WAG Foundation
WAG Foundation is a private foundation based in Highland Park, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in Illinois and Massachusetts, including organizations whose work involves food assistance, social services, social justice, and the arts.
WAG Foundation at a glance
In short: WAG Foundation gave $21K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Illinois. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $20,750
- -25.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- -13.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,596
- -13.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $44,543
- -8.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (1 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (88% 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 WAG Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. The filing specifies no required format, says deadlines are ongoing, and states that awards are subject to board discretion.
- Review Cycle
- Ongoing.
- Deadline
- Ongoing.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1459 Linden Avenue, Highland Park, IL 60035
Phone: (847) 433-2910
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who WAG Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Greater Chicago Food Depository ($5K). Together the top 10 received $19K.
Grant Size Distribution
76 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 76 grants of 76 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois and 12% to recipients in Massachusetts. The listed grants included recipients in Chicago, Highland Park, Highwood, Libertyville, and Boston.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is WAG Foundation open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 13 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 77% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 51% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 206% 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 $21K (2025) to $42K (2022). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $21K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago, IL | Social Services | $4,500 |
| Greater Boston Foodbank Boston, MA | Social Services | $2,500 |
| Community Partners - Affordable Housing Libertyville, IL | Social Justice | $2,000 |
| Chicago Intl Puppet Theater Festival Chicago, IL | Arts | $2,000 |
| Lyte Collective Chicago, IL | Social Services | $2,000 |
| Crossroads Fund Chicago, IL | Social Services | $1,500 |
| Highland Park Community Foundation Highland Park, IL | Social Services | $1,000 |
| North Suburban Legal Aid Highland Park, IL | Social Justice | $1,000 |
| Moraine Township Food Pantry Highland Park, IL | Social Services | $1,000 |
| Misericordia Heart of Mercy Chicago, IL | Social Services | $1,000 |
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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 | $44,543 | $19,336 | $23,489 | $20,750 | 13 | $20,750 | $18,786 | $10,073 |
| 2024 | $48,489 | $18,778 | $28,591 | $27,750 | 15 | $25,750 | $18,052 | $12,596 |
| 2023 | $58,318 | $31,703 | $25,519 | $22,000 | 15 | $22,000 | $30,864 | $14,248 |
| 2022 | $51,952 | $42,678 | $45,590 | $42,000 | 18 | $42,000 | $41,378 | $14,915 |
| 2021 | $54,864 | $27,940 | $40,494 | $37,000 | 15 | $37,000 | $26,846 | $19,288 |
| 2020 | $67,418 | $1,802 | $40,012 | $36,500 | 12 | — | $419 | $18,770 |
| 2019 | $105,628 | $28,981 | $38,531 | $32,750 | 13 | — | $25,255 | $18,225 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, WAG Foundation reported a distributable amount of $10K 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 included awards designated for social services, social justice, and arts purposes. Among its grantees, the Greater Chicago Food Depository describes its mission as ending hunger and treating food as a basic human right; Crossroads Fund says it supports Chicago-area community organizations working on racial, social, and economic justice; and The Simple Good says it empowers youth to become forces for positive change in their communities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $20,750 through 13 grants. Grants ranged from $250 to $4,500, with a median of $1,000. Notable awards included $4,500 to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, $2,500 to the Greater Boston Foodbank, $2,000 each to Community Partners - Affordable Housing, Chicago Intl Puppet Theater Festival, and Lyte Collective, and $1,500 to Crossroads Fund. The Simple Good received $250.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Caryl G Lasko, Bennett W Lasko, Daniel R Lasko, James B Lasko, and Peter A Lasko as officers and directors. James B Lasko is listed as president/director; Bennett W Lasko as treasurer/director; and the others as vice presidents/directors.
WAG Foundation is led by James B Lasko, President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James B Lasko
President & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Bennett W Lasko
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Caryl G Lasko
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Daniel R Lasko
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Peter A Lasko
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Burt B Lasko (2019) — Vice President & Director
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 WAG Foundation
How much does WAG Foundation give each year?
WAG Foundation gave $21K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $28K across 15 grants.
What is WAG Foundation's typical grant size?
WAG Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,596, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from WAG Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does WAG Foundation give grants?
WAG Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (7 grants) and Highland Park, IL (3 grants).
Does WAG Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on WAG Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Social Services" (10 grants).
Who are WAG Foundation's largest grantees?
WAG Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Greater Chicago Food Depository ($4,500), Greater Boston Foodbank ($2,500) and Community Partners - Affordable Housing ($2,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 43% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is WAG Foundation?
WAG Foundation reported $45K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $21K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $10K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does WAG Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included awards designated for social services, social justice, and arts purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from WAG Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 WAG Foundation's EIN?
WAG Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5985194. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does WAG 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 13, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 2, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in WAG Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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