The Lake County Community
The Lake County Community Foundation is a public charitable foundation and grantmaking organization established in 2005, based in Grayslake, Illinois. It operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and maintains donor-advised funds. The Foundation serves as a philanthropic institution dedicated to improving quality of life in Lake County through strategic grantmaking and community partnerships.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$25.4M
+23.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.4M
-0.8% YoY
Grant Count
48
-15.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$29K
+17.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: The mission of The Lake County Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable residents of the county by providing civic leadership, promoting collective philanthropy and partnering with grant recipients.
Vision: The Foundation envisions a Lake County where neighbors have the resources and power to heal and generate pride within their own neighborhoods; where all individuals deserve equitable access to building generational wealth and opportunities to reimagine and create sustainable communities. The organization is intentionally shifting its philanthropic power, resources and focus to historically disinvested communities so that everyone has access, resources and opportunity.
Program Areas: The Foundation supports organizations working collaboratively to address basic needs of Lake County residents. It accepts proposals for both program/project-based initiatives and general operating support.
Grantmaking
The Foundation provides grants to charitable organizations within Lake County. Recent grant activity includes:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation funds organizations and initiatives throughout Lake County, Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
2024 (Most Recent):
- Total Revenue: $3,770,565
- Total Expenses: $2,823,875
- Total Assets: $25,353,374
2023:
- Total Revenue: $4,810,000
- Total Expenses: $2,620,000
- Total Assets: $20,500,000
- Total Liabilities: $249,000
2022:
- Total Revenue: $7,776,857
- Total Expenses: $4,025,060
- Total Assets: $17,830,952
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $25,353,374 | $20,485,729 | $17,830,952 |
| Revenue | $3,770,565 | $4,808,735 | $7,776,857 |
| Expenses | $2,823,875 | $2,621,096 | $4,025,060 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $264,394 | $442,046 | $1,506,588 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
236 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
4 open opportunities from The Lake County Community
Lake County Community Foundation Grant Program - Early Childhood Education Priority Area Grants
THE LAKE COUNTY COMMUNITY
Amount
US $5,000 - US $10,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Lake County Community Foundation Grant Program - Growing Communities Priority Area
THE LAKE COUNTY COMMUNITY
Amount
US $5,000 - US $30,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Lake County Community Foundation Grant Program - Nonprofit Capacity Building Priority Area Grants
THE LAKE COUNTY COMMUNITY
Amount
US $1,000 - US $5,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Ravinia Festival Association ($120,000), Sedgebrook Opco (sl-vii) Llc ($97,248), University of Wisconsin Foundation ($62,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ALLIES FOR COMMUNITY BUSINESS CHICAGO, IL | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| ANTIOCH AREA HEALTH ACCESS ALLIANCE ANTIOCH, IL | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $25,000 |
| ASPIRE OF ILLINOIS HILLSIDE, IL | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $25,000 |
| BRAVEHEARTS THERAPEUTIC RIDING AND HARVARD, IL | OPERATING SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| CASA LAKE COUNTY INC VERNON HILLS, IL | OPERATING SUPPORT | $30,000 |
| CENTER FOR IMMIGRANT PROGRESS WAUKEGAN, IL | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $24,000 |
| CHICAGO WORKERS COLLABORATIVE WAUKEGAN, IL | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $35,000 |
| CHRISTIAN OUTREACH OF LUTHERANS WAUKEGAN, IL | OPERATING SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| COMMUNITY CENTER FOR THE ARTS JACKSON, WY | OPERATING SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| COOL LEARNING EXPERIENCE WAUKEGAN, IL | OPERATING SUPPORT | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Executive Director: Maggie Morales
Staff Size: 8 employees (as of 2024)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEVEN BUGG | BOARD CHAIR | 1 | — |
| MALCOLM NEWSOME | VICE CHAIR | 1 | — |
| NADINE JOHNSON | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| TIFFANY ALEXANDER | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| JEANNE ANG | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| BRUCE BOYD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LISA COWHEY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| STEVE FOX | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOHN GIBBONS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TOPILTZIN GOMEZ | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PASTOR AMY HEINRICH | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KRIS HOULT | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| REGINALD JONES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ALI O'BRIEN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| HEATHER SANNES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOHN SONNIER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| AMBER WEBB | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SARAH MORALES | EXECUTIVE DI | 40 | $118,973 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Foundation has demonstrated significant growth and activity in recent years:
**Tax-Exempt Status:** Granted tax-exempt status in April 2022
**Rating:** Received a Four-Star rating (95% score) from independent charity evaluators, with particular strength in Accountability & Finance
**Donor-Advised Funds:** The Foundation operates donor-advised funds through which donors can direct the distribution or investment of funds
**Community Partnerships:** Continues to partner with organizations including The Chicago Community Trust and The Chicago Community Foundation
Lake County Community Foundation names grant recipientsSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Lake County Community fund?
**Mission Statement:** The mission of The Lake County Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable residents of the county by providing civic leadership, promoting collective philanthropy and partnering with grant recipients. **Vision:** The Foundation envisions a Lake County where neighbors have the resources and power to heal and generate pride within their own neighborhoods; where all individuals deserve equitable access to building generational wealth and op…
How do I apply for a grant from The Lake County Community?
The Foundation provides grants to charitable organizations within Lake County. Recent grant activity includes: • **2024 Grants:** Awards to organizations including Ravinia Festival Association ($120,000 for building construction) and Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association ($62,000 for scholarship support) • **Record-Breaking Year (2022):** Over $1 million in combined grants awarded to 33 local nonprofits, combining $500,000 from the Foundation with $500,000 from a donor-advised fund holder…
Where does The Lake County Community make grants?
The Foundation funds organizations and initiatives throughout Lake County, Illinois.
What size grants does The Lake County Community award?
In 2024, The Lake County Community awarded 48 grants totaling $1.4M — an average of about $29K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is The Lake County Community's EIN?
The Lake County Community's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3654399. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Lake County Community's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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