Sjostrom & Sons Foundation
Sjostrom & Sons Foundation is a private foundation based in Rockford, Illinois. Its 2025 grants supported organizations and causes in areas including recreation, medical care, education, charitable services, history, and the arts.
Sjostrom & Sons Foundation at a glance
In short: Sjostrom & Sons Foundation gave $46K across 35 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), mostly in Illinois. 6% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $46,250
- -7.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 35
- -12.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,321
- +6.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $726,116
- +1.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 6% first-time grantees (2 of 35, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (95% 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 Sjostrom & Sons Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Contact Joel Sjostrom. No specific form is required; submit the organization’s name and needs. Awards are restricted to tax-exempt charitable organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: Joel Sjostrom
Mailing address: 1129 Harrison Ave, Rockford, IL 61104
Phone: (815) 226-0330
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sjostrom & Sons Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was YMCA of Rock River Valley ($7K). Together the top 10 received $29K.
Grant Size Distribution
194 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 194 grants of 194 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois and 5% to recipients in Wisconsin. Many of the listed recipients are based in Rockford, Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 35 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Sjostrom & Sons Foundation open to new grantees?
6%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 35 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 91% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−9%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $46K (2025) to $51K (2022). In 2025 it made 35 grants totaling $46K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| YMCA of Rock River Valley Rockford, IL | Recreational | $6,500 |
| Rosecrance Foundation Rockford, IL | Medical | $5,000 |
| Trinity Lutheran Church Rockford, IL | Charitable | $3,000 |
| United Way of Rock River Valley Rockford, IL | General Fund | $3,000 |
| Burpee Natural History Museum Rockford, IL | Historical | $2,500 |
| University of Wisconsin Madison, WI | Educational | $2,500 |
| Mercyhealth Development Fndn Rockford, IL | Medical | $2,000 |
| Trinity Daycare Rockford, IL | Educational | $2,000 |
| Natural Land Institute Rockford, IL | Charitable | $1,500 |
| Rockford Symphony Orchestra Rockford, IL | Artistic | $1,250 |
Ready to take the next step with Sjostrom & Sons 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 | $726,116 | $73,415 | $62,967 | $46,250 | 35 | $48,073 | $60,076 | $46,193 |
| 2024 | $715,668 | $44,967 | $65,122 | $49,850 | 40 | $51,735 | $32,129 | $44,596 |
| 2023 | $735,823 | $40,199 | $66,326 | $49,850 | 39 | $51,686 | $25,427 | $43,669 |
| 2022 | $761,950 | $31,499 | $68,313 | $50,850 | 39 | $52,570 | $16,512 | $47,698 |
| 2021 | $798,764 | $77,133 | $66,908 | $50,150 | 41 | — | $62,212 | $47,645 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sjostrom & Sons Foundation reported a distributable amount of $46K 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 2025 grant purposes include recreational, medical, charitable, educational, historical, and artistic support, as well as general-fund giving.
The grantees’ own descriptions show the range of organizations supported. YMCA of Rock River Valley describes its work as focused on youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. Rosecrance Foundation says it raises funds to strengthen programs and expand access to care for at-risk and underserved community members. Natural Land Institute describes its mission as creating an enduring legacy of natural land in northern Illinois for people, plants, and animals.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 35 grants totaling $46,250. Grants ranged from $500 to $6,500, with a median of $1,000. The largest awards included $6,500 to YMCA of Rock River Valley for recreational purposes, $5,000 to Rosecrance Foundation for medical purposes, and $3,000 each to Trinity Lutheran Church for charitable purposes and United Way of Rock River Valley for its general fund. Other grants included $2,500 to Burpee Natural History Museum for historical purposes and $2,500 to the University of Wisconsin for educational purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joel Sjostrom and Kristopher Sjostrom as directors.
Sjostrom & Sons Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joel Sjostrom
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Kristopher Sjostrom
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Sjostrom & Sons Foundation
How much does Sjostrom & Sons Foundation give each year?
Sjostrom & Sons Foundation gave $46K across 35 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $50K across 40 grants.
What is Sjostrom & Sons Foundation's typical grant size?
Sjostrom & Sons Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,321, across 35 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sjostrom & Sons Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Sjostrom & Sons Foundation give grants?
Sjostrom & Sons Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Wisconsin (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Rockford, IL (30 grants).
Does Sjostrom & Sons Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of Sjostrom & Sons Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 35) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Educational" (8 grants), "Charitable" (7 grants) and "Medical" (6 grants).
Who are Sjostrom & Sons Foundation's largest grantees?
Sjostrom & Sons Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include YMCA of Rock River Valley ($6,500), Rosecrance Foundation ($5,000) and Trinity Lutheran Church ($3,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sjostrom & Sons Foundation?
Sjostrom & Sons Foundation reported $726K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $48K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $46K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sjostrom & Sons Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grant purposes include recreational, medical, charitable, educational, historical, and artistic support, as well as general-fund giving. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sjostrom & Sons Foundation?
Contact Joel Sjostrom. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sjostrom & Sons Foundation's EIN?
Sjostrom & Sons Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3225935. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
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 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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Figures come from Sjostrom & Sons 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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