Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation
The Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In 2025, it reported making 38 grants totaling $501,000 to charitable organizations.
Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation at a glance
In short: Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation gave $501K across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), mostly in Illinois. 37% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $501,000
- +11.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- +22.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $13,184
- -8.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $6,712,861
- +4.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (14 of 38, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (72% 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 Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 333 W Wacker Drive 1700, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 332-1111
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Can Do Canines ($55K). Together the top 10 received $310K.
Grant Size Distribution
166 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 159 grants of 166 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Illinois recipients received 72% of grant dollars, Minnesota 11%, California 5%, North Carolina 5%, and New York 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 14 of 38 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 58% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 29% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 119% 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 $343K (2019) to $501K (2025). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $501K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Can Do Canines New Hope, MN | General Purposes | $55,000 |
| Ravinia Highland Park, IL | General Purposes | $50,000 |
| South Suburban Humane Society Matteson, IL | General Purposes | $30,000 |
| St Mary's School and Catholic Church Dixon, IL | General Purposes | $30,000 |
| Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation Springfield, IL | General Purposes | $25,000 |
| Deaf Unity - United Advocates Against Violence Richmond, CA | General Purposes | $25,000 |
| Duke Law School Annual Fund Durham, NC | General Purposes | $25,000 |
| Lurie Children's Foundation Chicago, IL | General Purposes | $25,000 |
| St Peter's Catholic Church Clifton, IL | General Purposes | $25,000 |
| Bishop McNamara Catholic School Kankakee, IL | General Purposes | $20,000 |
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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 | $6,712,861 | $902,137 | $615,534 | $501,000 | 38 | $501,015 | $799,492 | $420,244 |
| 2024 | $6,426,258 | $678,250 | $544,900 | $448,100 | 31 | $448,125 | $568,935 | $402,381 |
| 2023 | $6,292,908 | $312,614 | $507,731 | $420,000 | 32 | $420,025 | $216,403 | $366,422 |
| 2022 | $6,488,025 | $420,042 | $481,967 | $387,327 | 30 | $387,410 | $320,730 | $376,367 |
| 2021 | $6,549,950 | $647,508 | $491,601 | $403,500 | 35 | $403,525 | $440,945 | $408,919 |
| 2020 | $6,394,043 | $252,323 | $478,461 | $394,400 | 31 | — | $149,820 | $375,360 |
| 2019 | $6,620,181 | $311,803 | $417,936 | $342,500 | 25 | — | $222,801 | $368,236 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation reported a distributable amount of $420K 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 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Can Do Canines says it creates mutually beneficial partnerships with specially trained dogs, and South Suburban Humane Society says it promotes animal well-being through care, sheltering, education, adoption, and related services. Youth Guidance describes its work as social and emotional development, community engagement, and positive youth development. The H Foundation says it raises funds for basic science cancer research.
Other 2025 grantees include Inspiration Stables, which says it provides therapeutic adaptive horseback riding for children with special needs, and Civic Leadership Foundation, which says it offers leadership training and promotes public dialogue about leadership.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 38 grants totaling $501,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $55,000, with a median grant of $10,000.
Among the largest grants were $55,000 to Can Do Canines; $50,000 to Ravinia; $30,000 each to South Suburban Humane Society and St. Mary’s School and Catholic Church; and $25,000 each to Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, Deaf Unity - United Advocates Against Violence, Duke Law School Annual Fund, Lurie Children’s Foundation, and St. Peter’s Catholic Church.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Louis S Harrison as president and director; Lynne Kaplan as secretary and director; and Samantha J Edwards as treasurer, director, and vice president.
Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation is led by Louis S. Harrison, President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Louis S. Harrison
President & Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lynne Kaplan
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Samantha J. Edwards
Treasurer, Director & Vice President
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 Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation
How much does Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation give each year?
Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation gave $501K across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $448K across 31 grants.
What is Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation's typical grant size?
Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $13,184, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation that year got $11K on average.
Where does Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation give grants?
Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 72% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Minnesota (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (10 grants), Sterling, IL (3 grants), Highland Park, IL (2 grants) and Dixon, IL (2 grants).
Does Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (38 of 38) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation's largest grantees?
Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Can Do Canines ($55,000), Ravinia ($50,000) and South Suburban Humane Society ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation?
Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation reported $6.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $501K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $420K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation?
The foundation 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 Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation's EIN?
Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-2545558. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Virginia Lee Shirley Private 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 2024 (received by the IRS May 1, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 29, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 1, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 29, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 10, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/virginia-lee-shirley-private-foundation-morg_f187b0c63b6043209dd58d6b52c2b1e0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_272545558_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Virginia Lee Shirley Private Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/virginia-lee-shirley-private-foundation-morg_f187b0c63b6043209dd58d6b52c2b1e0},
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 Virginia Lee Shirley Private 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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