The Footprints Foundation
The Footprints Foundation is a private foundation based in Hinsdale, Illinois. Its website describes Driven to Care, which operates through the Foundation, as a scholarship and student-experience program supporting students pursuing automotive and motorsports careers, particularly in Illinois and Texas.
The Footprints Foundation at a glance
In short: The Footprints Foundation gave $203K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $16K), top state Arizona. 10% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $202,950
- +71.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +8.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $15,612
- +58.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,527,975
- +22.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (1 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Arizona (45% 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 The Footprints Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. For Driven to Care scholarships, applicants should follow the application process set by the participating school or TechForce Foundation.
- Contact
Mailing address: 420 E Ogden Ave, Hinsdale, IL 60521
Phone: (331) 281-0340
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Footprints Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Techforce Foundation ($91K). Together the top 10 received $197K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($6,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
46 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 40 grants of 46 (87%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Driven to Care website describes its scholarship and student-experience programs as focused on Illinois and Texas. The Foundation’s 2025 grants also went to recipients in Arizona, Kansas, Illinois, and Texas; grant dollars were distributed 45% to Arizona, 25% to Kansas, 18% to Illinois, and 12% to Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Footprints Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 10 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $21K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 90% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 56% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 146% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $64K (2019) to $203K (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $203K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Techforce Foundation Phoenix, AZ | Educational Scholarship | $91,200 |
| McPherson College McPherson, KS | Educational Scholarship | $50,000 |
| Ravinia Festival Association Highland Park, IL | To Present World-Class Music, Theatre and Cultural Presentations | $15,000 |
| MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, TX | Myeloma Research - Cancer Research and Prevention | $10,000 |
| University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL | Educational Scholarship | $10,000 |
| Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL | Educational Scholarship | $5,000 |
| 2 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $6,000 |
| Texas State University Marcus, TX | Educational Scholarship | $5,000 |
| The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX | Educational Scholarship | $5,000 |
| Swan Songs Austin, TX | Fulfills musical last wishes by organizing concerts for individuals nearing the end of life | $3,750 |
Ready to take the next step with The Footprints 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 | $2,527,975 | $749,826 | $291,510 | $202,950 | 13 | $258,103 | $532,045 | $177,032 |
| 2024 | $2,069,659 | $307,061 | $153,773 | $118,200 | 12 | $125,878 | $216,999 | $162,407 |
| 2023 | $1,916,371 | $210,618 | $199,934 | $168,703 | 5 | $178,289 | $106,744 | $132,924 |
| 2022 | $1,905,687 | $22,343 | $162,530 | $130,500 | 6 | $139,870 | $20,009 | $132,897 |
| 2021 | $2,600,425 | $1,128,100 | $214,773 | $169,062 | 10 | $184,011 | $88,333 | $118,277 |
| 2020 | $2,036,160 | $785,612 | $86,504 | $65,694 | 13 | — | $64,428 | $61,158 |
| 2019 | $1,187,210 | $59,042 | $82,910 | $63,750 | 14 | — | $45,813 | $55,416 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Footprints Foundation reported a distributable amount of $177K 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
The Foundation’s website presents Driven to Care as a program carrying forward John Weinberger’s automotive legacy. It supports educational pathways in automotive engineering, technician training, restoration and preservation, and motorsports through scholarships, student experiences, and industry connections. The website describes the program’s scholarship and event activities as focused on Illinois and Texas.
In 2025, the Foundation’s grants included educational scholarships to colleges, universities, a high school, and TechForce Foundation. TechForce describes its mission as championing students through education and into careers as professional technicians. Other 2025 grants included $15,000 to Ravinia Festival Association, whose mission is to enrich lives through music, and $10,000 to MD Anderson Cancer Center for myeloma research and cancer research and prevention. These are the recipient organizations’ activities and purposes, not stated missions of the Foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 13 grants totaling $202,950. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $91,200, with a median of $5,000. Notable grants included $91,200 to TechForce Foundation for an educational scholarship, $50,000 to McPherson College for an educational scholarship, $15,000 to Ravinia Festival Association for music, theatre, and cultural presentations, and $10,000 each to MD Anderson Cancer Center for myeloma and cancer research and prevention and to the University of Illinois Chicago for an educational scholarship.
The Foundation’s filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Its website says Driven to Care scholarship applications are administered by select schools and TechForce Foundation, with school-specific application links and deadlines. Those scholarship opportunities are for students; they are distinct from grants to outside organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The Foundation’s 2025 filing lists Lisa Weinberger as president, Eileen Brongiel as vice president, and Taylor Ladd as secretary. The website identifies Lisa Weinberger as continuing John Weinberger’s legacy through Driven to Care.
The Footprints Foundation is led by Lisa Weinberger, President since 2020 (on filings since 2019); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lisa Weinberger
President
Vice President → President, 2020
On filings since 2019
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eileen Brongiel
Vice President
Secretary → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Taylor Ladd
Secretary
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Jeremy Rimmer (2020–2022) — Vice President
- Former: Dale Batson (2019–2020) — Secretary
- Former: John F Weinberger (2019–2020) — President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 The Footprints Foundation
How much does The Footprints Foundation give each year?
The Footprints Foundation gave $203K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $118K across 12 grants.
What is The Footprints Foundation's typical grant size?
The Footprints Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $15,612, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Footprints Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does The Footprints Foundation give grants?
The Footprints Foundation's top state is Arizona, with 45% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Kansas (25%) and Illinois (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were Austin, TX (3 grants).
Does The Footprints Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on The Footprints Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Educational Scholarship" (7 grants).
Who are The Footprints Foundation's largest grantees?
The Footprints Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Techforce Foundation ($91,200), McPherson College ($50,000) and Ravinia Festival Association ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($6,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 77% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Footprints Foundation?
The Footprints Foundation reported $2.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $258K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $177K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Footprints Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s website presents Driven to Care as a program carrying forward John Weinberger’s automotive legacy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Footprints Foundation?
The Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Footprints Foundation's EIN?
The Footprints Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-2982850. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Footprints Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 5, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Footprints Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Footprints Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-footprints-foundation-morg_cc3a4472f2b743dcb1c534975cdb7f70
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_262982850_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Footprints Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-footprints-foundation-morg_cc3a4472f2b743dcb1c534975cdb7f70},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 The Footprints 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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