The Paul W Franke Family Foundation
The Paul W Franke Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Lincolnshire, Illinois. In 2025, it gave grants to charitable organizations working in areas including care for older people, housing, food assistance, health care, and environmental conservation.
The Paul W Franke Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Paul W Franke Family Foundation gave $93K across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Illinois. 4% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $92,500
- +1.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- -4.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,854
- +5.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $1,339,149
- -2.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 4% first-time grantees (1 of 24, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (64% 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 Paul W Franke Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 17 Nottingham Dr, Lincolnshire, IL 60069
Phone: (847) 606-8893
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Paul W Franke Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Little Sisters of the Poor ($20K). Together the top 10 received $64K.
Grant Size Distribution
118 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 118 grants of 118 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Illinois organizations received 64% of grant dollars. The next-largest reported shares went to organizations in Virginia (9%), Pennsylvania (6%), Connecticut (5%), and New York (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Paul W Franke Family Foundation open to new grantees?
4%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 24 grantees (4%) were first-time recipients. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 96% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $76K (2020) to $94K (2023). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $93K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Little Sisters of the Poor Palatine, IL | Housing and Care of Poor | $20,000 |
| Mercy Home for Boys and Girls Chicago, IL | General Support | $15,000 |
| Care Merrifield, VA | Public Support | $5,000 |
| Save the Children Fairfield, CT | International Medical Care | $5,000 |
| Aryse Pittsburgh, PA | General Support | $4,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | International Medical Care | $3,000 |
| Feed My Starving Children Coon Rapids, MN | General Supportfood for Needy People | $3,000 |
| The Nature Conservancy Merrifield, VA | General Support | $3,000 |
| The Night Ministry Chicago, IL | General Support | $3,000 |
| The Salvation Army Chicago, IL | General Support | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Paul W Franke Family 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 | $1,339,149 | $56,708 | $95,567 | $92,500 | 24 | $92,500 | $55,179 | $95,015 |
| 2024 | $1,378,008 | $60,226 | $97,841 | $91,500 | 25 | $91,500 | $58,738 | $90,318 |
| 2023 | $1,415,623 | $20,285 | $101,514 | $94,000 | 25 | $94,000 | $56,483 | $78,931 |
| 2022 | $1,496,852 | $206,983 | $93,922 | $89,000 | 23 | $89,000 | $205,496 | $94,282 |
| 2021 | $1,383,791 | $88,201 | $84,340 | $78,000 | 21 | $78,000 | $85,083 | $81,939 |
| 2020 | $1,379,930 | $182,392 | $80,585 | $76,000 | 20 | — | $173,052 | $66,744 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Paul W Franke Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $95K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations addressing a range of needs. For example, Little Sisters of the Poor says its Chicago Province provides financial assistance for homes serving older people in 32 countries. The Night Ministry describes its work as providing human connection, housing support, and health care to people who are unhoused or experiencing poverty. Northern Illinois Food Bank says it provides meals through a network of food pantries and programs.
Other 2025 recipients include organizations whose stated missions address children’s hunger, conservation, homebuilding, poverty and humanitarian needs, and support for vulnerable girls in Kenya. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a mission statement from the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 24 grants totaling $92,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $20,000, with a median of $2,500.
Among its largest 2025 grants were $20,000 to Little Sisters of the Poor for housing and care of poor people; $15,000 to Mercy Home for Boys and Girls for general support; $5,000 each to CARE for public support and Save the Children for international medical care; and $4,000 to ARYSE for general support. Other recipients included Doctors Without Borders, Feed My Starving Children, The Nature Conservancy, The Night Ministry, and The Salvation Army.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists James M Franke as president, secretary, and treasurer. It lists Caroline F Kosky and Judith Franke as directors.
The Paul W Franke Family Foundation is led by James M. Franke, President, Secretary & Treasurer since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James M. Franke
President, Secretary & Treasurer
Secretary & Treasurer → President, Secretary & Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Caroline F. Kosky
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Judith Franke
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Paul W. Franke (2020–2024) — President
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 Paul W Franke Family Foundation
How much does The Paul W Franke Family Foundation give each year?
The Paul W Franke Family Foundation gave $93K across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $92K across 25 grants.
What is The Paul W Franke Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Paul W Franke Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $3,854, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Paul W Franke Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does The Paul W Franke Family Foundation give grants?
The Paul W Franke Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 64% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Virginia (9%) and Pennsylvania (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (5 grants), Merrifield, VA (2 grants), Pittsburgh, PA (2 grants) and Waukegan, IL (2 grants).
Does The Paul W Franke Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 63% of The Paul W Franke Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 24) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Paul W Franke Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Paul W Franke Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Little Sisters of the Poor ($20,000), Mercy Home for Boys and Girls ($15,000) and Care ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 43% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Paul W Franke Family Foundation?
The Paul W Franke Family Foundation reported $1.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $93K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $95K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Paul W Franke Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations addressing a range of needs. For example, Little Sisters of the Poor says its Chicago Province provides financial assistance for homes serving older people in 32 countries. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Paul W Franke Family Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Paul W Franke Family Foundation's EIN?
The Paul W Franke Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1166896. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Paul W Franke Family 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 October 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 August 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Paul W Franke Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-paul-w-franke-family-foundation-morg_e6142dcefd8249bdbf6c84c4155c6dd9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201166896_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Paul W Franke Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-paul-w-franke-family-foundation-morg_e6142dcefd8249bdbf6c84c4155c6dd9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Paul W Franke Family 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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