William E Mcelroy Charitable Foundation

MILWAUKEE, WI EIN: 37-6306920

The William E McElroy Charitable Foundation is an independent private foundation established in 1994 and based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The foundation operates with limited staffing and focuses its philanthropic efforts on education and scholarship support.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$3.4M

+3.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$194K

+6.8% YoY

Grant Count

14

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$14K

+6.8% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William E Mcelroy Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $185K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary purpose is providing scholarships and educational support to boys graduating from high schools in Sangamon County, Illinois. Specifically, the foundation awards grants to male high school graduates from the region who meet a minimum academic achievement threshold of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale (or 4.5 on a 5.0 scale).

Grantmaking

Grant Range

$9,100

Review Cycle

- Prospective applicants should contact the foundation directly for inquiries

How to Apply

**

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation restricts its grantmaking to boys graduating from high schools in Sangamon County, Illinois.

Grant Distribution by State

9states
+1 more states

Cities

AbileneAtchisonBloomingtonCape GirardeauCarbondaleCedar RapidsChampaignChicagoColumbiaEdwardsvilleFort LauderdaleHuntsvilleIndianapolisJacksonvilleKnoxvilleMinneapolisNapervilleNormalPeoriaRock Island

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

  • Total Assets: $3.9 million
  • Tax-Exempt Status: Since November 1993
  • EIN: 37-6306920
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$207K$414K$620K$827K20212022202320242025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$3,381,395$3,254,788$3,281,783
Revenue$382,282$211,233$101,752
Expenses$255,665$238,230$219,251
Qualifying Distributions$201,313$188,789$174,431
Net Investment Income$331,532$162,037$49,428
Distributable Amount$185,041$175,800$166,934

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$57K$113K$170K$227K17 grants202120 grants202216 grants202314 grants202414 grants2025

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

SIU SCHOOL OF MEDICINE$49KSIU CARBONDALE$25KUNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS C…$25KUNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS C…$21KSIU EDWARDSVILLE$14KLOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO$9KMARION UNIVERSITY$9KBRADLEY UNIVERSITY$9KUNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE$9KNOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVER…$7K

Grant Size Distribution

81 grants across all recorded years

76<$50K5$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include Siu School of Medicine ($48,900), Siu Carbondale ($25,000), University of Illinois Chicago ($24,554).

RecipientPurposeAmount
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO CHICAGO, ILSCHOLARSHIP$4,625
SIU EDWARDSVILLE EDWARDSVILLE, ILSCHOLARSHIPS$13,625
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO CHICAGO, ILSCHOLARSHIP$24,554
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO CHICAGO, ILSCHOLARSHIP$9,125
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS COLLEGE OF MED PEORIA, ILSCHOLARSHIP$21,000
SIU SCHOOL OF MEDICINE SPRINGFIELD, ILSCHOLARSHIP$48,900
NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY FORT LAUDERDALE, FLSCHOLARSHIP$7,425
MARION UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS, INSCHOLARSHIP$9,125
AUGUSTANA COLLEGE ROCK ISLAND, ILSCHOLARSHIP$900
BRADLEY UNIVERSITY PEORIA, ILSCHOLARSHIP$9,125

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

  • Mary Jo Janssen — Vice President (1 hour per week, no compensation reported)
  • US Bank N.A. — Trustee (1 hour per week, $54,000 annual compensation)

Contact information:

  • Mary Jo Janssen, U.S. Bank
  • PO Box 19264
  • Springfield, IL 62794
  • (217) 753-7362

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

US BANK N ATRUSTEE$54K

From 2025 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
MARY JO JANSSENVICE PRESIDENT1
US BANK N ATRUSTEE1$54,442

Frequently Asked Questions

What does William E Mcelroy Charitable Foundation fund?

The foundation's primary purpose is providing scholarships and educational support to boys graduating from high schools in Sangamon County, Illinois. Specifically, the foundation awards grants to male high school graduates from the region who meet a minimum academic achievement threshold of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale (or 4.5 on a 5.0 scale).

How do I apply for a grant from William E Mcelroy Charitable Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • The foundation made 14 grants in its most recent fiscal year • Median grant size: $9,100 • Grant range: $900 to $49,000 **Application Process:** • No formal application deadlines • Prospective applicants should contact the foundation directly for inquiries • The foundation indicates it is possibly open to applications

Where does William E Mcelroy Charitable Foundation make grants?

The foundation restricts its grantmaking to boys graduating from high schools in Sangamon County, Illinois.

What size grants does William E Mcelroy Charitable Foundation award?

In 2025, William E Mcelroy Charitable Foundation awarded 14 grants totaling $194K — an average of about $14K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is William E Mcelroy Charitable Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, William E Mcelroy Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $185K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is William E Mcelroy Charitable Foundation's EIN?

William E Mcelroy Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 37-6306920. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.

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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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