Thing 123 Foundation
Thing 123 Foundation is a private foundation based in Elmhurst, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports 26 grants totaling $256,796. The foundation states that it supports organizations dedicated to enhancing children’s lives and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Thing 123 Foundation at a glance
In short: Thing 123 Foundation gave $257K across 26 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $256,796
- +10.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 26
- +8.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,877
- +2.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $3,422,473
- +9.3% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Illinois (55% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Thing 123 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: 131 W Adelaide St 311, Elmhurst, IL 60126
Phone: (630) 279-7258
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Thing 123 Foundation
Who Thing 123 Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Book Harvest ($25K). Together the top 10 received $158K.
Grant Size Distribution
106 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 104 grants of 106 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 55% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 21% to California, 12% to North Carolina, 5% to New York, and 4% to Maine. The Community Challenge Grant description identifies Elmhurst and surrounding areas as the focus of that program.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Thing 123 Foundation gives
- 65% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 96% 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 (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 $7K (2019) to $257K (2025). In 2025 it made 26 grants totaling $257K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Book Harvest Durham, NC | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Northern Illinois Food Bank Geneva, IL | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Elmhurst Yorkfield Food Pantry Elmhurst, IL | Unrestricted | $17,500 |
| St James Faith Lab Newport Beach, CA | Unrestricted | $15,796 |
| Josselyn Center Northfield, IL | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Nourishing Hope Food Pantry Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Second Harvest FB of Oc Irvine, CA | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Exodus World Services Park Ridge, IL | Unrestricted | $12,500 |
| Girl Scouts of America New York, NY | Unrestricted | $12,000 |
| Care for Friends Chicago, IL | Unrestricted | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Thing 123 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 | $3,422,473 | $585,161 | $289,772 | $256,796 | 26 | $256,796 | $195,709 | $266,833 |
| 2024 | $3,131,248 | $439,491 | $240,782 | $232,436 | 24 | $232,436 | $433,745 | $227,540 |
| 2023 | $2,906,754 | $175,841 | $212,629 | $205,884 | 24 | $205,884 | $174,916 | $185,287 |
| 2022 | $2,807,396 | $169,969 | $259,517 | $253,747 | 19 | $253,777 | $169,366 | $208,029 |
| 2021 | $2,714,950 | $217,387 | $199,902 | $196,759 | 13 | $196,884 | $217,051 | $240,983 |
| 2020 | $2,559,071 | $132,915 | $182,499 | $180,576 | 23 | — | $132,832 | $156,781 |
| 2019 | $2,549,101 | $157,541 | $12,649 | $7,000 | 3 | — | $157,265 | $130,757 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Thing 123 Foundation reported a distributable amount of $267K 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 foundation’s stated mission is to support people and organizations providing services and programs that improve and enhance children’s lives. Its reported grants include organizations whose own missions address children’s literacy, youth tutoring and mentoring, and programs for young people. For example, Book Harvest says it provides books to children and engages families and communities to promote lifelong literacy and academic success; Chicago Youth Programs describes its work as tutoring and mentoring for inner-city youth.
The foundation also gave to organizations whose stated missions include food assistance and other basic needs. Northern Illinois Food Bank says it provides meals through a network of food pantries and programs; Care for Friends describes providing food, clothing, and healthcare to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Chicago.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 26 grants totaling $256,796. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $25,000, with a median grant of $10,000. Among the largest reported grants were $25,000 to Book Harvest, $20,000 to Northern Illinois Food Bank, $17,500 to Elmhurst Yorkfield Food Pantry, $15,796 to St James Faith Lab, and $15,000 each to Joslyn Center, Nourishing Hope Food Pantry, and Second Harvest FB of OC. The listed purposes for these grants were unrestricted.
Other 2025 recipients included Chicago Youth Programs Inc. and Care for Friends, each receiving $10,000; Greater Chicago Food Depository, $10,000; Save Our Youth, $7,500; and Chicago Lights and Cradles to Crayons Inc., each receiving $5,000.
The foundation’s Community Challenge Grant program description says it aims to combat hunger in Elmhurst and surrounding areas by matching donations toward a new Community Food Pantry facility. The described match is one dollar for every two dollars donated, up to $100,000. The program listing was marked active and last updated March 22, 2026.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists James Ruprecht, Nancy Ruprecht, and Jan Leaders as directors.
Thing 123 Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James Ruprecht
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jan Leaders
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Ruprecht
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/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 Thing 123 Foundation
How much does Thing 123 Foundation give each year?
Thing 123 Foundation gave $257K across 26 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $232K across 24 grants.
What is Thing 123 Foundation's typical grant size?
Thing 123 Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $9,877, across 26 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Thing 123 Foundation give grants?
Thing 123 Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 55% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (21%) and North Carolina (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (9 grants) and Newport Beach, CA (3 grants).
Does Thing 123 Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Thing 123 Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Thing 123 Foundation's largest grantees?
Thing 123 Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Book Harvest ($25,000), Northern Illinois Food Bank ($20,000) and Elmhurst Yorkfield Food Pantry ($17,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Thing 123 Foundation?
Thing 123 Foundation reported $3.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $257K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $267K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Thing 123 Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to support people and organizations providing services and programs that improve and enhance children’s lives. Its reported grants include organizations whose own missions address children’s literacy, youth tutoring and mentoring, and programs for young people. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Thing 123 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 Thing 123 Foundation's EIN?
Thing 123 Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4284264. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Thing 123 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 21, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 30, 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 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 18, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 1, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Thing 123 Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Thing 123 Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/thing-123-foundation-morg_498f3581cc9a484cb4fe81410008722e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_364284264_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Thing 123 Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/thing-123-foundation-morg_498f3581cc9a484cb4fe81410008722e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Thing 123 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.
Thing 123 Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?