The Whitney Foundation
The Whitney Foundation is a private foundation based in Elmwood, Illinois. In its 2025 filing, it reported grants to charitable organizations, with most grant dollars going to recipients in Illinois.
The Whitney Foundation at a glance
In short: The Whitney Foundation gave $38K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Illinois. 46% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $38,100
- +60.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +62.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,931
- -1.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $750
- Total assets
- $599,422
- +0.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 46% first-time grantees (6 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (94% 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 Whitney Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 102 North Towne Ave, Elmwood, IL 61529
Phone: (309) 673-2131
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Whitney Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Elmwood Historical Group ($11K). Together the top 10 received $37K.
Grant Size Distribution
46 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 46 grants of 46 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 94% of grant dollars went to Illinois recipients, 2% to Tennessee, 2% to Florida, and 2% to Virginia. Listed Illinois recipients include organizations in Elmwood, Peoria, Dunlap, and Canton.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Whitney Foundation open to new grantees?
46%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 13 grantees (46%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $892; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $750 first-time, $5K repeat.
- 46% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−16%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 111% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $24K (2024) to $46K (2021). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $38K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Elmwood Historical Group Elmwood, IL | For Preservation of Local Historical Items | $11,000 |
| Elmwood Police Department Elmwood, IL | To Support the Police Department of Elmwood, IL | $10,000 |
| Bye Ambulance Service Elmwood, IL | To Support Emergency Rescue Service | $5,000 |
| Elmwood Fire Department Elmwood, IL | To Support the Fire Department of Elmwood, IL | $5,000 |
| Peoria County Animal Protection Services Peoria, IL | Support | $2,000 |
| Wheels of Time Museum Dunlap, IL | Support | $1,000 |
| St Jude Children's Hospital Memphis, TN | Support | $750 |
| Easterseals - Central Illinois Peoria, IL | Support | $750 |
| Shriners Children's Hopsital Tampa, FL | Support | $750 |
| Prison Fellowship Merrifield, VA | Support | $750 |
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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 | $599,422 | $57,306 | $47,717 | $38,100 | 13 | $40,787 | $50,875 | $36,776 |
| 2024 | $594,833 | $42,075 | $34,345 | $23,700 | 8 | $25,825 | $35,912 | $35,820 |
| 2023 | $582,103 | $32,960 | $40,134 | $30,600 | 7 | $32,588 | $25,668 | $34,316 |
| 2022 | $589,277 | $24,297 | $54,037 | $45,600 | 12 | $45,600 | $18,269 | $36,447 |
| 2021 | $619,017 | $52,545 | $55,037 | $46,000 | 6 | $46,000 | $45,768 | $40,878 |
| 2020 | $621,509 | $49,400 | $48,646 | $40,400 | 13 | — | $43,171 | $37,635 |
| 2019 | $620,755 | $27,318 | $44,453 | $35,500 | 12 | — | $20,760 | $39,473 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Whitney Foundation reported a distributable amount of $37K 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 local historical preservation, emergency services, public safety, animal protection, health-related organizations, and other charitable recipients. The Elmwood Fire Department describes itself as a volunteer fire department that serves the community through equipment and building maintenance and volunteer training. Easterseals Central Illinois says it provides services for children with developmental delays, disabilities, and other special needs. Graham Hospital Foundation says it supports hospital building projects, medical equipment purchases, and scholarships for clinical positions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $38,100. Grants ranged from $100 to $11,000, with a median grant of $750.
The largest listed grants were $11,000 to Elmwood Historical Group for preservation of local historical items; $10,000 to Elmwood Police Department; $5,000 each to Bye Ambulance Service and Elmwood Fire Department; and $2,000 to Peoria County Animal Protection Services. Other listed recipients included Wheels of Time Museum ($1,000), St Jude Children's Hospital ($750), Easterseals Central Illinois ($750), Shriners Children's Hospital ($750), Prison Fellowship ($750), Elmwood Business Women ($500), and Graham Hospital Foundation ($500).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Linda B. Whitney as president/director; Douglas R. Whitney as vice president, secretary, treasurer, and director; Ethan A. Whitney as vice president/director; and Clifford L. Bateman as director.
The Whitney Foundation is led by Linda B. Whitney, President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Linda B. Whitney
President & Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Clifford L. Bateman
Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Douglas R. Whitney
Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ethan A. Whitney
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Whitney Foundation
How much does The Whitney Foundation give each year?
The Whitney Foundation gave $38K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $24K across 8 grants.
What is The Whitney Foundation's typical grant size?
The Whitney Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $750, and its average grant was $2,931, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Whitney Foundation that year got $892 on average.
Where does The Whitney Foundation give grants?
The Whitney Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Elmwood, IL (5 grants) and Peoria, IL (3 grants).
Does The Whitney Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on The Whitney Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support" (9 grants).
Who are The Whitney Foundation's largest grantees?
The Whitney Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Elmwood Historical Group ($11,000), Elmwood Police Department ($10,000) and Bye Ambulance Service ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 68% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Whitney Foundation?
The Whitney Foundation reported $599K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $41K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $37K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Whitney Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for local historical preservation, emergency services, public safety, animal protection, health-related organizations, and other charitable recipients. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Whitney Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Whitney Foundation's EIN?
The Whitney Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 37-1312678. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Whitney 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 22, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Whitney Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Figures come from The Whitney 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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