Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust

Private foundation · Grantmaker Chicago, IL EIN: 36-6639872

The Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2026 filing lists Northern Trust Company as trustee.

Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust at a glance

In short: Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust gave $1.4M across 30 grants in 2026 (avg $48K), mostly in Wisconsin. 0% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2026)
$1,435,611
+4.5% vs 2025
Grants made (2026)
30
+0.0% vs 2025
Average grant
$47,854
+4.5% vs 2025
Median grant
$14,482
Total assets
$23,439,201
+0.4% vs 2025
New grantees (estimate)
0% first-time grantees (0 of 30, 2026)
Primary geography
Wisconsin (60% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing

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

How to apply to Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The trust does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.

Contact

Mailing address: PO Box 803878, Chicago, IL 60680
Phone: (312) 630-6000

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

Who Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2026

Mayo Clinic: $218KMayo Clinic$218KCatholic Charities of the Diocese: $217KCatholic Charities of theDiocese$217KMayo Clinic Health System: $216KMayo Clinic Health System$216KGundersen Medical Foundation: $145KGundersen Medical Foundation$145KShriners Hospitals for Children: $145KShriners Hospitals forChildren$145KNational Jewish Medical & Research: $72KNational Jewish Medical &Research$72KAquinas Catholic Schools: $72KAquinas Catholic Schools$72KFather Flanagans Boys Home: $43KFather Flanagans Boys Home$43KOnalaska High School: $29KOnalaska High School$29KHolmen High School: $29KHolmen High School$29K

The largest 2026 recipient was Mayo Clinic ($218K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.

Grant Size Distribution

151 grants across all recorded years

116<$50K10$50–100K21$100–250K4$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 116 grants of 151 (77%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2026, grant dollars went primarily to organizations in Wisconsin (60%), Minnesota (16%), and Illinois (12%). Other reported recipient-state shares were Colorado (5%) and Nebraska (3%).

Grant Distribution by State

9states

Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.

Cities

La CrosseChicagoHolmenOnalaskaGalesvilleBoys TownColumbusDallasDenverEdinaJanesvilleOklahoma CityRochesterSan FranciscoSouth MilwaukeeSpartaLake ForestRacine

Is Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust open to new grantees?

0%

first-time grantees, 2026

In 2026, 0 of 30 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. How we count

  • 100% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2023 to 2026 (+3%). Method
  • In 2026 it paid out 100% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2026). 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$500K$1M$1.5M30 grants2021 31 grants2022 30 grants2023 30 grants2024 30 grants2025 30 grants2026

From 2021 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $1.4M (2025) to $1.4M (2026). In 2026 it made 30 grants totaling $1.4M.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Mayo Clinic Rochester, MNGeneral Support$218,403
Catholic Charities of the Diocese La Crosse, WIGeneral Support$217,266
Mayo Clinic Health System La Crosse, WIGeneral Support$216,113
Gundersen Medical Foundation La Crosse, WIGeneral Support$144,839
Shriners Hospitals for Children Chicago, ILGeneral Support$144,839
National Jewish Medical & Research Denver, COGeneral Support$72,427
Aquinas Catholic Schools La Crosse, WIGeneral Support$72,427
Father Flanagans Boys Home Boys Town, NEGeneral Support$43,447
Onalaska High School Onalaska, WIGeneral Support$28,965
Holmen High School Holmen, WIGeneral Support$28,965
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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
2026$23,439,201$1,751,721$1,660,372$1,435,61130$1,573,993$1,689,392$1,566,844
2025$23,347,319$1,859,590$1,565,106$1,373,70830$1,493,788$1,808,104$1,444,375
2024$23,051,617$1,539,424$1,606,631$1,397,02030$1,507,728$1,490,138$1,317,746
2023$23,118,911$1,329,182$1,572,482$1,391,14530$1,501,208$1,273,576$1,289,801
2022$23,363,684$2,463,748$1,598,882$1,383,69631$1,508,444$2,409,271$1,506,153
2021$22,498,825$1,657,629$1,622,459$1,418,67330—$1,607,572$1,335,404

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $1.6M for 2026 — 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 trust’s filings do not state a mission. Its 2026 grants include support for health care, social services, schools, religious organizations, and youth-serving organizations. Mayo Clinic describes its mission as providing care, education, and research to support health and well-being. Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home describes its mission as “Changing the way America cares for children and families.”

Grantmaking

In 2026, the trust made 30 grants totaling $1,435,611. Grant amounts ranged from $7,241 to $218,403, with a median of $14,482. The largest grants included $218,403 to Mayo Clinic, $217,266 to Catholic Charities of the Diocese, $216,113 to Mayo Clinic Health System, and $144,839 each to Gundersen Medical Foundation and Shriners Hospitals for Children. The listed purposes for these grants were general support.

Other 2026 recipients described in their own materials include the Young Men’s Christian Association, whose stated mission is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind, and body, and the American Heart Association, whose mission is to promote longer, healthier lives.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Northern Trust Company is listed as trustee on the 2026 filing.

Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust's only listed officer is Northern Trust Company, Trustee on every filing since 2021 (compensated).

Officers on the 2026 filing

  • Northern Trust Company

    Trustee

    On filings since 2021

    40 hrs/week

    $146K (2021) → $184K (2026)

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2026 IRS filing

Northern Trust Company — Trustee: $184KNorthern Trust CompanyTrustee$184K

The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $184K, to Northern Trust Company (Trustee).

Frequently asked questions about Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust

How much does Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust give each year?

Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust gave $1.4M across 30 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $1.4M across 30 grants.

What is Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust's typical grant size?

Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust's median grant in 2026 was $14,482, and its average grant was $47,854, across 30 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust give grants?

Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust gives mostly in Wisconsin: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Minnesota (16%) and Illinois (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were La Crosse, WI (8 grants), Chicago, IL (4 grants), Holmen, WI (3 grants) and Onalaska, WI (2 grants).

Does Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust's 2026 grants with a stated purpose (30 of 30) were for general or operating support, per its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust's largest grantees?

Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust's largest 2026 grantees include Mayo Clinic ($218,403), Catholic Charities of the Diocese ($217,266) and Mayo Clinic Health System ($216,113), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.

How large is Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust?

Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust reported $23.4M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.6M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust fund?

The trust’s filings do not state a mission. Its 2026 grants include support for health care, social services, schools, religious organizations, and youth-serving organizations. Mayo Clinic describes its mission as providing care, education, and research to support health and well-being. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust?

The trust does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; 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 Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust's EIN?

Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6639872. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.

Does Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust 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

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 1, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 1, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 7, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 1, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 13, 2025)
  6. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS August 10, 2026)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/vernon-f-dale-charitable-trust-morg_b80ff5a2592b4627b26600b4cb900006

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366639872_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/vernon-f-dale-charitable-trust-morg_b80ff5a2592b4627b26600b4cb900006},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Vernon F Dale Charitable Trust'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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