The William F O'connor Foundation
The William F O'Connor Foundation is a private foundation established in 1989 and based in Chicago, Illinois. It operates as an independent grantmaking foundation with a focus on supporting charitable causes through discretionary board decisions.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$9.9M
+0.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$260K
+0.8% YoY
Grant Count
27
+8.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$10K
-6.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's giving priorities include:
- Medical research, with particular emphasis on cancer prevention and cure
- Arts and culture
- Education
- Human services
- Philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking
The foundation maintains board discretion in its grantmaking approach, allowing flexibility in funding decisions across these areas.
Grantmaking
The foundation made 18 grants totaling $260,000 in its most recent fiscal year. Recent grants include:
Grant Range
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily supports organizations in the Chicago, Illinois area, with additional giving in Michigan and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Fiscal Year Ending June 2024:
- Total Assets: $9,847,449
- Total Revenues: $519,964
- Total Expenses: $395,622
- Investment Income and Dividends: $510,380
- Net Gain from Sale of Non-Inventory Assets: $9,584
Revenue Trends
Total revenues increased 119.3% from the prior fiscal year (FYE June 2023: $237,128), driven primarily by a 43.6% increase in investment income and dividends.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $9,876,779 | $9,847,449 | $9,724,476 |
| Revenue | $448,214 | $519,964 | $237,128 |
| Expenses | $418,868 | $395,622 | $431,683 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $260,000 | $308,000 | $322,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $448,214 | $469,964 | $295,368 |
| Distributable Amount | $479,479 | $475,602 | $474,966 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
131 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is managed by trustees Carol Hennessy and Joanne Unkovsky. Administrative services are provided through Ryan & Juraska LLP.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAROL HENNESSY | PRESIDENT | 7 | $40,000 |
| MARY JANE O'CONNOR | ASSISTANT SECRETARY | 5 | $40,000 |
| PHILIP C RYAN | SECRETARY | 5 | $40,000 |
Contact Information
Address: 141 W Jackson Blvd, Suite 2250, Chicago, IL 60604-3328
Telephone: 312-922-0062
EIN: 36-3593445
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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