The RJN Foundation
The RJN Foundation is a private foundation based in Downers Grove, Illinois. Its 2025 grants supported river and clean-water work, scholarships at colleges and universities, and other charitable organizations.
The RJN Foundation at a glance
In short: The RJN Foundation gave $109K across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), top state District of Columbia. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $109,350
- +81.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- +6.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,527
- +69.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $1,106,053
- +7.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (8 of 30, 2025)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (47% 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 RJN 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: 2655 Warrenville Rd, Downers Grove, IL 60515
Phone: (630) 853-8003
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The RJN Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was American Rivers ($50K). Together the top 10 received $86K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($3,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
142 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 141 grants of 142 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, DC (47%) and Illinois (26%), followed by Oklahoma (7%), North Carolina (7%), and Texas (5%). The listed recipients also included organizations in Delaware and Utah.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The RJN Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 30 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 70% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 192% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 214% of 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 $28K (2021) to $109K (2025). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $109K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Rivers Washington, DC | In Honor of RJN 50TH Anniversary | $50,000 |
| Wine to Water Boone, NC | Water Filter Build | $7,780 |
| Benedictine University Lisle, IL | Scholarship Fund | $3,500 |
| Elmhurst College Elmhurst, IL | Scholarship Fund | $3,500 |
| Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL | Scholarship Fund | $3,500 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $3,500 |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, IL | Scholarship Fund | $3,500 |
| University of Delaware College Newark, DE | Scholarship Fund | $3,500 |
| University of Illinois Foundation Champaign, IL | Scholarship Fund | $3,500 |
| University of Oklahoma Oklahoma City, OK | Scholarship Fund | $3,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The RJN 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 | $1,106,053 | $145,910 | $128,829 | $109,350 | 31 | $109,350 | $102,189 | $51,080 |
| 2024 | $1,025,946 | $113,214 | $76,866 | $60,246 | 29 | $60,246 | $72,594 | $45,957 |
| 2023 | $881,315 | $60,817 | $49,958 | $36,500 | 27 | $36,500 | $24,237 | $39,458 |
| 2022 | $734,732 | $42,867 | $52,128 | $37,499 | 28 | $37,499 | $5,084 | $41,460 |
| 2021 | $951,793 | $140,928 | $42,384 | $28,467 | 27 | $28,467 | $86,792 | $41,165 |
| 2020 | $768,885 | $67,531 | $84,937 | $34,046 | 31 | — | $29,356 | $35,244 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The RJN Foundation reported a distributable amount of $51K 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 available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants show support for educational institutions and organizations working in areas including river protection, clean water, children’s healthcare, and community services. For example, American Rivers describes its work as protecting and restoring rivers, while Wine to Water describes water, sanitation, and hygiene programs as a catalyst for community transformation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 31 grants totaling $109,350. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $50,000, with a median of $1,000. The largest grant was $50,000 to American Rivers, with the stated purpose “in honor of RJN 50th anniversary.” Wine to Water received $7,780 for a water filter build. Multiple colleges and universities received $3,500 scholarships, including Benedictine University, Elmhurst College, Illinois Institute of Technology, Southern Illinois University, and the University of Illinois Foundation. Children’s Miracle Network received $1,070; its stated mission is to raise money for children’s healthcare in local communities.
The foundation reported 29 grants totaling $60,246 in 2024 and 27 grants totaling $36,500 in 2023.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Florence Nogaj, Alan Hollenbeck, and Steven Kiler as directors.
The RJN Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Alan Hollenbeck
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Florence Nogaj
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven Kiler
Director
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Charles Digiovanni (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Richard Nogaj (2020–2023) — Fmr Director
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 RJN Foundation
How much does The RJN Foundation give each year?
The RJN Foundation gave $109K across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $60K across 29 grants.
What is The RJN Foundation's typical grant size?
The RJN Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $3,527, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The RJN Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does The RJN Foundation give grants?
The RJN Foundation's top state is District of Columbia, with 47% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Illinois (26%) and Oklahoma (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Wheaton, IL (4 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and Chicago, IL (2 grants).
Does The RJN Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 39% of The RJN Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship Fund" (8 grants).
Who are The RJN Foundation's largest grantees?
The RJN Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include American Rivers ($50,000), Wine to Water ($7,780) and Benedictine University ($3,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($3,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The RJN Foundation?
The RJN Foundation reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $109K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $51K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The RJN Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants show support for educational institutions and organizations working in areas including river protection, clean water, children’s healthcare, and community services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The RJN 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 RJN Foundation's EIN?
The RJN Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3963955. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The RJN 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 2, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The RJN Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-rjn-foundation-morg_c24f322959664f339f301bae898db0c6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363963955_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The RJN Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-rjn-foundation-morg_c24f322959664f339f301bae898db0c6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 RJN 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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