William G Mcgowan Charitable Fund logo

William G Mcgowan Charitable Fund

CHICAGO, IL EIN: 52-1829785 Website

The William G. McGowan Charitable Fund is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois, established in 1992 following the death of its founder, William G. McGowan. The fund was created to provide financial support to organizations that reflect the visions, concerns, and life experiences of its benefactor and have demonstrated success in changing and improving societal conditions.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$216.7M

+5.4% YoY

Annual Giving

$7.1M

-13.7% YoY

Grant Count

259

+37.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$27K

-37.0% YoY

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The fund's mission is to impact lives today, create sustainable change, and empower future generations to achieve their greatest potential.

The foundation makes grants in three primary areas:

  • Education: Supporting programs to improve high school graduation rates
  • Healthcare: Focusing on childhood obesity and cardiac health prevention
  • Human Services: Supporting programs for vulnerable populations, including the elderly, victims of abuse, individuals with disabilities, and those experiencing poverty

The fund also operates an Employee Matching Gifts program that matches the contributions of its board members to charitable organizations.

Grantmaking

The foundation made 170+ grants in 2024, with a total of $4,987,607 distributed beyond the largest grants listed.

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The fund works in five communities across the nation, with primary giving concentrated in:

  • Pennsylvania
  • Kansas
  • Missouri
  • Chicago, Illinois
  • Rochester (location of community foundation partnership)

Giving is limited to specific geographic regions.

Grant Distribution by State

27states
+19 more states

Cities

AlbionAlexandriaAnn ArborArvadaAshleyAtlantaAuroraAustinAvocaAvonBaltimoreBasehorBerwickBethlehemBloomsburgBranchportCambridgeCanandaiguaCaryCharlotte

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

  • Total assets: $216,682,198
  • Total revenues: $9,493,768
  • Total expenses: $8,377,066
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$5M$10M$15M$20M2021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$216,682,198$205,649,544$198,032,018
Revenue$9,493,768$4,758,244$17,967,219
Expenses$8,377,066$9,746,465$8,826,588
Qualifying Distributions$9,667,683$10,585,510$10,059,279
Net Investment Income$6,237,510$6,285,596$17,759,388
Distributable Amount$10,180,195$9,683,121$10,638,546

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$2M$4M$6M$8M217 grants2021200 grants2022189 grants2023259 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

LITERACY KANSAS CITY$130KCOMMISSION ON ECONOMIC O…$125KCOMMUNITY LINC$125KCOLORADO WOMENS EMPLOYME…$60KDRESS FOR SUCCESS LUZERN…$60KMK YOUTH FOUNDATION$50KJEFFCO ACTION CENTER INC…$45KFAMILY TREE INC$40KKANSAS CITY FREE EYE CLI…$30KEAGLE VALLEY COMMUNITY F…$18K

Grant Size Distribution

200 grants across all recorded years

171<$50K21$50–100K6$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M2$1–5M$5M+

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from William G Mcgowan Charitable Fund

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

  • Brian Peckrill: Executive Director
  • Janet Crombie: Director of Finance and Administration
  • Liz Finley: Symposium Manager
  • Isabella Velez: Grants and Programs Manager
  • Mary McGowan Swartz: Board Member

The foundation has 5 employees.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

BRIAN PECKRILLEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR$201KJANET CROMBIEDIR OF FINANCE & ADMINISTRAT…$190K

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
BRIAN PECKRILLEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR40$200,700
JANET CROMBIEDIR OF FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION40$189,746
WILLIAM P MCGOWANCHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD10
LEO MCGOWANPRESIDENT10
A JOSEPH ROSICASECRETARY10
BRIAN MCGOWANTREASURER10
GERTRUDE MCGOWANDIRECTOR10
DANIEL ROSICADIRECTOR10
MARK ROSICADIRECTOR10
MARY MCGOWAN-SWARTZDIRECTOR10
DANIEL MCGOWANDIRECTOR10
MARIANNE ROSICA-BRANDDIRECTOR10
PATRICK MCGOWANDIRECTOR10
MEGAN MCGOWANDIRECTOR10

Contact Information

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

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

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