, whose mission it describes as supporting stillbirth awareness, research, education, and families.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Nicholas G Simons as President EM, Jeanne L Simons as Secretary, and John N Simons as President.
Simons Family Foundation is led by John N. Simons, President since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John N. Simons
President
Director → President, 2022
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Nicholas G. Simons
President Em
President → President Em, 2022
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jeanne L. Simons
Secretary
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 Simons Family Foundation
How much does Simons Family Foundation give each year?
Simons Family Foundation gave $174K across 37 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $162K across 46 grants.
What is Simons Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Simons Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $8,000, and its average grant was $4,706, across 37 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Simons Family Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Simons Family Foundation give grants?
Simons Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Minnesota (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (14 grants), Park Ridge, IL (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Simons Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 49% of Simons Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (18 of 37) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Human Services" (9 grants), "Education" (4 grants) and "Ministries" (3 grants).
Who are Simons Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Simons Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Archdiocese of Chicago Gen-to-Gen ($20,000), Kolbe House ($10,000) and Avenues of Independence ($8,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Simons Family Foundation?
Simons Family Foundation reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $176K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $159K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Simons Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The foundation’s listed 2025 grants include support for human services, education, youth social services, ministries, religious activities, and general operations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Simons Family Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Simons Family Foundation's EIN?
Simons Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1957458. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Simons Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 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 October 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 24, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 9, 2023)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Simons Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Simons Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in Illinois
The Chicago Community Trust
Chicago, IL
The Chicago Community Trust funds eligible nonprofits working to narrow the wealth gap and meet urgent needs, with priorities including economic mobility, education, jobs, homeownership, and community development in metropolitan Chicago and Cook County. Its 2025 grants had a median of $26,500, though amounts varied widely; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$7.1B
Grants
4,316
Total Given
$1.2B
The Allstate Foundation
Northbrook, IL
The Allstate Foundation funds youth empowerment, efforts to prevent and address relationship abuse, nonprofit leadership, and related economic opportunity and equity work. Its 2024 grants ranged from $250 to $2 million, with a median of $1,000, and awards must support work in the United States. It accepts proposals from organizations beyond a preselected list; proposals are reviewed as received.
Assets
$89.3M
Grants
2,010
Total Given
$38.0M
Elks National Foundation Inc
Chicago, IL
The Elks National Foundation funds scholarships, youth programs, veterans’ services, and charitable projects through Elks Lodges and state associations across the United States. Its 2026 grants had a median size of $10,000, though awards varied widely; the profile describes application routes for specific Lodge and scholarship programs but does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$954.1M
Grants
1,536
Total Given
$36.5M
John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation
Chicago, IL
The MacArthur Foundation funds work advancing a more just, verdant, and peaceful world, including climate solutions, criminal justice, journalism, technology, and Chicago. In 2024, its grants had a median of $160,000, though awards ranged widely; it generally does not accept unsolicited requests, with possible exceptions for specific open calls or proposals that meet program guidelines.
Assets
$9.3B
Grants
1,086
Total Given
$356.1M
Arie and Ida Crown Memorial
Chicago, IL
Arie and Ida Crown Memorial supports education, the environment, health and human services, gun violence prevention, homelessness prevention, and Jewish community and Israel initiatives, with a strong focus on Chicago and giving across the U.S. and internationally. In 2024, its grants ranged from $500 to $3 million, with a median of $55,000. It uses an invitation-only process and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.4B
Grants
897
Total Given
$115.2M
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
Chicago, IL
The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago funds human services, Jewish education and community programs, crisis response, and support for Israel and Jewish communities worldwide, primarily through Chicago-area agencies and initiatives. In 2025, its grants had a median of about $20,000, though awards ranged widely; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
896
Total Given
$166.6M
More similar funders
More Funders in Illinois
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Simons Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/simons-family-foundation-morg_797bbf7519734c2691134332aa13c24a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_411957458_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Simons Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/simons-family-foundation-morg_797bbf7519734c2691134332aa13c24a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Simons Family 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.
Simons Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?