Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation
Southeastern Illinois Community is a public charity based in Effingham, Illinois. The organization describes itself as a community foundation that helps individuals, families, and organizations make charitable investments for the long-term benefit of their hometowns.
Key facts about Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation
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.
- EIN
- 37-1390271
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,744,506
- Grants made (2024)
- 59
- Average grant
- $80,415
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 52% first-time grantees (23 of 44, 2024)
- Total assets
- $74,290,018
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (66% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Create an account in the online grant portal, review the grant programs, and apply. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The Ben Harrington Youth Sports Fund application deadline is October 6, 2026.
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$74.3M
+1.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$4.7M
+64.0% YoY
Grant Count
59
+28.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$80K
+27.8% YoY
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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s mission is “cultivating philanthropy to build better communities.” Its stated program purpose is managing and distributing charitable funds for the benefit of southeastern Illinois residents and communities.
Its 2024 grants included support for varied organizations. For example, Mattoon Sports Complex Inc. says it develops and operates a sports complex intended to benefit residents and businesses in Illinois. Effingham Child Development Center says it provides child care for working parents who cannot afford traditional facility costs. Other recipients include schools, a church, a community foundation, a university, and a water authority.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the organization 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 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. The listed grant purposes were general support.
Review Cycle
The Ben Harrington Youth Sports Fund application deadline is October 6, 2026.
Open Grants
24 open opportunities from Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation
Arland D. Williams Jr. Scholarship
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation
Amount
$3,500
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Captain R. Dean and Mary E. Postlewaite Scholarship
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Coles County Peace and Justice Fund Grant Program
Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation
Amount
US $1,000 - US $7,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to take the next step with Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization’s stated program purpose is to benefit residents and communities of southeastern Illinois. Its 2024 grant dollars went primarily to recipients in North Carolina (66%) and Illinois (31%), with smaller shares in Tennessee (2%), Florida (1%), and Indiana (0%, rounded). Individual opportunities have narrower service areas, including the Mattoon community and Effingham County.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 59 itemized grants.
States
Cities
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.
Grant Insights
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%).
Giving History
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 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $74,290,018 | $5,954,454 | $8,113,068 | $4,744,506 |
| 2023 | $72,894,928 | $8,452,142 | $6,026,594 | $2,893,855 |
| 2022 | $71,606,534 | $6,847,115 | $19,713,772 | $16,684,253 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $74,290,018 | $72,894,928 | $71,606,534 |
| Revenue | $5,954,454 | $8,452,142 | $6,847,115 |
| Expenses | $8,113,068 | $6,026,594 | $19,713,772 |
| Net Investment Income | $935,871 | $654,699 | $440,100 |
Data update history
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
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2024 filing are Chuck Deters, president; Mel Stock, vice president; Jake Dively, secretary and treasurer; and directors Julie Everett, Scott Bloomberg, Ryan Orrick, Olivia Koester, and Mandy Lewis. 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).
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 1211, Effingham, IL 62401
Phone: (217) 342-5409
Website: https://southeasternillinois.org
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 organization’s mission is “cultivating philanthropy to build better communities.” Its stated program purpose is managing and distributing charitable funds for the benefit of southeastern Illinois residents and communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation?
Create an account in the online grant portal, review the grant programs, and apply. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
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 September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation by hand.
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