The Sharon L King Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Glenview, IL EIN: 37-6421753

The Sharon L King Foundation is a private foundation based in Glenview, Illinois. It made 32 grants totaling $42,223 in 2024 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in housing, education, and community services.

The Sharon L King Foundation at a glance

In short: The Sharon L King Foundation gave $42K across 32 grants in 2024 (avg $1K), mostly in Illinois. 11% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2024)
$42,223
+5.4% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
32
-11.1% vs 2023
Average grant
$1,319
+18.6% vs 2023
Median grant
$250
Total assets
$558,829
+15.7% vs 2023
New grantees (estimate)
11% first-time grantees (2 of 18, 2024; small sample)
Primary geography
Illinois (75% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

How to apply to The Sharon L King Foundation

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.

Contact

Mailing address: 2541 Indigo Lane, Glenview, IL 60026
Phone: (312) 813-9098

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who The Sharon L King Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Winnetka Congregational Church: $15KWinnetka Congregational Church$15KLaw Center for Better Housing: $7KLaw Center for Better Housing$7KBright Futures Foundation: $3KBright Futures Foundation$3KMount Holyoke College: $3KMount Holyoke College$3KGeorgetown University Law Annual Fund: $2KGeorgetown University LawAnnual Fund$2KGirls Scouts of N Indianamichiana: $2KGirls Scouts of NIndianamichiana$2KHadley Institute for Blind and Visually Impaired: $2KHadley Institute for Blind andVisually Impaired$2KHillsdale College: $2KHillsdale College$2KNorth Shore Senior Center: $2KNorth Shore Senior Center$2KHoover Institute: $500Hoover Institute$500

The largest 2024 recipient was Winnetka Congregational Church ($15K). Together the top 10 received $36K.

Organizations only. It also paid 6 grants to individuals ($2,536), which are not listed by name.

Grant Size Distribution

176 grants across all recorded years

176<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 176 grants of 176 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation is based in Illinois. In 2024, 75% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois; the listed shares for other states were Massachusetts 6%, Washington, DC 5%, Indiana 5%, and Michigan 4%.

Grant Distribution by State

12states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.

Cities

ChicagoWinnetkaWashingtonNorthfieldEvanstonAlexandriaAtlantaBethesdaFort WayneHillsdaleLincolnMerrifieldSouth HadleyNew YorkRiverwoodsValparaisoAngolaEast LansingStanfordCarol Stream

Is The Sharon L King Foundation open to new grantees?

11%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 2 of 18 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $2K. How we count

Medians: $1K first-time, $375 repeat.

  • 78% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+16%). Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 172% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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

$0$20K$40K$60K36 grants2020 35 grants2021 37 grants2022 36 grants2023 32 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $36K (2021) to $42K (2024). In 2024 it made 32 grants totaling $42K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Winnetka Congregational Church Winnetka, ILProvide Financial Assistance$15,000
Law Center for Better Housing Chicago, ILProvide Financial Assistance$6,750
Bright Futures Foundation Glenview, ILProvide Financial Assistance$2,500
Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MAProvide Financial Assistance$2,500
Georgetown University Law Annual Fund Washington, DCProvide Financial Assistance$2,000
Girls Scouts of N Indianamichiana Fort Wayne, INProvide Financial Assistance$2,000
Hadley Institute for Blind and Visually Impaired Winnetka, ILProvide Financial Assistance$2,000
Hillsdale College Hillsdale, MIProvide Financial Assistance$1,500
North Shore Senior Center Northfield, ILProvide Financial Assistance$1,500
6 grants to individuals Recipients not named —$2,536
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2024$558,829$125,975$48,553$42,22332$42,223$75,401$24,577
2023$482,791$275,953$43,998$40,06336$40,063$143,248$17,652
2022$324,892$63,132$40,274$37,22937$37,229$33,526$17,286
2021$395,992$63,337$39,317$36,28435$36,284$34,030$17,538
2020$335,413$45,416$39,452$36,89936—$20,273$15,321

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sharon L King Foundation reported a distributable amount of $25K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, the Law Center for Better Housing describes its work as promoting renters’ rights to safe, accessible, and affordable housing through education, services, advocacy, and legal representation. An individual recipient says it works to address housing discrimination and foster inclusive communities. Bright Futures Foundation describes providing educational scholarships for employees of Vi and their dependents at The Glen.

Other 2024 recipients include North Shore Senior Center, which says it fosters older adults’ independence and well-being, and Hadley Institute for Blind and Visually Impaired. These are descriptions of the grantees’ work, not stated focus areas of the foundation.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation awarded 32 grants totaling $42,223. Grants ranged from $100 to $15,000, with a median grant of $250. The largest awards included $15,000 to Winnetka Congregational Church, $6,750 to the Law Center for Better Housing, and $2,500 each to Bright Futures Foundation and Mount Holyoke College. The stated purpose for these grants was “provide financial assistance.”

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Sharon L King as trustee.

The Sharon L King Foundation is led by Sharon L. King, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Sharon L. King

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Sharon L King Foundation

How much does The Sharon L King Foundation give each year?

The Sharon L King Foundation gave $42K across 32 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $40K across 36 grants.

What is The Sharon L King Foundation's typical grant size?

The Sharon L King Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $250, and its average grant was $1,319, across 32 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Sharon L King Foundation that year got $1K on average.

Where does The Sharon L King Foundation give grants?

The Sharon L King Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 75% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (6%) and District of Columbia (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (5 grants), Winnetka, IL (4 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).

Does The Sharon L King Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2024: none of the 32 grants with a stated purpose on The Sharon L King Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Provide Financial Assistance" (32 grants).

Who are The Sharon L King Foundation's largest grantees?

The Sharon L King Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Winnetka Congregational Church ($15,000), Law Center for Better Housing ($6,750) and Bright Futures Foundation ($2,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 6 grants to individuals ($2,536), which are not listed by name. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is The Sharon L King Foundation?

The Sharon L King Foundation reported $559K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $42K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $25K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does The Sharon L King Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Sharon L King Foundation?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is The Sharon L King Foundation's EIN?

The Sharon L King Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 37-6421753. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Does The Sharon L King 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

(1)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from The Sharon L King 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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