Washington Square Health Foundation
Washington Square Health Foundation is a private, non-operating foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1937, the foundation operates a grantmaking program designed to promote and maintain access to adequate healthcare for all people in the Chicagoland area, regardless of race, sex, creed, or financial need. The foundation functions as both a catalyst and guide for other foundations and grantmaking organizations in addressing healthcare community needs.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$20.1M
+11.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$675K
+41.5% YoY
Grant Count
66
+22.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$10K
+15.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement:
The Washington Square Health Foundation, Inc. grants funds in order to promote and maintain access to adequate healthcare for all people in the Chicagoland area regardless of race, sex, creed or financial need. The Foundation meets this goal through its grants for medical and nursing education, medical research and direct healthcare services.
Primary Funding Categories:
- Medical and nursing education
- Medical research
- Direct healthcare services
- Philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking
Grantmaking
The foundation requires applicants to:
Grant Range
$3,200
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
- Primary focus: Chicagoland area (Illinois)
- National giving for medical research and education grants
- Secondary focus areas: New York and District of Columbia
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets and Giving (Most Recent Data):
- Total assets: $20,050,591 to $20,670,433
- Total annual giving: $667,212 to $882,829
- Total revenues: $1,373,002 (2024)
- Total expenses: $1,712,665 (2024)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $20,050,591 | $17,989,998 | $16,811,906 |
| Revenue | $1,373,002 | $454,590 | $1,477,305 |
| Expenses | $1,712,665 | $1,439,869 | $1,395,070 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,926,151 | $1,328,231 | $1,268,123 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,240,822 | $352,499 | $1,389,106 |
| Distributable Amount | $934,499 | $960,747 | $980,029 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Washington Square Health Foundation
Washington Square Health Foundation Grants: Direct Health Care Services Category
Washington Square Health Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Washington Square Health Foundation Grants: Medical Research Category
Washington Square Health Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board and Staff:
- William N Werner, MD, MPH – Board Chair / Director
- Catherine M Creticos, MD – President / Director
- Catherine Kapella, MPH – Executive Director (40 hours/week)
- William B Friedeman – Secretary / Director
- Barbara Berendt – Treasurer / Director
- Sandy Goldberg, PhD – Director
- Howard Nochumson – Director Emeritus
The foundation employs 2 full-time staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
No officer/director data available.
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation was featured in the Grantmakers in Health Bulletin in January 2025, indicating active engagement with the broader health philanthropy community. The foundation continues to maintain an active grantmaking program with recent grants awarded in 2024.
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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