The Cynthia Elkins Foundation

CHICAGO, IL EIN: 36-4118927

The Cynthia Elkins Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1996 and tax-exempt since April 1997, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization classified under the National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) as a Private Grantmaking Foundation.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

Annual Giving

$751K

+10.1% YoY

Grant Count

41

+10.8% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$18K

-0.7% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Grantmaking

The foundation makes grants across multiple focus areas including education, philanthropy and voluntarism, human services, disaster preparedness and relief, arts, history, and creative writing.

Ready to take the next step with The Cynthia Elkins Foundation?

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Illinois, Wisconsin, and New York.

Grant Distribution by State

12states
+4 more states

Cities

ARLINGTONBERKLEYCARROLLTONCHAMPAIGNCHICAGOCROWN POINTDALLASDENVEREVANSTONGLENVIEWGRAPEVINEHIGHLAND PARKHIGHLANMD PARKIMMOKALEELAKE BLUFFLIBERTYVILLEMADISONMANHATTAN BEACHMCKINNEYMIAMI

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Most Recent (Fiscal Year Ending November 2024):

  • Total Assets: $287,149
  • Total Revenue: $781,899
  • Total Expenses: $759,855
  • Total Giving: $750,800

Prior Year (Fiscal Year Ending November 2023):

  • Total Assets: $336,892
  • Total Revenue: $768,674
  • Total Expenses: $692,584
  • Total Grants, Contributions: $779,080
  • Investment Income and Dividends: $3,165
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$0.275$0.55$0.8250000000000001$1.120202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
Distributable Amount

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$197K$394K$592K$789K19 grants202034 grants202132 grants202237 grants202341 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

DANIEL MURPHY SCHOLARSHIPS$138KILLINOIS HOLOCAUST MUSEUM$92KAMERICAN FRIENDS OF MAGE…$55KUNITED STATES HOLOCAUST …$50KJEWISH UNITED FUND$50KURBAN INICIATIVES$40KNSSRA FOUNDATION$40KBRAVE SPACE ALLIANCE$38KLEAP$36KONE TAIL AT A TIME$28K

Grant Size Distribution

163 grants across all recorded years

148<$50K9$50–100K6$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
Stephen ElkinsPresident
Leslie ElkinsVice President
Shannon ElkinsSecretary
Robyn HulfeldTreasurer

Contact Information

Address: 415 E North Water St Apt 2406, Chicago, IL 60611

Phone: 312-364-8725

Website: https://www.theelkinsfoundation.org

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

What could you do with The Cynthia Elkins Foundation on Grantable?

  • Assess strategic fit with your organization
  • Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
  • Find open RFPs from this funder
  • Monitor for new funding opportunities