Vail Family Foundation
The Vail Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports 20 grants totaling $91,500 to charitable organizations.
Vail Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Vail Family Foundation gave $92K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Illinois. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $91,500
- +59.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- +5.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,575
- +51.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $1,734,059
- -6.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (5 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (77% 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 Vail Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. No application materials or other application process are specified.
- Contact
Mailing address: 321 N Clark Street Ste 3000, Chicago, IL 60654-4762
Phone: (312) 832-4550
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Vail Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Ravinia Festival ($30K). Together the top 10 received $76K.
Grant Size Distribution
107 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 107 grants of 107 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 77% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 8% to Massachusetts, 5% to New Hampshire, 4% to Wisconsin, and 3% to New York. These figures describe the locations of recipients reported in that filing.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Vail Family Foundation open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 20 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 66% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 107% 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 $55K (2022) to $107K (2019). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $92K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ravinia Festival Highland Park, IL | General Operating Fund, Setting the Stage | $30,000 |
| Geneva Foundation Evanston, IL | General Operations | $10,000 |
| Clearbrook Arlington Heights, IL | General Operations | $7,500 |
| Church of the Holy Spirit Lake Forest, IL | General Operating Fund | $5,000 |
| Phillips Exeter Academy Exeter, NH | General Operations | $5,000 |
| Northfield Mt Herman School Gill, MA | General Operations | $5,000 |
| Winnetka Community House Winnetka, IL | General Operating Fund | $4,000 |
| Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL | General Operations | $4,000 |
| Home of the Sparrow Woodstock, IL | General Operations | $3,000 |
| Martha Graham Dance Company New York, NY | General Operating Fund | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Vail Family 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 | $1,734,059 | $13,485 | $135,853 | $91,500 | 20 | $101,544 | $15,088 | $95,195 |
| 2024 | $1,853,926 | $152,175 | $99,496 | $57,450 | 19 | $76,174 | $129,063 | $90,669 |
| 2023 | $1,801,244 | $67,720 | $60,900 | $59,250 | 17 | $54,419 | $60,639 | $90,576 |
| 2022 | $1,794,765 | $51,689 | $63,791 | $55,000 | 26 | $62,330 | $50,228 | $91,451 |
| 2021 | $1,806,307 | $65,557 | $74,215 | $60,100 | 25 | $70,381 | $61,723 | $101,375 |
| 2020 | $1,815,409 | $50,591 | $89,046 | $85,000 | 21 | — | $46,580 | $94,917 |
| 2019 | $1,853,864 | $65,505 | $129,649 | $107,350 | 26 | — | $63,711 | $96,234 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Vail Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $95K 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 organizations working in areas such as arts and culture, education, community activities, disability services, and housing support. These are examples of grantees’ work, not stated foundation priorities: Clearbrook says it provides personalized support, including community day programs, employment, residential care, clinical services, and children’s programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Home of the Sparrow says it supports women and children moving from homelessness toward self-sufficiency. Lake Forest College describes its purpose as providing post-secondary education leading to a baccalaureate degree.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $91,500 through 20 grants. Grants ranged from $500 to $30,000, with a median grant of $2,500.
The largest reported grants included $30,000 to Ravinia Festival for its general operating fund and “Setting the Stage,” $10,000 to Geneva Foundation for general operations, and $7,500 to Clearbrook for general operations. Other grants included $5,000 each to Church of the Holy Spirit, Phillips Exeter Academy, and Northfield Mount Hermon School; and $4,000 each to Winnetka Community House and Lake Forest College.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Margaret C. Vail as president and director; James D. Vail IV as vice president, treasurer, secretary, and director; John F. Vail as executive vice president, assistant treasurer, and director; and James D. Vail V as vice president and director.
Vail Family Foundation is led by Margaret C. Vail, President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Margaret C. Vail
President & Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James D. Vail IV
Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James D. Vail V
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John F. Vail
Exe Vice President, Assistant Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 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 Vail Family Foundation
How much does Vail Family Foundation give each year?
Vail Family Foundation gave $92K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $57K across 19 grants.
What is Vail Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Vail Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $4,575, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Vail Family Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Vail Family Foundation give grants?
Vail Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 77% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (8%) and New Hampshire (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Winnetka, IL (3 grants), Evanston, IL (2 grants), Lake Forest, IL (2 grants) and Sturgeon Bay, WI (2 grants).
Does Vail Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 90% of Vail Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (18 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Vail Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Vail Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Ravinia Festival ($30,000), Geneva Foundation ($10,000) and Clearbrook ($7,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Vail Family Foundation?
Vail Family Foundation reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $102K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $95K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Vail Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working in areas such as arts and culture, education, community activities, disability services, and housing support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Vail Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Vail Family Foundation's EIN?
Vail Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3441436. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Vail Family 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 2019 (received by the IRS June 29, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 29, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Vail Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/vail-family-foundation-morg_86ba4f60f56849d482b5f5d63b8eaf97
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363441436_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Vail Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/vail-family-foundation-morg_86ba4f60f56849d482b5f5d63b8eaf97},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Vail Family 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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