The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation
The Robert A and Shirley J Jones Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmette, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports 28 grants totaling $137,000 to charitable organizations in several states.
The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation at a glance
In short: The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation gave $137K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Illinois. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $137,000
- +21.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- +16.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,893
- +3.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $1,781,545
- +2.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (4 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (52% 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 Robert a and Shirley J Jones 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: 700 Forest Ave, Wilmette, IL 60091
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Connections for the Homeless ($20K). Together the top 10 received $87K.
Grant Size Distribution
137 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 137 grants of 137 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Illinois organizations received 52% of grant dollars, Michigan organizations received 22%, and organizations in California and Washington, DC each received 7%. North Carolina organizations received 5%. Listed recipients also include organizations in Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 28 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+15%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 98% 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 $113K (2021) to $137K (2025). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $137K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Connections for the Homeless Evanston, IL | Help with Homelessness from Covid 19 | $20,000 |
| First Presbyterian Church Wilmette, IL | Stock Food Shelves for Hungry | $15,000 |
| National Park Foundation Washington, DC | Protect Treasured Landscapes in US | $9,000 |
| Community Sharing Program Lewiston, MI | Provide Food in the Jhannesburg MI Schools | $8,000 |
| Care House of Oakland County Pontiac, MI | Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect | $7,500 |
| Samaritans Purse Boone, NC | Relief Aid | $6,850 |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago, IL | connect with healthy food and solutions | $6,000 |
| Ravinia Festival Highland Park, IL | Making Music assessible to all | $5,000 |
| Gleaners Food Bank Detroit, MI | Donation for Food for Food Bank | $5,000 |
| Refugee One Chicago, IL | Help Refugees build lives in the Chicago Area | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Robert a and Shirley J Jones 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 | $1,781,545 | $225,853 | $171,257 | $137,000 | 28 | — | $196,589 | $141,810 |
| 2024 | $1,743,949 | $167,717 | $173,204 | $113,000 | 24 | $130,000 | $140,067 | $132,257 |
| 2023 | $1,737,436 | $107,748 | $169,951 | $135,000 | 28 | $140,000 | $81,636 | $126,418 |
| 2022 | $1,801,639 | $100,008 | $157,998 | $119,000 | 33 | $126,000 | $69,820 | $136,017 |
| 2021 | $1,857,629 | $93,411 | $145,909 | $113,000 | 24 | — | $60,040 | $121,890 |
| 2020 | $1,908,127 | $4,894 | $141,600 | $116,000 | 26 | — | $33,109 | $114,568 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation reported a distributable amount of $142K 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 include support for food assistance, homelessness services, child-abuse prevention, refugee services, disaster relief, parks, and the arts.
The grantee organizations describe their work in varied terms. Connections for the Homeless says it works to end homelessness through eviction prevention, shelter, and housing services. The Greater Chicago Food Depository describes itself as a Cook County food bank working to end hunger. Sarah’s Circle says it provides housing and supportive services to women experiencing homelessness, while Start Early focuses on early learning for families with young children. The National Park Foundation describes its role as generating private support and partnerships to protect and enhance national parks.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 28 grants totaling $137,000. Grants ranged from $650 to $20,000, with a median of $3,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $20,000 to Connections for the Homeless in Evanston, Illinois, for homelessness-related assistance; $15,000 to First Presbyterian Church in Wilmette, Illinois, to stock food shelves; and $9,000 to the National Park Foundation in Washington, DC, to protect U.S. landscapes. Other grants included $8,000 to Community Sharing Program in Lewiston, Michigan, for food in local schools; $7,500 to Care House of Oakland County in Pontiac, Michigan, for child-abuse prevention; and $6,850 to Samaritan’s Purse in Boone, North Carolina, for relief aid.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kimberly S McElhenie as Treasurer, and Kelly J Jones and Christopher R Jones as Directors.
The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Christopher R Jones
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kelly J Jones
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kimberly S McElhenie
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
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 Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation
How much does The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation give each year?
The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation gave $137K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $113K across 24 grants.
What is The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation's typical grant size?
The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $4,893, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation give grants?
The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 52% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Michigan (22%) and California (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (5 grants), Evanston, IL (2 grants) and Naples, FL (2 grants).
Does The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 28 grants with a stated purpose on The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation's largest grantees?
The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Connections for the Homeless ($20,000), First Presbyterian Church ($15,000) and National Park Foundation ($9,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation?
The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation reported $1.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $226K.
What does The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for food assistance, homelessness services, child-abuse prevention, refugee services, disaster relief, parks, and the arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Robert a and Shirley J Jones 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 ↑
How much is The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation reported a distributable amount of $142K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation's EIN?
The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-3427946. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Robert a and Shirley J Jones 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 August 17, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-robert-a-and-shirley-j-jones-foundation-morg_83461b18407b4c14943631f2f979c6a8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_383427946_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Robert a and Shirley J Jones Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-robert-a-and-shirley-j-jones-foundation-morg_83461b18407b4c14943631f2f979c6a8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Robert a and Shirley J Jones 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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