Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation is a public charity based in Effingham, Illinois. Formed in 1999, it manages and distributes funds for charitable purposes benefiting residents and communities in southeastern Illinois.
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation at a glance
In short: Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation gave $4.7M across 59 grants in 2024 (avg $80K), mostly in North Carolina. 52% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,744,506
- +64.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 59
- +28.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $80,415
- +27.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $74,290,018
- +1.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 52% first-time grantees (23 of 44, 2024)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (66% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 1211, Effingham, IL 62401
Phone: (217) 342-5409
Website: https://southeasternillinois.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
21 open opportunities from Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation
Arland D. Williams Jr. Scholarship
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation
Amount
$3,500
Deadline
Deadline not published
Captain R. Dean and Mary E. Postlewaite Scholarship
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Coles County Peace and Justice Fund Grant Program
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation
Amount
US $1,000 - US $7,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was High Point University ($3.1M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $4.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
270 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 233 grants of 270 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated charitable purpose covers residents and communities of southeastern Illinois. Its 2024 grant dollars went primarily to North Carolina recipients (66%) and Illinois recipients (31%), with 2% to Tennessee, 1% to Florida, and a reported less than 1% to Indiana.
Some individual funds have their own geographic scopes. For example, the Ben Harrington Youth Sports Fund serves the Mattoon community, while the Heather Began Memorial Education Fund covers K–4 educators in Altamont, Illinois, and Avondale, Arizona.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 59 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation open to new grantees?
52%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 23 of 44 grantees (52%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $28K; repeat grants $195K. How we count
Medians: $9K first-time, $25K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $401K (2019) to $16.7M (2022). In 2024 it made 59 grants totaling $4.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| High Point University High Point, NC | General Support | $3,000,000 |
| Mattoon Sports Complex Inc Mattoon, IL | General Support | $261,354 |
| High Point University High Point, NC | General Support | $117,462 |
| Charity Global Inc Franklin, TN | General Support | $100,000 |
| St Anthony of Padua Church Effingham, IL | General Support | $100,000 |
| The Cross Foundation Effingham, IL | General Support | $100,000 |
| Arthur Christian School Arthur, IL | General Support | $99,074 |
| City of Newton Illinois Newton, IL | General Support | $90,608 |
| Buckeye Friends School Effingham, IL | General Support | $75,000 |
| Effingham Child Development Center Effingham, IL | General Support | $70,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $74,290,018 | $5,954,454 | $8,113,068 | $4,744,506 | 59 | $935,871 |
| 2023 | $72,894,928 | $8,452,142 | $6,026,594 | $2,893,855 | 46 | $654,699 |
| 2022 | $71,606,534 | $6,847,115 | $19,713,772 | $16,684,253 | 41 | $440,100 |
| 2021 | $87,289,674 | $32,161,464 | $3,849,883 | $1,307,101 | 40 | $513,865 |
| 2020 | $54,064,835 | $13,044,658 | $3,051,739 | $1,481,341 | 84 | $547,601 |
| 2019 | $41,202,367 | $23,335,911 | $2,300,091 | $401,430 | 32 | $342,414 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is “Cultivating philanthropy to build better communities.” Its stated charitable purpose is managing and distributing funds for the benefit of residents and communities of southeastern Illinois.
Its 2024 grants included general support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Mattoon Sports Complex Inc. says it develops and operates a sports complex intended to benefit Mattoon residents and businesses. Arthur Christian School says it supports children’s education and character development, while Effingham Child Development Center says it provides child care for working parents who cannot afford traditional facility costs. The Cross Foundation describes its mission as sharing the Christian message, and Charity: Water describes its work as bringing clean and safe water to people around the world.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 59 grants totaling $4,744,506. Grant amounts ranged from $5,500 to $3,000,000, with a median of $10,000.
The largest reported grants included $3,000,000 and $117,462 to High Point University; $261,354 to Mattoon Sports Complex Inc.; and $100,000 each to Charity Global Inc., St. Anthony of Padua Church, and The Cross Foundation. Other notable grants included $99,074 to Arthur Christian School, $90,608 to the City of Newton, and $75,000 to Buckeye Friends School. These grants were reported as general support.
The foundation’s grants page describes an online application portal where applicants create an account, review grant programs, and apply. The Ben Harrington Youth Sports Fund’s 2026 cycle is listed for August 25 through October 6, 2026. It supports eligible nonprofit organizations, school districts, park districts, and recognized youth sports organizations serving ages 5–18 in the Mattoon community. Applicants may submit one application during the cycle; awards range from $250 to $3,000. Eligible requests include sports equipment, uniforms, facility improvements, registration scholarships, coaching education, program expansion, and qualifying tournament participation. Applications should explain the need, timeline, budget, number of athletes affected, and how the project fits the fund’s mission. Deadline: October 6, 2026.
The Heather Began Memorial Education Fund is listed as active, with a deadline of October 6, 2026. It supports classroom materials and educational initiatives for K–4 educators in Altamont, Illinois, and Avondale, Arizona. The listed award range is $500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Chuck Deters as president; Mel Stock as vice president; Jake Dively as secretary and treasurer; and Julie Everett, Scott Bloomberg, Ryan Orrick, Olivia Koester, and Mandy Lewis as directors. Alex Pleasant is listed as president and CEO.
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation is led by Alex Pleasant, President & CEO on every filing since 2021; 1 of 9 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Alex Pleasant
President & CEO
On filings since 2021
45 hrs/week
$29K (2021) → $115K (2024)
Chuck Deters
President
Chairman → Chair, 2023
Chair → President, 2024
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julie Everett
Director
Treasurer → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ryan Orrick
Director
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Scott Bloomberg
Director
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mandy Lewis
Director
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Olivia Koester
Director
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mel Stock
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jake Dively
Secretary & Treasurer
Director → Secretary & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (8)
- Former: Aaron Leonard (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Dean Bingham (2020–2022) — Vice Chairman
- Former: Amanda Lessley (2019–2021) — President & CEO
- Former: Steve Hardin (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Brett Kingery (2019) — Director
- Former: Carolyn Spraul (2019) — Secretary
- Former: Jerry McDaniel (2019) — Director
- Former: Ned Hoppin (2019) — Chairman
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $115K, to Alex Pleasant (President & CEO).
Frequently asked questions about Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation
How much does Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation give each year?
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation gave $4.7M across 59 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $2.9M across 46 grants.
What is Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation's typical grant size?
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $80,415, across 59 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation that year got $28K on average.
Where does Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation give grants?
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 66% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Illinois (31%). The most frequent recipient cities were Effingham, IL (31 grants), Mattoon, IL (5 grants), Robinson, IL (3 grants) and High Point, NC (2 grants).
Does Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (59 of 59) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation's largest grantees?
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include High Point University ($3,117,462 across 2 grants), Mattoon Sports Complex Inc ($271,354 across 2 grants) and Buckeye Friends School ($145,000 across 7 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 74% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation?
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation reported $74.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $6.0M.
What does Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is “Cultivating philanthropy to build better communities.” Its stated charitable purpose is managing and distributing funds for the benefit of residents and communities of southeastern Illinois. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation?
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check southeasternillinois.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation's EIN?
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 37-1390271. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 21, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 21, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 26, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 30, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 23, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/southeastern-illinois-community-foundation-morg_d2f32855204b42dda5f1ab54c4e86d4f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_371390271_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/southeastern-illinois-community-foundation-morg_d2f32855204b42dda5f1ab54c4e86d4f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Southeastern Illinois Community 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.
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?