The James Huntington Foundation
The James Huntington Foundation is a private foundation based in Warrenville, Illinois. Its 2024 IRS return is marked as the organization’s final return, indicating that it has terminated or is winding down. Although filing data records grantmaking in 2025, the final-return status means the foundation appears to have wound down or be winding down.
The James Huntington Foundation at a glance
In short: The James Huntington Foundation gave $21.6M across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $1.7M), mostly in Pennsylvania. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $21,630,353
- +2170.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- -53.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,663,873
- +4791.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (2 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (99% 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 James Huntington Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4320 Winfield Road 200, Warrenville, IL 60555
Phone: (312) 855-4460
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The James Huntington Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was National Philanthropic Trust ($21.3M). Together the top 10 received $21.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
216 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 194 grants of 216 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania and 1% to recipients in Illinois. The reported shares for Minnesota, Ohio, and New York were each 0%. The listed grants also included recipients in Nebraska, Maryland, and Arizona.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The James Huntington Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 13 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $11M; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $11M first-time, $10K repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 1992% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $863K (2021) to $21.6M (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $21.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| National Philanthropic Trust Jenkintown, PA | General Purpose | $21,347,353 |
| Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN | General Purpose | $80,000 |
| Merit School of Music Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $80,000 |
| Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| Phi Delta Theta Foundation Oxford, OH | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| Propublica New York, NY | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| University of Nebraska Foundation Lincoln, NE | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| Old Town School of Folk Music Chicago, IL | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance Silver Spring, MD | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Tucson Museum of Art Tucson, AZ | General Purpose | $10,000 |
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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 | — | $3,108,484 | $23,456,555 | $21,630,353 | 13 | $21,630,353 | $2,538,660 | $662,797 |
| 2024 | $20,348,071 | $2,813,985 | $3,592,169 | $952,500 | 28 | $952,500 | $2,433,430 | $1,074,573 |
| 2023 | $21,436,151 | $5,129,983 | $1,225,870 | $948,000 | 45 | $948,000 | $918,890 | $952,573 |
| 2022 | $17,549,329 | $948,121 | $7,110,968 | $1,034,000 | 63 | $1,034,000 | $353,074 | $947,988 |
| 2021 | $24,520,869 | $4,714,420 | $2,064,280 | $863,000 | 67 | $863,000 | $4,082,747 | $1,034,492 |
| 2020 | $22,258,209 | $3,359,102 | $1,211,044 | $897,000 | 68 | — | — | $862,672 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The James Huntington Foundation reported a distributable amount of $663K 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 for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including a medical center, music and arts organizations, a university foundation, a children’s hospital, a journalism nonprofit, and charitable foundations.
The grantees’ stated missions illustrate their work: Mayo Clinic says it provides patient care, education, and research to contribute to health and well-being; Merit School of Music says it works to remove barriers to high-quality music education for young people; and Young Naperville Singers says it promotes choral artistry through educational and performance experiences.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $21,630,353. Grant amounts ranged from $3,000 to $21,347,353, with a median grant of $20,000. The largest award was $21,347,353 to National Philanthropic Trust for general purposes. Other notable grants included $80,000 each to Mayo Clinic and Merit School of Music, and $20,000 each to Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Phi Delta Theta Foundation, and ProPublica. The reported purposes for these grants were general purposes.
The 2024 filing states that the foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Samuel H Ellis as trustee.
The James Huntington Foundation is led by Samuel H. Ellis, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Samuel H. Ellis
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 James Huntington Foundation
How much does The James Huntington Foundation give each year?
The James Huntington Foundation gave $21.6M across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $953K across 28 grants.
What is The James Huntington Foundation's typical grant size?
The James Huntington Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $1,663,873, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The James Huntington Foundation that year got $11M on average.
Where does The James Huntington Foundation give grants?
The James Huntington Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (3 grants) and Tucson, AZ (2 grants).
Does The James Huntington Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The James Huntington Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The James Huntington Foundation's largest grantees?
The James Huntington Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include National Philanthropic Trust ($21,347,353), Mayo Clinic ($80,000) and Merit School of Music ($80,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 99% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
What does The James Huntington Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including a medical center, music and arts organizations, a university foundation, a children’s hospital, a journalism nonprofit, and charitable foundations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The James Huntington Foundation?
The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is The James Huntington Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, The James Huntington Foundation reported a distributable amount of $663K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The James Huntington Foundation's EIN?
The James Huntington Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3553345. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The James Huntington 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The James Huntington Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The James Huntington Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-james-huntington-foundation-morg_ebdb8706c4754d0ebc7b40ab78cda3ef
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363553345_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The James Huntington Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-james-huntington-foundation-morg_ebdb8706c4754d0ebc7b40ab78cda3ef},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 James Huntington 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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